Blunt Dissection

On today's episode of Blunt Dissection, we are doing something a little bit different. For the last six years, I have been interviewing people who are doing remarkable things in veterinary medicine. But this year I feel like getting curious about what different models and thinking is out there. 

Why?  - The reason is pretty simple. We are in what seems like an unsustainable moment where we are haemorrhaging talent of all kinds out of the veterinary profession. This comes at a time when there is increased demand in terms of quantity and availability of service but also in terms of quality of service. 

We are haemorrhaging talent in the face of increased stress, which starts at university, driven by the soaring costs of education. A stress that previous generations did not have.

And yet acting as a counter-balance  we see huge improvements to the quality of life. Working hours per week have never been lower. And we now speak openly, freely and widely about the mental health issues that have confronted this profession for generations. 

This of course is all playing as we observe the sweeping changes to the ownership structure of veterinary practices. Gone, it seems, are the days of independent practice as we move into the days of market consolidation and multinational corporate medicine. 

The chief decision makers are now shareholders or financiers whose commitment is primarily to the ongoing financial viability and profit of those businesses generate for distant shareholders. That's quite different to the commitments made in the boardroom of smaller independent clinics practices owned outright by vets - where animal welfare is the primary driving factor. 

So it’s against this backdrop we explore what's going on in veterinary medicine and we look to the future, not the past. We’ll look to salve the pain of today by looking at the balm of tomorrow’s innovation.

I’ll be exploring business models from around the world where people are challenging the status quo. So let's dive into the ideas from today, that may be niche but one day might just change veterinary medicine for the better.

My first guest is Dr. Sara Pizano. She works at Team Shelter USA, an organization that has transformed the way humane societies operate in the United States. Now, she’s teamed up with the Open Door Veterinary Collective, and has turned her attention to making veterinary care accessible to as many people as possible, while remaining profitable.

The Open Door Veterinary Collective operates two practices, doing things very differently, and challenging the myth that people who can’t afford veterinary care aren’t worthy of veterinary care. The results they have generated so far are very impressive and call into question both the ethics and economics of “Gold Standard Care”. 

There’s a lot to dig into here so let's jump right into the episode with the awesome Dr. Sara Pizano.

Episode Outline

• [00:00] - Dr. Dave Nicol begins the episode with a short precap.
• [03:05] - Can we rely on traditional methods in the veterinary business in current economic conditions?  
• [3:30] - How is the increase in pet ownership that occurred during the Covid-19 outbreak now contributing to overcrowding in animal shelters due to high inflation?
• [11:10] - Dr. Sara Pizano talks about Open Door Veterinary Collective Business model, explaining how practices can have sustainable business models while making enhanced veterinary care accessible to as many individuals as possible.
• [19:30] - Dr. Sara Pizano talks about the spectrum of care, the client-centered, evidence-based treatment that achieves positive results for animals with minimal resources. 
• [21:45] - Dr. Sara and Dr. Dave list the primary reasons driving pet owners' decision to forego premium standard care.
• [28:15] - Does the Open Door Business model impact the cash flow?
• [31:50] - Dr. Sara explains how to operate an efficient practice.
• [37: 50] - Dr. Sara and Dave talk about compassion fatigue, explaining its effect on the veterinary profession.
• [46:40] - Dr. Sara and Dave discuss the trust issue among pet owners regarding veterinary care.
• [50:30] - Dr. Sara talks about the management aspect of the model, explaining how technology and automation underpin Open Door Business model.
• [56:26] - Dr. Sara gives insights into the research based on six years of billing records of 397 veterinary clinics. The research is the base of the credit outsourcing model.
• [01:06:00] - Dr. Sara gives final thoughts on the business model.
• [01:08:15] - Dr. Dave wraps the episode.

On today’s show I’m joined by Martin Traub-Werner. 

Martin is the founder and former CEO of Vet Success, a business helping practice owners improve their decisions by taking objective data, sucked from their practice management software, and turning it into meaningful insight.

