That Vet Life

To the Graduating class of 2021. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

This week's episode is my letter to y'all as the graduating class. This last year has been anything but easy or routine, but you have persevered and on behalf of the veterinary profession, we are so excited for you to be joining us as veterinarians!

This first year in practice will likely be one of the most challenging, but exhilarating years of your career. Please know your colleagues and mentors are here to guide and support you as you grow and develop into the amazing veterinarians you are already on the road to becoming.

This Podcast has always been about YOU! and as such I would love to hear what sort of content you want to hear. Send me a DM on Instagram or Facebook, or through the contact form on thatvetlifepodcast.com to add your voice to the upcoming season.

In this week's episode of Skill Set I am joined by Dr. Lo Curtis to discuss the storytelling skills you can use when dealing with your neurology cases.

However...

Rather early on in the episode Lo and I decided we wanted to spend a bit more time talking on a topic that we are both very passionate about.

We start by addressing the challenges of establishing compliance from our clients. Lo states it beautifully that "most of the time, a lack of compliance comes from a lack of understanding and not for a lack of trying." Meaning that it's not usually the "fault" of the client when a treatment plan doesn't go the way we envisioned it.

Listen along as we discuss the problem we have seen on social media of not only client bashing, but fellow veterinarian bashing and the impact it is having on our profession.

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Dr. Lo Curtis is the host of Thrive DVM Podcast and is on a mission to connect other professional women with the tools and resources to fall deeply, madly in love with their own lives.

You can find out more at locurtis.com and on Instagram at @thrivedvmpodcast

In this week's episode I am joined by Dr. Sabrina Cooper @dr.sabrina.horse.vet as we talk about her transition from vet student to veterinarian and what this looked like through the lens of the internship she has undertaken in her first year out of vet school.

Despite the species differences between our paths in the profession, Sabrina and I talk about one of the challenges that all new grads working in clinical practice face....the challenge of learning and developing client communication skills i.e. storytelling skills. We talk about the fumbles we both experienced in our first client interactions and how we used those failures to develop successful skills and methods that we now use today. Through this discussion we brainstorm ways that vet school and vet students can work on honing these skills before graduating and how in their first jobs, new grads can advocate for better mentorship when talking about communication skills.

Follow Dr. Cooper's journey on Instagram @dr.sabrina.horse.vet and stay tuned for her website.

If today's episode brought value to you be sure to subscribe on any major podcasting platform so you never miss an episode and follow along @thatvetlifepodcast or visit the website at www.thatvetlifepodcast.com

In this weeks episode I am joined by Dr. Kristi Crow, who you may know better as @dogtorkristi on Instagram. Kristi and I have been veterinarians for nearly a whole year and in that span of time have learned so much more than what vet school could have taught us.

In that span of time we have gone through what will likely be the most intense transition of our professional careers and you better believe we started out with some pretty big fears. Chances are if you are graduating soon you have similar fears. In this episode we have a truthful discussion about what our own fears were and how through proper mentorship and experience we learned to not only overcome these fears but to turn them into opportunities to become better and more confident veterinarians.

Listen along as we discuss mentorship, the importance of becoming effective communicators and the challenges we're currently facing as new grad veterinarians.

We want to hear from YOU! Do you have questions you would like Kristi and I to answer in a future episode? Send either of us a DM on Instagram @thatvetlifepodcast or @dogtorkristi to have your question answered in a future episode.

Find out more about the podcast at www.thatvetlifepodcast.com

This week's episode was a special request after a recent conversation with an incredible up and coming veterinary student. While not an immediate reaction to recent saddening events within the profession this is a topic we need to talk about more.

Within vet schools there has been recent push to encourage students to prioritize wellbeing. While this is positive, it is always met with the disparity to what vet students are actually experiencing. They say "eat well. Take time for yourselves. Get enough sleep." but don't provide a practical pathway for students to integrate this into their daily lives. This is a disparity we need to address on multiple levels.

In this episode I breakdown where I've seen this disparity occur and how we as a profession can better prepare our future veterinarians to care for and prioritize their wellbeing, and it starts with mindset.

At the end of this episode I switch gears to talk about the social app craze that is Clubhouse and why I am so incredibly excited for it.

In this week's episode I am joined by Dr. Melissa Shapiro. As a small animal veterinarian who has created her niche within the profession as a veterinarian with her own practice providing at-home services, Melissa has many years of wisdom and experience she is keen to pass on to new veterinarians and vet students. She is also the loving pet parent to the internet's favorite Deaf, Blind, Pink Puppy, Piglet. 

Through her practice she has the unique vantage point of seeing clients and pets in their own home for routine care and end-of-life scenarios. Today I chat with Melissa on the topic of euthanasia and approach it from the position as a new grad and all the questions I had and still have about becoming more comfortable in how I handle myself during euthanasias as a veterinarian. We attempt to answer the questions of "Can we teach veterinary students how to better manage their emotions during a euthanasia" and "what is the role of the veterinarian during a euthanasia" for caring for the patient and the clients. Melissa draws from her many years of experience of performing euthanasias to provide new grads and students with the guidance they need as they approach this difficult topic. 

