Podcast A Vet: Stories, Support & Community From Leaders In The Veterinary Field

It's no secret that the most common career path in the veterinary field is the one that leads to small animal care. But that's not every vet's calling. Today we talk with Dr. Myra Barrett about what it takes to break out of that track and specialize in an area that really lights you up.

Dr. Myra Barrett is a board-certified radiologist specializing in equine radiology, as well as President of the Large Animal Diagnostic Society, founding partner of Inside Information Radiology a telemedicine radiology company, Assistant Professor of Radiology at Colorado State University, and head of Equine Radiology. On top of all that, she’s also a skier, mountain biker, and super mom.

Today we talk about her journey from operating on her stuffed animals to a Stanford degree in Psychology to her now trailblazing the official specialization of equine radiology. She discusses the work-life balance and how to manage a relationship while going to vet school and doing your residency. We also talk about the importance of boundaries and knowing what kind of lifestyle you need as an individual.

How to you navigate the work-life balance? Do you have any activities or rituals that help? Leave us a comment below and let us know on the episode page!

In this episode:

• How she built her own residency to specialize in equine radiology rather than small animals
• The importance of give and take in managing a relationship as a vet school student
• Managing personal priorities and building your work lifestyle to fit your needs
• Dr. Barrett’s past as a girl riding horses bareback in Montana

Quotes:

“There’s nothing better for the soul than time at the barn” 8:20

“The traditional residency is very heavily small animal weighted… [which] takes away that time where you could be becoming an expert in that field where you really want to train.” 27:38

“You can’t be excellent at everything, and we put this pressure on ourselves to be excellent at everything and we can’t be and we need to back that down a little bit” 37:43

“It’s not always the internship or the residency. There are a lot of roads that can lead to happiness and success.” 01:01:54

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When most people think of veterinary medicine, they think of emergency surgeries or sick pets. Not many of us would immediately think of rehabilitation or sports medicine, but this is a growing field that is allowing us to help our clients and patients in new ways. Jessica Rychel is a pioneer in this field and she shared a lot of insights with us on this episode of Podcast A Vet.

Dr. Jessica Rychel is a DVM, a diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Certified Medical Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, Director of Rehabilitation Services at the Fort Collins Veterinary Emergency and Rehabilitation Hospital. Oh, and she also teaches, lectures and has a family. Needless to say, she is busy, but has managed created a work/life balance that we all should take careful notes on so that we can emulate.

We get into how her injuries from a lifetime of competitive skiing has helped shape her career and how she approaches her patients, what you can expect from the education related to this field, and how collaboration and support of your fellow hospital team members - especially between surgeons and rehab - is imperative to the success of the hospital. Plus we go deep into work/life balance, family culture, and why creating the life you want both inside and out of the office is the only way you can prevent burnout and truly be happy. This episode is chock-full of tips and surprising insights and is a ton of fun!

How do you see rehab and sports medicine fitting into the veterinary space? Would you want to explore it more in-depth? Leave us a comment!

• Recommendations for people who want to get into veterinary sports medicine and rehabilitation
• How to approach your relationships during the times of struggle when building your veterinary career
• Why creating a team with the same goals such as a family culture and understanding of work/life balance is essential to success
• Walking through the process in a referral hospital
• How human therapies often translate to animals seamlessly
• Why #hardstops are necessary to a healthy family and professional life
• What the next generation of sports medicine looks like and how it is evolving

“That was ultimately the rewarding part for me, doing rehab, I didn’t want to get that burnout that comes from seeing too many patients without the rewarding part of having the relationships with them.” (24:18)   

“We were able to start really small, and in rehab and sports medicine it’s really about what you can do with your hands and your brain and the connection you make with the patient and the client.” (33:01)

“Where rehab shines as a specialty, is that we have these pain management tools that we can really help to deal with that side of an injury. So, are we going to fix a fracture with pain meds, no, but can we help get that patient through whatever they are going through, their post-op recovery or  whatever it is, because that’s where we really shine.” (35:27)