He holds a BA in Economics and Spanish from York, and a Masters in Industrial and Labour Relations from Cornell. His early career was spent cutting his teeth in the HR department of a global manufacturing organization. He then took a “tour of duty” through the various business departments of both fortune 500 companies and small businesses - gradually learning his craft.

Having served a very handy apprenticeship, Martin began his entrepreneurial journey for real setting up a marketing automation business. A complete fluke conversation caused a pivot into data intelligence and Vet Success was born.

The business grew to a market leading position in data analytics for practices and in January 2021, was acquired by Vetsource. After a year working as the head of Data & Platform Technologies for the company, he moved on to start up his latest venture called VetBooks. 

VetBooks is a book-keeping service looking to democratize timely access and understanding of practice financials.

Martin’s other notable career contributions are as a co-author of Veterinary Practice Management Essentials and he sat as chair of  VetPartners Practice Management Special Interest Group for two years.

Now, before we jump into today’s episode, a quick word from today’s show sponsor…

Introducing The Vet Career Concierge - the easy way to find your dream job. It's a brilliantly simple concept.

Instead of wasting time searching through thousands of practice jobs that might be a good fit - but frequently aren’t. Let The Vet Career Concierge do the hard work. All you have to do is register, tell us all about your skills and what you are looking for from your next practice.

Then your Career Concierge goes to work filtering, matching and approaching only practices who are a good fit. If you like the sound of a practice and want to meet, your concierge will coach you through the interview process, help with negotiations and work to ensure you have a smooth transition into practice when you accept a role. They'll even stay in touch with scheduled career check-ins to make sure you are happy.

The service is open to vets and vet nurses with at least ONE YEAR in practice and legally able to work in the USA, Canada, UK, EU or Australia.

To register visit vetxinternational.com/jobs. And all registrants will be entered into a prize draw where you could win an apple watch, magnum of champagne or amazon gift card.

Registration is free so head to vetxinternational.com/jobs to sign up today.

Now, back to the show…

Martin is that most rare of things, a data nerd who also speaks fluent human. He’s not an easy guy to put in a box, indeed it may well be that no-one puts Martin in a box. He’s an entrepreneur for sure and loves solving puzzles. But he’s just as likely to view his team as a puzzle to solve as the problem his business actually exists to solve. And it’s that quality I think that makes him such a stand out as both a leader and human. Well, it’s that or his ability to rock a bow-tie and flat cap combo! 

The only thing I didn’t enjoy about this episode was how short a time we had to record. But what we lacked in time, I'm quite certain we made up for in value. 

So without further ado, sit back and enjoy this conversation with the effervescent Martin Traub-Werner.

On today’s show, I’m joined by David McCormick.

David is a veterinary valuation appraiser and transaction specialist, working with veterinarians throughout their ownership journey to help evaluate financial health so owners can make better decisions. 

To give that a better outline David, in the same way, that veterinarians look at lab tests and x-rays to diagnose disease in animals, uses financial reporting tools to diagnose and treat unhealthy practices, or helps new owners understand their numbers from the beginning. In short, he’s a veterinary business health wizard who can read the tea leaves of your accounts and accurately predict much about your practice without ever walking in the door. A skill that every practice owner or manager would do very well to master too.

His career pathway to veterinary medicine was not direct and frankly is worth an interview on its own merits,  with animal encounters in exciting, remote places and a near miss as a musician featuring highly.  But it was his father, Larry, an MBA-holding Veterinarian that was the magnetic draw back into a world he was immersed in as a child. More on that in the interview.

David holds degrees in Science, Environmental Resource Management, and a Masters in Agricultural Education. He’s a regular and hugely popular speaker on the veterinary world speaking circuit, a charter member of Vet Partners, and serving as president in 2006. And was the Practice Management Education Manager for Western States Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas for seven years.

Money management is massively important for business and by extension physical and mental health. Well-managed businesses which return good profit margins allow for better staff salaries, more investment in new things to help standards of care, and a fair return for owners.

Having seen him keep the attention of the PSI vet symposium attendees the day before, on a subject more prone to glazing the eyes of veterinary professionals I knew I’d found my guy to talk about a subject that is taboo in the world of veterinary business - Profit is not a dirty word!

