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...
Dec 14, 2023•30 min
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. I...
Dec 07, 2023•30 min
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-...
Nov 30, 2023•33 min
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 su...
Nov 23, 2023•35 min
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 wa...
Nov 16, 2023•34 min
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 ...
Nov 09, 2023•28 min
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 c...
Nov 02, 2023•37 min
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 Appl...
Oct 26, 2023•42 min
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...
Oct 19, 2023•44 min
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 mo...
Oct 12, 2023•46 min
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. Remem...
Oct 05, 2023•40 min
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 h...
Oct 05, 2023•36 min
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 disc...
Sep 28, 2023•28 min
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 discus...
Sep 21, 2023•36 min
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 (SCA...
Sep 07, 2023•37 min
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 mor...
Aug 31, 2023•36 min
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...
Aug 24, 2023•39 min
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)....
Aug 17, 2023•44 min
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 lect...
Aug 10, 2023•29 min
Our guest for this episode is one of the keynote speakers at the 2023 AVMA Convention. Mariana Atencio is a Peabody award-winning journalist, best-selling author, motivational speaker, and television host. She recaps her keynote speech and encourages us to walk in our power. We learn that there are parallels across all professions about thinking on your feet, being authentic and flipping the script. Be sure to stay tuned through the end to catch our surprise guest during the interview! We are so...
Aug 03, 2023•29 min
Our special guest for this episode is Dr. Caleb Frankel, Founder/CEO of Instinct Science, ER Veterinarian, and Author/Speaker. We hear how he became passionate about emergency and critical care and how that led to an intense interest with the state of technology in vet med. From dumpster diving in the middle of the night to having a start-up in his basement, this episode addresses challenges and follows passions. Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple...
Jul 27, 2023•32 min
This is our quarterly vet debt session and our guest is Dr. Elaina Petrone, DVM and owner at Long Branch Animal Hospital. As a graduate from the University of Pennsylvania in 2014, she is not shy about her debt. We hear how she accidentally started planning out the repayment road on a group date and now has an annual wellness exam for debt to help stay on track. We hear how important it was important to her to build wealth while also paying on student loans. Please remember: this is Dr. Petrone'...
Jul 20, 2023•21 min
In this episode we talk to Dr. Elliot Garber. He is a veterinarian, entrepreneur, author, public health practitioner, and Army officer. A Tuft's graduate with MPH and DVM, he received an Army scholarship so we talk about that experience and what life was like right after graduation. He discusses writing a novel, selling 2 businesses, and keeping a healthy appetite for risk. We hear how commenting on Facebook posts can lead to new connections and new business ideas. He gives great advice about ke...
Jul 13, 2023•42 min
Our guest for this episode is Theo Berlanga, current veterinarian student at the University of Illinois. We hear their moving story and all the ways to actively get involved with diversity, equity, and inclusion. Theo disucsses the importantance of sharing stories and making connections as well as the difference between malice and ignorance. We hope this episode inspires you as much as it inspires us! Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts an...
Jul 06, 2023•37 min
Claire Simeone, DVM, marine mammal veterinarian and founder of Sea Change Health is our guest for this episode. She recalls her childhood with supportive parents who watched TV with 6 mice-- yes six as an experiment! She tells us her fears of the emergency room and how she became involved in TED Talks. Climate change is a passion of hers, and we talk about each animal playing their role in our climate. She ends by giving us great advice about trying to save the world. We hope you will share your...
Jun 29, 2023•44 min
Our special guest for this episode is Dani Rabwin, DVM, the Founder/CEO of Ready, Vet, Go! We find out how she juggles clinical medicine, emergency medicine, and starting her mentorship company during the pandemic. We focus on the human side of vet med and how making connections and teaching tools can lead to a long, satisfying career. We wrap up with Dr. Rabwin sharing some brilliant advice that we hope will stay with you! Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to subscribe to our fe...
Jun 22, 2023•40 min
This episode we bring you some heavyweight guests: Latonia Craig, Ed.D. Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer at the AVMA, Brigette Dean-Hines, DVM, Kentucky State VMA President, Rebecca Stinson, DVM, AVMA Trust Student Services Manager, and Jennifer Quammen, DVM, AVMA Vice President. We learn about their outreach trip to Central High Magnet Career Academy in Louisville, KY where Muhammad Ali, the original heavyweight, graduated. Central High has a large pre-veterinary sciences program...
Jun 15, 2023•41 min
Dr. Annie Chavent, DVM, MBA, gets put in the hot seat as a guest along with Dr. Lauren Rowe, DVM. We dive deep into their roles as Assistant Directors at the AVMA. We find out how they landed their roles at the AVMA and how they have transitioned from all online during COVID now to in-person school visits. We discuss clinical skills translating to the office, like triaging and effective communication. We hope you fall for this episode like the snow fell at the 2023 SAVMA Symposium! Remember we w...
Jun 08, 2023•38 min
Our guest this episode is one of the trailblazers in the global food security arena, Shannon Mesenhowski, DVM, MPH. Her early career consisted of mixed animal practice in rural Oregon then corporate and private small animal practice in Minneapolis. She then pursued her discovered passion for international livestock work with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellowship, USAID, and now as the of Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We dis...
Jun 01, 2023•40 min
Our guest for this episode is Zach Tooley, DVM Candidate 2023, National Student AVMA President 2022-2023, and U.S. Army Vet Corps 2LT. He talks about his time on the Veterinary Leadership Conference (VLC) keynote panel and about his crucible story, from not planning to go to college to being close to graduating as DVM! We go over how he became SAVMA President and what it entails. We discuss the importance of a support system through college, compare lectures to Netflix shows, and find out his pl...
May 25, 2023•32 min
