My Veterinary Life

Welcome to this week’s episode of My Veterinary Life Podcast. We are joined by returning guest, Dr. Kara Escutia. Dr. Escutia is a Trust Veterinarian with AVMA’s PLIT and today our focus is on introducing the concept of spectrum of care from a liability lens. We discuss the definition and how to approach this in the clinical setting with clients and work with their individual circumstances. Dr. Escutia shares great tips and pulls it all together with helpful examples. It’s a fun, informative conversation and we can’t 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.orgFollow us on social media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

In this podcast episode, co-hosts Dr. Annie Chavent and Dr. Marci Kirk interview Dr. Linda Black, CEO of Gallant Therapeutics. They discuss Dr. Black's career journey in veterinary medicine, her interest in regenerative medicine, and her transition from scientist to CEO. Dr. Black shares her experiences in consulting, advisory boards, and product development, and offers advice to listeners interested in management roles within veterinary medicine. She also discusses the challenges and rewards of building a startup and navigating the FDA approval process. The episode concludes with Dr. Black's vision for the future of stem cells and regenerative medicine.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.orgFollow us on social media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

In this episode, Dr. Steve Oehley, founder of Next Step Vet, shares his journey from being a clinical veterinarian to a career coach. He discusses the importance of self-reflection, understanding one's strengths, interests, and purpose, and finding work that aligns with these. Dr. Oehley also talks about his experience with work-related stress and its impact on personal relationships. He shares his approach to career transformation, emphasizing self-awareness, flexibility, and ongoing support. It's an inspiring conversation and we can't 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.orgFollow us on social media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcastYou can find Dr. Oehley’s podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/next-step-vet-how-to-create-a-meaningful-career/id1664237185

In this podcast episode, Dr. Chatfield shares her journey from considering a career as a flight attendant to becoming an associate veterinarian at a local zoo. She discusses her various roles, including lecturer, podcast host, and advisory board member for DVM 360. She emphasizes the importance of seizing opportunities and learning from others. Dr. Chatfield also shares her volunteer experiences in providing healthcare services to underserved communities and her belief in the power of the human-animal bond. 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.orgFollow us on social media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

Ariana Anderson, DVM, joins us as our special guest in this episode. Dr. Anderson, a relief veterinarian, shares with us her unique experiences even from early on when trying to decide whether to go into vet med or linguistics. We hear about how ice cream sandwiches lead to lifelong friends, LLC v. sole proprietorships, and insurance needs as a relief vet. We talk about setting simple yet effective boundaries, finding your community in the one place you did not want to be, and organizing as a superpower. What a great conversation; 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 Follow us on social media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

Our guest today is a Dr. Andres Montoya. He is currently the Associate Director, Technical Services Poultry at Merck Animal Health. We discuss his wide-ranging experiences from completing veterinary school in Columbia, to learning English and teaching in the U.S., to global industry jobs, all the way to his current role. We discuss the importance of growing your connections, following your passions and being willing to adapt to what life throws at you. It is an inspiring episode, and we can’t 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 Follow us on social media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

Our guest this week just finished her externship with the AVMA. Megan Kellen, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Candidate at Iowa State University, gives us her unique perspective about the experience. We learn how she combines math, science, and the love of animals in vet med. We discuss the importance of being involved in your SAVMA chapter and knowing what is being advocated for in your state. We talk about the importance of open lines of communication at every level and 5-year plans. This was a great conversation and we can’t 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.orgFollow us on social media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

This episode’s special guest is Jason Nickell, DVM, PhD, DACVPM. Dr. Jason is the Director of Insights and Outcomes at Merck Animal Health. We learn how he grew up around animals and follow in dad’s footsteps into vet med. He had a private practice with mixed practice, but something was missing. We discuss his exposure to different parts of the industry, food animal R&D, and production systems around the globe. We talk about the numbers and how digging into data give insights and the human component & challenges. 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 Follow us on social media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

In this episode, Dr. Annette Chapman and Dr. Simone Tomlinson share their experiences as USDA veterinarians. They discuss the various aspects of their job, including clinical work, logistics, flexibility, and travel. The guests provide insights into the application process for government jobs and offer tips for success. They also highlight the importance of exploring different opportunities in veterinary medicine.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.orgFollow us on social media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

Our guest for this episode is Lowell Midla, VMD, MS, a Cattle Technical Services Veterinarian at Merck Animal Health. Growing up on a cattle farm we hear how he wanted to be a scientist, engineer, and a vet to solve infectious bovine kerato-conjunctivitis. From joining a mixed animal practice out of vet school to learning thru emergencies, and ultimately being prepared for opportunities, we hear how vet med is like Forest Gump’s box of chocolates. He is definitely someone we want to stand within 6 feet of to just listen, and we finally learned the true meaning of VMD!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 contact us at MVLPodcast@avma.orgFollow us on social media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

