Reviving Vet Med

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Sixty-four percent of veterinary assistants, technicians, and technician specialists say their interest in staying in the field long term has declined — and the research says it isn't really about the work itself. It's about respect, trust, and whether teams feel like their skills are actually being used.

Today, in honor of RVT Appreciation Month in Canada and National Veterinary Technician Week in the US, I'm joined by Kelly Foltz, a credentialed Veterinary Technician Specialist in Emergency and Critical Care and Divisional Nursing Partner at BluePearl, where she supports the technician experience across 41 emergency and specialty hospitals. Kelly is also co-author, alongside Lori Kogan and Leslie Carter, of two studies published last year in the Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care: one examining the perceptions and experiences of veterinary assistants, technicians/nurses, and technician specialists, and a second focused specifically on VTS credentialing and skill utilization.

In this episode, we dig into what the data actually shows about burnout, skill utilization, and "title creep," what changes (and doesn't) after a technician earns their VTS credential, and what Kelly's seen work — and not work — when it comes to closing the trust gap between DVMs and their technical staff across dozens of hospitals. We also talk about where the conversation around an Advanced-Level Veterinary Practitioner role might be headed next.

Watch the Video Version of this Episode
https://youtu.be/-smE5PEyKOM

Resources
Perceptions and Experiences of Veterinary Assistants, Veterinary Technicians/Nurses, and Veterinary Technician Specialists (article): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12614410/ 

Veterinary Technician Specialists: Perceptions and Experiences Related to VTS Credentials and Skill Utilization (article): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12614403/ 

For any questions, please reach out to Kelly Foltz at [email protected]. 

Thank you to our sponsor Hill’s Pet Nutrition
For more information about Hill's products and nutritional philosophy, please visit HillsPet.com or HillsPet.ca.

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For more practical pointers and tangible tips related to veterinary mental health and wellbeing, subscribe to our e-newsletter: https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter

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To access Reviving Veterinary Medicine’s free resources including handouts, posters, meditations, and quizzes, please visit: https://revivingvetmed.com/resources 

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Most RVTs are trained to do far more than they're ever actually asked to do. When technicians are held back from practicing at the top of their license, it's not just their own growth that stalls, it's patient care, team capacity, and the long-term sustainability of the practice itself.

In honor of RVT Month and National Vet Tech Week, I'm joined by Leilani Saad, a Registered Veterinary Technician with 19 years of clinical experience and the CEO & Co-Founder of Animal HealthLink, a veterinary teletriage company she launched in Calgary. Leilani made the leap from hands-on emergency work to building a service that eases after-hours strain on practices, expands patients' access to care, and opens up meaningful non-clinical career paths for RVTs. She also serves on the board of the Veterinary Virtual Care Association, represents ABVTA on the ABVMA Council, and still locums in the ER to keep her clinical skills sharp.

We talk about what "top of scope" really means for an RVT, what changes for a practice and its patients when technicians are trusted to work at that level, and how the rise of teletriage is opening up an entirely new kind of career path within the profession.

Watch the Video Version of this Episode
[Link pending]

Resources
Connect with Leilani Saad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leilani-mustillo/ and Instagram: @leilanisaad

Check out Animal HealthLink at: https://www.animalhealthlink.ca/ 

Thank you to our sponsor Scribenote
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Thank you to our sponsor Animal HealthLink

Animal HealthLink provides 24/7 veterinary teletriage across all species, delivered by experienced RVTs on behalf of veterinary practices. For on-call practices, our RVTs handle after-hours calls and involve the DVM only when needed, while practices that refer after hours use AHL to help clients determine what needs emergency care and what can safely wait. The result is fewer unnecessary interruptions, fewer unnecessary ER trips, and qualified guidance for clients instead of Dr. Google. Learn more at ahl.vet or book a demo here: https://calendly.com/d/cycm-66m-9p5/animal-healthlink-discovery-call 

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For more practical pointers and tangible tips related to veterinary mental health and wellbeing, subscribe to our e-newsletter: https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter

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To access Reviving Veterinary Medicine’s free resources including handouts, posters, meditations, and quizzes, please visit: https://revivingvetmed.com/resources 

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Every veterinary team eventually has to have the conversation about cost, and how it's handled can either build trust or break it. Yet financial communication is rarely taught with the same care we give clinical skills, leaving teams to brace for confrontation instead of leading with confidence.

