What’s Driving Stress in Flexible Work?
Email Me the ReportWe are conducting a research study to explore burnout among relief (locum) veterinarians, prompted by findings from the 2025 AVMA Economic State of the Veterinary Profession report. According to the paper, burnout rates among associate veterinarians have declined since the pandemic, while burnout among relief veterinarians has been climbing since 2021. Additionally, relief veterinarians report the lowest overall satisfaction with the profession.
Our goal is to investigate the factors contributing to this trend and identify effective strategies that could help prevent burnout and make relief work more sustainable and fulfilling.
Methodology & Framework
This study is a collaboration between Serenity Vet and Talkatoo, with research guidance from Dr. Ivan Zak, CEO of Galaxy Vets. Galaxy Vets has conducted three annual burnout studies in the veterinary field, and their historical data will help us compare trends over time.
To measure burnout and professional fulfillment, we are using the Professional Fulfillment Index (PFI) – a validated tool developed at the Stanford University School of Medicine. It assesses work exhaustion, interpersonal disengagement, and intrinsic satisfaction.
In addition to the PFI, we’ve included a custom set of questions tailored specifically to the relief veterinary experience, exploring areas such as compensation, scheduling, administrative burden, and the potential role of technology in improving work satisfaction.
The study has been reviewed by the Tufts University Social Behavioral & Educational Research Institutional Review Board (SBER IRB).