Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, have co-hosted their award-winning weekly veterinary podcast since 2016.
Each week, they “tackle the toughest topics in veterinary medicine,” highlighting controversial issues and trending news, introducing veterinary key opinion leaders and provocateurs, and offering solutions to the myriad challenges facing the veterinary profession.
Latest Podcast
Latest Podcast Episodes - Click to Listen
Podcast: Sexual Harassment in Veterinary Medicine
This week host Drs. Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney and registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor are joined by practice owner and manager, Laura Ward to discuss sexual harassment in the veterinary workplace. What specifically is workplace sexual harassment? Does it exist in veterinary medicine? How can you prevent it from happening? What can you do if sexual harassment occurs in your veterinary clinic? Please share this important discussion with your veterinary healthcare colleagues. We must not accept workplace sexual harassment in any form.
Podcast: Canada vs US Veterinary Technicians with Purvi Patel
This week we're joined by the Petplan Veterinary Technician of the Year, Purvi Patel from Ontario, Canada! Host veterinarians Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney along with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor cross the border to find out what it's like to be a veterinary professional in the Great White North. Purvi shares her story of growing up in Malawi, moving to Canada to pursue veterinary medicine, and finding her ultimate passion as a veterinary technician. Purvi also discusses with the trio the similarities and differences in veterinary practices in Canada and the U.S., her thoughts on the term “veterinary nurse,” and whether or not Canadian pet owners complain about money as much as Americans!
Podcast: Finding Your Passion for Veterinary Preventive Care
The primary objective of medicine should be preventing disease. If that’s true, why do so many veterinary (and human) healthcare professionals find it challenging to talk to clients about preventive care? This week host veterinarians Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney along with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor explore the challenges, myths, and strategies for veterinary preventive care. Dog and cat nutrition, vaccines, parasiticides, oral health and dentistry, and senior pet care are just some of the topics the trio converse about in this week’s podcast.
Podcast: National Veterinary Technician Week w/ Mary Berg
National Veterinary Technician Week is October 15-22, 2017. This week we’re honored to share the mic with the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) President Mary Berg. Co-host veterinarians Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney along with veterinary technician Beckie Mossor chat with Mary about how she became a vet tech, the importance of veterinary technician specialists, current progress on the veterinary nurse name change initiative, her greatest accomplishments and the #1 thing she thinks need to be changed in the veterinary technician profession. The group also talk about celebrating National Veterinary Technician Week and why Dr. Ward call vet techs, “the greatest people on the planet!” Share with all your veterinary professional friends!
Podcast: BURNOUT! How Much Does It Really Cost Veterinary Professionals?
Ever dealt with a colleague who has lost their passion? Worked for a boss or manager who has lost their enthusiasm? Maybe feeling a little down yourself or not treating loved ones nicely? Burnout affects untold tens of millions of U.S. workers and leads to lost productivity, poor patient care, and illness in the veterinary profession. Host Drs. Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney along with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor tackle burnout head-on in this important podcast. Real-world stories, the latest data, successful strategies the trio has utilized, and steps any clinic or individual can use to help avoid burnout. Share this episode with your entire team!
Podcast: Dog Is Good Founder Gila Kurtz
Chances are you've at least seen her company's awesome apparel emblazoned with "Dog Is Good," "Cleanliness Is Next to Impossible," and, of course, their iconic "It's All Fun and Games Until Someone Ends Up In a Cone." This week host veterinarians Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney and veterinary technician Beckie Mossor have an incredible conversation with Dog Is Good founder, Gila Kurtz. Gila shares how she founded Dog Is Good with her husband, her best advice for budding entrepreneurs, why she loves working with veterinary healthcare providers, and her future plans for Dog Is Good. This is an episode full of practical tips and heartwarming anecdotes. Join the conversation and share your thoughts on Facebook/VeterinaryViewfinder and Twitter @VetViewfinder.