Today, I'm joined by Sharon Vaturi, a Credentialed Veterinary Technician with over 25 years of experience who has spent the majority of her career in emergency medicine. Sharon is a consultant and coach who now trains veterinary teams through a hands-on workshop on delivering estimates, helping teams increase full approvals while reducing staff stress.
In this episode, we discuss why financial conversations create so much tension for clients and veterinary teams, what actually happens inside Sharon's estimates workshop, and how small shifts in word choice and tone change the way clients receive difficult news. Sharon also shares why she believes better financial communication isn't just good for the bottom line — it's good for staff resilience and burnout too.

Watch the Video Version of this Episode
https://youtu.be/70gtMCHAcaI

Resources
Follow Sharon Vaturi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonvaturi/   
Visit Sharon’s website RVT Seminars: https://rvtseminars.com/   
Read Sharon’s book “I Got a Pet! Now What???”: https://a.co/d/0hPECy6f

Thank you to our sponsor Hill’s Pet Nutrition
For more information about Hill's products and nutritional philosophy, please visit HillsPet.com or HillsPet.ca.

Newsletter
For more practical pointers and tangible tips related to veterinary mental health and wellbeing, subscribe to our e-newsletter: https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter

Online Resources
To access Reviving Veterinary Medicine’s free resources including handouts, posters, meditations, and quizzes, please visit: https://revivingvetmed.com/resources

Questions, Suggestions, or Sponsorship Opportunities
Email: [email protected] 

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This podcast didn't start as a podcast. It started as Wellness Wednesday videos and Facebook Live sessions on veterinary wellbeing; recordings that eventually became audio episodes, then solo monologues, and eventually the guest conversations you've come to know Reviving Vet Med for today.

To mark 100 episodes, I'm taking this one to reflect on that journey: how the show has evolved, what's stayed the same, and the people who've made it possible along the way. I'm sharing some very overdue thank-yous: to the team behind the scenes who help build, produce, and share this podcast every month, and to the sponsors who've supported the show, including Scribenote, our longest-running sponsor.

You'll also hear a compilation of guests answering the question I ask everyone who joins me on this podcast: what does Reviving Veterinary Medicine mean to you? It's one of my favorite parts of making this show, and I'm glad to finally share some of those answers with you all in one place.

Thank you for listening, sharing, and being part of this community for the last 100 episodes. Here's to the next 100.

Resources
What do you want to hear on the podcast? Complete a quick survey: www.revivingvetmed.com/survey

Watch the complete responses from podcast guests to the question “What does reviving veterinary medicine mean to you?”: [YouTube link]

Newsletter
For more practical pointers and tangible tips related to veterinary mental health and wellbeing, subscribe to our e-newsletter: https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter 

Online Resources
To access Reviving Veterinary Medicine’s free resources including handouts, posters, meditations, and quizzes, please visit: https://revivingvetmed.com/resources 

Questions, Suggestions, or Sponsorship Opportunities
Email: [email protected] 

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Veterinary medicine has spent years asking how we can keep people from leaving—but retention is only part of the story. True workplace wellbeing requires moving beyond preventing turnover and focusing on what helps people feel valued, supported, and engaged in the work they do. When veterinary professionals feel a sense of belonging, purpose, and psychological safety, teams become stronger and more sustainable.

In this episode, I’m joined by Jamie Hill-Borton, Head of People & Operations at VetGo, to explore what it takes to build engaged veterinary teams. With over 17 years of experience in veterinary medicine, crisis response, human resources, and organizational leadership, Jamie shares her insights on why engagement matters, how it differs from retention, and the critical role psychological safety plays in creating workplaces where people can thrive.

