My Veterinary Life

“Really thinking about financial tools as tools, not as the goal. Right? So, you know when you build a home, the goal is to build a home, it’s not to buy tools. But you need to buy tools in order to build a home. And I think when it comes to financial stuff, when it comes to 401Ks and investment accounts, bitcoin and auto insurance, homeowner’s insurance- all of it. They’re all products. They’re all what they consider financial products. And when you have products, recognizing that they in and of themselves are not the plan.”Our guests today are Tom Seeko and CJ Burnett. They are co-founders of Florida Veterinary Advisors and Co-hosts of the Smarter Vet Podcast. They join us on the last episode in our mini-series welcoming the class of 2021 to the veterinary profession. The focus today is finances. What do we need to know when we are just starting out? If you are not a 2021 graduate, don’t worry, they weave in some truly great advice to keep in mind at any stage of your career. We truly appreciated their stra

“Ashley and I have been doing these IG lives lately on these medical cases and one of the things that we say is ‘Bring your curiosity, and drop your judgement, medicine is not a place for judgement.’’ Our guest today is Dr. Monica Tarantino. She joins us for our fourth installment of welcoming the class of 2021 to the profession. Our topic today is mentorship, something Dr. Tarantino and her business partner Dr. Ashley Gray know a lot about. If you haven’t heard about their book, website, and newsletter, be sure to check out Vets on the Rise. They are doing a lot to bring mentorship to the profession in a variety of ways. This conversation is so helpful and again, the things we learn don’t just apply to 2021 graduates. There are tidbits that all of us can apply to our career no matter what stage we are at. We are so excited to share this conversation with you and we know this won’t be the last time we have Dr. Tarantino on the show! Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on

“I also think reflecting on asking yourself the question ‘When I’m healthy, when I feel, when I feel good, when I feel like I’m thriving, how do I know? What does that look like for me?” Our guest today is Dr Jen Brandt. Dr. Brandt is the Director of member wellbeing at the AVMA. She has PhD in social work and is a licensed clinical social worker. This is not her first time on the show! Be sure to check out her episode from March 2020 where we discuss Wellbeing tips during a pandemic and December 2020 where we discuss wellbeing during the holidays. Today we are continuing our series of welcoming the class of 2021 to the veterinary profession. Our main focus is on wellbeing during times of change. This really could apply to many different areas of your life and it is packed full of great advice. We are so excited to share this episode and are excited to continue this journey with you! Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts and leave us a ratings and review

“What makes a great team? The first one is trust. And trust is really important and trust is not something that is given by default and I think for the associate veterinarian and newer grads, you’re going to walk into a new practice and probably be really nervous about your first day and may have some distrust starting out from the bat and that is totally human.” Our guest today is David Liss. David is a certified veterinary technician and double boarded in emergency and critical as well as small animal internal medicine. He is also a certified veterinary practice manager. In addition to his clinical responsibilities, he is also an author, educator, speaker, and award winner! He joins us in the second part of our April series welcoming the class of 2021 to the profession. Today’s focus is teamwork. How to build trust and join a team as the newest member. Even if you aren’t a 2021 graduate there is a TON of great information and advice in this episode. We are so excited to share this conversation with you! Re

“So I think for me what was most challenging after graduation was the leadership role that I was thrown into and having to lead a team on day one or day 7.” Our guest today is Dr. Tierra Price. This is the second time Dr. Price has been on the show. In her first episode, we talked about her move across country to start a job in community practice just after graduation. Today, we are kicking off our mini-series focused on welcoming the class of 2021 to the profession. The topic at hand is the transition from student to veterinarian and what lessons Dr. Price has learned along the way. We cover everything from developing your community to setting boundaries and even debate chocolate chip vs raisin cookies. We promise, there is something in this episode for everyone, even if you aren’t a 2021 graduate. It’s a great conversation and we can’t wait to share this journey with you! Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts and leave us a ratings and review. You can

“COVID clinics is an experience in and of itself, honestly. Every school handled it a little bit differently and I think at the end of the day one of the biggest priorities for a lot schools were making sure students were getting the hands-on experience they needed. It’s still looming in our brains of are we prepared to go out into the workforce?” Our guest today is Marie Bucko. Marie is a currently a fourth-year student at the Universality of Wisconsin’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She is also the immediate past president of SAVMA. She shares with us what the last 12 months were like for her and the challenges she faced as current SAVMA president almost from day 1. Marie also talks about her road to vet school, which wasn’t a straight-line and how the twists and turns showed her new areas of veterinary medicine. It’s such a fun and insightful conversation and we can’t wait to share this journey with you. Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts and leav

“Also, for new graduates, remember, we’re not finished veterinarians when we come out of veterinary school. The things that I knew back then and the things that I know now, it’s a continual path that we’re on learning and I think that’s what keeps us engaged in our profession the whole time.” Our guest today is Dr. Doug Kratt. Some of you may already know Dr. Kratt. He is the current president of the AVMA. He shares his reflections and lessons learned from the past 12 months. We also chat a little bit about his road to becoming AVMA president. It’s an awesome conversation and we can’t wait to share this with you. Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts and leave us a ratings and review. You can also contact us at MVLPodcast@avma.org You can also follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