“It’s really exciting because I think sports medicine and rehab are a standalone specialty but they also just pair so well with so many other specialties and general practice that really anyone can add a rehab and sports medicine mentality to what they are doing.” (50:34)

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Fort Collins Veterinary Emergency and Rehabilitation Hospital

Canine Rehab Institute

University of Tennessee Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation

Certificate In Medical Acupuncture

Become Board Certified In Rehab And Sports Medicine

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Veterinary medicine is no doubt one of the most emotionally taxing professions out there and the need for support within the community and for our patients & clients is massive. Erin Allen spends every day in the thick of it, whether it is advocating for patients or debriefing the staff, she is always there to be of service to anyone who needs help in navigating the emotions and stresses of this field.

Erin Allen is a clinical counselor at the Argus Institute at Colorado State University where her days are spent supporting clients, clinicians, nursing staff, and students while still maintaining her own wellbeing. She spoke about the importance of self care and work/life balance, how to keep compassion fatigue at bay, and how to identify those emotional triggers that can sometimes stop you in your tracks.

We also get very honest and real with the high suicide rate that plagues our industry, what to look for in terms of red flags in colleagues and friends, how to open up the conversation when you feel someone may be suicidal, and how to handle a situation where you may be the person someone comes to when they need to discuss those feelings. These situations are not easy but it is extremely important that they are discussed openly and with frankness.

What do you do for self-care? How are you managing your work/life balance? Leave us a comment below!

In this episode:

• What scenarios are typical to a clinical counselor in a veterinary hospital or clinic?
• Tips on dealing with the many emotions we encounter on a day to day basis in both ourselves and others
• How to keep compassion fatigue at bay
• How to identify emotional triggers and deal with them in a healthy manner
• Why debriefing is so imperative to the overall mental health and wellbeing of a hospital or clinic
• How to identify red flags of someone who may be suicidal and how to broach the subject

Quotes:

“I need to be in a people focused role in my life and so for me my heart was kind of drawn to the other side of the table so the human/animal bond, the people who brought their animals in and what they were going through. Little did I know that was what I was going to do.” (7:33)

“We don’t often get that much time with clients prior to perhaps that decision but we are involved as a source of support when people or families are making those decisions and just helping them navigate that experience. It’s an honor for me and it’s hard to watch somebody go through such an emotional experience but to be able to help them through that and have them, hopefully, at the end of it, not have any regrets.” (16:59)

“You get tight with your clients and when you suffer a lot of losses, it takes a toll because you’re not trained how to separate, how to pull yourself back and be able to say, ‘okay I am going to focus on them and then I’ll focus on me’, and have that balance. (53:27)

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Argus Institute

Argus Institute Pet Memorial

Argus Institute Path of Honor

Not One More Vet: Support For Veterinary Professionals

Suicide Hotlines - 1-800-Suicide (1-800-784-2433) National, 1-800-273-Talk (1-800-273-8255) National, 970-221-2114 8-5pm &  970-221-5551 after hours and weekends in Fort Collins

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We’ve all heard stories about how an influential mentor changed someone’s life and career path entirely, and we’ve got another one for you today. Today’s guest has had a few twists and turns in her veterinary career and they all came from as a result of mentors who believed in her before she believed in herself.

Clara Goh is an Australian born veterinary surgeon working in Colorado who has quite a few titles under her belt including small animal surgeon, surgical oncology fellowship at CSU, and is currently a faculty member at CSU in orthopedic surgery service. This is one busy woman to say the least! She’s also someone that I’ve known and looked up to for many years, which is why this episode is so important to me.

We dive into how mentorship can change your life both professionally and personally and why giving back, in the same way, is an important step in our careers, how compassion makes you a better person and vet, and how to balance your life when you’re exhausted. We also got into the nitty-gritty of how to build the relationships you will need to succeed and how networking with heart can make you stand out in a crowded field.

How do you find balance between life and work? What is your happy place that you escape to when needed?

