Veterinary Vitals

"I ultimately went to Tuskegee University for undergrad, and so that also was a jaded view of what veterinarians look like, but at that point I think I started to become more aware that the profession was not as diverse."

Approximately 92 percent of veterinarians in the U.S. are white, according to the 2017 Bureau of Labor Statistics report titled “Labor Force Characteristics by Race and Ethnicity.” Niccole Bruno, DVM, who is the Chief of Staff at Companion Animal Hospital in Spring, Texas, is in that 8%. She is Afro-Latina. In this episode, Dr. Bruno shares her story of what it's like being a veterinarian of color. She discusses her journey of becoming a veterinarian, mentions possible examples of microaggressions and illustrates the importance of having a more diverse staff.

For ideas about taking action to make the profession more diverse, please refer to Dr. Lisa Greenhill, the Senior Director for Institutional Research and Diversity at the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). For resources on diversity and inclusion, please visit AVMA's Axon digital education platform (https://axon.avma.org/), listen to this episode of Beyond the Stethoscope with Dr. Greenhill (https://tinyurl.com/y8v3e4me) and view the latest data set by the AAVMC (https://www.aavmc.org/about-aavmc/public-data). 

Please subscribe, rate the show and write a review on Apple Podcasts. You can also contact host Dena Goldstein at [email protected].

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"We may not be able to fix a broken heart necessarily, but we can give the owners, the clients, ideas about what to expect, what to look for, what to do if you notice these things. It gives some of the power back to them."

Katie Meier, DVM, Diplomate, ACVIM (Cardiology), is one of approximately 300 board-certified veterinary cardiologists in the world. She was introduced to this specialty the summer before her first year at the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. She had landed a job with a veterinary cardiologist, and within a week of working with him, she fell in love with the field. Since finishing her residency in Cardiology at the University of Pennsylvania Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital in 2006, she has founded her own clinic, merged with CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets and started a family. In this episode, she shares her professional journey and explores the correlation between grain-free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy.

Dr. Meier works at CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets: https://www.cvcavets.com/  

We would love to get your feedback. Please write a review today. You can also contact host Dena Goldstein at [email protected].

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In our final installment of our miniseries for recent graduates, we sit down with Bethany Weinheimer, DVM. She graduated in 2018 from Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Weinheimer talks about what it felt like walking across the stage to receive her diploma and introducing herself as Dr. Weinheimer to clients for the first time. She also shares the challenges of being a recent graduate and overcoming those obstacles. Some of those challenges are finding community in a new city and clients expressing skepticism because she looks so young. To get through these hurdles, she turns to humor, meditation, exercise, and the Power of 10 Program. 

She also shares what it’s like working overnight shifts in ER medicine at Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG) in Fort Worth, the highs and lows of handling critical cases and the sacrifices she has to make in her personal life. 

We would love to get your feedback. Please write a review today. You can also contact host Dena Goldstein at [email protected].

Be sure to follow us on social media. @texas_vma #VeterinaryVitals #TVMAPodcast

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Veterinary support staff––licensed and non-licensed technicians, practice managers, client care specialists, receptionists, kennel staff and CVAs––serve as the backbone of veterinary clinics and deserve so much recognition for their service in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like all essential workers, they are putting themselves at risk. But it's all worth it to the three support staff members at North Austin Animal Hospital in Austin, Texas, featured in this episode: Victoria Barton, LVT, Krissy Blystone and Izze Freeman.

We would like to express our deepest gratitude for support staff working on the front lines. We are here for everyone in the profession and are monitoring information from local, state and national authorities regarding the COVID-19. For the latest updates, please visit our resources page: https://www.tvma.org/Resources/COVID-19-Resources

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The third episode of our miniseries for recent graduates features 2017 TVMA President Dan Posey, DVM, discussing the mentor-mentee relationship. He lives and breathes mentorship—it is what he does for a living: he teaches, recruits and mentors undergraduate pre-veterinary students. He is a clinical professor and academic coordinator for the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Center at West Texas A&M University in Canon, Texas. In this episode, Dr. Posey talks about the mentors in his life, emphasizes the importance of recent graduates having mentors, outlines what makes for a good mentor and how to establish the relationship. 

We would love to get your feedback. Please subscribe, rate the show and write a review. You can also contact host Dena Goldstein at [email protected].

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“It’s kind of like we work at Sonic right now.” 

That’s how Nicole Bertolini, DVM, of Pearland, Texas, describes her veterinary clinic’s new curbside services. Dr. Bertolini is accompanied by her best friend and former roommate in veterinary school, Anna Foster, DVM, in this bonus episode that ties in with our recent graduate miniseries. Drs. Bertolini and Foster graduated in 2018 from Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine. In this episode, they share the operational changes their veterinary practices have made to observe social distancing and how they are staying connected with clients, from using telemedicine apps to sending pictures and videos of themselves with patients. They also examine the significance of physical touch in veterinary medicine and the importance of having transparent and frequent communication among veterinary staff.

Dr. Bertolini works for VCA Westside Animal Hospital in Pearland, Texas, and Dr. Foster serves on the Business Development team at Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG).  

If you have a story to share about your experience practicing in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, please contact host Dena Goldstein at [email protected]. 

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“I know that anxiety exists. It’s real, and we do have to address it because it is different in school than it is being out on our own.”

In the second episode of the miniseries for recent graduates, we sit down with the 2016 TVMA Recent Graduate of the Year: Michelle Boatright, DVM. She reveals how she overcame the challenges of being a recent graduate. One such obstacle was wrestling with feelings of doubt and anxiety. Fortunately, she found solace in her mentors during this time of transition. Once she found her footing in veterinary medicine—which involved becoming Chief of Staff at Banfield Pet Hospital in Webster, Texas—she eventually became a mentor. She now imparts her wisdom and experience to recent graduates. 

Dr. Boatright serves as the Director of Veterinary Quality at Banfield Pet Hospital in Houston. 

We would love to get your feedback. Please subscribe, rate the show and write a review. You also can contact host Dena Goldstein at [email protected]. 

Be sure to follow us on social media. @texas_vma #VeterinaryVitals #TVMAPodcast

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"Get involved early in your career in some aspect of organized veterinary medicine."

This episode kicks off the miniseries for recent graduates with this message: it's never too early to immerse yourself in organized veterinary medicine. We're talking to you, recent graduates and veterinary students! When you play a role in organized veterinary medicine, you can make an impact on the profession, build meaningful relationships and gain access to opportunities and connections you wouldn’t have otherwise. Will McCauley, DVM, MBA, is a big advocate for this, as he gained so much personally and professionally from his involvement in TVMA and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). 

Dr. McCauley was chair of AVMA's Early Career Development Committee, participated in the inaugural TVMA Power of 10 Leadership Program and now serves as the Washington D.C. District Director in the AVMA House of Delegates. He is the Director of the Veterinary Biologics department at the Animal Health Institute (AHI), a trade association in Washington D.C. that represents companies that develop and produce animal medication: https://ahi.org/ 

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There is so much uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, leading many people to experience stress. This is especially true for veterinary professionals. According to a recent TVMA membership survey, approximately 63 percent of respondents answered with "mental stress" to the question "What issues is your clinic facing right now?" To reduce levels of stress and normalize mental health conditions, we brought on Eden Males, LCSW, the Program Director of the Professional Recovery Network (PRN). Eden shares coping strategies and tips for managing stress and anxiety. For more information about PRN, please visit http://www.txprn.com/.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call 911, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center or text MHA to 741741 at the Crisis Text Line.

For the latest information and resources, please visit TVMA's COVID-19 Resources page: https://www.tvma.org/Resources/COVID-19-Resources Eden also encouraged veterinary professionals to visit https://www.virusanxiety.com/ and consider purchasing this self-massage tool: https://www.amazon.com/Naipo-Shiatsu-Massager-Kneading-Shoulder/dp/B01D2UJVGS

We will continue to offer COVID-19 updates on our website as well as through social media and e-blasts. We are here for you, so please do not hesitate to contact our office at 512-452-4224 or [email protected].

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As state and local government officials issue orders to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, veterinary clinics must comply with these government orders while continuing to practice quality medicine. In this episode, TVMA General Counsel and Director of Government Relations Elizabeth Choate, JD, helps you better understand how the orders apply to you and your practice. She examines issues like whether veterinary clinics are designated as essential businesses and provides recommendations for veterinary clinics. You can reach Elizabeth Choate at [email protected] or 512-452-4224.

To give you an idea of how veterinarians are currently adjusting to these changes, consider joining the Veterinary Telemedicine Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/VeterinaryTelemed/ Group members share what is or isn’t working and how they are adapting to the changes. 

We will continue to offer COVID-19 updates on our website as well as through social media and e-blasts. We are here for you, so please do not hesitate to contact our office at 512-452-4224. 

Be sure to follow us on social media. @texas_vma #VeterinaryVitals #TVMAPodcast

Support the show