“Do your research, that’s an obvious one, you know, if you are going to make a big change. A lot of people are afraid to ask for help, so try to shake that, because that’s not a good habit.” Our guest today is Shawn Wilkie! Shawn is the CEO and founder of Talkatoo and a cohost of the Veterinary Innovation Podcast. He brings his entrepreneur and innovation lens to the conversation as we reflect on the last twelve months and how it has impacted the veterinary profession. He shares some great insights into the industry and what is coming next. It’s a great conversation and we can’t wait to share this with you, Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts and leave us a ratings and review. You can also contact us at MVLPodcast@avma.org You can also follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcastHere are links to the Veterinary Innovation Podcast: https://veterinaryinnovationpodcast.com/

“Networking is not a bad thing, and it also doesn’t have to feel like schmoozing. It should feel like you are finding your people, and there’s nothing wrong with that and if you make those connections, hold onto them because they are really important and they could totally change your career.” Our guest today is Dr. Katie Berlin! Dr. Berlin wears a lot of hats in the veterinary profession and beyond. She is a small animal practitioner who focuses on fear free procedures and acupuncture as well as an editor for Brief Media. On top of that, she is also a podcaster, a fitness instructor and all-around great person! She shares that her path to veterinary medicine wasn’t exactly a straight line, but we are so glad she stuck with her dream. We learn so much from her including and cannot wait to share this journey with you! Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts and leave us a ratings and review. You can also contact us at MVLPodcast@avma.org You can also follow

“Hey, when you come into veterinary school, your path is going to change. What you think that you are going to do at the beginning is going to be totally different than what you end up doing once you graduate. And I guess my story is definitely- you know- is that I did not do what I thought I was going to do.” Our guest today is Dr. Brittany Moore-Henderson. Dr. Moore-Henderson is the Director of Admissions at Mississippi State College of Veterinary Medicine. She shares her journey to veterinary medicine and some of the challenges she faced. She also gives great advice to those applying to veterinary school and things to keep in mind as you decide which vet schools may be right for you. We also learn about some of the programs she helped create, many of which are still in existence today. This is a great conversation and we cannot wait to share it with you. Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts and leave us a ratings and review. You can also contact us at

“This is one of the uncelebrated aspects about veterinary surgery, is the symphony of the team. You’re not doing surgery by yourself, right? So, preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively throughout the entire process there’s an entire team of people who are educating scheduling, helping find instruments, working together to create and…and do what’s best for that patient.” Our guest today is Dr. Courtney Campbell! Some of you may be familiar with Dr. Campbell already. He has been a guest on numerous Talk Shows including Rachel Ray and the Doctors. He was also a co-host of the Nat Geo show Wild! Beyond television he is also a Board-Certified Surgeon and we dig into how he got there, which was not a direct path at all! This is a great conversation and we cannot wait to share it with you. Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts and leave us a ratings and review. You can also contact us at MVLPodcast@avma.org You can also follow us on Social Media @

“And I tell my clients, there’s not a Western medical diagnosis for what your pet is experiencing right now but the good news is we have a different way to speak to the body and learn from the body and we can approach things from a holistic perspective or from a Chinese medical perspective where we have an answer for you.” Our guest today is Dr. Arielle Herndobler! Dr. Herndobler has had a very exciting career filled with additional certifications. She is currently the only veterinarian in the Chicago area that has a certificate in acupuncture, spinal manipulation, AND physical rehabilitation. She recently started her own holistic medicine practice in downtown Chicago. We talk about what it took to work through all these certificate programs to start her own business. It is a great conversation and we cannot wait to share this journey with you! Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts and leave us a ratings and review. You can also contact us at MVLPodcast@

“My mom has this saying that she always uses, and it is to kind of 'go with the flow, roll with the punches, and duck when you have to, and hang on like Snoopy.' That’s what she tells me all the time.” Our guest today is Dr. Krista Miller! We had a great time chatting about her career and how it has taken her to some very unexpected places, despite initially having a pretty clear idea of where she wanted to go. While being a clinical veterinarian takes up a lot of her time, she has still found a way to make a difference in society. Recently she launched her YouTube Channel Dope Black Vet. It is a fun way that she shares information with pet owners twice a month. She has also been featured on NPR, most recently talking about COVID and pets. We have a blast chatting with her and are so excited to share this journey with you. Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts and leave us a ratings and review. You can also contact us at MVLPodcast@avma.org You can also f

“I became our SAVMA delegate and moved on to all kinds of veterinary leadership roles from there and I really appreciate all of those and do feel that really broadens my veterinary horizons, even though it wasn’t book knowledge.”Our guest today is Dr. Rheba Mabie Zimmerman. Dr. Mabie Zimmerman is 2016 graduate from the University of Wisconsin College of Veterinary Medicine. She has spent most of her career in small animal medicine and at the time of the interview was just getting settled in as an associate veterinarian at a new clinic. We talk about what searching for a job during a pandemic looked like and what other lessons she has learned throughout her career. We also spend a lot of time on her passions outside of veterinary medicine including being a mom to her two boys, being a professional clown and an incredible golfer. We all left with smiles on our face and can’t wait to share this journey with you!Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts and leave

“A really good hack I like to tell people is anything you wouldn’t do if you’re being chased by a tiger will move you from that survival system-sympathetic- to the growth system of parasympathetic. So, you mentioned sleep, Marci, so if you are being chased by a tiger, you wouldn’t go take a nap.”Our guest today is Dr. Shimi Kang. Dr. Kang was the keynote speaker at the 2021 Virtual Veterinary Leadership Conference. We talk about the importance of play and tackling the ‘simple but not easy things’ that will lead to healthier lives. She shares so much wisdom and points of reflection throughout our conversation, so have your pens ready! We also talk about her books too, which are amazing resources. We can’t wait to share this journey with you!Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts and leave us a ratings and review. You can also contact us at MVLPodcast@avma.org You can also follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcastYou can learn more about Dr.

“But, I could show you guys, I make cat houses, I make scarves, hats, I’ve made dog sweaters, so I’ve gifted some of my friends dog sweaters. I will crochet in class sometimes because I mentioned, I have narcolepsy and moving my hands helps me stay awake and I can do it and listen to the professor. The professor probably thinks I’m not paying any attention to them, but I am, I promise I am! And I’ll sit there and make cat houses in class for people.”Our guest today is Kim Layne. Kim is veterinary student at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Medicine has always been a passion of hers and she considered pursuing human medicine, however she really found her place when someone suggested she look into veterinary medicine. Outside of veterinary medicine, Kim was named Miss Idaho and competed in the Miss USA pageant in 2020. We won’t spoil it for you, but she did AMAZING! We talk about how veterinary medicine may have helped in surprising ways in her pageant competitions and how her pageant

“When I finally followed around some veterinarians, I was like ‘Ok, wow, this is, this is where I want to be.’ And it is because I saw the impact that one person could have, not just on our patients, but also on the people reliant on those patients.”Our guest today is Dr. Deborah Thomson. Dr. Thomson had a big year in 2020. She founded and launched One Health Lessons. The first lesson focused on COVID-19 and it has grown from there! At the time of the recording, the lessons had been translated in over 70 languages and were being delivered to students of all ages. Although 2020 was a banner year, that’s not where her career started, she has some incredible stories of her time as a relief veterinarian as well as an AVMA Fellow in DC. We can’t wait to share this journey with you!Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts and leave us a ratings and review. You can also contact us at MVLPodcast@avma.org You can also follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #M

Today is a special episode for My Veterinary Life Podcast. It is our 100th regular episode! We thought this would be a great time to reflect on the previous episodes and last two years of podcasting and share some of our favorite memories We also look at some of our favorite pieces of advice and biggest takeaways from the show. You also won’t want to miss our discussion on what we are looking forward to in 2021. None of this would have been possible without the support of our listeners. Thank you so much joining us every week! We are so excited to share her journey with you! Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts and leave us a ratings and review. You can also contact us at MVLPodcast@avma.org You can also follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

“So I think all those things combined ultimately led me to the path of thinking about becoming a veterinarian. Initially I had thought of becoming a human doctor and then I volunteered at a vet hospital and I was like ‘I’ve landed.’ This is it. And at that point I felt really comfortable that I knew that I wanted to become a veterinarian.”Our guest today is Dr. Omar Farías. Dr. Farías is a Senior Manager of Academic Affairs for Hill’s Pet Nutrition. We learn so much from him about his path to becoming a veterinarian and finding his place in veterinary medicine. He has great insights on owning a practice and making the switch to industry. We even have some fun discussions around travel and ways to convince your partner to make a big move with you. It’s such a fun conversation and we can’t wait to share this journey with you!Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts and leave us a ratings and review. You can also contact us at MVLPodcast@avma.org You can also f

“We are not living in a 3D world anymore and we need to install that 3D back, and that 3D is telling people how you feel about them. How you really feel about them. And, so, I think that is something that I’m still really adamant about.”Our guest today is Dr. Jolle Kirpensteijn. Dr. Kirpensteijn is the Chief Professional Veterinary Office with Hill’s Pet Nutrition. In this episode we talk about how he came to this job and the important role mentors and colleagues have played in his career. We cover so much, and we only scratch the surface of his experiences. If you were ever wondering if we could fit Egyptology, Podcasting, Cats and 5-year plans into one episode, you will find out today! We learned a lot throughout this conversation and can’t wait to share this journey with you! Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts and leave us a ratings and review. You can also contact us at MVLPodcast@avma.org You can also follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife