Freewheelin' Veterinary Business Q&a Podcast

This week's That Vet Life Podcast is a Q&A special where Dr. Moriah McCauley is joined by Dr. Kate Boatright, Dr. Marcus Dela Cruz, Dr. Chris Byers, and Dr. Addie Reinhard to answer all your burning questions!  Host, Dr. Moirah McCauley, is a practicing small animal veterinarian who gained her doctor of veterinary medicine from The University of Scotland in 2020.  Amongst her guests includes, emergency veterinarian and chief veterinary officer, otherwise known as ‘the friendly vet’, Dr. Marcus Dela Cruz. Dr. Marcus graduated from Purdue University in 2018 and since then has been working as a veterinarian alongside writing for his blog ‘The Friendly Vet’.  Other guests in this episode include, Dr. Kate Boatright, an associate veterinarian, speaker, and author who gained her doctor of veterinary medicine back in 2013. As well as Dr. Chris Byers, a teleconsultant, emergency/critical care and small animal internal medicine practitioner, and the founder and editor of CriticalCareDVM.come. An

For this week's episode of That Vet Life Show, Dr. Georgina Johnston joins Dr. Moriah. In 2013, Georgina Johnston earned a degree from the Royal Veterinary College in London. Growing up on a sheep and beef farm in England, she shares a deep passion for veterinary medicine. She has traveled the world in pursuit of her passion, working with a diverse range of people and animals. She is not only an accomplished veterinarian, but also accomplished in equine research and works to enhance equine performance through high-level training, education, and research. In this episode, Dr. Georgina discusses her participation in the 1000 km Mongolian Derby, highlighting its history, the selection of the horses, and the risks and difficulties it entails. Dr. Georgina shares her experience from the derby while discussing the role of veterinarians in equine sports. Listen in as Dr.Georgina Johnston shares how she and a small team of veterinarians took care of nearly 1400 horses that were selected for the race. Outline of this

For this week's episode of That Vet Life Podcast, Dr. Sarah Wolff joins Dr. Moriah. Dr. Sarah Wolff is a general practice veterinarian and client experience nerd, who earned her veterinary medicine degree from The University of Edinburgh in 2011. In addition to being a brilliant vet, Dr. Sarah is also an excellent speaker and expert in client communication. She is also a founder of Wolff Pack Services, a firm that helps veterinary practices to develop an effective veterinarian-client-patient relationship through curated client experiences and effective team strategies. In this episode, a conversation between Dr. Moriah and Dr. Sarah Wolff takes us on a journey from the beginning to the end of their graduations at the University of Edinburgh. They discuss some of the common challenges young vets face at vet school and describe how the overall journey has shaped their professional careers. Listen in as two veterinarians who graduated from the University of Edinburgh reflect on their time in vet school and offer

For this week's episode of That Vet Life Show, Dr. Alexandru Pop and Dr. Sarah Brisson join Dr. Moriah. Large animal veterinarian, Dr. Alexandru Pop has been in practice for almost three years. In 2019, Alex earned his veterinary medicine degree from North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. He spent more than a year working at Pineview Veterinary Hospital before joining Appalachian Veterinary Services, where he is currently the president. Dr. Sarah Brisson is a confident and competent small animal veterinarian. After graduating from the Ontario Veterinary College in 2018, she jumped into rural practice in Ontario where she spent 3 years learning to manage preventative, chronic, urgent, and emergent care cases. During this episode, Dr. Alex and Dr. Moriah discuss the challenges and difficulties every new vet graduate faces when they start their career emphasizing how important it is to learn from your colleagues and teammates. Dr. Sarah joins the conversation and shares her experiences

In today’s episode, Dr. Cody Creelman joins Dr. Moriah. Dr. Cody Creelman is a Canadian veterinarian also known as the ‘Cow Vet’. After growing up on a commercial cattle operation near Beaverlodge, Alberta, he attended the University of Alberta, receiving his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with distinction in 2006. In 2011, he earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and joined Veterinary Agri-Health Services as an associate veterinarian. He directly impacted rural communities and provided services to local cattle ranchers in Alberta using his vet experience, entrepreneurial endeavors, and business savvy. Having over 20 million views, he has established a very loyal following of ranchers, veterinarians, and veterinary students. It's easy to see why Creelman puts a lot of effort into content creation as his videos are highly entertaining, and his attitude towards work is admirable. During this episode, Dr. Cody Creelman and Moriah discuss the history and