Regardless of your age or stage in vet med, this might be one of the most important conversations you hear because, in the end, economics determines just about everything.

So enjoy this, my conversation with the financial wizard and frisbee chasing David McCormick. 

Today's show was made possible through the generous sponsorship of VetX Thrive - the course where vets like you go to learn the professional skills needed to have a happy and financially successful career as a vet. Learn more and sign up at www.vetxinternational.com today.

When I sat down for this episode of Blunt Dissection I thought it would be like any normal interview. Very quickly however I found myself in the Blunt Dissection hot seat! Being interviewed by the returning Dr Peter Weinstein. Peter takes to the mic to ask me some of veterinary medicines' most burning questions and I must say I’m a bit worried he’s trying to take over as the host of Blunt Dissection as a whole! 

Peter and I have a fantastic discussion on a range of subjects from avoiding mentoring meltdowns, to the importance of culture, to reimagining the whole veterinary model around new technology. There's a lot to cover in this one so we’ll jump right on in but first a short message from our show sponsor...

We all know that imposter syndrome, angry clients, and burnout are real and cause many vets to leave their jobs and careers. 

But what you might not know is that there is a place where you can learn and master the essential street skills for how to be a great GP vet upon which you can build a sustainable, fulfilling career. A place where you can access mentors view jobs from practices that care about culture and access new weekly articles and podcasts dedicated to your career. 

That place is called VetX and you can access all of the resources including a career planning tool, The RACE accredited Thrive Professional Skills course, hundreds of articles, podcasts, live mentor Q&A sessions, swag and more.

To join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better go to www.vetxinternational.com today to register for free!

Now back to the show...

Before we get into the interview, a quick reminder of just how much Peter has accomplished in his varied and successful career. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University and, after graduation, Peter worked as an associate for three years before fully engaging with his entrepreneurial seizure and opening his practice.

Whilst running his practice Peter learned the hard way that it takes way more than just a love of animals to run a successful hospital and so while managing and practising full time, he completed an MBA. This had a massive positive impact on his trajectory and helped his practice ‘take off’. 

Following the success of his practice, Dr Peter "segway-ed" out of clinical practice and into the land of vet politics and business consulting serving as the President and Executive Director of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association, President of the California Veterinary Medical Association and is a Past-President of VetPartners in the US.

He also co-wrote the book the E-myth veterinarian with Michael Gerber, which I highly recommend you read (and I harbour huge author-envy over).

So without further ado let's jump into the interview where the never-conventional Dr Peter Weinstein dissects yours truly.

In a very, very sad and bizarre twist of timing, the day we published this episode about 4 hours before it was announced that Her Majesty The Queen passed away. She was an incredible woman who was one of the most dignified leaders of her time. RIP Queen Elizabeth II. You will be missed.

Outline of this episode

• [9:34] After some light-hearted conversation, Dr. Peter asks Dr. Dave whether there is a common thread about the veterinary profession that gets talked about everywhere irrespective of the audience.
• [19:28] Dr. Dave Nicol talks about “burnout and wellness,” going into detail about his trigger words and how they may not mean what we think they mean.
• [24:14] Dr. Dave and Dr. Peter discuss extrinsic and intrinsic influencers of decision-making and why we need to focus on intrinsic influencers to make better decisions for all stakeholders.
• [27:52] Dr. Dave talks about how he incorporates proactive decision-making in his business and how it leads to a happy team and sustainable business.
• [38:05] Dr. Dave recalls his entrepreneurial phase and how coronavirus forced him to strategically plan things proactively and differently.
• [49:12] How do we, as a global profession, move from reactive decision-making to proactive planning without an easy button? 
• [51:03] Dr. Dave Nicol’s advice: “Three jobs every practice owner has to do above all else”.
• [51:45] Dr. Dave and Dr. Peter discuss “firing clients”.
• [61:30] Dr. Dave explains mentorship as a bridge from the past to the future. He also answers how we can get leadership to have a new vision (at every level of the profession) for the future of the veterinary profession.
• [01:15:42] Dr. Dave and Dr. Peter discuss how to reimagine the veterinary business model in the age of technology.
• [01:19:05] Dr. Peter recounts two real-life instances when technology failed
• [01:27:47] The discussion comes to a close, Dr. Peter provides a summary of the conversation and Dr. Dave shares his final words with the listeners.  

