Positivetly

Diagnosis and application of positive psychology in veterinary?

E2017, a research work on the diagnosis and application of positive psychology in veterinary medicine studentswas carried out for the first time in Chile, prepared by Daniela Arancibia Valdés, current veterinarian. She decided to do her degree thesis on this subject and had the fundamental support and motivation from her professors, Dr. Marcia Jarpa and Patricia Escárate ... without them it would not have been possible.

This study was guided by Iván López Vásquez, CEO of Vetcoach, who designed and performed the interventions, with the collaboration of Daniela. The results were very encouraging.

Dr. Arancibia was able to determine indices associated with well-being, such as the degree of subjective happiness; levels of resilience; and life satisfaction of veterinary students, both at the beginning and at the end of an intervention based on positive psychology. Impressively, theserates increased by 23%, 9%, and 9%, respectively, after the intervention. Which gave lights of hope for Positivetly and the entire veterinary community.

The study did not stop there, then, later, on May 22, 2019, between 10:30 a.m. and 12.30 hrs. in the Suárez Fanjul auditorium of the Universidad de Concepción, Campus Chillán, a new talk was held called “Positivetly, exercising my optimistic explanatory style”.Talk in which Dr. López made mention of this work, which did not go unnoticed, especially by one veterinary medicine student.

Attendees of the Positivetly Talk May 22, 2019, in the Suarez Fanjul auditorium of the University of Concepción, Campus Chillán. 

Eileen Fell Salinas, because of this talk, in 2020, was self-motivated to carry out a diagnostic thesis of well-being indices and character strengths according to positive psychology, seeking to associate it with academic performance in groups of veterinary medicine students from the University of Concepción. Supported by her teachers (Dr. Paula Gädicke and Dr. Reinaldo Letelier) she achieved the goal of having the preliminary project accepted. With this thesis she wants to create foundations and focus studies for future thesis in the field of positive psychology, giving weight to the need to see the bright side of the career of veterinary medicine by encouraging students to increase their levels of well-being, having as back up the work of Dr. Arancibia.

I thank Iván and the doctors who support me in this thesis, such as Paula Gädicke and Reinaldo Letelier. Our well-being and self-knowledge as veterinary doctors is key, not only for our personal life, but also for our professional life. The science of happiness can become a great pillar of prevention for our beautiful profession.

–  Eileen Fell –

Her blueprint was approved, and she is on the verge of completing this study. Positivetly and the university community is eager to know the results.