The heartbeat of the veterinary profession. Join us as we talk with veterinary colleagues about critical topics from student debt to mental health. And share stories, stories connect us… as humans, as animals, as a veterinary community.
Episodes
Tuesday Dec 07, 2021
Tuesday Dec 07, 2021
*TRIGGER WARNING* Some of the content in this episode may include triggers on anxiety. As a reminder, if you are a veterinary student or veterinarian, the VIN Foundation’s confidential peer-to-peer support group vets4vets® is here for you, at no cost, please know, you are not alone. Call (530) 794-8094 or visit the website to schedule a session: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/vets4vets/
Listen in as VIN Foundation Executive Director Jordan benShea has a conversation with Dr. Christy Corp-Minamiji, a veterinarian with a love for words. Christy shares her non-traditional journey in the veterinary profession, how improving someone’s day is part of her job, and what she sees as the path for mental health, diversity and inclusion amongst colleagues.
GUEST BIOS:
Dr. Christy Corp-Minamiji
Christy Corp-Minamiji, DVM is a 1996 graduate of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. She has worked as a small animal practitioner, in the biologics industry as a field researcher and technical services veterinarian/marketing director (it was a small company), and for a decade as a large animal practitioner. In 2011, she changed career tracks when the large animal practice was closed due to the recession. Since that time she has worked in communications for the Veterinary Information Network where she learns new job skills every day. She lives in Davis, CA with a rotating array of almost adult and adult offspring. Though she currently has no pets of her own she makes use of friends and family by loving on their furry and/or feathery companions whenever possible.
LINKS AND INFORMATION:
- VetzInsight: https://www.vin.com/vetzinsight/
- VIN: https://www/vin.com
- VIN Foundation Vets4Vets®: https://vinfoundation.org/v4v
- Imposture syndrome article by Dr. Michele Gaspar: https://vinfoundation.org/feeling-like-a-fraud-youre-not-alone/
- Salon - Putting Down the Vet Clinic I Loved: https://www.salon.com/2011/01/25/closing_down_vet_clinic/
- The Horse - Under the Blue Tarps: https://thehorse.com/135727/under-the-blue-tarps/
- Multi Culture Vet Med Association: https://mcvma.org/
- Veterinary as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment (VOICE): https://vetvoicenational.org/
- PRIDE VMC: https://pridevmc.org/
- VOICE President, Indya Woods podcast episode: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-pulse-podcast-with-indya-woods/
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!
Thursday Oct 21, 2021
Thursday Oct 21, 2021
*TRIGGER WARNING* Some of the content in this episode may include triggers for topics including animal abuse and interpersonal violence. As a reminder, if you are a veterinary student or veterinarian, the VIN Foundation’s confidential peer-to-peer support group vets4vets® is here for you, at no cost, please know, you are not alone. Call (530) 794-8094 or visit the website to schedule a confidential Vets4Vets® session https://vinfoundation.org/resources/vets4vets/.
Listen in as VIN Foundation Executive Director Jordan benShea has a conversation with Dr. Jennifer Woolf about the current veterinary forensics landscape. Do you know your state’s animal abuse reporting laws? Does the story fit the clinical signs? Do veterinarians need to have experience in veterinary forensics to report animal abuse? In this episode Jennifer covers how animal abuse is currently handled in the veterinary profession, where she sees areas for improvement and the link between animal abuse and interpersonal abuse.
GUEST BIOS:
Dr. Jennifer Woolf
Dr. Woolf received her D.V.M. and M.S. (concentration: Veterinary Forensic Sciences) from the University of Florida (UF). Over the years, she has worked in private practices and animal welfare organizations, including relief work at over 50 locations in the Boston, MA and San Francisco, CA areas. In 2014 she founded Woolf Veterinary Forensics Consulting where she lectures internationally on animal abuse, the Link, and veterinary forensics, as well as investigating and consulting on individual cases. She also works for Veterinary Information Network (VIN), behind the scenes and upfront writing articles and developing materials on animal abuse and veterinary forensics for VIN members and the general public. Additionally, Dr. Woolf is an instructor in the UF Veterinary Forensic Sciences Online Graduate Programs, has published numerous articles and a book chapter on animal cruelty topics, and was a 2018-2019 Don Low-CVMA Practitioner Fellow at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine in the Anatomic Pathology Department. Dr. Woolf is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the International Veterinary Forensic Sciences Association (IVFSA), and a founding member of the Alameda County Animal Cruelty Task Force. Previously she has served on the boards of the IVFSA and the Contra Costa County Veterinary Medical Association.