Resources Mentioned

• The E-Myth Veterinarian by Dr Peter Weinstein & Michael Gerber: https://amzn.to/3AXx2by 
• Hell Yeah or No: What’s Worth Doing by Derek Sivers: https://www.amazon.com/Hell-Yeah-No-whats-worth-ebook/dp/B09YY9W9B3
• The Success Principles by Jack Canfield: https://www.amazon.com/Success-Principles-TM-Where-Want/dp/0060594896

Connect with Dr. Peter Weinstein

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pawdr/

Connect with Dr Dave

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Instagram

In today's show, we visit rural Michigan and find ourselves on a horse farm… Home to none other than veterinary pain management guru Dr. Mike Petty.

Mike is a graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University. He has been the owner of Arbor Pointe Veterinary Hospital since 1985. And it was here that he dedicated himself to becoming a pet pain management specialist, developing his practice to include the Animal Pain Center, a hugely popular service drawing pet owners from far and wide. 

Within this particular niche, Dr Petty expanded his knowledge and skills to encompass the most up-to-date and compassionate treatments available. He is certified as … and wait for it… a Veterinary Pain Practitioner, a Medical Veterinary Acupuncturist, a Canine Rehabilitation Therapist, and he’s a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management.

In 2016 he published his first book Dr. Petty's Pain Relief for Dogs: The Complete Medical and Integrative Guide to Treating Pain. 

Mike is the past president of the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management and the co-author of the AAHA/AAFP 2015 Pain Guidelines. 

He is an international speaker, highly published author with articles in several veterinary journals and serves in an advisory capacity to several pharmaceutical companies on topics of pain management. 

Now before we jump into the show, a quick word from today’s show sponsor…The VetX community.

We all know that imposter syndrome, burnout, angry clients, and burnout are real and cause many vets to leave their jobs and careers. 

But what you might not know is that there is a place where you can learn and master the essential street skills for how to be a great GP vet upon which you can build a sustainable, fulfilling career. A place where you can access mentors view jobs from practices that care about culture and access new weekly articles and podcasts dedicated to your career. 

That place is called VetX and you can access all of the resources including a career planning tool, The RACE accredited Thrive Professional Skills course, hundreds of articles, podcasts,  live mentor Q&A sessions, swag and more.

To join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better go to www.vetxinternational.com today to register for free!

Now back to the show..

Chatting with Dr Petty was a real privilege, he’s one of the people others frequently recommend to be a guest on the show - for his knowledge of pain management, but also his contribution to veterinary medicine and affable personality.

We explore the background and career of Dr Petty covering everything from Vespas to Lasers (and much in between). So if you need some pain management advice or even some career inspiration, this is going to be a show you don’t want to miss.

So, sit back, get comfy and enjoy this, my conversation with Veterinary Medicine’s pain management maestro, Dr. Mike Petty.

On today’s show I am joined by uber-technician and Anesthesia Nerds founder Tasha McNerney.

Tasha is a certified veterinary technician and pain practitioner specialising in anaesthesia as well as having the distinguished diploma in utterly nerdy vet tattoos!  

Her veterinary journey bagan back in 1997 when she first started working in practice and has seen her rise to become one of the most inspiring advocates for animals in our profession.  Tasha graduated from Michigan State University in 2003 with a degree in wildlife Biology, gained her LVT in 2006 after studying Veterinary Technology at Manor college, and in 2015 qualified as a Veterinary Technician Specialist in anaesthesia. 

She also works to educate the public on animal pain awareness, founding  Animal Pain Awareness Month alongside the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management. 

She is a regular on the vet speaking circuit, and in 2020 she was recognised for her contributions by being voted VMX Speaker of the Year for Veterinary Technicians.

But perhaps her greatest accomplishment in doing all of this, is in finally proving beyond any doubt that nerds can be cool too. Well, at least Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds! If you are not picking up what I’m putting down then search for Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds on Facebook and you’ll find the group she founded with more than 18,000 other passionately devotees to making life safer for animals under our care, big glasses and, occasionally, cool ink... 

