Ready, Vet, Go: Living Your Best Veterinary Life

A discussion with Dr. Andy Roark about how to deal with feedback you are given and how to give effective feedback.

One of the biggest topics in the veterinary world and a huge stressor and many of our lives is student debt. Join Dr. Tony Bartels as he discusses the current state of veterinary-related debt, the different types of student loans and their associated repayment plans, and resources available to us to better understand our debt and how to manage it. Debt is a reality in our industry but learning about the options for repayment allow us to prepare for a thriving financial future. 

Communicating with and educating clients can be one of the most rewarding, challenging, and frustrating daily tasks. However, when used correctly and routinely, these efforts are sure to pay off. Tune in to the interview with Dr. Richard DeBowes as he and Dr. Raina Penn discuss the value of client education and communication within the profession.  For a full bio on Dr. Richard DeBowes and resources pertaining to this episode, please visit the WSVMA website at wsvma.org. Click on Resources and then Ready, Vet, Go!

What are your financial goals in life? Learn more about how to turn these goals into reality with Darby Affeldt, a veterinary-specific financial advisor. Join us as we discuss financial health in the veterinary industry and learn more about financial advising and what to look for when evaluating professional services.   

Please enjoy this segment where Dr. Abby Whiting discusses a significant cyberbullying experience that impacted her hospital and changed the course of her career. Dr. Whiting is a 2011 graduate of the University of Missouri, and an Epsilon class graduate of the Veterinary Leadership Experience. She spent 7 years in small animal private practice, and 2 years ago started working as an emergency veterinarian at a busy full service referral center. She is a board member for the non profit, Not One More Vet; and chairperson of the MVMA’s well being task force and the MVMA’s Power of ten program. She is a past recipient of the Gentle Doctor Award and The MVMA’ s 2019 President’s award. Recently she has become an expert on cyberbullying, especially within the veterinary profession, and is working in conjunction with other champions of veterinary well being to create a cyberbullying toolkit to help veterinarians handle these targeted digital attacks. 

In this episode, Dr. Shawna Wedde, a 2018-19 WSVMA Power of Ten Member, interviews Dr. Laura Baltodano, a veterinarian and a certified health and wellness coach and mindfulness teacher. They discuss ways in which veterinary professionals can help to reduce stress in their daily lives, with special focus given to the practice of mindfulness.

Marguerite Pappaioanou, DVM, MPVM, PhD, has held a wide variety of leadership roles throughout her veterinary career and is an Affiliate Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health at the University of Washington in Seattle. In this episode of Ready, Vet, Go! Leading Your Best Veterinary Life, Dr. Pappaioanou brings her experience to the table and offers advice to the next generation of veterinarians on how to navigate our inherent role as Leaders in a team setting. She discusses advice for working within a close knit team, as well how to navigate being a 'boss' in the workplace with people who at times we may consider friends or family. A must listen for anyone curious about how to navigate delicate relationships in the workplace. 

Wondering about where to start with getting your life in order? We as veterinarians have heard that work-life balance is important, but quite frankly it does not seem realistic for most of our situations. How can you balance work with the things you love? In this podcast we interview Dr. Gary Marshall, a veterinarian and owner of Island Cats Veterinary Hospital, discuss how he has determined strategies to integrate work in with the rest of his life as a veterinarian, practice owner, husband and dad. We hope that this podcast will help you find your own balance.