LINKS AND INFORMATION:
- Animal Legal and Historical Center: https://www.animallaw.info/
- National Link Coalition: https://nationallinkcoalition.org/
- Animal Abuse and Veterinary Forensics Center on the Veterinary Information Network (VIN), VIN membership is required to view: https://www.vin.com/members/cms/project/defaultadv1.aspx?id=10129371&pid=27494&
- International Veterinary Forensics Society: https://www.ivfsa.org/
- Veterinary Forensics Sciences Online Graduate Program at University of Florida: (https://vetforensics.med.ufl.edu/)faculty mentioned:
- Adam Stern, DVM, ACVP: forensic veterinary pathologist; co-instructor in the UF program
- Julie Brinker, DVM, MS: shelter veterinarian at Humane Society of Missouri; co-instructor in the UF program
- National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory https://www.fws.gov/lab/ specifically pathologists Tabitha Viner, DVM, ACVP and Rebecca Kagan, DVM, ACVP
- Dr. Jennifer Woolf Veterinary Forensics Consulting: https://www.wvfcinc.com/
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website https://vinfoundation.org, or join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/VinFoundation, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vinfoundation, or Twitter https://twitter.com/vinfoundation.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!
Friday Oct 08, 2021
Friday Oct 08, 2021
*TRIGGER WARNING* some of the content in this episode may include triggers for topics including: Adverse Childhood Events also known as ACEs, animal abuse, and interpersonal violence, including child abuse and domestic violence. As a reminder, if you are a veterinary student or veterinarian, the VIN Foundation’s confidential peer-to-peer support group vets4vets® is here for you, at no cost, please know, you are not alone. Call (530) 794-8094 or visit the website to schedule a session: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/vets4vets/
Listen in as VIN Foundation Executive Director Jordan benShea has a conversation with Vets4Vets® team member Dr. Susan Cohen about suicide risks in the veterinary profession, how adverse childhood events play a role, and the impact of perfectionism. This episode kicks off the Veterinary Pulse’s Inhale, Exhale Series on mental wellness in the veterinary profession. Learn the warning signs of mental distress, what to do if you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, and where to go for help.
GUEST BIOS:
Dr. Susan P. Cohen
Susan has been called a pioneer in the fields of pet loss, human-animal interaction, and the human side of veterinary practice. Since 1982 Dr. Cohen has helped pet lovers make decisions about the illness of their pets. She developed the first-ever Pet Loss Support Group and began an animal assisted activity program that took the then-unusual form of having volunteers work with their own pets. She originated many training programs for workers in the veterinary and social service fields, and she has been a field instructor for several schools of social work. She has written several book chapters and scholarly articles on social work, veterinary practice, and the human-animal bond. Her most recent book chapter, “Loss, Grief, and Bereavement in the Context of Human-Animal Relationships” (Susan Cohen, DSW; and Adam Clark, LSW, AASW) was published in 2019. She is currently working on a chapter on pet loss for Routledge's International Handbook on Human-Animal Interaction.
These days she consults with veterinary groups on client and professional communication, compassion fatigue, and how to make practice fun again. She facilitates online support groups for veterinarians, animal welfare workers, managers, and those grieving the loss of a pet. She teaches online workshops and lectures widely to veterinary colleges and conferences, colleges of social work, veterinary technician programs, and human health groups on communication, pet loss and bereavement, human-animal interaction, client relations, compassion fatigue, and career development. She is Vice Chairperson of SWAHAB (Social Workers Advancing the Human-Animal Bond), the first such committee of the National Association of Social Workers. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, and Smithsonian Magazine. In addition, she has made numerous television and radio addresses nationwide, including “The Today Show,” "20-20," and "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
LINKS AND INFORMATION:
- Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255 https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/how-we-can-all-prevent-suicide/
- VIN Foundation Vets4Vets® and Support4Support:: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/vets4vets/
- Book a session with Vets4Vets®: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/vets4vets-appointments/
- Dr. Susan Cohen Veterinary Pulse Episode 104: https://vinfoundation.org/are-you-caring-too-much-red-shoe-syndrome-susan-cohen/
- Adverse Childhood Events: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/index.html
- Borderline personality disorder: https://www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.org
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!
Thursday Sep 23, 2021
Thursday Sep 23, 2021
Join VIN Foundation Board Members Dr. Matt Holland and Dr. Tony Bartels in a discussion with new veterinary graduate and practicing veterinarian Dr. Shiloh Landskov about strategies in paying off student loan debt. Is it best to pay it off as fast as possible? Is there value in choosing an income-driven repayment plan? Is a budget really necessary? How does student loan debt compare to credit card debt when it comes to repayment? Listen in to learn about veterinary student loans from three different perspectives, and advice on best strategies based on your situation.
GUEST BIOS:
Dr. Tony Bartels
Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA graduated in 2012 from the Colorado State University combined MBA/DVM program and is a VIN Foundation Board Member and Student Debt Expert, and an employee of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). He and his wife, a small-animal internal medicine specialist practicing in Denver, have more than $400,000 in veterinary-school debt that they manage using federal income-driven repayment plans. By necessity (and now obsession), his professional activities include researching and speaking on veterinary-student debt, providing guidance to colleagues on loan-repayment strategies and contributing to VIN Foundation resources. Beyond debt, his professional interests include small- and exotic-animal practice. When he’s not staring holes into his colleagues’ student-loan data, Tony enjoys fly fishing, ice hockey, camping and exploring Colorado with his wife, Audra, and their two rescued canines, Addi and Maggie.
Dr. Shiloh Landskov
Dr. Shiloh Landskov is a new graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Class of 2020. She is a Minnesota native, and currently works in general practice and emergency medicine. Her interests include emergency medicine, surgery, and leadership within veterinary medicine. She currently lives with her husband and 6 pets in central Minnesota.
LINKS AND INFORMATION:
- VIN Foundation Student Debt Center: https://vinfoundation.org/studentdebtcenter
- VIN Foundation WikiDebt: https://vinfoundation.org/wikidebt
- VIN Foundation Webinars: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/webinars/
- Student Aid: https://studentaid.gov/
- Stay up to date with VIN Foundation updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
- Personalized Assistance available via the special Student Debt Message Board areas:
- VIN member (including veterinary students)
- Non-VIN member (veterinarians and pre-veterinary students)
Email VIN Foundation: studentdebt@vinfoundation.org
Get updates to stay tuned for the VIN Foundation webinars on student debt.
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
Listen in as Executive Director Jordan Benshea chats with VIN News Director Edie Lau about life as a veterinary journalist and her hope for the profession.
GUEST BIO:
Edie is the VIN News Service director and has been reporting and editing for VIN News since 2008. Before that, she covered science, energy, the environment, education and whatever else needed doing at newspapers in Sacramento, California; Portland, Maine; Binghamton, New York; and Stockton, California. Edie has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley. She lives near Seattle with her husband, daughter and two canine associates.
LINKS AND INFORMATION:
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!
Wednesday Sep 01, 2021
Wednesday Sep 01, 2021
Join VIN Foundation Executive Director Jordan Benshea as she chats with 4th year Auburn veterinary student Indya Woods about the importance of not listening on defense, coming to a conversation with an open heart, and the willingness to be vulnerable to connect with colleagues.
GUEST BIO:
Indya Woods
Indya Woods is currently a 4th year veterinary student at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. Indya grew up in Mobile, AL, and knew she loved animals from a very young age. Indya began pursuing her dream of becoming a veterinarian while in college at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. During her time at UAB, Indya completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. While in college, Indya also developed a love for servant leadership, mentorship, and community service- which influenced her extracurricular involvement in veterinary school.
At Auburn, Indya currently serves as Vice President of the Class of 2022. Indya has also served as 2019-2020 National Vice President of Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment (VOICE) and 2020-2021 National Co-President of VOICE. Indya’s time with VOICE showed her that she has a true commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity within the veterinary profession, and hopes to continue to use her career to educate her peers on DEI within vet med.
