Veterinary Vitals

"Seeing someone doing what you want to do that looks like you is tremendously affirming, especially if you’ve never seen that person before."

Dr. Hindatu Mohammed owns Allandale Veterinary Clinic in Austin, Texas—which makes her the only black female veterinary practice owner in Austin (that she is aware of). This statement illustrates the scarcity of black veterinarians. This doesn't just apply to Texas, as this is a nationwide trend. In fact, just three percent of U.S. veterinary students students in the class of 2020 are black, according to the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. So what is it like being a minority in veterinary medicine? Dr. Mohammed often feels out of place. However, despite these feelings, she carries on and follows her passion for helping animals. Dr. Mohammed also talks about her childhood as an immigrant from Nigeria, why she took a break between undergraduate studies and veterinary school and what allyship means to her. 

Dr. Mohammed earned her DVM from Cornell University in 2007. To learn more about Allandale Veterinary Clinic and her background, please visit https://www.allandalevetclinic.com/staff/

If you’re enjoying this podcast, we would love to hear from you. Write a review on Apple Podcasts. We just surpassed our 30-episode milestone, so to commemorate this achievement, we set a goal of getting 30 reviews. We love reading them, and if you have a minute to spare, we would love to read yours too.

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"I could see this was going to be something that veterinary medicine takes on, and I wanted to be a part of that journey to bring it to other people and make veterinary medicine more about our patients."

Dr. Bethany Weinheimer is a part of a revolution in emergency veterinary medicine. She and David Bessler, DVM, the founder of Veterinary Emergency Group, share what makes this model unique for both clients and patients. For example, they don't place the pet on the exam table but meet the pet at its natural space--on the ground. They don't let the pet owner leave their pet's side in the middle of a crisis. This movement is taking off and VEG is expanding, beginning with its first Texas location in Fort Worth.

This episode is sponsored by Hippo Manager Veterinary Practice Management Software, Inc.: https://hippomanager.com/

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"This college of veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences is a very highly ranked college, not only nationally but around the world, so firstly it’s an extraordinary privilege to be asked to come back and take a leadership role."

John August, DVM, interim dean of Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, outlines his goals for the university during his tenure, illustrates the invaluable relationship between the College and TVMA, and enthuses over his Thursday afternoon radio show “Global Rhythms” on KAMU.FM 90, which airs every Thursday at 2:06 pm after the national news on KAMU.FM 90.9: https://www.kamutvfm.org/ To learn more about Interim Dean August, read this article: https://today.tamu.edu/2020/05/26/dr-john-august-named-interim-dean-of-college-of-veterinary-medicine-biomedical-sciences/

 Be sure to rate the show, write a review and follow us on social media. @texas_vma #Veterinary Vitals #TVMAPodcast

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"Making that decision was probably one of the hardest ones that I have made in my career."

Finding joy in the profession isn't always a linear path. That was the case for Dr. Tannetje’ Crocker, who had to make a major career move to achieve satisfaction in her job. Her decision required adaptability, open-mindedness and the ability to speak up. After finding joy in the profession, she wants to help future and young veterinarians do the same. She understands that with so many obstacles, it can be easy to feel depleted. She offers guidance and advice to help her younger colleagues navigate the common stressors of the profession. Visit her website for resources www.drcrockerpetvet.com and follow her on Instagram: @dr.tannetje.crocker. Purchase her book Dr. Crocker's Veterinary Adventures on the Snout School online store https://shop.snoutschool.com/

Here's a full list of Instagram handles she encourages her peers to follow to stay connected with the veterinary community, have access to mentorship opportunities and stay up-to-date on the latest procedures.

@thevetitude
@vetsontherise
@vet_redefined
@doctor_brooke
@thedermvet 
@thrivedvmpodcast
@thatvetlifepodcast
@snout.school
@it.might.get.weird

This episode is sponsored by Collin College Veterinary Technology Program. Housed at the brand new Wylie Campus, this program offers cutting-edge technology and hands-on opportunities. To learn more, visit www.collin.edu/department/vettech/

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"When I was at my worst, I felt broken. I felt like 'why can't I be happy?'"

When William McCauley, DVM, suffered from clinical depression, he came close to committing suicide. This moment was a turning point for him. He realized he needed to make a major change in his life and career. This change shifted his outlook on life, and now he wants to share his story to help others in the veterinary medicine profession. To offer some context and guidance, we brought on Jen Brandt LISW-S, PhD, the Director of Wellbeing, Inclusion, and Diversity Initiatives at the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. McCauley 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/

Resources
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 and https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
AVMA Well-being: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/wellbeing
TVMA Wellness: https://www.tvma.org/Practice/Wellness
Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us
Preventing Suicide: A Technical Package of Policy, Programs, and Practices
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/suicideTechnicalPackage.pdf
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/

Be sure to rate the show, write a review and follow us on social media. @texas_vma #Veterinary Vitals #TVMAPodcast

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"Being Hispanic and trying to get into veterinary school is difficult. My big thing is I just needed someone to look past my last name."

Born to immigrant parents, Dr. Victor Lopez faced multiple barriers to achieving his dream of becoming a veterinarian. Those challenges included his parents' language barrier, few resources, a Latino last name and three rejections from Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine. Yet, he managed to overcome these obstacles, and he just earned his DVM on May 1 from Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine in Alabama. Now, Dr. Victor Lopez works at Chisholm Trail Veterinary Clinic in Luling, Texas.

To read a full story about Dr. Lopez's journey of becoming a veterinarian, visit https://innovetivepetcare.com/news/dr-victor-lopez/

If you have a story to share, please contact host Dena Goldstein at [email protected]. Be sure to rate the show, write a review and follow us on social media. @texas_vma #TVMAPodcast #VeterinaryVitals.

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"As a business owner in a rural area, I'm going, 'Dang it. I need another veterinarian.' And right now, they aren't easy to come by."

There is a shortage of rural veterinarians in Texas. This means recruiting and retaining veterinarians out in the country is difficult. Drs. Carol and Joe Hillhouse, who own two mixed animal practices in Texas, outline those hurdles in this episode. A couple of those obstacles include mounting student loan debt paired with lower salaries and a lifestyle that doesn't align with the needs of female veterinarians, which comprise the majority of practitioners in the profession. They also give ideas about what can be done to overcome these obstacles. 

Drs. Carol and Joe Hillhouse own Carson County Veterinary Clinic in Panhandle and High Plains Animal Hospital in Borger.  They graduated from Texas A&M University-College of Veterinary Medicine in 1984 and have been married for 36 years.

If you have a story to share, please contact host Dena Goldstein at [email protected]. Be sure to rate the show, write a review and follow us on social media. @texas_vma #TVMAPodcast #VeterinaryVitals.

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"Because the gender shift was so fast, it caused lots of change. It's not so much change in the profession itself but cultural change."

The rapid gender shift in the profession occurred within a matter of just 13 years, from 1980 to 1993. This development created cultural challenges, specifically for women. Drs. Lori Teller and Nancy Turner outline those hurdles in this episode. A few of those obstacles include minimal childcare and rooms for new mothers at veterinary conferences and clients assuming female veterinarians are veterinary assistants or licensed veterinary technicians. This episode illustrates how far veterinary medicine has come and that there is still much more to be done to meet the needs of all veterinarians.

Dr. Lori Teller is a past TVMA president of both the Texas and Harris County Veterinary Medical Associations and currently serves on the AVMA Board of Directors. Dr. Teller works at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine as the Clinical Associate Professor of Telehealth. Dr. Nancy Turner served on the TVMA Board of Directors for Dallas County and on the TVMA Executive Committee. She works for ReadiVet, an in-home health care provider.

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References
https://www.aavmc.org/about-aavmc/public-data
https://www.tvma.org/About-Us/Executive-Committee

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“We need more. We still can’t graduate enough licensed veterinary technicians to meet the need.”

Licensed veterinary technicians (LVT) are vital members of the veterinary team. They can help reduce burnout, enhance wellness among veterinarians, increase revenue, and save clinics money. In this episode, Joyce Brod, LVT, discusses what it takes to become an LVT, the evolution of education and credentialing for LVTs over the past 40 years, and the need for more veterinary technology schools. Joyce serves as the Director of the Lone Star College-Tomball Veterinary Technology program. She is the chair of the TVMA credentialing committee and a longstanding member of the paraprofessional committee. She also earned the TVMA LVT of the year award in 2018.

Are you interested in attending veterinary technology school and becoming an LVT? A list of AVMA-accredited veterinary technology schools can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/y8lwyooz

If you’re a veterinarian who works alongside LVTs, consider investing in TVMA membership for them. It's just $40 per year. Just visit TVMA.org or contact our Membership Manager, Donna Eberhart, at [email protected]. 

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

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"Running a practice and dealing with all of the elements of business as well as medicine just burnt me out where I was at the point where I really wanted to find a different avenue.”

After working in the clinical setting for 20 years, Tom Sidwa, DVM, MPH, sought a different outlet to practice veterinary medicine—one that gave him better job satisfaction. That avenue came in the form of public health. Job opportunities for veterinarians were limited at the time, but that didn’t stop him from transitioning into a different field at the peak of his career and finding a position that was better suited for him. He eventually earned his Master of Public Health and became the state public health veterinarian and manager of the zoonosis control branch. He just retired in January from the Texas Department of State Health Services, where he worked for more than 26 years. 

This episode is brought to you by TMGvets, a TVMA Business Alliance member. To make the simple switch to TMGvets for your credit card processing, visit https://www.tmgvets.com/, email Clay Farrell at [email protected] or call Clay at 817-528-8805 and let them know you heard about TMGvets on the Veterinary Vitals podcast.  

We would love to get your feedback. Please rate the show and 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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