Listen in as Executive Director Jordan Benshea chats with VIN News Director Edie Lau about life as a veterinary journalist and her hope for the profession. 

GUEST BIO:

Edie is the VIN News Service director and has been reporting and editing for VIN News since 2008. Before that, she covered science, energy, the environment, education and whatever else needed doing at newspapers in Sacramento, California; Portland, Maine; Binghamton, New York; and Stockton, California. Edie has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley. She lives near Seattle with her husband, daughter and two canine associates.

LINKS AND INFORMATION:

• VIN News

You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Join VIN Foundation Executive Director Jordan Benshea as she chats with 4th year Auburn veterinary student Indya Woods about the importance of not listening on defense, coming to a conversation with an open heart, and the willingness to be vulnerable to connect with colleagues. 

GUEST BIO:

Indya Woods

Indya Woods is currently a 4th year veterinary student at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. Indya grew up in Mobile, AL, and knew she loved animals from a very young age. Indya began pursuing her dream of becoming a veterinarian while in college at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. During her time at UAB, Indya completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. While in college, Indya also developed a love for servant leadership, mentorship, and community service- which influenced her extracurricular involvement in veterinary school.

At Auburn, Indya currently serves as Vice President of the Class of 2022. Indya has also served as 2019-2020 National Vice President of Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment (VOICE) and 2020-2021 National Co-President of VOICE. Indya’s time with VOICE showed her that she has a true commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity within the veterinary profession, and hopes to continue to use her career to educate her peers on DEI within vet med.

After graduating in May 2022, Indya hopes to move to South Florida to become a small animal and exotics veterinarian. She also hopes to volunteer in aquatic animal rescue and rehabilitation. 

LINKS AND INFORMATION:

• Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine: https://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/

You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Listen in as Executive Director Jordan benShea chats with Board Member and student debt expert Dr. Tony Bartels in this next installment of our Student Debt Series. In this episode, we’re discussing the latest news about the latest Student Loan Repayment Extension, who it impacts, advice for what to do with this forbearance time, and how to prepare for restarting your loan payments when the extension ends. 

GUEST BIO:

LINKS AND INFORMATION:

• VIN Foundation Student Debt Center: https://vinfoundation.org/studentdebtcenter

You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Listen in as Executive Director Jordan Benshea chats with Dr. Rachel Mar about the importance of having compassion for yourself, her path to creating Vitality Vet, and how Batman (yes Batman!) plays a role in her life.

GUEST BIO:

Dr. Rachel Mar

Dr. Rachel Mar completed her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science with a minor in photography at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She worked in high school ministry for one year then moved to Dublin, Ireland to obtain her degree in Veterinary Medicine from University College Dublin. Now she is an integrative veterinarian working in Santa Barbara, California. She is a Fear Free certified veterinarian and will complete her Certification in Veterinary Acupuncture (CVA) through Chi University at the end of Summer 2021. Dr. Mar is currently enrolled in the Certified Canine Rehabilitation Professional (CCRP) course through the University of Tennessee. She has a blog dedicated to improving the wellbeing of both pet parents and their pets, and also offers virtual veterinary teleadvice consults via her website www.thevitalityvet.com. Dr. Mar can also be found on Facebook and Instagram (@thevitalityvet).

LINKS AND INFORMATION:

• Cal Poly: https://www.calpoly.edu/

You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Listen in as VIN Foundation Executive Director Jordan Benshea chats with Dr. Andrew Moffatt about his veterinary career journey from his early dreams of being a fish doctor to the CEO of VetnCare. Andrew shares lessons learned on his path and how his motivation is driven by a passion to help future colleagues be their best selves. 

GUEST BIO:

Dr. Andrew Moffatt

Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Andrew Moffatt, DVM, MBA, at the age of five, told his mother, with a firm commitment, that he wanted to be an "animal doctor". Some 20 years later Dr. Moffatt graduated with a degree in Veterinary Science from Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand in 2006.

He started his veterinary career at Cliffe Veterinary Group in East Sussex, England, then made the move to London and took on the role of Clinical Director at Chadwell Heath Veterinary Practice. Dr. Moffatt then joined The Village Veterinary Group (CVS) as Clinical Director, managing four busy hospitals and 55 staff. Whilst living in London, he completed an Executive MBA at Cass Business School.

In between these permanent positions Dr. Moffatt worked in another 20 hospitals for varying lengths of time, and made the move to California in the fall of 2011 and lives in San Francisco with his black and white cat Monstey. In his spare time he enjoys traveling, fly-fishing, cycling, and diving.

