VetHealth Podcast

Finances are a part of veterinary medicine that a lot of DVMs don’t want to touch. It’s a hassle–and for a lot of folks, it’s just not a part of their skillset. That’s a problem–especially for practice owners.  In this episode, finance whiz Marcia breaks down the different phases of your financial life, how to plan for retirement, and the steps to building up financial freedom as a veterinary professional.

How has the relationship between humans and animals shifted over the course of the last few decades? What does it mean to say yes to opportunity in the veterinary industry? This week on the VetHealth podcast, we’re incredibly excited to be joined by the Chief Veterinary Officer of the AVMA, Dr. Gail Golab. Dr. Golab is an expert across a huge range of topics, but throughout our conversation she kept coming back to the area of VetMed that’s nearest and dearest to her: animal welfare. That’s a central thread throughout the conversation, but tune in for her in-depth thoughts on everything from the shifts that Covid drove across the industry to the role of AI. 1:35 - Dr. Golab's journey 6:00 - Major changes in VetMed 8:02 - Proudest achievements 12:10 - Changes during and after Covid 16:41 - Changes in technology 22:38 - What kept Dr. Golab in VetMed 24:44 - Self-care 27:37 - Important conversations in the veterinary industry 31:58 - AI 37:39 - Advice for new grads 39:37 - What drives you? 42:49 - Thank you

This week is all about the techs! Roland Seay talks Shawna through his experience on the ground- what changes he's observed over the course of his journey through veterinary medicine, how he and his team have been utilized in more and less optimal ways, and what it means to be a servant leader. Roland's start in veterinary medicine (1:25) Changes in the veterinary industry (5:16) Updates pre/post-Covid (8:47) Staying in VetMed (9:49) Setting boundaries (12:24) Conversations we need to have (14:38) Advice for new grads (16:46) Goal-setting (18:12) What drives you? (18:56)

Veterinarian, attorney, professor, and business consultant Dr. Charlotte Lacroix is an expert across a dizzying range of subject matter. This week, she talks Shawna through her journey from veterinary school to law school and beyond. Background in veterinary medicine (3:06) Comparing VetMed and law (7:26) Major shifts in veterinary medicine (8:11) Self-case (11:53) Dr. Lacroix's favorite tools (14:33) Leading the NAVC (16:12) Have you ever thought about leaving veterinary medicine? (17:36) Proudest achievements (18:38) Issues we need to be discussing (20:26) Advice for newcomers (26:04) Interested in veterinary law? (27:42) What drives you? (29:45)

Dr. Jessica Vogelsang, Chief Medical Officer at AAHA, is uniquely placed to talk about the structural issues facing veterinary professionals. She walks Shawna through her journey from leaving VetMed to leading one of the biggest organizations in the veterinary world. Inappropriate times that you've been asked for veterinary advice (0:00) Dr. Vogelsang's journey to AAHA (3:15) Major shifts in VetMed (5:41) Self-Care (7:49) Dr. Vogelsang's favorite tools and partnerships (11:24) Technician utilization guidelines (13:21) How AAHA puts together their guidelines (14:50) Dr. Vogelsang's biggest achievements (19:58) Leaving veterinary medicine (21:46) What conversations do we need to be having? (24:01) What's on the horizon for VetMed? (26:56) Advice for new grads (29:49) Shawna's advice (33:11) What drives you? (35:11) Travel dreams (36:25)

This week's episode deals with our expectations- whether that's what we expect the veterinary world to be like when we're just starting out, or what our clients expect of their caregivers. Our guest Aliyah Pipal has spent years on the customer service side of the veterinary world, and she walks Bryce through her experience and her recommendations. 1:10 - Aliyah's entry into VetMed 5:18 - The intensity of customer service 6:50 - Setting expectations for new hires 8:46 - Cross-training 11:44 - Reflecting on Covid 17:26 - How Aliyah takes care of herself 22:10 - Dealing with anxious clients 25:45 - Managing the trust of the community 27:50 - Aliyah's favorite resources 31:00 - Advice for newbies

Hard to believe it, but 2024 is here. In this quick bonus episode, Shawna explores her thoughts on the new year. What's on the horizon for VetMed? (And what are her personal resolutions?)

We're kicking off the new year with a huge episode. This week, Dr. Teller talks Shawna through some of the biggest topics in VetMed right now, from legislation to the role of the AVMA. Dr. Teller's history in VetMed (1:06) Legislation (3:23) Testifying before congress (5:59) Changes pre/post-Covid (7:58) Self-care (12:48) Favorite tools and partnerships (15:43) Leaving or staying in veterinary medicine (18:40) How the AVMA impacts veterinarians (20:06) Conversations we need to have (25:42) Advice for new vets (28:47) What drives you? (31:12)

Dr. Cherice Roth has worn a lot of hats. She's worked emergency and GP, taught at the college level, and now serves as chief veterinary officer at one of the biggest companies in the VetMed space: Mars Veterinary Health. In this episode, she breaks down her career and digs deep into conversations about diversity, access, and the role of the DVM in VetMed. Growing up and Dr. Roth's first pet Dr. Roth’s journey in medicine (4:31) The major shifts in VetMed (19:15) Self-Care (28:32) Wine & Whisky (31:00) Dr. Roth’s favorite tools (33:30) What keeps you in VetMed? (35:21) Dr. Roth's biggest achievement (40:26) Hot take! (42:49) What drives you? (50:29)

How can small practices move faster without burning out their staff? This week's guest, Dr. Rachael Kuhn, runs at the pace of an emergency room, and she can pull that off because she's built rock-solid processes for saving time and streamlining certain tasks. She walks Shawna through her operations, digs into the struggles of of balancing work, life, and family, and shares her advice for new veterinarians entering the space.

How can veterinary professionals take care of both our teams and the communities we serve? How do we maintain trust with our clients while setting healthy boundaries? What role does new technology play and what does it take to implement developments like AI, telemedicine, and more into our clinics? Welcome to the VetHealth podcast. For our first episode, we're getting to know our host, Dr. Shawna Garner. She talks about the steps she takes to decompress, the major issues we should be discussing in the space, and the tools she uses to maintain a healthy work-life balance.