Imagination, curiosity, and creativity are essential traits, attributes, and skills for successful veterinary professionals (and people). This week host veterinarians Ernie Ward an Cyndie Courtney along with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor explore the creative side of veterinary medicine. The trio traverse Thoreau’s take on inspiration and creativity, share tales of imaginative solutions discovered in exam rooms, surgical suites, and strapped onto turtle shells, and simple steps to encourage your creativity. Dr. Ward reveals what a nootropic stack is, shares some of his favorite freaky supplements and rituals, and the gang goes bonkers over people who shut down ideas. This episode is entertaining, educational, and maybe a little weird when Ernie gets in his infrared sauna to meditate and take mushroom extracts. (Joking). 

MONEY! What do veterinary professionals do when a client can’t afford the cost of pet care? Are we providing the best veterinary medical care at an affordable price? How do we deal with situations when a client can’t - or won’t - pay for “gold standard care?” Do payment plans work? Should veterinary technicians discuss billing and pricing with clients? Those are a few of the topics our trio tackle this week. Host veterinarians Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney along with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor share their experiences and insights in confronting cost of care controversies in veterinary practice. 

Does National Pet Dental Month Matter Anymore? Since 1995, veterinarians have celebrated National Pet Dental Month each February. But has the "holiday" lost its luster? Veterinary dental specialist Dr. Heidi Lobprise weighs in with host Drs. Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney along with Beckie Mossor, RVT. The group discuss why veterinary dentistry still isn't being prominently featured in most veterinary school curricula, the role and future of veterinary technicians in pet dentistry, Dr. Lobprise's 2-week dental recheck strategy, and why veterinary professionals should be talking more about chronic inflammation (CI) in our pet patients. 

You know what we’re talking about because you deal with them, too. Angry, upset, threatening and irate veterinary clients can damage team morale, cause unbearable stress, and adversely affect patient care and client service (for our nice clients). This week, our hosts tackle how they deal with irate clients, how to spot a “secretly angry” client, and steps your team can take to help prevent conflict in the future. Drs. Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney along with Beckie Mossor, RVT share stories from their practice lives (Dr. Ward’s gun battles! Beckie witnesses trashed lobby TV’s!), offer advice on addressing anger in the exam room, and explain why “Firing Clients” may not be the correct terminology nor professional mindset we should be using. This is a wide-ranging, highly informative, and provocative conversation your entire practice team should consider listening to as a group. Bonus points if you identify and explain Dr. Ward’s musical choice this week! 

With the 2018 Super Bowl this weekend, we decided to take a deep dive into what makes the best veterinary teams successful. Hosts Drs. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT review some of the common characteristics of the best teams, how to integrate new employees into your clinic team, what are some of the pitfalls of overstepping professional or personal boundaries in the workplace, and more. Learn what "Book Clubs and Bars" have to do with establishing appropriate professional relationships in your clinics. The trio offer advice on what to do with a toxic team member, Dr. Ward shares his love for personality testing his staff, and why written job descriptions, evaluations, mission statements, and appointment scripts are incredibly important for success. This wide-ranging conversation is sure to inspire you to make your team ready for the Big Game... and beyond!

Finding good employees is a challenge for any clinic. Finding good veterinary technicians is even harder! This week Drs. Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney, along with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor are joined by “MKA from Minnesota,” or Michelle Krasicki-Aune, MBA, BS, CVT, a credentialed veterinary technician who has a company dedicated to providing clinics with relief veterinary technicians, mentorship, and much more. Michelle tells how (and why) she became a veterinary technician (canine heartworms are involved), how the profession has changed, and where she thinks the future of veterinary technicians lies. Along the way, the quartet chat about the Veterinary Nurse Initiative (VNI), her best advice for staying motivated in clinics, how managers and owners can learn from RVT/CVT/LVT’s, and some of the challenges she sees in daily practices. 

Nearly 2 billion people, including veterinary professionals, are using Facebook in 2018. This week Drs. Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney along with Beckie Mossor, RVT talk with Dr. Caitlin DeWilde about social media and her business, The Social DVM. The group discuss Caitlin's story of becoming a veterinarian, the recent changes to the Facebook News Feed algorithm, and practical advice for managing a veterinary clinic's Facebook Page.  

This week, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT talk with large animal veterinary nurse an equine nursing specialist Heather Hopkinson about the differences - and similarities - of large and small animal veterinary care. Heather shares her story of a young girl working at stables to earn horse riding lessons to becoming a pioneer and leader in the large animal veterinary technician world. Beckie and Heather recount their days together in veterinary technician school, how the veterinary nurse initiative (VNI) may affect large animal veterinary professionals, and the shared struggles of all animal advocates. The trio explore how compassion fatigue and burnout are different in the large animal world, how language and words affect emotions, and Heather explains why all veterinary nurses are at risk for attrition and unhappiness if they don’t find meaning and purpose within - and outside - the veterinary profession. This is a great conversation that applies to anyone working in the veterinary industry. 

The veterinary profession is now dominated by women. This week we tackle the topic of veterinary professionals having children, bringing our kids into the clinic, and handling clients’ children during veterinary appointments. Co-hosts Drs. Ernie Ward and registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor share tales of crates used as cribs, a mother who demands Dr. Ward share EVERYTHING with their child during an appointment, and then changes her mind, Beckie talks about vet techs being used as “babysitters” during exams, and Cyndie reviews her experiences as being a new mom intersects with practice life over the past few months. Dr. Ward discusses the importance of paid maternity leave for veterinary professionals, and the trio offer advice for anyone planning a pregnancy or wondering how to tell their boss.

This week we're joined by friend and colleague, Dr. Alex German from the University of Liverpool. Alex joins Drs. Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney, along with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor, to share his story of becoming a veterinarian, his experiences as a mixed animal practitioner, returning to academia to pursue his PhD and Internal Medicine Board Certification, and finding his passion in clinical research. Alex and Ernie discuss their combined efforts combating pet obesity, Cyndie prompts a discussion on weight bias, and Beckie relates the pressures veterinary nurses often encounter when dealing with pet obesity. The group discusses Alex's latest research publications, his work on dog and cat growth curves, and how these tools may help veterinarians prevent pet obesity. This is a wide-ranging conversation that touches on many issues veterinary professionals may struggle with during daily practice life. Do yourself a favor, and listen to this one all the way through!