vetstudent

This is the start of the journey! My goal for this podcast is to be a creative and educational outlet while exploring the veterinary community. I am excited for the many conversations to come with my colleagues, and I hope you all enjoy!

You've seen him on social media singing to puppies and on Animal Planet's Hanging With The Hendersons - it's Dr. Ross Henderson!  Ross may be a "celebrity" veterinarian but he is real and shares the same real struggles as the rest of us in veterinary medicine whether we are technicians, assistants, receptionists or doctors.  From his seat on the curb outside a mechanic garage, Ross joined us in the kind of conversation you would have sitting on that curb with your best friend.  Just like yours, Ross's life can be messy but he has chosen to see how that makes it beautiful.  We love how Ross is willing to share the things that terrified him the most and how he got through that fear to find some pretty inspiring experiences.  You can get through that fear too- join our conversation for the inspiration you need.  YOU matter.

Dr. Aziza Glass is making a difference with her Dr2Dr Initiative, as she works to bridge the gap from high school to the medical profession for 1st generation Americans and people of color.  Aziza knows first hand what it is like to have to forge her own lane and we are so thankful that she shared her story with us.  Once a gospel singer on the path to Carnegie Mellon, Aziza ended up in Cornell veterinary school on a National Geographic reality show and now has her own mobile and relief veterinary business!  This lane didn't come without struggle and Aziza, like many of us, allowed stress to affect her health before she realized you have to learn to say no.  Aziza has so many lessons to teach us and is actively making a difference.  You will want to listen to this entire episode to learn how you can make a difference too!

Are you exhausted? Does the thought of what you haven't achieved over the last year bring you down?  Our listener, Dr. Saye Clement shares with us what she just recently realized - we have all been swimming upstream.  When you are swimming upstream you are working much harder than normal. Think about that and then give yourself grace - the grace to realize you have learned and applied so many new things this year and that means you have achieved great things. You have a right to be tired and you have a whole year's worth of learning at your back.  Yes, this past year (with all of its work) has prepared you to take on the next challenges with more strength than you had before. You got this - you matter!

We need, now more than ever, as a community of veterinary medicine to be together, to support each other, and to be kind.  As our profession uses social media more and more we find ourselves wondering, does it help or does it hurt?  Join Tracy and Alec as they talk about what's going on in their lives this week and how they feel that social media carelessness is really affecting our profession.  You should always strive to be kind because you never know who is looking to you for inspiration when you are simply being yourself.  Be you, because you matter and be kind because we all matter.

Have you ever felt like you were stuck in your job but don't have any idea what else you can do in veterinary medicine? Tabitha Kucera, RVT shares with us how she stayed in general practice too long.  She found a way to climb her way out when she realized that there are so many opportunities in this field and that we, as veterinary professionals, are capable of doing so many awesome things.  Tabitha spends her days helping pet owners and veterinary clinics save lives and improve quality of life by using the combined tools of behavioral modification and her motto "better living through chemistry". It took realizing that taking care of herself was important too for Tabitha to improve her own quality of life.  Tabitha shares with us how, once she viewed herself as a patient as well, she was able to start learning how to manage her own high functioning anxiety- by getting help.  Tabitha says it best - advocate for your patients AND advocate for yourself.

 "I won't be able to find a therapist who can help me - they don't understand what it is like in veterinary medicine." Have you ever heard or thought those words? How about "I can't ask for help, it will make me seem weak and vulnerable."? Jamie Holms, RVT gets real and candidly shares the battles she faced as she rose from being the tech who believed she could do it all on her own to the tech who practices asking for help regularly.  Jamie's dry sense of humor and wit punctuates this episode filled with information we all need to hear.  In the veterinary field, we treat pets with behavior orders even though we have never been a dog or cat and Jamie helps us understand how to find the right kind of therapy and therapist that can help us even though that therapist has never been a veterinary professional.  Take the time to listen to this episode and you will understand asking for help in a way that may never have crossed your mind before.  As Jamie says, "the willingness to ask for help is a huge step towards mental wellness." So take the first step and listen to this episode today!

In this episode, Blake sits down with fellow UW Madison SVM classmate Maggie Jensen to discuss her transition from an economics degree to vet school and the importance of soft skills and communication to the veterinary profession.

Black Lives Matter Resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

Tails From Vet School Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tailsfromvetschool

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tailsfromvetschool/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tfvspodcast

In this episode, Blake sits down with private practice clinician and UW-Madison SVM lecturer Dr. Liz Jacka to discuss her journey through vet med and her advice for maintaining a healthy work-life balance as a vet student, an academic, and a clinician alike.