Our guest this episode is the one and only Dr. Andy Roark. He is a practicing veterinarian, international speaker, author, media personality, the founder of the Uncharted Veterinary Conference, and was the VBMA National President. We talk about how following a girl to the labs at the National Institute of Health and volunteering at the zoo leads to a Vet degree and working on a snake farm during grad school. We speak about sharing content on social media, mentoring, taking the initiative, and most importantly - communicating what you need to grow. We also learn the importance of social events and casual meetups at conferences. 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.orgYou can also follow us on social media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

Dr. Jeff Olivarez returns to the podcast to give us his dos and don’ts of internship. Now an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Agricultural Animal Medicine and Surgery Department at Washington State University, he talks about being involved in SAVMA and realizing his love for students as a driving force for pursuing an internship. We learn great life lessons about comparisons, finding a broad-based support system, and how splitting your pants on the first day can lead to something great. 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.orgYou can also follow us on social media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

Matt Asciutto, DVM is our guest, and we learn so much from him! He is an ER overnight relief vet, a dad, a podcast host, a songwriter, and an author. According to Matt, he did not follow the ‘normal’ route into vet school but instead followed a girl after trading improv lessons for vet care. We cover everything from parenthood, daycare guilt, writing a song about metronidazole, and inspiring others who are not traditionally interested in vet med. His tales from the cage side leave us with such hope for the endless possibilities of our profession! 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.orgYou can also follow us on social media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

Wrapping up our internship series with deep diving into the lab animal specialty. Our guest, Jessica Plunkard, DVM, MPH, did her Lab Animal Residency at Johns Hopkins University. We hear how she became interested in lab animal before starting vet school and we learn about the match process and most importantly, the early deadlines. From managing colony health to facilities to staff, residency gives a lot of hands-on experience, especially when you start overseeing cases in the 2nd month! We discuss the smaller specialty with a tight-knit group and pranking with a whoopie cushion and a camera!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.orgYou can also follow us on social media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

Continuing our internship series, this episode we talk about all things zoo medicine internship and residency with Dr. Rachel Tuner and Dr. Liandrie Swanepoel. From bears to alligators, lions, and rabbits, our guests have seen it all! Dr. Turner is an associate veterinarian at the Birmingham Zoo, and she tells is about both her internships and her 3-year zoo med residency at the University of Florida. While Dr. Swanepoel talks about her hybrid internship at the University of Tennessee. We discuss these highly competitive internships, residency vs. internships, being fluid and flexible, and thriving with new challenges daily. We end the episode with some great advice about not getting a match, not comparing paths, and hanging on to your sense of wonder. 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.orgYou can also follow us on social media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

As we continue in our internship series, our guest for this episode is Dr. Shireen Zolghadri and she shares her experience pursuing an equine internship. We start with her background growing up in Georgia with no animals in the house. During high school we hear how she shadowed in an ER Vet on Sundays. Wanting to stay involved, Dr. Zolghardi shares how she made it a point to join a variety of clubs and be a contributing member, including becoming the Treasurer of the Student Chapter of AAEP (SCAAEP) and Marketing Director of the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA). We compare internships to house shopping and dive into the application process. We talk about the challenges she faced in different states of her career- from vet student to newly graduated doctor to clinician and learning to be on call. 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.orgYou can also follow us on

We are kicking off a new series, all about internships. Dr. Emily Tincher is the current Sr. Director of Pet Health at Nationwide Pet and our first guest of this series! We dive into all things internship related as she talks about the decision to take a year to invest in herself and do the internship, her priorities/criteria for matching. We discuss the ranking and matching process and how to negotiate the internship. We talk about the big 3 things to know before getting started and so much more! 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.orgYou can also follow us on social media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

This week’s episode of My Veterinary Life Podcasts features two very special guests. We are joined by Drs. Megan Skeffington and Christy Michael to talk about Artificial Intelligence. They both have the opportunity to follow this passion with their work at IDEXX. It is a great conversation focused on what artificial intelligence is and is not, opportunities to utilize AI in veterinary medicine and so much more. It’s a fun, informative conversation that you won’t want to miss!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

Buckle in as we chase passions with Beth Venit, VMD, MPH, DACVPM! As a late bloomer, we hear how she tried it all from park ranger, marine biologist, to veterinarian. She discusses her difficult decision to leave the ER practice she loved for a lifestyle shift, which led to an exploration of public policy work as a AAAS Fellow and at the US Department of State. Seeking new professional growth, she is now the Chief Veterinary Officer of the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB). As we say in the episode, we could all use a “little Beth” in our pocket, as she is enthusiastic about the many ways she can support other veterinarians in this role! 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

Cathy Santos, a student at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, is our guest for this episode. We refer to her as “our Cathy” as she is a student extern with the membership division for the AVMA. She tells us the story of being saved by a terrier and how it has led her to become a veterinarian. She discusses being empowered to try new things during convention week, imposter syndrome, and the interworking’s of the AVMA. From social networking, making personal connections, giving lectures, our Cathy has experienced just a few of the endless opportunities available. We are so excited to share this conversation 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.orgYou can also follow us on social media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast