My Veterinary Life

“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

“Yeah. Definitely and I always try to keep in the back of my mind that there’s almost always more than one way to do things and sometimes you have to dig deep and sometimes you have to negotiate and sometimes you have to really, kind of, think the whole thing through but a lot of times, you know, even though that’s what way things have always been done there might be a different way to do it. If you can show how that will work for everybody a lot of times people are willing to give it a try.”Our guest today is Dr. Wendy Weirich. Dr. Weirich is a Professional Consulting Veterinarian with Hill’s Pet Nutrition. We learn how she came to this role and how she makes her career work for her. We also talk about some additional education she has completed in both the large animal area as well as animal welfare and how she incorporates that into her personal and professional life. She shares a lot of wisdom with us and we can’t wait to share this journey with you! Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to s

“And I thought, you know I think I maybe want to put myself ahead of my career, which was new for me. You know we are all adults and somehow not adulting yet as a veterinarian.”Our guest today is Dr. Rebecca Tremble. Dr. Tremble is the Corporate Veterinary Affairs Manager with Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Not sure what that means? She tells all about this and the other amazing roles she has had throughout her career. We also learn a bit about her family and how she found the right fit for each role she has held. It is a fun and informative 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 follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

“You know it’s April 15 and I’ll never forget this. You’ve already seen 300 clients this month and that’s probably what I would expect you to do in a full month and you’re going to burn out. And he said, not everyone burns out, some people just burn on, but people like you will burn out. And I was like-I didn’t even know what it meant. You just can’t really take that advice when you get it because you are in the middle of it and the very thing that is burning you out is the very thing that is keeping you going…that anxiety.”Our guest today is Dr. Neely North. Dr. North owns her own mobile holistic veterinary practice. We dig into how she got started in this area, what it took to get certified and all her other passions within this space. If you aren’t familiar with holistic medicine, this is a great introduction. Dr. North breaks down some of the terms and practices and shares some great stories along the way. We also talk about communication and how what she is doing can really compliment western medicine. W

“Seems to be not an uncommon thread through a lot of veterinary businesses I think, is that on my side, I literally did say, even though I was always equine equine equine, I said I never wanted to own my own business. I said that right up until probably six months before we opened our own business.”Our guest today is Dr. Aimee Eggleston. We had a blast chatting with her and learn so much about how she came to veterinary medicine and how it has become a family business. No topic was off limits and we dig into what it was like to have a child when you are a solo practitioner as well as some very deep wisdom from her daughter. It is a conversation you don’t want to miss, and we 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 follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

The holiday season is upon us! While this often brings celebrations, it can also bring some tensions and frustrations. Add in a pandemic and things are bound to look pretty different this year. Dr. Jen Brandt joins us to discuss strategies to prioritize your wellbeing, including setting boundaries this year so you feel safe and comfortable. We share practical tips that can be applied anytime and are something we can practice today, including example phrases you can say for when you are approaching difficult conversations. We are so excited to share this episode 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

“Also, disclaimer, I should have said this from the very beginning. My Appalachian twang knows no bounds, so whenever I say things, my pronunciations, if I sound like a little bit of a country bumpkin, if you saw where I was from you would know it’s just how people talk and I love it. Dolly Parton doesn’t apologize for it, so I won’t either.”Our guest today is Dr. Elizabeth Johnson Million. Dr. Johnson Million graduated from University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in 2016, but if you look at her resume, you might think she graduated quite a while ago. She has packed some amazing experiences into just a few short years. She started in private practice, moved to academia and is not the assistant director of Outreach and Engagement for the International Council for Veterinary Assessment, better known as the NAVLE people. This is a fun and exciting conversation that will have you laughing along with us. We had a blast chatting with Dr. Johnson Million and can’t wait to share this journey with you!

“I had been talking to someone that made me aware of something called, I think it’s called the Passion Test. Where, it’s a book but you can kind of work through a process to identify what some of your greatest passions are, and the premise being that if you bring those passions into your life in small ways, just the smallest steps, they get bigger and they become a bigger component of your life.”Our guest today is Dr. Gillian Angliss. Dr. Angliss has had an amazing career so far! It hasn’t always followed the plan she set out for her, but it has been extremely fulfilling. She started with an internship, which then led her to a crossroads with some tough decisions. Following the desire to prioritize personal life a bit, she spent several years in emergency medicine, then took a sharp turn into education. This is where her passions really collided and led her on an incredible path that took her from the east coast to the west coast. We have the best conversation and can’t wait to share this journey with you! R

“So what I know for sure is that people in certain circumstances, they do feel stuck sometimes. And I want to, you know, really remind everyone that there are always options. So, this might entail really taking a look at your life, reviewing what you value the most, it may mean accepting less pay and making lifestyle changes accordingly. However, I feel there are always options.”Our guest today is Dr. Laura Catena. Dr. Catena is the founder and creator of ArmOR Hand Gloves. How she got here was not a straight path at all and she had several challenges, including two difficult pregnancies that led to a change in working conditions and a potentially career ending injury. Rather than letting these hurdles get in her way, Dr. Catena decided to make the best of it and while she was in the hospital the idea for her product came to her to help protect veterinary professionals and the pets we care for. We were so inspired by her positive attitude and her ability to be open to opportunities in front of her. We are so

Our guest today is Donja Pettiford. Donja has dreamed of becoming a veterinarian for most of her life. However, sometimes life doesn’t always go as planned, and she has made the most of the opportunities she has been given all while continuing to work towards the goal of being accepted into veterinary school. Currently, Donja is working as a technical trainer with the USDA-FSIS and tells about the critical role she plays in food safety. She also shares how she became connected with the Black DVM Network and Pride VMC. We had a blast chatting with her and 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

“The other practice part, I was able to assemble a team that complimented me, my style. My business partner definitely knew the business.”Our guest today is Dr. Kathy Jonokuchi. Dr. Jonokuchi has had an incredible career! She continues to find new ways to challenge herself and give back to this profession. While many of her classmates are working towards retirement, it seems like Dr. Jonokuchi’s career is full steam ahead. We had a blast chatting with her and were only able to scratch the surface of some the things she has going on right now. We are excited to continue to follow her journey and share this small piece of 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 @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcastIf you are interested in learning more about Dr. Jonokuchi’s art work, please follow this link: https://www.kathyjonokuchi.com/

“It’s fun because people think that you know what you are going to do, and you follow that path and it really wasn’t that direct of a path. I mean Veterinary Medicine, for sure. I knew that from the beginning but all through vet school I planned on being a dairy practitioner.”Our guest today is Dr. Cindy Otto. Dr. Otto is the executive Director of the Penn Vet Working Dog Center. We had the best time discussing all about how she go to this point in her career. Spoiler alert! It wasn’t a straight shot. She has spent much of her career carving out her niche and finding her place in this profession. We loved learning about her finding her internship and pursuing a PhD as well as what drew her to teaching. It is a wonderful conversation and we 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 follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #My

Welcome to our final episode in a special My Veterinary Life Podcast miniseries in collaboration with our friends at National Veterinary Associates. Joining us for these conversations is Turpin Mott. Turpin is the Chief Community Officer for NVA. His focus is spreading positive wellbeing and culture initiatives throughout the veterinary profession. We are talking culture today! How do you identify a culture that is right for you? What questions can help you uncover the culture of an organization during an interview process? We learn so much throughout this conversation 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 follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast