My Veterinary Life

“Do your research, that’s an obvious one, you know, if you are going to make a big change. A lot of people are afraid to ask for help, so try to shake that, because that’s not a good habit.” Our guest today is Shawn Wilkie! Shawn is the CEO and founder of Talkatoo and a cohost of the Veterinary Innovation Podcast. He brings his entrepreneur and innovation lens to the conversation as we reflect on the last twelve months and how it has impacted the veterinary profession. He shares some great insights into the industry and what is coming next. It’s a great conversation and we can’t wait to share this 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 You can also follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcastHere are links to the Veterinary Innovation Podcast: https://veterinaryinnovationpodcast.com/

“Networking is not a bad thing, and it also doesn’t have to feel like schmoozing. It should feel like you are finding your people, and there’s nothing wrong with that and if you make those connections, hold onto them because they are really important and they could totally change your career.” Our guest today is Dr. Katie Berlin! Dr. Berlin wears a lot of hats in the veterinary profession and beyond. She is a small animal practitioner who focuses on fear free procedures and acupuncture as well as an editor for Brief Media. On top of that, she is also a podcaster, a fitness instructor and all-around great person! She shares that her path to veterinary medicine wasn’t exactly a straight line, but we are so glad she stuck with her dream. We learn so much from her including and cannot 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 You can also follow

“Hey, when you come into veterinary school, your path is going to change. What you think that you are going to do at the beginning is going to be totally different than what you end up doing once you graduate. And I guess my story is definitely- you know- is that I did not do what I thought I was going to do.” Our guest today is Dr. Brittany Moore-Henderson. Dr. Moore-Henderson is the Director of Admissions at Mississippi State College of Veterinary Medicine. She shares her journey to veterinary medicine and some of the challenges she faced. She also gives great advice to those applying to veterinary school and things to keep in mind as you decide which vet schools may be right for you. We also learn about some of the programs she helped create, many of which are still in existence today. This is a great conversation and we cannot 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

“This is one of the uncelebrated aspects about veterinary surgery, is the symphony of the team. You’re not doing surgery by yourself, right? So, preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively throughout the entire process there’s an entire team of people who are educating scheduling, helping find instruments, working together to create and…and do what’s best for that patient.” Our guest today is Dr. Courtney Campbell! Some of you may be familiar with Dr. Campbell already. He has been a guest on numerous Talk Shows including Rachel Ray and the Doctors. He was also a co-host of the Nat Geo show Wild! Beyond television he is also a Board-Certified Surgeon and we dig into how he got there, which was not a direct path at all! This is a great conversation and we cannot 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 You can also follow us on Social Media @

“And I tell my clients, there’s not a Western medical diagnosis for what your pet is experiencing right now but the good news is we have a different way to speak to the body and learn from the body and we can approach things from a holistic perspective or from a Chinese medical perspective where we have an answer for you.” Our guest today is Dr. Arielle Herndobler! Dr. Herndobler has had a very exciting career filled with additional certifications. She is currently the only veterinarian in the Chicago area that has a certificate in acupuncture, spinal manipulation, AND physical rehabilitation. She recently started her own holistic medicine practice in downtown Chicago. We talk about what it took to work through all these certificate programs to start her own business. It is a great conversation and we cannot 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@

“My mom has this saying that she always uses, and it is to kind of 'go with the flow, roll with the punches, and duck when you have to, and hang on like Snoopy.' That’s what she tells me all the time.” Our guest today is Dr. Krista Miller! We had a great time chatting about her career and how it has taken her to some very unexpected places, despite initially having a pretty clear idea of where she wanted to go. While being a clinical veterinarian takes up a lot of her time, she has still found a way to make a difference in society. Recently she launched her YouTube Channel Dope Black Vet. It is a fun way that she shares information with pet owners twice a month. She has also been featured on NPR, most recently talking about COVID and pets. We have a blast chatting with her and are so excited 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 You can also f

“I became our SAVMA delegate and moved on to all kinds of veterinary leadership roles from there and I really appreciate all of those and do feel that really broadens my veterinary horizons, even though it wasn’t book knowledge.”Our guest today is Dr. Rheba Mabie Zimmerman. Dr. Mabie Zimmerman is 2016 graduate from the University of Wisconsin College of Veterinary Medicine. She has spent most of her career in small animal medicine and at the time of the interview was just getting settled in as an associate veterinarian at a new clinic. We talk about what searching for a job during a pandemic looked like and what other lessons she has learned throughout her career. We also spend a lot of time on her passions outside of veterinary medicine including being a mom to her two boys, being a professional clown and an incredible golfer. We all left with smiles on our face and 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