*This episode does include descriptions of performing euthanasias and examples of scenarios that do not go to plan* and was recorded for the purpose of educating veterinary students and veterinarians.

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Follow Dr. Shapiro on social media at:

@melissashapirodvm

Follow Piglet and the pack @pinkpigletpuppy

This week we're talking about the Value of Voice with Veterinary Innovation Podcast co-host, Shawn Wilkie. 

Hosted by Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zakharenkov, The Veterinary Innovation Podcast invites you into discussions with industry leaders and innovators about the challenges they're facing and how to address them. A self-proclaimed "serial entrepreneur," Shawn has been involved in the industry of veterinary technology long enough to understand the stressors of veterinarians and how technology can be developed to improve patient care while simultaneously easing the workload. It was from this knowledge of the profession that Talkatoo was developed. A voice dictation software, Talkatoo was designed to ease the workload of veterinarians by decreasing the amount of time it takes to complete medical records.

In today's episode we discuss the value of voice. With the recent surge of popularity of podcasts it's clear that stories told with voice have an intrinsic value for people. You'll hear how we utilize this influence as podcast hosts and how it can be used within the veterinary profession.

Never miss an upcoming episode by clicking the subscribe button on your favorite podcasting platform.

Time to add another skill to your storytelling skill set!

This week I'm talking with Dr. Amy Thomson a residency trained dental surgeon about the tiny white patients in the mouths of dogs and cats. Yep, we're talking about teeth this week. Specifically how you can talk to clients about their dog or cats dental needs.

The case Dr. Amy shares concerns a second opinion case she saw for a pup with purple teeth and the storytelling skills she used.

We cover:

You'll even get the added bonus of learning about vital pulp therapy in today's episode!

Dr. Amy Thomson is a vibrant veterinarian who after spending time in general practice discovered her passion for dentistry and oral surgery and is currently ADVC residency trained. She is also a strong advocate for mental health within the profession and is eager about supporting the next generation of veterinarians. You can connect with her by following any of the links below.

Instagram @toothy.thomson

website COMING SOON!

This is an episode that has been months if not years in the making as I am unashamedly a huge nerd when it comes to James Herriot and his books. When I first heard they were remaking the tv show, All Creatures Great and Small I could hardly contain my excitement!

Now, I know you can binge watch all of the episodes, but as I know all the stories inside out and backward I have chosen to wait to watch each episode as it's released on PBS Masterpiece each week to enjoy it in all it's glory.

In this week's episode I'm giving you a glimpse to what a small animal veterinarian in 2021 thinks when watching this show/reading the books. I pull a great deal of 'behind the scenes' from the Alf Wight's biography James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father written by his son, Jim Wight.  I felt a new level of kinship after reading this biography as it uncovered many of the untold struggles Alf went through as a veterinarian, father and human. His life was not as warm and fluffy as his stories and tv make it out to be, but that's what makes it real and if you haven't read his biography I highly recommend you add it to your reading list for 2021.

You'll hear what the veterinary profession was like when Alf graduated from Glasgow's vet school and how veterinary life and medicine of his day compare to now. I also talk about the new tv show and review the characters we all know and love.

I have nothing but respect for the actors/actresses who are creating this remake of All Creatures Great and Small. While there are subtle nuances and changes to the overall stories they are holding true to their characters and bringing them to life in a way that reminds me why I love this profession so much.

I hope you enjoy this episode as I had a great deal of fun creating it for you. Like and Subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode.

This week we are talking the founders of Drip.vet, Veterinarian and Attorney Dr. Lance Roasa and Veterinarian Dr. Drew Olson. A reinvented form of veterinarian education, Drip.vet provides RACE approved content for both veterinary students are professionals. Courses cover a wide range of topics such as medical, business, financial, legal and ethical issues presented using the Drip teaching methodology to maximize learning and time efficiency. Follow the links below to check out some of the RACE approved CE courses offered.

The Art and Science of Negotiation

Endocrine 411

Vetmed LIVE Series

In today's episode we focus on the 'why' behind Drip.Vet and how the topic of financial wellbeing has personally affected both Drew and Lance in their life and educational experiences. You'll hear how these experiences ignited the passion they have for helping the next generation of veterinarians and why this is so much more than a money-management program.

Dr. Drew Olson, DVM

A 2012 Iowa State Veterinary College graduate, Dr. Drew Olson has practiced in small and large animal clinics, and has considerable experience in the veterinary compounding medicine industry.  An Omaha native, he is regarded as one of the nation’s leading veterinarians in compounding specialized veterinary medications. Be sure and ask Dr. Olson about his experience with retired circus elephants or his participation as a veterinary student in Frontier Vets, a documentary filmed in the remote region of Kruger Park in South Africa.  Drew resides in Omaha with his wife, Karin, and their daughter Olive.  They enjoy spending time with friends, family, and their rescue dog, Faith.

Lance Roasa, DVM, MS, JD

Dr. Lance Roasa is a 2008 graduate of Texas A&M where he was the first student to undertake a 4th year business-track, spending the majority of his clinical training in veterinary business and industry. In 2016 He completed a law degree from the University of Nebraska and his training was centered on the law of small business, taxation and the law of veterinary medicine.