After graduating in May 2022, Indya hopes to move to South Florida to become a small animal and exotics veterinarian. She also hopes to volunteer in aquatic animal rescue and rehabilitation.
LINKS AND INFORMATION:
- Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine: https://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/
- VOICE: https://vetvoicenational.org/
- VIN Foundation Vets4Vets®: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/vets4vets/
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!
Saturday Aug 28, 2021
Saturday Aug 28, 2021
Listen in as Executive Director Jordan benShea chats with Board Member and student debt expert Dr. Tony Bartels in this next installment of our Student Debt Series. In this episode, we’re discussing the latest news about the latest Student Loan Repayment Extension, who it impacts, advice for what to do with this forbearance time, and how to prepare for restarting your loan payments when the extension ends.
GUEST BIO:
Dr. Tony Bartels
Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA graduated in 2012 from the Colorado State University combined MBA/DVM program and is a VIN Foundation Board Member and Student Debt Expert, and an employee of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). He and his wife, a small-animal internal medicine specialist practicing in Denver, have more than $400,000 in veterinary-school debt that they manage using federal income-driven repayment plans. By necessity (and now obsession), his professional activities include researching and speaking on veterinary-student debt, providing guidance to colleagues on loan-repayment strategies and contributing to VIN Foundation resources. Beyond debt, his professional interests include small- and exotic-animal practice. When he’s not staring holes into his colleagues’ student-loan data, Tony enjoys fly fishing, ice hockey, camping and exploring Colorado with his wife, Audra, and their two rescued canines, Addi and Maggie.
LINKS AND INFORMATION:
- VIN Foundation Student Debt Center: https://vinfoundation.org/studentdebtcenter
- Check your current student loan servicers and other loan details -- VIN Foundation My Student Loans tool: http://www.vinfoundation.org/mystudentloans
- VIN Foundation WikiDebt: https://vinfoundation.org/wikidebt
- VIN Foundation Webinars: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/webinars/
- VIN Foundation Blog post: https://vinfoundation.org/fedloan-servicing-quits/
- FedLoan Servicing: https://myfedloan.org/
- StudentAid.gov: https://studentaid.gov/
- Federal Student Loan Servicers: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/servicers
- StudentAid PSLF: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service
- New Graduate Student Loan Playbook: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/veterinary-new-grad-student-loan-repayment-playbook/
- Stay up to date with VIN Foundation updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
- Personalized assistance is available via the special Student Debt Message Board areas. If you do not have an active VIN username and password, you may gain access through the VIN Foundation access application: https://www.vin.com/apputil/project/defaultadv1.aspx?id=9593830
- Email VIN Foundation: studentdebt@vinfoundation.org
- Get updates to stay tuned for the VIN Foundation webinars on student debt.
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!
Friday Aug 27, 2021
Friday Aug 27, 2021
Listen in as Executive Director Jordan Benshea chats with Dr. Rachel Mar about the importance of having compassion for yourself, her path to creating Vitality Vet, and how Batman (yes Batman!) plays a role in her life.
GUEST BIO:
Dr. Rachel Mar
Dr. Rachel Mar completed her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science with a minor in photography at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She worked in high school ministry for one year then moved to Dublin, Ireland to obtain her degree in Veterinary Medicine from University College Dublin. Now she is an integrative veterinarian working in Santa Barbara, California. She is a Fear Free certified veterinarian and will complete her Certification in Veterinary Acupuncture (CVA) through Chi University at the end of Summer 2021. Dr. Mar is currently enrolled in the Certified Canine Rehabilitation Professional (CCRP) course through the University of Tennessee. She has a blog dedicated to improving the wellbeing of both pet parents and their pets, and also offers virtual veterinary teleadvice consults via her website www.thevitalityvet.com. Dr. Mar can also be found on Facebook and Instagram (@thevitalityvet).
LINKS AND INFORMATION:
- Cal Poly: https://www.calpoly.edu/
- Veterinary Medicine at University College Dublin: https://www.ucd.ie/vetmed/
- Vitality Vet on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thevitalityvet/
- Vitality Vet on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevitalityvet/?hl=en
- VIN Foundation Vets4Vets®: https://vinfoundation.org/v4v
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!