Speaking of awesome communities, a quick word from today’s show sponsor…. 

Did you know there is a community where you can learn the essential street skills for how to be a great GP vet upon which you can build a sustainable, fulfilling career. A place where you can access mentors, view jobs from practices that care about culture and access new weekly articles and podcasts dedicated to your career. 

That place is called VetX and you can access all of the resources including a career planning tool, 14 hours of accredited education, hundreds of articles and live mentor Q&A sessions, plus earn swag and more. And I, yes I will be your personal mentor! 

To join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better go to www.vetxinternational.com today. Registration is free so go to vetxinternational.com now.

Now back to the show,

I’ve known Tasha for years, so it was awesome to finally have this conversation. She’s not only a great advocate for our profession and a great person to spend some time with. If pain, learning how to look after yourself and cool tats are your jam, this episode is for you. Oh, and she’s also a fully paid up member of the “We love Great Britain Club”... what’s not to love? So let's jump right into this, my conversation with the fantastic, Tasha McNerney.

Episode Outline

• [00:00] Introductions- The show starts with Tasha McNerney talking about her love for England and her general personal life.
• [06:44] What are you currently working on in your life?
• [11:11] Tasha talks about the work-life boundaries she has set and her relationship with her 10-year-old son
• [14:27] How much in our life is too much to weigh in? What other boundaries have been set in relation to the veterinary work?
• [18:00] Host asks Tasha if her work boundaries have ever created tension and resentment among the team members
• [19:44] Tasha gives her thoughts on the work rate of the younger generation in the technical and veterinary fields
• [25:25] How did you know you were burnt out? How do you keep emotionally fulfilled?
• [28:50] Host asks Tasha to elaborate on the leadership pushbacks she was getting in her previous role
• [30:00] What were the consequences of upholding your integrity and values in your previous role? 
• [32:42] Tasha issues a message to people who experience work-life balance problem in their practice
• [34:52] From your travels, have you seen something, systems, or ways of doing stuff that is different?
• [40:22] Tasha mentions other life components of life that fulfill her. 
• [44:06] Tasha explains she was able to influence the conception of animal pain awareness month.
• [47:05] The duo discusses Tasha’s tattoos and their meanings in relation to anesthesia 
• [55:05] Tasha talks about how she started the “Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds” group which has since built a strong presence on Facebook
• [01:02:25] How often are measurements taken to gauge the changes in anesthetic mortality rate?
• [01:03:30] Tasha talks about some of the things she would love to change in the veterinary anesthetic field
• [01:06:16] Tasha and the host weigh into the excuses many practitioners make in not providing the best services to patients
• [01:08:55] What are you most proud of in your career? 
• [01:09:56] What is the best advice you have ever been given or given it to someone?
• [01:12:45] What is the worst advice you have ever been given or given it to someone?
• [01:14:44] Tasha gives her experience and opinion on having therapists
• [01:20:12] If you could give yourself some advice on your graduation day, what would it be?
• [01:20:45] Tasha describes her communication experience on Instagram and Facebook
• [01:22:44] What additional message do you have for listeners? 
• [01:25:20] Closing remarks
• [01:26:49] The end. Learn More

Resources Mentioned

• http://www.veterinaryanesthesianerds.com/ 
• https://www.cliniciansbrief.com/content/tasha-mcnerney 
• https://www.aaha.org/practice-resources/central-line-the-aaha-podcast/guest-bios/tasha-mcnerney-bs-cvt-cvpp-vts/ 
• https://www.vetxinternational.com/podcasts/
• https://ivapm.org/animal-pain-awareness-month/ 
• https://jamesclear.com/saying-no

Connect with Tasha

• LinkedIn 
• Facebook
• Instagram  

Connect with Dr Dave

• LinkedIn 
• Facebook
• Instagram  

In today’s episode of Blunt Dissection, we’re joined by the real-life Forrest Gump, Rob Pope.