We discuss the practical steps leaders can take to foster engagement, the early warning signs of disengagement, and how both leaders and team members can contribute to healthier workplace cultures. Jamie also challenges us to rethink how we approach turnover and reminds us that creating a veterinary profession where people want to stay begins with creating environments where they feel seen, supported, and empowered.

Watch the Video Version of this Episode
https://youtu.be/vHUsC7lIJ5Y

Resources
Connect with Jamie Hill-Borton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-hill-borton/ and Instagram: @jamie.hb2

Thank you to our sponsor Scribenote
See how Scribenote works: https://www.scribenote.com?utm_campaign=RVM&utm_source=rvm-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=MARK-402 

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Thank you to our sponsor VetGo
Visit www.vetgo.ca to learn more about VetGo. Email [email protected] to learn how VetGo can help support your practice.

Newsletter
For more practical pointers and tangible tips related to veterinary mental health and wellbeing, subscribe to our e-newsletter: https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter

Online Resources
To access Reviving Veterinary Medicine’s free resources including handouts, posters, meditations, and quizzes, please visit: https://revivingvetmed.com/resources 

Questions, Suggestions, or Sponsorship Opportunities
Email: [email protected] 

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Every veterinary professional carries stories from their journey; moments of challenge, uncertainty, compassion, and growth. Yet we rarely pause to reflect on those stories and the meaning they hold. Digital storytelling offers a powerful way to process our experiences, strengthen resilience, and reconnect with the values that brought us to veterinary medicine.

Today, I’m joined by Angie Turner, a veterinary technician with more than 30 years of experience, including over two decades as a Technical Instructor in veterinary pathology at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Angie is also the founder of SOS Legacies, where she helps individuals preserve and share their life stories through writing, audio, and digital storytelling. After recognizing the potential for these tools to support veterinary students, Angie created Resilient by Design: Digital Storytelling for Resilience in Vet Med, an elective designed to help learners reflect on their experiences and build resilience.

In this episode, we discuss what digital storytelling is, why storytelling has become an important tool in human healthcare education, and how it can help veterinary professionals make meaning from the experiences that shape their careers. Angie shares what she has learned from guiding students through this process, how storytelling can foster connection and self-awareness, and why every veterinary professional has a story worth telling.

Watch the Video Version of this Episode
https://youtu.be/al_uG4chUew

Resources
Follow Angie Turner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-turner-sos-legacies/   

Visit Angie’s website: https://www.soslegacies.com/  

Watch Marie’s digital story about mistakes: https://youtu.be/FdnuClAZgnc?si=Fg9DZg-qtRxhH84d 

Watch Sarah’s digital story about euthanasia: https://youtu.be/fCXQAvuS1L0  

Thank you to our sponsor Hill’s Pet Nutrition
For more information about Hill's products and nutritional philosophy, please visit HillsPet.com or HillsPet.ca.

Newsletter
For more practical pointers and tangible tips related to veterinary mental health and wellbeing, subscribe to our e-newsletter: https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter

Online Resources
To access Reviving Veterinary Medicine’s free resources including handouts, posters, meditations, and quizzes, please visit: https://revivingvetmed.com/resources 

Questions, Suggestions, or Sponsorship Opportunities
Email: [email protected] 

Support the show

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Incivility is one of the most pervasive yet minimized challenges in veterinary medicine. Whether it’s a passive-aggressive comment from a colleague or a subtle slight from a stressed client, these "low-level" behaviors are frequently swept under the rug as part of the job. In high-stress practice environments, however, this ambiguity isn’t just annoying—it’s a silent, constant drain on our cognitive energy and a primary driver of anxiety, emotional exhaustion, and burnout.

In this episode, I’m joined by Helen Silver-MacMahon, a Registered Veterinary Nurse, Clinical Human Factors pioneer, and recipient of the 2026 RCVS Inspiration Award, to explore what is actually happening beneath the surface of our daily interactions. We dive into her groundbreaking research on veterinary incivility to unpack how the source of the rudeness, whether it's an insider like a senior manager or an outsider like a client, dictates the type of psychological damage it leaves behind.

