Alumni Book Nook: Dr. Marie Holowaychuk (DVM’04)
USask graduate Dr. Marie Holowaychuk (DVM’04) drew upon her more than 20 years of veterinary experience to write her first book
University of Saskatchewan (USask) alumna Dr. Marie Holowaychuk (DVM’04) has been immersed in the veterinary profession for as long as she can remember.
With two parents who are both veterinarians, Holowaychuk grew up working at her mother’s companion animal clinic in Sherwood Park, Alta. Holowaychuk began with cleaning kennels there and eventually became a technician assistant and then a veterinarian assistant after being accepted into the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at USask’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine.
Today, Holowaychuk, who graduated from USask in 2004, lives in the Edmonton area, where she is the founder of Reviving Veterinary Medicine, a venture through which she provides coaching and keynote speaking services to veterinary audiences. In August 2025, Holowaychuk’s debut book, A Compassionate Calling: What It Really Means to be a Veterinarian, was published by CRC Press. Drawing on her more than 20 years of veterinary experience, Holowaychuk explores numerous topics in the book, including the toll of on-call work, the emotional impact of euthanasia, the challenges of practicing during a pandemic, and much more.
The Green&White recently asked Holowaychuk about her work and what inspired her new book, A Compassionate Calling: What It Really Means to be a Veterinarian.
What have you been doing since you graduated from USask?
Since graduating from USask with my DVM in 2004, I have worked in a variety of veterinary roles, including referral and emergency practice, industry, and academia. I became a board-certified specialist in small animal emergency and critical care and have spent over 20 years mentoring, teaching, and supporting veterinary teams in Canada, the U.S., and globally. In recent years, I’ve focused on veterinary mental health and wellbeing, founding Reviving Veterinary Medicine, a platform that provides resources, workshops, and coaching to help veterinary professionals build sustainable, joyful, and fulfilling careers. I am also a certified coach, yoga and meditation teacher, and keynote speaker, sharing evidence-based strategies to prevent burnout and foster resilience in veterinary medicine.
What is the focus of your new book?
A Compassionate Calling: What It Really Means to be a Veterinarian is a narrative non-fiction exploration of the realities of veterinary life. Part memoir, part professional insight, the book examines the emotional and ethical challenges veterinarians face, including compassion fatigue, perfectionism, client interactions, moral stress, and career sustainability. It offers practical strategies and reflections to support veterinarians in building a fulfilling career while maintaining mental health and wellbeing.
What inspired you to write this book?
I wanted to shed light on the realities of veterinary medicine — both to validate the experiences of veterinarians and to help pet owners and the general public understand how dramatically the profession has changed over the last several decades. By sharing behind-the-scenes realities, I hope to foster empathy, bridge gaps in understanding, and highlight where veterinary medicine is headed in the future.
What are five adjectives that you would use to describe your book?
Honest, eye-opening, reflective, candid, and compassionate.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
This book was written not only for veterinary professionals, but also for pet owners, animal lovers, and anyone who cares about the people in veterinary medicine. My hope is that it will validate the struggles veterinary teams face, foster empathy among the general public, and inspire important conversations about how we can make veterinary careers more sustainable.
With two parents who are both veterinarians, Holowaychuk grew up working at her mother’s companion animal clinic in Sherwood Park, Alta. Holowaychuk began with cleaning kennels there and eventually became a technician assistant and then a veterinarian assistant after being accepted into the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at USask’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine.
Today, Holowaychuk, who graduated from USask in 2004, lives in the Edmonton area, where she is the founder of Reviving Veterinary Medicine, a venture through which she provides coaching and keynote speaking services to veterinary audiences. In August 2025, Holowaychuk’s debut book, A Compassionate Calling: What It Really Means to be a Veterinarian, was published by CRC Press. Drawing on her more than 20 years of veterinary experience, Holowaychuk explores numerous topics in the book, including the toll of on-call work, the emotional impact of euthanasia, the challenges of practicing during a pandemic, and much more.
The Green&White recently asked Holowaychuk about her work and what inspired her new book, A Compassionate Calling: What It Really Means to be a Veterinarian.
What have you been doing since you graduated from USask?
Since graduating from USask with my DVM in 2004, I have worked in a variety of veterinary roles, including referral and emergency practice, industry, and academia. I became a board-certified specialist in small animal emergency and critical care and have spent over 20 years mentoring, teaching, and supporting veterinary teams in Canada, the U.S., and globally. In recent years, I’ve focused on veterinary mental health and wellbeing, founding Reviving Veterinary Medicine, a platform that provides resources, workshops, and coaching to help veterinary professionals build sustainable, joyful, and fulfilling careers. I am also a certified coach, yoga and meditation teacher, and keynote speaker, sharing evidence-based strategies to prevent burnout and foster resilience in veterinary medicine.
What is the focus of your new book?
A Compassionate Calling: What It Really Means to be a Veterinarian is a narrative non-fiction exploration of the realities of veterinary life. Part memoir, part professional insight, the book examines the emotional and ethical challenges veterinarians face, including compassion fatigue, perfectionism, client interactions, moral stress, and career sustainability. It offers practical strategies and reflections to support veterinarians in building a fulfilling career while maintaining mental health and wellbeing.
What inspired you to write this book?
I wanted to shed light on the realities of veterinary medicine — both to validate the experiences of veterinarians and to help pet owners and the general public understand how dramatically the profession has changed over the last several decades. By sharing behind-the-scenes realities, I hope to foster empathy, bridge gaps in understanding, and highlight where veterinary medicine is headed in the future.
What are five adjectives that you would use to describe your book?
Honest, eye-opening, reflective, candid, and compassionate.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
This book was written not only for veterinary professionals, but also for pet owners, animal lovers, and anyone who cares about the people in veterinary medicine. My hope is that it will validate the struggles veterinary teams face, foster empathy among the general public, and inspire important conversations about how we can make veterinary careers more sustainable.