Lucy Fuchter gets real about the veterinary profession's mental health

Dec 19

University of Sydney veterinary student, Lucy Fuchter, already has an impressive resume. She graduated with honors with a bachelor’s degree in veterinary sciences and she is the former president of the school’s Veterinary Society. She recently made headlines by inspiring her classmates to strip and pose with animals to raise money for mental health awareness.

Both male and female veterinary students from the University of Sydney bared all with strategically-placed pigs, sheep, hats, wool, and puppies to raise funds for the Black Dog Institute, a not-for-profit facility for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.

Although she was born in South Africa, Lucy migrated to Sydney with her family when she was four years old. Unlike most veterinary students, Lucy didn’t always plan to be a veterinarian, although she had a life-long passion for science and a love for animals. But, since starting veterinary school she had never looked back.

We talked to this third year veterinary student about her life and why it’s time for our profession to take action about mental health issues.

What do you do when not in class: Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, outdoors at the beach or hiking and exercising. I am also an avid SCUBA diver.

Why I chose the veterinary profession: I love science and I love animals, so studying to become a veterinarian seemed to be the perfect solution. I’ve always loved learning about the way things work and the world around me. As part of this degree, I’ve been on assignments all over Australia, and have done one overseas.

If I wasn’t a vet, what would I be? An architect, a chemical engineer, a doctor - there are too many things that interest me!

Three qualities that got me where I am today: Dedication, hard work, not being afraid to ask.

Book that left a lasting impression on me: ‘When Breath Becomes Air' by Paul Kalanithi. The story is a memoir of Paul Kalanithi, a neurosurgeon at Stanford University, who is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in his mid-thirties. Kalanithi uses the pages in this book to not only tell his story, but also share his ideas on how to approach death with grace and what it means to be fully alive. The book really makes you value each day of your life. I recommend that everyone reads this book.

Super power I’d want to have: Knowing what other people are thinking.

Stores I can’t leave without buying something: Garden centers, stationary stores, and supermarkets.

How I clear my head after a crappy day: Exercising

If I could compete in an Olympic sport it would be: Track and Field, especially the 300 meter sprint. I am not a fan of sprinting, but I wish I was better at it.

The beauty essential I must have: Mascara. Can’t live without it.

Three qualities that matter with my friends: Honesty, loyalty and being supportive

Who do I admire most and why? I admire my mum for her dedication to her work, family and friends, and her amazing ability to balance it all.

On the top of my bucket list: Equal first place goes to visiting Antarctica and Everest Base Camp

Change I would like to see in my industry: I would like to see a greater awareness of issues such as burnout, compassion fatigue, mental health / illness and imposter syndrome. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one in six veterinarians has considered or attempted suicide, and one in 10 suffers from severe psychological distress. In short, the veterinary industry is in the midst of a serious mental health crisis.

Why it is time for this calendar:

Having my classmates pose for a calendar in the nude helped get our message our about mental health issues in our profession. As soon-to-be veterinarians and animals scientists, we are entering a workforce in which the suicide rate is four times that of the national average. We wanted to make a bold stance on the subject. I was very happy to see all the positive support from our colleges around the world.

Why I admire my classmates: It took a lot of guts for my classmates to pose for this calendar and I admire them so much for it. We have a very cool group of students at the University of Sydney. My cohort consists of people of a wide age range, from many different countries and of many different nationalities. Such diversity is great – we all have different strengths and weaknesses, so can continuously learn from and support one another.

Get your calendar here: University of Sydney 2020 Calendar

Check out some photos below of Lucy doing what she loves best