We also explore the heavy toll of "emotional labor" and the deceptive trap of conflict avoidance, explaining why retreating from rudeness actually worsens chronic stress over time. Finally, Helen shares how clinics can move past the hollow advice of telling staff to "just be more resilient." Instead, she provides actionable, data-backed insights on how leadership can use the "Listen, Act, Support" framework to build a genuine organizational buffer that protects team well-being and enhances patient safety.

Watch the Video Version of this Episode
https://youtu.be/ifz8gqKBKtI

Resources
Connect with Helen Silver-MacMahon on Instagram @thrivinginvetmed and LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/helen-silver-macmahon-b0b467183   

Visit Helen’s website: www.being-human.co.uk 

Civility in Action (program): https://www.being-human.co.uk/copy-of-thriving-teams-development-pr   

Download Practical Guide to Managing Incivility in Veterinary Practice: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=rRkrjJxf1EmQdz7Dz8UrPzWD1fMtsphFp9uTPZy4PtBUODhRWVBTVElKN1ZRMlRXNVFRUEcyVDZCNy4u 

Consequences and coping: Investigating client, co-worker and senior colleague incivility within veterinary practice: https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/vetr.2030 

Listen, act and support: An investigation into individual and organisational incivility management in veterinary practice: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11783998/ 

Thank you to our sponsor Scribenote
See how Scribenote works: https://www.scribenote.com?utm_campaign=RVM&utm_source=rvm-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=MARK-402 

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Newsletter
For more practical pointers and tangible tips related to veterinary mental health and wellbeing, subscribe to our e-newsletter: https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter

Online Resources
To access Reviving Veterinary Medicine’s free resources including handouts, posters, meditations, and quizzes, please visit: https://revivingvetmed.com/resources 

Questions, Suggestions, or Sponsorship Opportunities
Email: [email protected] 

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The relationships we build with clients, colleagues, and students are shaped not only by our medical knowledge, but also by the everyday interactions that influence whether people feel respected, heard, and valued. While many veterinary professionals strive to provide compassionate care, unconscious biases can sometimes show up in ways that create harm, diminish trust, and impact belonging.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Naomi Nishi, PhD, a scholar-practitioner, educator, and Associate Dean of Culture, Community, and Accessible Care at Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Naomi is the co-author of the paper “Microaggressions in Veterinary Communication: What Are They? How Are They Harmful? What Can Veterinary Professionals and Educators Do?” We discuss what microaggressions are, why the “micro” does not mean the impact is small, and how these everyday interactions can affect communication, client relationships, and veterinary team culture.

Naomi shares examples of how microaggressions can appear in veterinary settings, why intent and impact can coexist, and how we can respond when we recognize that our words or actions have caused harm. We also explore practical strategies for moving beyond awareness into action and creating veterinary environments where clients, students, and team members feel a genuine sense of trust, respect, and belonging.

Watch the Video Version of this Episode
[Link pending]

Resources
Follow Dr. Naomi Nishi on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/naomi-nishi-phd-0a40532  

Read Dr. Nishi’s paper Microaggressions in veterinary communication: what are they? How are they harmful? What can veterinary professionals and educators do?: https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/262/3/javma.23.07.0412.xml  

Check out Dr. Nishi’s other publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=aOJel2Tk9h8C&hl=en 

Thank you to our sponsor Hill’s Pet Nutrition
For more information about Hill's products and nutritional philosophy, please visit HillsPet.com or HillsPet.ca.