In this episode:

• The importance of both accepting mentorship during your schooling and giving it after you’re established
• How to cultivate compassion and why it’s essential
• Application tips and tricks for a surgical residency
• What life is like as a faculty surgeon
• Life/Work Balance: How to make yourself a priority even when exhausted

Quotes:

“Sometimes it does take a mentor to actually see that you have that potential and recognize it. And, I think for me, that’s what I try to do with not just my residents that I’m training, but also the students that I see coming through.” (16:18)

“Just be yourself! You don’t need to go out of your way to outperform the other students or anything like that. Just be yourself and do a good job and a majority of the time when you feel like your doing your best for your patients, for the clients, for other rotation mates, and being a team player that will show through. And, that’s all going to reflect positively on that letter at the end of the day.” (27:19)

“As veterinarians, that’s not something we always do great, finding that balance sometimes and not pushing ourselves to the limit. I think it is to recognize in yourself, what it is that helps me to recharge your battery, even when you’re down to two percent.” (35:09)

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Western Vet Conference https://www.wvc.org/

NAVC Institute http://navc.com/institute/

VMX Conference http://navc.com/conference/

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If you’ve ever looked into specialization as a certified vet tech, you’re probably aware that it’s no easy feat, and that you’ll have to make some sacrifices along the way. The resulting opportunities, however, can be incredibly rewarding and lead you to places you might not have previously imagined. Today’s guest walks us through the process of specializing as a vet tech and what you can expect if you choose to go down this road.

Lindsay Carroll got her bachelor's degree and took the CVT test within 24 hours of each other and worked both in general and specialized practice. It wasn’t until she applied to the oncology department at the CSU vet school that the specialization bug really bit, however. She spoke with us about the intensely stressful process of gaining her specialization and how she had to practically give up her life for an entire year to pursue it.

We also got into the process of applying for the position of vet nurse at the University, what the daily life of a veterinary nurse looks like, and what is the secret to having a great dynamic with your co-workers and upper management. This episode is a must listen to anyone who ever thought about specialization but was unsure of what was expected.

Have you ever considered a specialization? What held you back or pushed you forward?

Bonus question: What do you do to help your team feel appreciated?

In this episode:

• Tips on what can be done to help teams to feel appreciated
• The process of application for employment within a University
• Secret to having a great dynamic with your coworkers and management
• Daily task of a veterinary nurse
• Steps to becoming specialized in a field

Quotes:

“I think it’s just, obviously, the ‘Hey you’re doing a great job’ and ‘Thanks for doing that’ but even the little things. We even had a board that’s called a kudos board where if someone was doing something great or someone stayed late to help you with something; you would say ‘Hey, thank you so much for that.’ That helped a lot, but it was hard because I still felt that even if they said it, I didn’t feel like they meant it.” (18:48)

“It’s hard to go home and talk about it because people over there are so rural that people are like ‘Why would you treat cancer?’, ‘Why would you give chemotherapy to a dog?’ and it’s like we are not doing it for the money, I guarantee you that. We don’t worry about profit at CSU, it’s more, what we can do to make sure that these people can have their dog a little longer or their cat a little longer and what that means to somebody. Nowadays, our cats and dogs are family and knowing that we can give them more time with their pets is irreplaceable in my opinion.” (54:32)

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Are you someone who knows exactly what path you are going down with every step planned in advance, or do you go where the opportunities take you? Today’s guest always knew he wanted to be a vet, but would have never guessed that he would end up as a doctor of surgical oncology at Colorado State University.

Dr. Bernard Seguin is an Associate Professor at CSU with a very long list of letters after his name including D.V.M., M.S., Diplomate ACVS, and ACVS Founding Fellow. To say he knows his stuff is an understatement. He walks us through the steps it took for him to get where he is today, the importance that his mentors played in his life, and the differences between vet schools in Canada (where he went to school) and those in America.

