Vet School Unleashed: Dissecting the DVM - Talking About All Things Veterinary School

Did you know it's actually ok to talk about your wellness?  In fact, we should be talking about wellness more!  Join New Zealand veterinary student and co-founder of "Vet Confessionals," Corey Regnerus as we continue the important discussion about wellness in the veterinary community.  Using Corey's experiences with Vet Confessionals and what his organization has been able to further uncover, we get to talking about aspects of veterinary medicine that make us prone to shortcomings in our own wellness and what we can do about it. Based in Massey University, New Zealand, Vet Confessionals is a Massey veterinary student initiative established in 2014. In recognition of the high global rates of burnout, suicide and feelings of isolation in veterinary students and professionals, we seek to provide a safe and anonymous outlet for emotion and creativity. Despite our name, Vet Confessionals is an avenue for everyone involved in the veterinary profession – not just veterinarians! If you’re part of the industry, and have something you want to get off your chest, why don’t you submit a secret? Find out how to here. Be sure to follow Vet Confessionals on Facebook and Instagram.   My name is Corey Regnerus. I was born and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida. I decided at the age of 11 that I was interested in growing up to become a veterinarian after having my first dog Noel (Golden Retriever) run away. I was lucky enough to have a family friend who was a small animal veterinarian, and volunteered each summer until I was old enough to work. Continuing to pursue my dream career, once I had graduated from Suncoast Community High School with an International Baccalaureate degree, I was accepted to the University of Florida for my Undergraduate degree majoring in Animal Biology, with a minor in Business Administration.  In 2008, I coordinated and hosted the APVMA Symposium at UF, and this is where I was introduced to Massey University here in New Zealand where I currently reside. In 2009, I chose to risk flying across the world on my own and start a new adventure to attempt gaining an entry place at Massey University with their multi-accredited Veterinary Programme. I wasn’t fortunate enough to have gained a place that year, but fell in love with the country and all that it had to offer, as well as meeting who has now become my fiancé. I worked here in New Zealand as the Genetic Development Coordinator at a dairy cattle genetics company, and then the North Island Area Sales Manager for a veterinary consumables company before attempting to gain entry back into the veterinary programme. Now, in 2017, I am in my final year (of five) of vet school, and just waiting until November to get a taste of the real world as a veterinarian. Along my journey, I became very self-aware, and observant of the stressors within the wider veterinary community, and has since become a bit of a passion for me. In 2014, I helped to co-found the project now known as ‘Vet Confessionals’. This project has a mission to aid those that are struggling within the industry by doing the most important thing of talking about our worries instead of bottling them up inside, as well as sharing that with others in the profession showing that we are not alone in these feelings. I have grown to realise that the Veterinary community, internationally, is very small. We have all been in similar situations,

Check out this convo with my friend, Matt Asciutto, a vet student at University of Tennessee. In addition to being a vet student, Matt is a very talented educator. In this episode we talked about the current state of how we're taught in vet school: what's working and what's not. I hope this gets you thinking about how you learn and what we can do make our vet school experience even better! Matt Asciutto is a fourth year veterinary student at the University of Tennessee. His passion for education began with teaching improvisational comedy to high school students. Since then, Matt has taught everything from the jitterbug swing to physical chemistry. He has maintained sanity throughout his veterinary school career by spending his evenings tutoring and teaching MCAT test preparation classes for Kaplan. Matt has a B.S. in Neuropsychology from University of California at San Diego and a M.S. in Chemistry from DePaul University.

Join us for a very thought-provoking, motivating, and inspiring conversation as we sit down with vlogging sensation, Dr. Cody Creelman, Cow Vet.  Cody and Seth dive deep into the stresses and challenges of vet school and how we can keep our heads high and eyes on the prize.  Cody shares his experiences and lessons learned through his veterinary school career and gives us his recommendations on how to be an even greater veterinary student and veterinarian. Dr. Cody Creelman received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with distinction in 2006 from the University of Alberta and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2011 from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Cody grew up near Beaverlodge, Alberta on a commercial cow/calf operation and raised purebred Simmental cattle. Dr. Creelman joined Veterinary Agri-Health Services, in May 2011 as an associate veterinarian and now, as of 2013, is a managing partner. His professional interests include pathology, large animal surgery, cow/calf and feedlot production medicine. Since becoming a veterinarian Dr. Creelman has discovered a new passion, revolving around the use of mobile technology in the field. This includes consulting on veterinary application design projects as well as leveraging various social media platforms to market veterinary services. Dr. Creelman has an influential social media presence and has created a very successful, educational, and entertaining video blog.  Click the links below to access Dr. Creelman on social media: YouTube Facebook Twitter Instagram Snapchat @creelmancody

Don't know why it's important to network?  Need some tips on how to network?  Looking for some networking inspiration?  On this episode we get to find out the answers from fourth year veterinary student, Jessi Kraemer.  Jessi is a networking pro and gives us some great tips and insight on how to network and why it's so important for veterinary students. Jessi, a St. Louis native, is a veterinary student at the University of Missouri, class of 2017. Coming from a family with multiple medical professionals, she grew up loving the dynamic nature of medicine, but it was her love for animals which led her to combine these passions and pursue a career in veterinary medicine. While completing her biology degree at the University of Evansville, Jessi took multiple business classes to diversify her coursework. She quickly realized that she loved the intricacies and application of business principles that resulted in concrete productivity and success. Upon discovering the existence of the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA) at the beginning of her veterinary education, Jessi strongly pursued her interest in the VBMA and was selected to serve as the 2014-2015 President of the University of Missouri’s VBMA chapter. Jessi continued to grow within VBMA, and currently serves as the 2016 National VBMA President. Jessi has loved this experience as it has allowed her to empower students nationwide to be successful with business knowledge and help emphasize the importance of business principles as part of a well-rounded veterinary education. When she is not working on school or VBMA projects, Jessi can be found dreaming up new places to travel, working on craft projects, exploring new cooking endeavors, and playing with her cat.

