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
We Can’t Find Veterinary Professionals to Hire! Challenges & Solutions for Today’s Tight Job Market and “DVM-lite”
Where are all the registered veterinary technicians and veterinarians? More and more veterinary clinics are reporting significant challenges hiring - and keeping - qualified veterinary team members. Host veterinarians Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor review the current veterinary job market woes and offer suggestions on finding the best employees. Dr. Ward revives his “DVM-lite” limited licensure model from 15 years ago and reviews why he believes the veterinary profession may go the way of Family and General Practice human medical doctors. Th group give advice on recruiting and hiring staff as well as pay, benefits, and creating a healthy and welcoming clinic culture to retain employees.
Tightening the Leash: Increasing Animal Regulations - What Should Veterinary Professionals Do?
Mandatory spay and neuter regulations, breed bans, microchip laws, and doggie DNA testing for renters - we’re seeing a wave of new animal regulations sweep the world. Host veterinarians Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney and registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor engage in a spirited discussion on whether or not animal regulations have gone too far (or not far enough), and what veterinary professionals should do to encourage better pet care. The trio tackle the recent Fort Worth, Texas pet microchipping controversy, Delta Airlines’ ban of pit bull breed emotional support dogs, DNA testing to identify dog poop, and RETRACTABLE LEASHES!
Should people who can't afford pets have pets? Does the veterinary profession have any responsibility to provide care?
This week we wrestle once again with the topic of money-guilt harbored by many veterinary professionals. This time, we explore issues around homeless people with pets, standards of pet care, pet care shaming, and more. This is an excellent roundtable on a topic most veterinary professionals must confront nearly daily.
Service Animal Shenanigans! Plane Bans, Fake Badges, and Snakes on a Plane: What's a Veterinary Professional Supposed to Do?
One of the most controversial pet travel topics these days is the designation of "emotional support animal” and "service animal." This week our trio, Drs. Ernie Ward & Cyndie Courtney, along with Beckie Mossor RVT, take to the skies, trains, and restaurants as they confront the perils of emotional support animals. What is the difference between "service animal" and "emotional support dog?" Can you really buy "fake" service dog vests on Amazon? Who’s in charge of regulating and verifying “service animals?” Why did Delta recently ban "pit-bull breed" dogs as support companions? What role do veterinary professionals play in all of this? This is a must-share episode with ANYONE in the veterinary profession.
Veterinary Corporatization: What Does It Mean for Us?
This week, we discuss the current global wave of corporatization and consolidation of the veterinary profession. Host veterinarians Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney along with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor review the pros and cons of working in a corporate practice, whether or not consolidation is (or ever was) inevitable, and what does this mean for the future of veterinary professionals? It's a good one...
Summer Loving and Summer Stressing in Veterinary Practice
It's summer! Yaaay! Oh, noooo! Along with sunshine, long days, and chillin' by the pool comes unexpected stress in veterinary practice. Host veterinarians Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor take a beachside/lakeside/online stroll down some of the profession's most treacherous June through September trails. Tourists, drop-in non-client emergencies, the Monday flu, and fighting for time off are tackled in this "for reals" conversation. And Dr. Ward ponders, "Where did all the summer high school and college helpers go?" This is one hot and sticky podcast...
Female Entrepreneurship with Dr Liz Bales, Inventor of Indoor Hunting Feeder System for Cats
This week, we've got a master class in entrepreneurship with Dr. Liz Bales, inventor of the Indoor Feeder (formerly the NoBowl Feeder) for cats. Dr. Bales joins Drs. Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney to discuss how she evolved from equine practice to feline (see what I did there?), how she went from good idea to an actual product, and her best advice for anyone who has a good idea. This is an AMAZING conversation that will benefit any veterinary professional in their job and career.
So You Want to Own a Veterinary Practice? Positives and Pitfalls with Dr. Mike Tokiwa
Owning a veterinary practice can be a rewarding -- and challenging -- prospect. This week host veterinarians Drs. Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney and veterinary technician Beckie Mossor are joined by New Jersey practice owner Dr. Michael Tokiwa to discuss the positives and pitfalls of practice ownership. From equity, to leadership, to vision, to staff training and interactions, this is a wide-ranging conversation that will benefit any veterinary professional, regardless of whether or not ownership is an interest or option.
It's All Good with NAVC President-Elect Dr. Cheryl Good!
This week we're honored to interview the President-Elect of the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) Dr. Cheryl Good from Dearborn, Michigan. Dr. Good shares the story of how she became a veterinarian, what it was like to have three kids in a five-year span while working full-time and starting her own practice. We discuss the changes she's seen in veterinary medicine during her career, the changes at NAVC and VMX, and what she hopes to accomplish as NAVC President. This is a wide-ranging conversation that touches on so many aspects of real, daily veterinary practice life.
Anti-Declaw Advocate Dr Margie Scherk
British Columbia/Vancouver joined a host of other large municipalities May 8, 2018 when it banned feline declawing by veterinarians. This week we're joined by Dr. Margie Scherk, a feline veterinary specialist and one of the true pioneers and champions of the anti-declaw movement. Veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward and registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor talk with Dr. Scherk about her story, why she's so passionate about cats, and the debates surrounding feline declawing. You'll want to play this episode again and again!
Online, Social Media & Digital Marketing with InTouchVet's Bill Schroeder
Online and digital marketing is essential for any business to succeed in today's marketplace. This week we're joined by a digital marketing expert, InTouchVet's Bill Schroeder. Bill has been helping veterinary clinics succeed for over 20 years and shares his best advice for busy veterinary practices to optimize their social media and online marketing. Host veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward and Dr. Cyndie Courtney talk with Bill about how he and his wife started helping veterinarians in Chicago, what recent changes at Facebook mean for veterinary professionals, what social media and online platforms he recommends, and the technologies Bill thinks veterinarians should be looking at during the next 1 to 3 years. This is a great lesson in online marketing and strategy for any veterinary professional!
Pet Dietary Drama: Raw, Grains, Corn & Obesity with Veterinary Nutritionist Dr. Julie Churchill
This week host veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward and veterinary technician Beckie Mossor welcome veterinary nutritionist and University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine professor, Dr. Julie Churchill. The three review the latest Association for Pet Obesity Prevention Survey results, explore the reasons behind some of the survey responses, dispel many nutritional, diet, and exercise myths, and offer pet food advice for every veterinary team member. This is an episode full of pet food facts and fictions, communication tips and tripwires, and a whole lot of fun!
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!