We go deep into the advances being made today in veterinary oncology, how those findings can help humans with the research being done in translational medicine and what the future looks like in both oncology and surgery. This was an amazing opportunity to dive into the mind of one of the greats in the field and he is, literally, the guy that wrote the textbook on it.

Are you considering a niche aspect of veterinary medicine? Do you worry about over-specializing? Leave a comment on the show notes page!

In this episode:

• Difference in vet medicine between Canada and the United States
• A look at the path to becoming a surgical oncologist
• The importance of having a mentor and being a mentor
• Advances being made in surgical oncology
• How does having your own pet help you in understanding and empathizing with your clients
• The power of transitional medicine and how it can help everybody

Quotes:

“It’s a great opportunity where you see problems on the clinic floor where you go ‘Oh this is a terrible disease and we have this treatment but it has terrible complications’. Well, research is all about, ‘Well do something about it, what can we do better?’ I was extremely attracted to that. (29:28)

“We are not going to cure them all, but in my fellowship, another mentor of mine said that there is no animal that you cannot help. And, that really was a real eye-opener for me. Even euthanasia is helping an animal.” (35:40)

“I think the future is personalized medicine. I think that cancer is an umbrella to group many diseases but, there are common features to all cancers but there are also incredible differences between cancers. As a matter of fact, we are learning that the same cancer, it has the same name but in different people, it can actually be a different disease.” (41:38)

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Colorado State University Flint Animal Cancer Center 

Veterinary Surgical Oncology Textbook - 2012 Edition 

Veterinary Society Of Surgical Oncology

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It should come as no surprise that working in critical care and emergency departments can put a lot of pressure and stress on the vet professionals involved. At the same time, they provide a fast-paced, never boring environment with the opportunity to make a difference every day. Today’s guest is the managing nurse of both critical care and emergency at Colorado State University’s teaching vet hospital and she has perfectly mixed her passion of wanting to make a positive difference with her love of constant action.

Jocey Pronko got her degree in biology before deciding that the world of vet medicine would be a better fit for her, and after stints in private practice and academia, she quickly fell for the fast-paced environment of critical care and emergency veterinary medicine. She shares some amazing insights into the mental strength needed to strive in this field, what personal qualities will help you succeed in these high-stress situations, and what does a career in vet nursing look like long term.

We dive into how maintaining a healthy work-life balance can be the difference between keeping your sanity and complete burnout, how to maintain your passion during those trying hours when it’s non-stop action, and why lack of communication is the #1 issue plaguing workplaces - including vet practices - today and how to fix it.

How do you deal with the mental and emotional stresses of your life and achieve a healthy work-life balance? Leave a comment below!

In this episode:

• Why mental preparation is essential to critical care and emergency vet nursing
• How to maintain passion for your work regardless of outside influences
• Qualities that you need to succeed in these high intensity fields
• Some of the biggest differences between private practice and academia
• Tips on opening up the lines of communication with superiors and co-workers

Quotes:

“I noticed that with the other ECC nurses that I work with, anxiety is a big thing for us. And, I think that sort of anxiety of ‘What’s going to come in next? Am I going to get hit with twenty emergency cases walking in the door, or am I going to be able to get these treatments done in time before the next emergency comes in?’ I do find that ECC technicians have a certain level of anxiety and some people can handle that better than others, and it isn’t a profession for everybody.” (7:50)

“We all can become very loyal to the place that we work as technicians, loyal to our doctors that we feel are loyal to us and find value in us. And, I would say that technicians put up with a lot of peripheral side stuff that happens but at the end of it they will be so loyal to you as a clinic, as a doctor if they feel like it’s reciprocated  and that they have some value.” (34:50)   

“One of my biggest pet peeves in clinics is seeing competitiveness between technicians because it’s destructive and it’s toxic and it’s one-upping each other and in the end is does not feel good at all. And, so we can do that for each other, tech to tech, and say I support you, I can empower you. (40:31)

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Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Colorado State University

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Did you go to school for one thing but always wanted to pursue other areas as well? So many of us are told that we should focus on one area only in terms of schooling and business. Today’s guest is going after two different degrees, which from the outside look like they wouldn’t mix but boy, has he found the common ground between the two.