Podcast: The Things We Can't Live Without in Veterinary Practice
What are the things you need to survive your busy days in veterinary practice? What rituals, superstitions, quirks and oddities do your doctors and team members have? What are the best pens, shoes, and scrubs?
Podcast: Girls Rule the Vet World - Facing Gender Issues in the Veterinary Profession
Host veterinarians Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney along with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor ponder gender inequality in the veterinary profession. Today an estimated 70% of veterinarians and 95% of support staff are females. Is this too much? Why has this occurred? Why are women veterinarians and medical doctors paid less than their male counterparts? What about maternity and paternity pay? Do pet owners have more confidence in male veterinarians? Why are strong female leaders viewed as "b&*^%$" ? These questions and more in this week's episode. Join the conversation on Facebook/Veterinary Viewfinder and Twitter @VetViewfinder.
Podcast: Do You Really Want To Be A Veterinarian? Staggering Student Debt, Supply & Demand, Future Woes, & Why We'd Do It Again
Veterinarians Ernie Ward & Cyndie Courtney with veterinary technician Beckie Mossor confront whether pursuing a degree in veterinary healthcare is a good or bad idea; how staggering student debt impacts our profession both financially & emotionally; potential solutions for excessive debt, escalating college tuition, and imbalanced veterinary supply & demand. The hosts share why they joined the veterinary profession and offer some of their best personal advice.
Podcast: How to Host an Open House or Pet Health Fair with Laura Ward, MA
Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward & Beckie Mossor, RVT are joined by practice owner & hospital administrator, Laura Ward to discuss giving back to your community. We review how to plan and pull off an Open House, creating an awesome Pet Health Fair, and why the Wards believe giving back to your community is good for team building and practice building. If you're looking for ideas to jumpstart your clinic's civic participation, this episode is chock full of ideas and inspiration.
Podcast: Veterinary Pain Management Pioneer Dr. Robin Downing
This week we are honored to speak with veterinary pain management pioneer, Dr. Robin Downing. Co-hosts Drs. Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney ask Dr. Downing how she ended up moving from Chicago to Colorado, she shares stories from her early practice days, how she found her pain management pathway, and future trends in veterinary pain management. This is a wide-ranging conversation full of inspirational anecdotes and practical advice for the entire veterinary team.
Podcast: Beckie Helps Hurricane Harvey Animals! How You Can Aid Animals Affected by Disaster
his week we talk with co-host Beckie Mossor about her recent experience aiding animals displaced by Hurricane Harvey in Texas. Beckie joins Drs. Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney for a discussion about Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, how veterinary professionals can get involved with ASPCA and FEMA relief efforts, and the best ways to help animals during natural disasters. Beckie inspires us all and we'd like to thank her and the thousands of animal assistance volunteers everywhere for making the world better!
It’s the time of year when veterinary clinics revisit their staff policies, but how do you implement them without creating chaos or resentment? In this week’s episode of “The Veterinary Viewfinder,” Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mosser, MPA, RVT, dive into the challenges of rolling out new rules, such as sick leave policies, PTO usage, and vacation time, in a way that ensures fairness and team cohesion.
The co-hosts explore common pitfalls in policy implementation, such as reactionary rule-making after isolated incidents such as “sick-outs” and chronic absenteeism, and explain why sudden, poorly communicated policy changes can erode trust. They also discuss the importance of balancing structure with empathy and emphasize collaborative approaches to decision-making that involve the entire team.
The episode also unpacks why policies requiring sick employees to provide doctor’s notes can send a harmful message of distrust and why flexible, inclusive guidelines create a healthier workplace culture. Dr. Ward and Beckie share real-world stories of successful—and unsuccessful—policy rollouts, offering actionable tips to help veterinary managers make thoughtful, equitable decisions.
If you’re a practice owner, manager, or team member, tune in to learn how to create policies that support your team while keeping your clinic running smoothly. Let’s make 2024 the year of fair, effective policies in veterinary medicine!