For this week's episode of That Vet Life Show, Dr. Cynthia Courtney joins Dr. Moriah. Dr. Cyndie is a small animal veterinarian practicing in Kansas City. In addition to being a veterinarian, Cyndie is a superb speaker and consultant. She is the brains of the Jerk Researcher, a conflict consulting firm that employs an evidence-based strategy for conflict resolution in the veterinary industry. Cyndie also won the WSAVA 2019 Next Generation Award, the AVMA Future Leader Award, and Virginia Maryland’s Outstanding Recent Alumnus Award for 2021! During this episode, Dr. Moriah and Dr. Cyndie discuss the problems faced by new graduates at the workplace, highlighting some common conflict scenarios and how to overcome them with a positive approach. Furthermore, Cyndie explains how setting boundaries and establishing relationships can help resolve conflicts effectively.  Listen in as Dr. Cyndie reveals the best approaches to resolve conflict in the workplace while leaving a positive impact on colleagues. Outl

Host, Dr. Moriah goes solo in today's episode of That Vet Life Podcast.  Dr. Moriah McCauley became a small animal veterinarian after combining her love of animals and a passion for taking care of others. She gained her veterinary degree at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, where she began this podcast.  Utilizing her podcast to share her colleague's stories, Dr. McCauley started to concentrate on the function of these stories in veterinary medicine and how storytelling can enhance outcomes for clients and patients as she made the transition from student to doctor. Through her engaging storytelling, she encouraged veterinarians and veterinary students to be competent and confident. During this episode, Dr. Mo shares her experience relocating from the USA to Scotland to pursue veterinary medicine, highlighting the challenges and obstacles involved with getting a degree overseas.  Join Mo as she discusses the strategies and tips she employed while completing her graduation in Scotland.

For this week's episode of That Vet Life Show, Dr. Katie Ford joins Dr. Moriah.  Dr. Katie is a veterinary surgeon, mentor, and speaker. She completed her graduation in Veterinary Medicine with a distinction from the University of Liverpool in 2012. Katie continued working in small animal first opinion practices following graduation, and in 2016 she earned her RCVS Certificate in Internal Medicine. After learning the importance of preventative mindset techniques, she sought coaching training to equip herself with mentorship skills. She now shares different mindset techniques with other professionals across the country so they can succeed in the veterinary industry.  Apart from being an excellent mentor, she is also a brilliant speaker and regularly talks about gratitude and self-worth. She is a gratitude and empathy enthusiast and helped many individuals to overcome self-doubt and Imposter syndrome. Furthermore, she is also an influencer, regularly spreading her positive message via social media pla

For this week's episode of That Vet Life Show, Alyssa Mages joins Dr. Moriah.  Alyssa Mages is a Certified Veterinary Technician and Chief Visionary Officer of Empowering Veterinary Teams. She has worked in six practices in two countries and has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of Vet Med in her 18 years of clinical practice. In addition to being a CVO, Alyssa is a superb public speaker, content producer, and collaborative coach focused on the growth and development of team members in the veterinary medical field. Alyssa is a veterinary medicine leader that believes in team empowerment, training, and encouragement. In 2019, she co-founded Empowering Veterinary Teams with her friend Caitlin Keat to pursue her passion. EVT aims to improve veterinary medicine's knowledge foundation, training and coaching, program development, and general culture. During this episode, Alyssa Mages and Dr. Moriah address several aspects of clinical training and its importance to veterinary professionals. Alyssa Mage d

In this week's episode of That Vet Life Show, Dr. Krispin Kanan joins Dr. Moriah. Dr. Krispin Kanan is a large animal veterinarian currently working at Veterinary Enterprises Group Limited in a business development role. Krispin is also a part of Massey's MMI for vet students, which is part of the pre-selection program for the Bachelor of Veterinary Sciences. Dr. Krispin began his veterinary career as a Large Animal Veterinarian at Veterinary Enterprises Group Limited after graduating from Massey University in 2010. Krispin traveled throughout the world and conducted locum work in England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland during his 15-month sabbatical. In 2019, he completed an Executive MBA and joined Veterinary Enterprises as a Business Manager. Krispin, in addition to being an excellent veterinarian, works hard to spread positivity through his social media posts. Dr. Krispin and Dr. Mo discuss the differences between small and large animal veterinarians in this episode, as well as the value of emotional inte