Aaron Wallace is a fourth-year veterinary student who is only one of five students at CSU that are in the MBA/DVM program which means he will be graduating in only a year and half with both degrees in his pocket. He took some time out of his crazy schedule to speak with us today about the differences and similarities between the two degrees, how an MBA can set a vet practice up for success from the very start, and what he is doing to make the future of vet medicine more technologically advanced.

We dive into the entrepreneurial mindset and talk about how asking the right questions can lead to advances in vet medicine that were never even considered possible before, and how blending the two fields has prepared him for having his own veterinary clinic in the near future.

Besides vet medicine, what degree would you have wanted to work towards? Why did you decide against it? Would you ever go back to school for it?

In this episode:

• The benefits of doing an MBA with your DVM degree
• The impact an MBA can have on your future success as a vet
• The importance of having an entrepreneurial mindset for the future of vet medicine
• What the crossovers are between the world of MBA and the world of DVM

Quotes:

“I think some people would automatically think that there is a huge difference between an MBA student and a DVM student, looking back, I don’t think so.” (11:05)

[re: the debt crisis in vet medicine] “It’s okay to ask these questions, this is your life and you have worked hard to be here. It’s okay to talk with your practice, it’s okay to talk with your friends about these things.” (13:40)

“We are an established startup, Lacuna Diagnostics, we are inside of one hospital, and we have done over 70 live cases of digital pathology; we’re gaining traction. We are starting to understand the build, measure, learn of getting an idea, getting something together and putting it somewhere and then testing it, then changing it, testing it, and making it better, and changing it. I think digital pathology is the answer to helping our pets in a different way through technology.” (31:57)

“Not only are these guys my business partners but they’re some of my closest friends in the world... You get five people working on an idea that they’re passionate about, you can get a lot of knowledge.” (36:15)

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Lacuna Diagnostics 

Follow Lacuna on Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn 

Veterinary Entrepreneurship Academy 

Translational Medicine Institute 

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Being an ambulatory equine veterinarian comes with a completely unique set of challenges and stories. Today we’re talking to Dr. Mike Suit about his journey, including his switch from dental to vet school, balancing family and business, and making time to enjoy your “happy place.”

Mike is an equine vet who works on-call from his truck in northern Colorado. Today we talk about his transition from dental school to veterinary school, dealing with self-doubt in the application process, drawing boundaries between his practice and his family time, and how veterinary practice is as much about people as it is about animals.

We also talk about some of the stories he’s collected over the years, his new book Finding James Herriot, and how he recently won the Veterinarian of the Year Award from Path International.

What do you think of Mike’s story? Do you have any stories about helping people as much as animals? Leave us a comment below and let us know!

In this episode:

• His experience applying for and attending veterinarian school while being older than his classmates
• How and why he focuses his practice on horses
• His perspective on the people part of his work
• How he has worked to balance his practice with his family and the moment he realized he need to make more effort to do so

Quotes:

“Everything happens for a reason, and all experiences are good experiences in the end. I really believe that. That even some of those hiccups that we have, those bumps, those detours that we think are going to set us back, really lead you to another place in your world. At the end, it’s where you’re supposed to be.” 16:04

“If you always work for the horse, you always make the right decision” 49:00

“I work with people from a lot of different backgrounds and a lot of different stories, and I’ve come to appreciate those stories.” 1:00:09

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Dr. Mike Suit's Website Follow Mike on Facebook | Twitter Finding James Herriot

Path International 

Hearts and Horses 

Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang ranch camp 

How many times have you changed the direction of your career path? Did you get a degree in one area but decide to chuck it all and completely start over somewhere else? Kelsey Cates got her degree in cultural anthropology with a certificate in conflict management but is now going back to school in hopes of getting accepted into Veterinary Medicine school.

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Find the full show notes at: https://podcastavet.com/podcast/essential-skills-practice-manager

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