Happy New Year, Viewfinders! This week our hosts preview the veterinary profession’s toughest topics and trends we predict for 2022!

Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT join in a rapid-fire discussion of the top challenges they foresee for 2022 (and beyond).

Some of the issues they discuss include:

* Veterinary workforce shortages

* Mental health issues (burnout, depression, compassion fatigue, substance abuse, etc.)

* Veterinary staff wages and benefits

* Student loans and the rising cost of DVM/RVT degrees

* Inflation of vet services and products - what impacts will inflation have on patient care and client communications?

* Social media complaints - We’re seeing reports of vets being charged with ethics and professional behavior violations when they engage clients online. Yikes!

* Corporatization vs Independent Practices: How can we get along and compete?

* Core vaccines - potential challenges post-pandemic vaccine controversies?

* Politics - Veterinary Practices and 2022 Midterms

* What happened to the Veterinary Nurse Initiative (VNI)? Our continuing plea for veterinary technician Title Protection

* Telemedicine - Muddy waters ahead or smooth sailing?

* Brachycephalic breeds - Will US veterinary professionals speak out as they are in the UK?

* CBD - definitely maybe?

* Climate change

* Animal welfare and Food animal production, ventilation Shutdown (VSD)

Looks like 2022 is going to be an exciting and promising year! Happy New Year, Viewfinders!