Newsletter
For more practical pointers and tangible tips related to veterinary mental health and wellbeing, subscribe to our e-newsletter: https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter

Online Resources
To access Reviving Veterinary Medicine’s free resources including handouts, posters, meditations, and quizzes, please visit: https://revivingvetmed.com/resources 

Questions, Suggestions, or Sponsorship Opportunities
Email: [email protected]

Support the show

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Feedback is one of the most common parts of veterinary medicine, and also one of the most emotionally loaded. Whether we’re giving it, receiving it, or even anticipating it, these conversations can land in ways that feel tense, personal, or activating. In stressful practice environments, that response isn’t just psychological, it’s physiological.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Bethany Weinheimer, emergency veterinarian, executive leader, and Founder of The Evolved Vets, to explore what’s actually happening beneath the surface of feedback conversations. We talk about the neurobiology of feedback and why the nervous system can interpret even well-intended communication as threat, especially in fast-paced, high-acuity settings. Bethany also shares practical, evidence-informed tools to help regulate the nervous system in the moments before difficult conversations begin.

We also dive into how feedback can unintentionally trigger the “Drama Triangle” in workplace dynamics, and how shifting into the more empowered roles of Creator, Challenger, and Coach can change the tone and outcome of these interactions. Finally, we explore the aftermath of feedback conversations, including the “feedback hangover,” and how high achievers can be supported so that critique doesn’t translate into chronic stress or self-judgment.

Watch the Video Version of this Episode
https://youtu.be/YPtCIj3vwzc

Resources
Connect with Dr. Bethany Weinheimer and Evolved Vets on social media @drbeththevet and @evolvedvets 
Visit The Evolved Vets website: https://www.evolvedvets.com/  

Thank you to our sponsor Scribenote
See how Scribenote works: https://www.scribenote.com?utm_campaign=RVM&utm_source=rvm-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=MARK-402 
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Start with a Free 14-Day Trial Today: https://app.scribenote.com/auth/register?utm_campaign=RVM&utm_source=rvm-podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=MARK-402

Newsletter
For more practical pointers and tangible tips related to veterinary mental health and wellbeing, subscribe to our e-newsletter: https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter

Online Resources
To access Reviving Veterinary Medicine’s free resources including handouts, posters, meditations, and quizzes, please visit: https://revivingvetmed.com/resources
Questions, Suggestions, or Sponsorship Opportunities
Email: [email protected] 

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As veterinary professionals, we are conditioned to believe that the next surgery, the next certification, or the next "thank you" from a client will finally make us feel successful. But for many of us, that feeling of "enoughness" never arrives. Instead, we find ourselves stuck in the High Achiever’s Loop—a cycle of perfectionism and overworking that leads straight to burnout.

In this episode, DVM and leadership coach Dr. Jennifer Edwards joins us to deconstruct why our drive for excellence so often turns into a pattern of self-sacrifice. Jennifer draws on 25 years of practice ownership and her expertise in energy work to explain how our early identity patterns shape our current leadership styles. We explore why achievement only provides temporary relief from anxiety, the difference between "fixing" yourself and shifting your patterns, and how to reclaim your clarity and ease without losing your professional edge.

Watch the Video Version of this Episode
https://youtu.be/3xTZVxTpNgU

Resources
Follow Dr. Jennifer Edwards on social media: www.linkedin.com/in/drjenniferedwards, https://www.instagram.com/drjenniferedwards/, https://www.facebook.com/drjenniferedwards/ 
Visit Dr. Jennifer Edwards’ website: www.drjenniferedwards.com

Thank you to our sponsor Hill’s Pet Nutrition
For more information about Hill's products and nutritional philosophy, please visit HillsPet.com or HillsPet.ca.

Veterinary Leadership Collective
Leadership doesn't have to be lonely. Join Dr. Marie Holowaychuk's facilitated peer coaching community for veterinary practice owners, managers, medical directors, and team leads. Learn more and join the waitlist: revivingvetmed.com/collective. 

Newsletter
For more practical pointers and tangible tips related to veterinary mental health and wellbeing, subscribe to our e-newsletter: https://revivingvetmed.kartra.com/page/newsletter

Online Resources
To access Reviving Veterinary Medicine’s free resources including handouts, posters, meditations, and quizzes, please visit: https://revivingvetmed.com/resources

Questions, Suggestions, or Sponsorship Opportunities
Email: [email protected] 

Support the show