Attention all prospective veterinary students!  As we enter the vet school interview season, we understand the incredible stress and questions you may have.  Our hope with this episode is that we'll address some of these questions and provide you some new knowledge and tools to use throughout the application process to help make you a stronger applicant and better prepare you for your interview(s). Our special guest for this episode is Dr. Linda Berent.  Dr. Berent received her DVM and PHD degrees from the University of Illinois and is a board certified veterinary pathologist.  Currently, Dr. Berent is the Dean of Academic Affairs and a clinical instructor at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine.  Dr. Berent plays an integral role in Mizzou’s interview process by overseeing the interview process.

Join us for this part one of many conversations about wellness and stressors in veterinary school.  In this episode we are joined by Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University students, Abby Needleman and Nina Bartling.  You'll hear about aspects of vet school that can lead to stress and share how we find ways to incorporate wellness into our personal lives and in vet school.   Abby Needleman is a third year veterinary student at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. She graduated in 2010 from University of Massachusetts Amherst with a major in Pre-Veterinary Medicine and a minor in Natural Resources Conservation. Her primary interests are large animal medicine and zoological medicine. She recently adopted a Blue-Tongued Skink named Burrito. In her free time, she loves listening to live music and going on adventures in and around Boston, in addition to spending time with friends and family.   Nina Bartling is a third year veterinary student at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. She graduated from Denison University in 2013 with a Bachelor's of Science in Biology and a Chemistry minor. Her primary veterinary interest is small animal emergency and critical care. She has two fluffly chinchillas, Cleo and Zelda, and a spunky beta fish named Ekko. In her spare time, she plays Ultimate frisbee, rock climbs, and plays ukulele. She loves to host and cook for large groups, spend time with friends and family, and also take long naps.  

An interesting comparison of veterinary school and medical school where get down to what makes our programs similar, different, and what we can learn from each.  Join us as we discuss curriculum, personal wellness, the path to our first job, and study methods. Check out Clare's blog, "Fitting It All In" Follow Clare on Instagram @fittingitallin Clare Brady is a second year medical student at St. Louis University. She graduated from The University of Notre Dame in 2010 with majors in marketing and graphic design, and after a few years working in business, made a career change and followed her passion for health. Her primary interests are in preventative wellness and mental health, but is undecided as to what specialty she’ll choose. In addition to medical school, Clare is an RYT-200 Yoga Teacher and writes the blog www.fitting-it-all-in.com.  She loves the Notre Dame football, the St. Louis Cardinals, J.Crew, and warm weather.

Join us for a conversation with Rebecca Rose, CVT as we discuss the topic of team turnover and retention in veterinary medicine and how we as veterinarians play a role and how it affects us. Follow Rebecca on Twitter! Check out Rebecca's Website! Rebecca graduated from Colorado Mountain College in 1987 with a degree in veterinary technology. She is currently the president and founder of CATALYST Veterinary Practice Consultants, LLC. Rebecca’s career in the veterinary community is quite diverse. She has worked as a veterinary technician at a mixed animal practice in rural Colorado and was the first paid administrator to the Colorado Association of Certified Veterinary Technicians.  Over the years, she managed two AAHA accredited veterinary practices. She offered relief veterinary technician services throughout Colorado. Her peer reviewed articles can be found in magazines and she has authored chapters and books for veterinary teams. Rebecca has sat on industry councils and facilitates programs at local, state, national, and international conferences. She is known for her lively, engaging, and inspiring presentations. This past year the Veterinary Medical Association Executives awarded the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association “Best in Business” for their Professional Veterinary Team Certificate Program. Rebecca was recognized in being instrumental in its design and implementation. Past awards bestowed upon Rebecca include Veterinary Technician of the Year and Industry Partner of the Year given by the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association. Now, Rebecca offers services to veterinary hospitals in veterinary team development, team coaching and mentoring, improving practice prosperity. Rebecca is the President of the National Association of Veterinary Technician in America (2016). You will see Rebecca finds great joy in assisting veterinary teams in reaching their highest potential!

A candid discussion with Adam Little, DVM where we dissect pressing topics regarding trends and practices in technology, innovation, and entrepreneurism in the veterinary space. Follow Adam on Twitter! Check out Adam's Website! Adam Little works at the intersection of accelerating technologies and veterinary medicine to help solve some of our world’s biggest problems. His entrepreneurial approach to global animal health creates more opportunities for veterinarians to tackle challenges ranging from companion animal medicine to food security and infectious disease spread. As a champion for the evolution of his profession, Little sees a near future in which real-time, personalized medicine for each animal on this planet is possible. And he believes veterinarians are the drivers of that future, leading global change that will benefit every man, woman, child, and animal. Little found his passion during veterinary school, identifying a number of challenges in the veterinary space for both those providing and receiving care, and became motivated to rethink how we can provide the best care possible. He went on to lead the team creation of the first IBM Watson project in the veterinary space, which grew to nearly 100 people. As founder and president of Exponential Vet Inc.—a consultancy create to help bridge the gap between early-stage technology companies and animal health—he works with clients in the areas of telemedicine, point of care diagnostics, sensors, and data analytics. He has recently accepted a position as a faculty member at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences where he will serve as Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Little holds a graduate degree from Ontario Veterinary College and completed the Graduate Studies Program at Singularity University. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association and Veterinarians Without Borders, and is a consultant with Exponential Organizations.

Welcome to the Vet School Unleashed podcast!  Our goal is to provide a collaborative commentary on topics, issues, and insight on life in veterinary school.  Get to know a bit more about the podcast and host, Seth Williams.