“A really good hack I like to tell people is anything you wouldn’t do if you’re being chased by a tiger will move you from that survival system-sympathetic- to the growth system of parasympathetic. So, you mentioned sleep, Marci, so if you are being chased by a tiger, you wouldn’t go take a nap.”Our guest today is Dr. Shimi Kang. Dr. Kang was the keynote speaker at the 2021 Virtual Veterinary Leadership Conference. We talk about the importance of play and tackling the ‘simple but not easy things’ that will lead to healthier lives. She shares so much wisdom and points of reflection throughout our conversation, so have your pens ready! We also talk about her books too, which are amazing resources. 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 You can also follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcastYou can learn more about Dr.

“But, I could show you guys, I make cat houses, I make scarves, hats, I’ve made dog sweaters, so I’ve gifted some of my friends dog sweaters. I will crochet in class sometimes because I mentioned, I have narcolepsy and moving my hands helps me stay awake and I can do it and listen to the professor. The professor probably thinks I’m not paying any attention to them, but I am, I promise I am! And I’ll sit there and make cat houses in class for people.”Our guest today is Kim Layne. Kim is veterinary student at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Medicine has always been a passion of hers and she considered pursuing human medicine, however she really found her place when someone suggested she look into veterinary medicine. Outside of veterinary medicine, Kim was named Miss Idaho and competed in the Miss USA pageant in 2020. We won’t spoil it for you, but she did AMAZING! We talk about how veterinary medicine may have helped in surprising ways in her pageant competitions and how her pageant

“When I finally followed around some veterinarians, I was like ‘Ok, wow, this is, this is where I want to be.’ And it is because I saw the impact that one person could have, not just on our patients, but also on the people reliant on those patients.”Our guest today is Dr. Deborah Thomson. Dr. Thomson had a big year in 2020. She founded and launched One Health Lessons. The first lesson focused on COVID-19 and it has grown from there! At the time of the recording, the lessons had been translated in over 70 languages and were being delivered to students of all ages. Although 2020 was a banner year, that’s not where her career started, she has some incredible stories of her time as a relief veterinarian as well as an AVMA Fellow in DC. 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 You can also follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #M

Today is a special episode for My Veterinary Life Podcast. It is our 100th regular episode! We thought this would be a great time to reflect on the previous episodes and last two years of podcasting and share some of our favorite memories We also look at some of our favorite pieces of advice and biggest takeaways from the show. You also won’t want to miss our discussion on what we are looking forward to in 2021. None of this would have been possible without the support of our listeners. Thank you so much joining us every week! We are so excited to share her 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 You can also follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

“So I think all those things combined ultimately led me to the path of thinking about becoming a veterinarian. Initially I had thought of becoming a human doctor and then I volunteered at a vet hospital and I was like ‘I’ve landed.’ This is it. And at that point I felt really comfortable that I knew that I wanted to become a veterinarian.”Our guest today is Dr. Omar Farías. Dr. Farías is a Senior Manager of Academic Affairs for Hill’s Pet Nutrition. We learn so much from him about his path to becoming a veterinarian and finding his place in veterinary medicine. He has great insights on owning a practice and making the switch to industry. We even have some fun discussions around travel and ways to convince your partner to make a big move with you. It’s such a fun conversation and 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 You can also f

“We are not living in a 3D world anymore and we need to install that 3D back, and that 3D is telling people how you feel about them. How you really feel about them. And, so, I think that is something that I’m still really adamant about.”Our guest today is Dr. Jolle Kirpensteijn. Dr. Kirpensteijn is the Chief Professional Veterinary Office with Hill’s Pet Nutrition. In this episode we talk about how he came to this job and the important role mentors and colleagues have played in his career. We cover so much, and we only scratch the surface of his experiences. If you were ever wondering if we could fit Egyptology, Podcasting, Cats and 5-year plans into one episode, you will find out today! We learned a lot throughout this conversation and 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 You can also follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife

“Yeah. Definitely and I always try to keep in the back of my mind that there’s almost always more than one way to do things and sometimes you have to dig deep and sometimes you have to negotiate and sometimes you have to really, kind of, think the whole thing through but a lot of times, you know, even though that’s what way things have always been done there might be a different way to do it. If you can show how that will work for everybody a lot of times people are willing to give it a try.”Our guest today is Dr. Wendy Weirich. Dr. Weirich is a Professional Consulting Veterinarian with Hill’s Pet Nutrition. We learn how she came to this role and how she makes her career work for her. We also talk about some additional education she has completed in both the large animal area as well as animal welfare and how she incorporates that into her personal and professional life. She shares a lot of wisdom with us and we can’t wait to share this journey with you! Remember we want to hear from you! Please be sure to s

“And I thought, you know I think I maybe want to put myself ahead of my career, which was new for me. You know we are all adults and somehow not adulting yet as a veterinarian.”Our guest today is Dr. Rebecca Tremble. Dr. Tremble is the Corporate Veterinary Affairs Manager with Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Not sure what that means? She tells all about this and the other amazing roles she has had throughout her career. We also learn a bit about her family and how she found the right fit for each role she has held. It is a fun and informative conversation and 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 You can also follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

“You know it’s April 15 and I’ll never forget this. You’ve already seen 300 clients this month and that’s probably what I would expect you to do in a full month and you’re going to burn out. And he said, not everyone burns out, some people just burn on, but people like you will burn out. And I was like-I didn’t even know what it meant. You just can’t really take that advice when you get it because you are in the middle of it and the very thing that is burning you out is the very thing that is keeping you going…that anxiety.”Our guest today is Dr. Neely North. Dr. North owns her own mobile holistic veterinary practice. We dig into how she got started in this area, what it took to get certified and all her other passions within this space. If you aren’t familiar with holistic medicine, this is a great introduction. Dr. North breaks down some of the terms and practices and shares some great stories along the way. We also talk about communication and how what she is doing can really compliment western medicine. W

“Seems to be not an uncommon thread through a lot of veterinary businesses I think, is that on my side, I literally did say, even though I was always equine equine equine, I said I never wanted to own my own business. I said that right up until probably six months before we opened our own business.”Our guest today is Dr. Aimee Eggleston. We had a blast chatting with her and learn so much about how she came to veterinary medicine and how it has become a family business. No topic was off limits and we dig into what it was like to have a child when you are a solo practitioner as well as some very deep wisdom from her daughter. It is a conversation you don’t want to miss, and we are so excited 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 You can also follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

The holiday season is upon us! While this often brings celebrations, it can also bring some tensions and frustrations. Add in a pandemic and things are bound to look pretty different this year. Dr. Jen Brandt joins us to discuss strategies to prioritize your wellbeing, including setting boundaries this year so you feel safe and comfortable. We share practical tips that can be applied anytime and are something we can practice today, including example phrases you can say for when you are approaching difficult conversations. We are so excited to share this episode 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 You can also follow us on Social Media @AVMAVets #MyVetLife #MVLPodcast

“Also, disclaimer, I should have said this from the very beginning. My Appalachian twang knows no bounds, so whenever I say things, my pronunciations, if I sound like a little bit of a country bumpkin, if you saw where I was from you would know it’s just how people talk and I love it. Dolly Parton doesn’t apologize for it, so I won’t either.”Our guest today is Dr. Elizabeth Johnson Million. Dr. Johnson Million graduated from University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in 2016, but if you look at her resume, you might think she graduated quite a while ago. She has packed some amazing experiences into just a few short years. She started in private practice, moved to academia and is not the assistant director of Outreach and Engagement for the International Council for Veterinary Assessment, better known as the NAVLE people. This is a fun and exciting conversation that will have you laughing along with us. We had a blast chatting with Dr. Johnson Million and can’t wait to share this journey with you!

“I had been talking to someone that made me aware of something called, I think it’s called the Passion Test. Where, it’s a book but you can kind of work through a process to identify what some of your greatest passions are, and the premise being that if you bring those passions into your life in small ways, just the smallest steps, they get bigger and they become a bigger component of your life.”Our guest today is Dr. Gillian Angliss. Dr. Angliss has had an amazing career so far! It hasn’t always followed the plan she set out for her, but it has been extremely fulfilling. She started with an internship, which then led her to a crossroads with some tough decisions. Following the desire to prioritize personal life a bit, she spent several years in emergency medicine, then took a sharp turn into education. This is where her passions really collided and led her on an incredible path that took her from the east coast to the west coast. We have the best conversation and can’t wait to share this journey with you! R