 Rob is best known for being the first person to complete the famous Forrest Gump run: 15,621 miles, five times across the United States. Rob is a graduate of the London Royal Veterinary College, an ER vet, winner of the Liverpool marathon, a qualifier for the Australian Olympic marathon team, ultra-athlete, and the first man to complete the Forrest Gump Run across America. 

Averaging nearly 40 miles each day, Rob embarked on this mind-boggling journey across the United States to raise both funds and awareness for causes he really believes in - Peace Direct and the World Wildlife Fund.  His journey took him across the US 4.77 times, covering over 15,700 miles and earning a Guinness World Record. 

In 2021 he released his book documenting the journey, “Becoming Forrest”.

He has also finished as top Northern European on the six-day, self-sufficient Marathon des Sables in the Sahara desert, billed as one of “The World’s Toughest Footrace” - and that was despite developing pneumonia during the penultimate stage!

To date, his incredible efforts have raised more than £100,000 for charities including the world wildlife fund.

Rob hosts the Red Bull podcast called “How to be Superhuman”, where he chats to other similarly insanely brilliant (or perhaps brilliantly insane) endurance athletes of all backgrounds to hear what makes them “superhuman”.

Oh, and in addition to his vet degree, he also holds a degree in veterinary pathology and a PhD in Veterinary Medicine.

If you like running you are going to LOVE this episode. If you need a lift, Rob is your walking pep talk. And if you just love some vet life philosophy from two dudes with weird accents… we’ve got you covered. Enjoy this conversation with the superhuman running machine, Dr Rob Pope.

Outline of this episode:

• [0:00] The introduction begins. 
• [03:22] The episode begins with Rob describing who he is and what he does.
• [07:39] Explaining the decision to run across America… five times.
• [17:00] Rob shares his interesting experience after asking to use a stranger’s bathroom in Texas.
• [20:50] How Rob worked around his visa timeframe.
• [26:40] Rob’s biggest takeaways from his time in America.
• [33:34] Preparing for the Forrest Gump run.
• [41:30] Rob’s warm-up and cool-down practices for long-distance runs.
• [48:43] Advice to budding runners.
• [54:54] How to enjoy your career in veterinary medicine.
• [1:04:02] Rob discusses his approach to goal-setting.
• [1:08:37] Being intentional about rest and relaxation.
• [1:12:51] Rob reveals his go-to running earphones and playlist.
• [1:16:55] How to be superhuman.
• [1:25:25] Overcoming the wall of life.

Now after a short intermission, on today’s show, we’re back. And I’m joined by Canadian veterinarian, comedian, author, and cancer survivor Dr. Sarah Boston.

Sarah graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada in 1996. 

She completed a rotating internship at the University of Guelph the following year. She then returned to Western Canada for three years of general practice before going to the University of Guelph for a residency in small animal surgery - becoming board-certified with the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2004. 

Sarah followed this up with a Fellowship in Surgical Oncology in 2005 and is an ACVS Founding Fellow of both Surgical Oncology and Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.

She was on faculty at the University of Guelph for 5 years before moving south to the University of Florida where she was an Associate Professor of Surgical Oncology.

Having achieved tenure at both institutions she took the less beaten path and moved back to Canada where she started a Surgical Oncology Service at 404 Veterinary Emergency & Referral in Newmarket. She is Adjunct Faculty at the University of Guelph.

A Past-President of Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology Sarah has authored numerous journal articles and textbook chapters on surgical oncology. Sarah is also a published author and cancer survivor. Her first book, Lucky Dog: How Being a Veterinarian Saved My Life, was published in 2014. 

In addition to her writing and vet work, Sarah has found a huge creative outlet in comedy, founding The Cageliner, a satirical newspaper for the veterinary industry, and, having made the Top 10 in CBC Comedy’s 2019 Next Up amateur comedy competition, she decided to make comedy her next big move, undertaking a two-year diploma qualification at Comedy School!

In this episode, we delve into Sarah’s past and learn what has shaped her to become the person she is today, from living on her own at age fifteen to her ‘crazy’ patients in Florida, clown school, and overcoming cancer. 

So, without further ado, enjoy this conversation with Dr. Sarah Boston.