In this episode, Dr. Judson Vasconcelos describes Merck Animal Health's Unconditional Program.

"We believe the world should be more Unconditional in thought and action. We believe we can learn a lot about unconditional trust, patience, love and forgiveness from the animals we help every day. And, we believe we can make the world a better place – and it starts with each of us." - Dr. Judson Vasconcelos

The Unconditional commitment is focused on six key areas:

1.     Respect for the veterinary profession

2.     Compassion for animal care and welfare

3.     Commitment for our customers

4.     Passion for sustainability

5.     Development of our future leaders

6.     Caring to make the world a better place

Learn more here: https://www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/responsibility

What do the industries of animal agriculture, sustainability and cognitive psychology have in common? Today we dive into how producers can connect with their consumers beyond providing quality products. We explore how best to communicate with consumers to add perceived value to their purchase choices. 

Dr. Jessica Meisinger is the Senior Account Manager for Sustainability at Merck Animal Health. With an initial interest in meat science Dr. Meisinger acquired her PhD and went on to work as Director of Communications at the National Renderers Association. She describes her objective as “sharing a story that might be as pretty as some of the other stories that we have to share.” This piqued her interest in why customers think what they think and what implications that might have and she brought that curiosity to Merck Animal Health.

“Serving data that you get when you survey consumers and then what consumers actually do are two totally different things.” - Dr. Jessica Meisinger

Infographics represent a “real world example of how people can learn about a new conceptual domain.” A study was created to determine the efficacy of this marketing technique on people’s processing of this food technology information in this way. Dr. Meisinger explains that when a consumer buys meat they are buying it “taste untasted” that incorporates observations about animal welfare, marbling and brand loyalty among others. Potential controversial topics such as antibiotic and hormone use in the food supply system were specifically targeted in this study. To explore the impact of infographics further, Merck teamed up with Dr. Tyler Davis, an Assistant Professor at Texas Tech University in the area of Cognitive Psychology.

“I think what we’ve seen so far is great evidence that (infographics) are working and that people are engaging in these specific reasons to maybe not be so fearful of these technologies.” - Dr. Tyler Davis

“It got people thinking,” says Dr. Meisinger. It's exciting that people were more open to discussion after these methods of communication. She suggests maintaining the perspective of someone who has no experience in agriculture when creating the infographics. If you don’t address concerns of the consumer and “explain the process to them and explain why they shouldn’t be scared. They’re just going to either make up a story themselves for why they should be scared of it or they’re going to look for the information and they’re going to go with what the other people are saying,” shares Dr. Davis. 

“Don’t avoid the controversial topics.... People were willing to think about them. They were at least willing to spend some time pondering the idea and so there’s room for improvement on those things that shouldn’t be ignored. There not being ignored on the other side of those controversial topics.” - Dr Jessica Meisinger

This Week’s Podcast:

• Meet Dr. Tyler Davis and Dr. Jessica Meisinger as they share the effects of infographics on consumer education
• Explore the studies that support the impact infographics can have
• Learn how to better engage your customer with their tips and tricks

Playing with puppies and kittens most of the day and selflessly saving any and all helpless animals in between is the common perception of being a veterinarian that many people pictured as a child. James Herriot painted a beloved picture of adventure and fun that many fell in love with. I’d be remiss to admit that occasionally this does describe the job but unfortunately the more common reality faced by veterinarians is a lot less rosy.

Dr. Judson Vasconcelos is the head of the Veterinary and Consumer Affairs Team at Merck Animal Health. Merck has committed to conducting a study of US veterinarians every few years “to monitor wellbeing and mental health of US veterinarians.” Having practiced as a veterinarian for years in Brazil, Dr. Vasconcelos can not only share the most recent study that illustrates the struggle many veterinarians are facing but also relates to them through his own experiences.

“We want to have a good idea of what’s going on with veterinarians based on the trends that we’ve seen in the past. We want to have a good understanding of wellbeing and where they are from a mental health standpoint.” - Dr. Judson Vasconcelos

Through a partnership with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), they were able to analyze approximately 3,000 answers from a survey sent out to practicing veterinarians in the United States. This comprehensive survey illustrated many different concerns, however, the team was able to identify three main concerns affecting the veterinary profession today and have labeled them the “Three S’s.”

1.  Stress

2.  Student Debt

3.  Suicide Rate

These three main issues all contribute to a multifactorial result of a reduced quality of life and low job satisfaction for veterinary professionals. Factors like a poor work-life balance and high expectation of customers magnify the gravity and significance of the Three S’s. Surprisingly to most, “52 percent of veterinarians do not recommend the profession.” Reasons such as debt, low salary, stress, and difficult clients are all cited as causes for this finding. Veterinarians are 2.7 times more likely to attempt suicide, a number which is significantly higher than their human medicine counterparts. However, identifying these concerns is only useful if something is done to ease the burden they present.

“We really wanted to evaluate potential solutions and come up with ideas and thoughts as far as how we can help the veterinary profession with resources and tools.” - Dr. Judson Vasconcelos

The Merck team has taken the data they accumulated and compiled different resources and suggestions to help those facing these concerns in veterinary medicine. While universities evaluate tuition costs and management of student debt to help protect future generations of veterinarians, Dr. Vasconcelos offers some recommendations for veterinarians currently facing financial struggles. Research has shown that engaging with a financial planner can help prioritize finances and lead to the best solutions to resolve student debt. All of this can contribute to a reduction in stress. Also, be sure to apply for scholarships. Merck has awarded $270,000 in scholarships already in 2020.

The VetWellbeing.com website provides resources for...