For this week's episode of That Vet Life Show, Dr. Marcus Dela Cruz joins Dr. Moriah.  Dr. Marcus is an ER veterinarian at PETS Referral Center and a mentor for students and young veterinarians. In addition to being a mentor, Marcus is also a Social Media Creator for pet parents. After graduating from Purdue University College of Veterinary Practice in 2018, Dr. Marcus began his career in veterinary medicine at Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic. Marcus worked with a wonderful team of veterinarians at a beautiful Pismo beach for more than three years before joining PETS Referral Center as an Emergency Veterinarian. During this episode, Dr. Marcus shares his story from being a veterinarian student to becoming a friendly face on social media for pet parents and a mentor for veterinary students. Dr. Marcus and Mo discuss the value of mentorship in professional development, emphasizing the importance of feedback and communication. Listen in as Marcus discusses his mentorship story, which started not in a vet hosp

In today’s episode of That Vet Life Podcast, Dr. Moriah McCauley is joined by April Kedrowicz, an Associate Professor of Communication at NC State’s vet school. April has been a part of the team at NC State developing a new breed of communication courses with the goal of providing students with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed at communication when they graduate. So far, they have seen four cohorts of students graduate through this program and the feedback has been absolutely incredible. Listen in as April discusses what has made these courses successful as she unpacks the ins and outs of evidence-based communication. She also speaks on the positive impact that communication courses have on the well-being of students, and what all of this means for their continued development in a post-pandemic profession. Outline of this episode: [01:56] Introducing April and the development of her pre-clinical communication curriculum for DVM students. [04:07] How engineers communicate differently fro

In today’s episode of That Vet Life Podcast, Dr. Moriah McCauley is joined by Lianne Mellin. Like Dr. Moriah, Lianne graduated from vet school at the end of 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Lianne is currently working at a companion animal clinic as a general practitioner in New Zealand. Her interests lie in soft tissue surgery, dentistry, and helping owners care for their pets with a keen focus on preventative health care. Over her years at veterinary school, Dr. Lianne worked hard to build a social media presence on both Instagram and YouTube in order to help prospective vet students, support those in the industry already and educate the public! Listen in as Lianne shares her recent experiences changing jobs. She shares the fears she faced in the conversations she had with those around her as she navigated that fateful decision. She and Dr. Moriah also talk about the recent VetX article she wrote about managing stress and how she sought out therapy as a preventative means of caring for her mental

In today’s episode of That Vet Life Podcast, host Dr. Moriah McCauley is joined by Cole Upton, a rising third-year vet student, who asks her the burning questions most vet students and new grads want to ask but are often too scared to. No questions were off-limits in this special Q&A episode. Listen in as Dr. Moriah explains the ideal mentor-mentee relationship, how to negotiate contracts, the keys to eliminating impostor syndrome and gaining clinical confidence, and how to thrive overall in the sink-or-swim world of veterinary medicine! Outline of this episode: [01:45] Cole shares his backstory and how he and Dr. Moriah first met. [07:35] “What is your definition of mentorship?” [11:26] “How do you achieve that balance between hand-holding and giving freedom to your mentee?” [14:06] “How do you assess your mentee’s strengths, weaknesses, and skill progression?” [20:36] “Where do you turn when you don’t know the answer to something?” [23:50] “What do you say to an in-house patient when you don’t know th

In today’s episode of That Vet Life Podcast, host Dr. Moriah McCauley is joined by VetX's very own founder and CEO, Dr. Dave Nicol to discuss everything you need to know about VetX’s Veterinary Employment, Engagement, and Retention (VEER) Survey. The survey seeks to single out those common factors which lead to career satisfaction in the veterinary space. Conversely, it seeks to define those common factors which lead to career dissatisfaction. As industries across the board continue to reel from the impact of the Great Resignation, Dr. Dave hopes that this survey will be able to shed light on the current outlook shared by those who work in veterinary medicine. In doing so, industry stakeholders from education to employment and beyond can make better decisions for the overall well-being of every professional in the field. “We’re looking for substance behind the story,” says Dr. Dave. “And then maybe we can help to change the narrative a bit after that.” Outline of this episode: [01:40] Dave explains