Black Lives Matter Resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

Tails From Vet School Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tailsfromvetschool

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tailsfromvetschool/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tfvspodcast

In this episode, Blake sits down with a few former podcast guests to discuss the pros and cons of online vet school and give their best pieces of advice for surviving vet school at Zoom University.

Black Lives Matter Resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

Tails From Vet School Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tailsfromvetschool

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tailsfromvetschool/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tfvspodcast

In this episode, Blake sits down with double-boarded veterinary specialist extraordinaire Dr. Jenifer Chatfield, DVM, DACZM, DACVPM to discuss her journey through veterinary medicine, the myriad of stops that she has made throughout her career, and her advice to veterinary students and professionals alike on seizing opportunities throughout their careers.

Black Lives Matter Resoruces: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

Dr. Chatfield

Website: https://drjenthevet.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLfk_XRidfkoqnBQRAF9E8g

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Fme5S1daaClXtyho6WR1o?si=K4RM6BX6RfGAidCwRNqjzQ

Tails From Vet School Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tailsfromvetschool

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tailsfromvetschool/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tfvspodcast

In this episode, Blake sits down with veterinary emergency specialist and founder and CEO of VETGirl Dr. Justine Lee. They discuss Dr. Lee's journey to veterinary medicine, the creation and growth of VETGirl, and how veterinarians can use social media to their advantage in the modern age.

VetGirl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vetgirlontherun/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VetGirlOnTheRun

Dr. Lee

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjustinelee/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doctorjustinelee

Brené Brown on Empathy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw

Black Lives Matter Resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

Tails From Vet School Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tailsfromvetschool

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tailsfromvetschool/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tfvspodcast

In this episode, Blake sits down with fellow UW-Madison SVM class of 2023 students and emergency medicine enthusiasts Carianne Brei and Colleen Kennedy to discuss their experiences working in ER clinics, the weird and memorable cases they've seen, and rattlesnakes!

Black Lives Matter Resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

Michael Botros Camera GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/mike039s-camera-and-equipment?utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_more

Tails From Vet School Social Media

Fabebook: https://www.facebook.com/tailsfromvetschool

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tfvspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tailsfromvetschool/?hl=en

Brynn Zittle has created a role in veterinary medicine that fits her passion for filmmaking and storytelling.  Preparation and communication is key to her work - yet Brynn bravely shares with us how she believes that, if she had been better prepared, she may not have lost 2 people in her life to suicide. Suicide plagues the veterinary profession and, by listening to this episode, you can learn more about what is like to seemingly have it all yet feel in a dark place. Thank you Brynn for sharing your story because, as you put it, sharing can be therapy.

In this episode, Blake recounts his experience working in vet clinics, discusses how to get clinical experience, and compares working in a private practice clinic to working in a teaching hospital!

Black Lives Matter: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

TFVS Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tailsfromvetschool

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tfvspodcast

In this episode, Blake is joined by colleagues from the UW SVM class of 2023 to answer questions from prospective and future veterinary medical students.

TFVS Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tailsfromvetschool

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tfvspodcast

Our What Matters Blog is a platform for your voice, your story, your perspective.  Just like you, Saye Clement's heart has felt unsure - but veterinary professionals are thinkers and problem solvers.  Join us to hear Saye's thoughts and how she envisions the veterinary profession putting our diverse problem solving skills to work in order to make a change.  Collectively, we are strong!

Tierra Price, DVM, MPH will make you laugh, dance and cry- she is energetic, intelligent, passionate and wise.  Her wisdom comes from experience and the acknowledgement that "anything that is good requires change or growth and comes over time".  Join us as Tierra walks us through her journey of tagging along with her uncle the "dog catcher" to founding the much needed, incredibly important Black DVM Network. If you haven't had a chance to consider what being a minority in the veterinary profession can feel like, Tierra will simply and elegantly make it clear.  At Vet Med After Hours we believe that no one in vet med should feel alone, yet Tierra shows us that minorities feel just that - alone.  Thank you Tierra for creating Black DVM Network, and thank you for helping open the window into your world. It is people like you who bring goodness over time.

 What Matters is how you feel and in this episode Jamie Holms eloquently shares her feelings through poetry.  Get a glimpse of what a dog struggling to survive may feel, how creating a friendship in the final moments of life feels and the fear of a dog fight.  We all feel things at different times but what we have in common is the experience of having those feelings.  Thank you, Jamie, for sharing your feelings with us.