Dr. Moffatt tries to offer his clients and their pets health care advice that is honest, ethical, and compassionate. His has advanced skills in surgery (both soft tissue and orthopedics), imaging (ultrasound, radiology, and endoscopy), dentistry, oncology, and exotic patient care, enjoys seeing species such as rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, birds, reptiles, pigs, goats, and even fish! He is obtaining his certification as a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner (CVPP) with the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management and is Fear Free Certified.

Dr. Moffatt is the Founder and current CEO of VetnCare, Inc, a growing group of veterinary hospitals in the San Francisco Bay Area. These days his main foci are New Graduate mentorship, Veterinarian recruitment, and clinical leadership and operations.

In 2017 Dr. Moffatt was awarded the California Veterinary Medical Association's "RVT's Outstanding DVM of the Year". This award recognizes Dr. Moffatt's hard work and dedication to his patients, clients and staff alike and rewards his focus on education, training and progressive medicine. He is an active member of the CVMA's PAC (Political Action Committee) and the Certified Veterinary Assistant Committee. He is also a past Vice President and Board Member of the Alameda County Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Moffatt is an Expert Witness for the  Veterinary Medical Board providing consultation to the board as part of Disciplinary Investigations. He speaks at numerous AVMA accredited schools around the world, covering various business topics including professional happiness, debt management, veterinary business finance, entrepreneurialism, and veterinary business ownership. 

LINKS AND INFORMATION:

• VetnCare: https://vetncare.com/

You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Listen in as VIN Foundation Executive Director Jordan Benshea has a conversation with VIN Foundation Board Member and Student Debt expert Dr. Tony Bartels on the latest news about FedLoan Servicing and how it impacts student loans. 

GUEST BIO:

LINKS AND INFORMATION:

• VIN Foundation Blog post: https://vinfoundation.org/fedloan-servicing-quits/

• VIN member (including veterinary students)

Email VIN Foundation: [email protected]

Get updates to stay tuned for the VIN Foundation webinars on student debt. 

Recent Reports on FedLoan Servicing Exit:

• https://www.marketwatch.com/story/student-loan-giant-that-manages-public-service-loan-forgiveness-will-stop-servicing-federal-loans-11625779955?siteid=yhoof2

• https://www.businessinsider.com/public-service-student-loan-forgiveness-pheaa-elizabeth-warren-2021-7?amp

• https://finance.yahoo.com/news/student-loan-servicer-pheaa-drops-out-of-federal-student-loan-program-172217542.html

• https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamminsky/2021/07/08/huge-student-loan-servicing-shakeup-this-major-loan-servicer-is-ending-its-contract/?sh=6d73b4fd7b23

• https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/09/the-agency-managing-your-federal-student-loans-could-soon-change.html

• https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/08/politics/federal-student-loan-servicing-contract-pheaa/index.html

You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Listen in as Dr. Matt Holland has a conversation with Ohio Veterinary School student Daniella Guzman, and Dr. Tony Bartels about financing veterinary school, and how the school decision has lasting impacts on a veterinary career. They discuss the intersectionality of mental health and money, and how creating your own path in the midst of expectations 

GUEST BIOS:

Dr. Tony Bartels

Tony Bartels graduated in 2012 from the Colorado State University combined MBA/DVM program and is an employee of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) and a VIN Foundation Board Member. He and his wife, a small-animal internal medicine specialist practicing in Denver, have more than $400,000 in veterinary-school debt that they manage using federal income-driven repayment plans. By necessity (and now obsession), his professional activities include researching and speaking on veterinary-student debt, providing guidance to colleagues on loan-repayment strategies and contributing to VIN Foundation resources as a board member. Beyond debt, his professional interests include small- and exotic-animal practice. When he’s not staring holes into his colleagues’ student-loan data, Tony enjoys fly fishing, ice hockey, camping and exploring Colorado with his wife, Audra, and their two rescued canines, Addi and Maggie.

Daniella Guzman

Daniella is an economist and fourth-year veterinary student at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and is pursuing a career in zoological medicine and is exploring an interest in veterinary public policy. Highly active in organized veterinary medicine, she is currently the AAZV Student Programs and Services Student Representative, the WDA Wildlife Veterinary Section Student Representative, President of the OSU chapter of VOICE and WVLDI, and holds various other leadership roles. In her spare time, Daniella likes to take her cat on nature walks and paint pet portraits for her friends and family. 

LINKS AND INFORMATION:

• VIN Foundation Student Debt Center: https://vinfoundation.org/studentdebtcenter

You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Join VIN Foundation Executive Director Jordan Benshea as she chats with VSPN Director Charlotte Waack about her journey to veterinary medicine, how a back injury set her on an unexpected course, and why the medicine continues to elicit excitement. Charlotte shares an inside look at the veterinary support field, the areas she sees as stressors with room for improvement, and how Support4Support is helping colleagues feel not alone. 

GUEST BIO:

Charlotte Waack, AA, AAS, BS, CVT, RVT

 Charlotte started working in the field of veterinary medicine in 1990, as a veterinary assistant. She ended up loving the field and pursued the education to become a credentialed veterinary technician. Charlotte graduated from St. Petersburg Distance Learning Veterinary Technology program in 2004, and in 2006 started working for Veterinary Information Network (VIN), assisting with Continued Education (CE) courses for VSPN (Veterinary Support Personnel Network). Charlotte currently serves as the Director of VSPN and VSPN CE. In addition to driving all content to the VSPN website, she is also in charge of hiring instructors and coordinating the CE courses offered to technicians and support staff, is the co-founder and Team Lead of the VIN Foundation peer support group Support4Support, and is a vital member of the VIN Conference team, working at conferences in the US, Canada, and Europe, and has recently started to host interview type vlogs for VSPN, called #lovevspn.

Charlotte served on the National Veterinary Technician Association executive board from 2012-2014, Missouri Veterinary Technicians Association board from 2008-2012; Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association board from 2014-2017. She coordinated three CE conferences for Missouri Veterinary Technicians Association and has served on the CVT and CE committees for ISVMA since 2015 and co-chair of the ISVMA yearly convention since 2017-2019, as well as the technician program chair for Chicagoland Veterinary Conference.

Charlotte’s speaking engagements have included the Wild West Veterinary Conference, Association of Veterinary Technician Educators Symposium, presented webinars for VSPN, Illinois Veterinary Medical Association, and has given presentations to Illinois veterinary technology programs. She has also been published in NAVTA Journal, ISVMA Epitome and Veterinary Technicians Magazine.

As an educator, Charlotte has taught CE courses for VSPN CE, a veterinary assistant course at John Wood Community College in Quincy, IL, and was an adjunct instructor for San Juan College Veterinary Technology Distance Learning program. She also serves on the curriculum advisory committees for San Juan College Veterinary Technology Program and Pima Medical Institute (Las Vegas) Veterinary Technology Program.

LINKS AND INFORMATION:

• VSPN: https://www.vin.com/vspn

Learn more about the VIN Foundation Veterinary Pulse podcast, or explore the VIN Foundation and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Dr. Matt Holland has a conversation with NC State College of Veterinary Medicine's 2nd-year student Nia Powell. Nia shares her journey to veterinary medicine, her experience with racism, and how a quarter-life crisis led her to good things. With a commitment to encouraging others, Nia shares the one area she wishes she focused on more prior to entering veterinary school, and how her role as a veterinary technician provided helpful experience.

Quote mentioned by Nia Powell during the episode: “Never let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game.” - Babe Ruth

GUEST BIO:

Nia Powell

Nia Powell is a 2nd-year student at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. After growing up in Chicago, Nia attended the University of Missouri where she earned a B.S in Psychology and Spanish. Currently, Nia is interested in small animal and equine medicine. She also enjoys cardiology and internal medicine. Outside of vet med, Nia likes to travel and spend time with her family, friends, and dogs Zoe (a pomeranian mix) and Peyton (a lab mix).

LINKS AND INFORMATION:

• Nia Powell on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomingdoctornia/

You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Tune in as VIN Foundation Executive Director Jordan Benshea chats with student debt educator Dr. Tony Bartels about the latest student loan tax forgiveness. Taking the “hope for the best and plan for the worst” approach, Dr. Bartels will take you through the details of this confusing situation. Did you know if you were making payments toward your student loans during the Cares Act forbearance time you can get a refund? Listen in to learn this and additional helpful information.

GUEST BIO:

Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA

LINKS AND INFORMATION:

• American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1319/text?format=txt

Personalized Assistance available via the special VIN and VIN Foundation Student Debt Message Board areas:

• VIN member

• Non-VIN member

Email VIN Foundation: [email protected]

You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!