This week on That Vet Life Podcast, Dr. Moriah McCauley is joined by a veterinary well-being researcher and the founder and CEO of MentorVet, Dr. Addie Reinhard.  As a veterinary well-being researcher, Dr. Addie’s main research focus is around developing innovative interventions to support mental health and wellbeing within the veterinary profession. As a researcher, Dr. Addie is on the research team for the next phase of the Merck Animal Health Veterinary Well-being Study.  Alongside her research with Merck Animal Health, Dr. Addie is also collaborating with them to grow and expand her own business ‘MentorVet’ - “an evidence-based mentorship and professional development program for recent veterinary graduates”.  Dr. Addie gained her doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Tennesse in 2015, after studying for her Bachelor of Science in Biology. Since then she has completed a master’s degree in Community and Leadership Development and a Graduate Certificate in College Teachin

In today’s episode of That Vet Life Podcast, host Dr. Moriah McCauley is joined with speaker, author, writer, the Vetitude founder, and veterinarian, Dr. Lauren Smith.  Dr. Lauren Smith is a small animal veterinarian practicing in Long Island where she was born and raised. She graduated in 2008 from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and completed her clinical year at Cornell University. Her professional interests include internal medicine, preventative medicine, and client education. Alongside her work in practice, Lauren is also the creator of The Vetitude; a website and social media brand dedicated to promoting empathy, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence to veterinary professionals so that they can be happier, more productive team members and animal care advocates. In this episode, Dr. Lauren Smith talks about the importance of emotional intelligence, and how can we set boundaries and use mindfulness to practice being present. 

Veterinarian, author, and speaker, Dr. Kate Boatright, joins Dr. Moriah McCauley for this week's episode of That Vet Life Podcast. Dr. Boatright is a small animal veterinarian with nearly 8 years of experience in general practice and emergency medicine. Dr. Kate recently moved to part-time clinical work to pursue her passion for educating veterinary professionals as a freelance speaker and author. As an author, Dr. Boatright has published articles on a range of veterinary tops including client support, and information for new graduates. She is also a regular contributor to DVM360 and is the author of the "Finding Balance" column for Today’s Veterinary Practice. Kate is also a well-recognized speaker in the veterinary industry and has spoken (both in-person and virtually) at national conferences, state conferences, veterinary schools, and national student webinars on numerous topics. In this episode, Dr. Boatright talks about a huge passion of hers - the importance of mentorship. Tune in to learn how each

Dr. Michael Miller (otherwise known as the Harry Potter Vet) joins Dr. Moriah McCauley in this week’s episode of That Vet Life Podcast. Dr. Michael Miller is a veterinarian and co-owner of a small animal practice in Morris, Illinois. Alongside treating dogs, cats, and traditional small animals, Dr. Miller also holds a special interest in reptiles and exotic pets. This interest led him to start a wildlife rescue at his practice where he treats turtles who have been hit by cars. Michael has volunteered on committees such as the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians and is currently serving on the executive board of the Illinois Veterinary Medical Alumni Association. Alongside Michael’s work in practice he also has his own blog called ‘Harry Potter Vet’, which combines his love of veterinary medicine and Harry Potter. Dr. Michael began the blog after being a contributing author for various veterinary websites. He is now using his own platform to help other ‘discover the magic in veterinary medi

Our host, Dr. Moriah McCauley, goes solo in this week’s episode of That Vet Life Podcast to take a deep dive into her own research on health literacy! For those of you who don’t know our host, Dr. Moriah graduated from the University of Edinburgh, Royal (dick) School of Veterinary Studies in 2020, after gaining her Bachelor of Science in 2016. Since graduating, Dr. Moriah has been been working at a small animal practice alongside hosting weekly interviews on That Vet Life Podcast. Tune in today to learn a bit more about health literacy, why it’s creating a disconnect between us and our clients, and how we can communicate effectively with clients.