How do we keep great technicians in vet med—and build mentorship that actually lasts? What can veterinarians learn from RVTs about communication, culture, and training?

Host Dr. Dani Rabwin sits down with Phil Snow, RVT—military veteran turned RVT, educator, and co-founder of an alternate-route vet tech school—for a candid conversation about career pathways, mentorship, VTS specialization, the mid-level debate, and avoiding (and owning) mistakes.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Military → medicine: leadership lessons and entering vet med via the kennel
• Tech → teacher → school founder: building an alternate-route RVT program in SoCal
• Vet–tech partnership: case discussions, med checks, and speaking up effectively
• Mentorship models that work: compensation, growth, and the “training RVT” role
• Career ladders beyond the clinic: VTS, insurance, reps, teaching, research, public sector
• Burnout reality (often 7–10 years) and practical retention strategies
• Alternate-route vs AVMA programs: who each path serves and why
• Mid-level practitioner debate: opportunities, risks, and accountability
• Owning mistakes: the “wrong-leg shave” story and building better safeguards

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro — Phil Snow, RVT: why techs matter

3:18 Kennel → assistant → mentors paying for school

07:42 - RVT to educator: guest lectures to full-time teaching

11:05 - Building an alternate-route tech school (SoCal campuses)

15:10 - Military lessons: discipline, responsibility, leadership

18:44 - Vet–tech communication: raising concerns without conflict

23:02 - Mentorship models: training techs, compensation, “training RVT” role

27:36 - Career ladders: VTS, insurance, rep roles, teaching, public sector

32:15 - Alternate-route vs AVMA degrees: who each serves, VTNE destination

36:48 - Mid-level practitioner debate: promise, pitfalls, accountability

41:30 - Owning mistakes: wrong-leg prep + better checklists

45:05 - What’s next: accreditation goals, keeping talent in vet med

Resources mentioned

• OC Veterinary Assistant School (alternate-route RVT training)
• California Registered Veterinary Technicians Association (advocacy & policy)
• VTS pathways (ECC, Anesthesia, Dentistry, and more)

Ready Vet Go — because mentorship matters, and vets shouldn’t have to go it alone.

Follow: @readyvetgo_

Contact: info@pacificlensstudios.com

#readyvetgo #RVT #veterinarymentorship #vetmed #veterinarypodcast

How do you build real confidence when your first job is solo ER overnights? Can open, transparent care and shared decision-making transform client trust?

Host Dr. Dani Rabwin is joined by Dr. Morgan Stoddard, DVM (UIUC ’20) for a fast, practical deep dive into ER mentorship, communication that lowers stress, and leadership that leads with love.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why structured ER mentorship matters—especially on solo overnights
• Client language that lowers the load: “I’m the recommender; you’re the decider”
• Trust-builders you can use immediately (narrate-the-exam, in-room X-rays/laptop, let clients listen)
• How to bring “open ER” transparency to any clinic—no remodel required
• Mistakes & recoveries: dystocia hemorrhage stabilization + when to phone a mentor
• Owning outcomes: communicating clearly after a “negative explore” following prior R&A
• Feedback that helps: lead with love, tailor delivery, and use a “wins box”
• Confidence scripts for “You look so young!” and curbside → face-to-face transitions
• Burnout to fit: when to pivot and how to find the right mentorship structure

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro: Dr. Morgan Stoddard—ER path, UIUC ’20, why confidence is built (not born)

03:02 – First job reality: solo overnights during curbside and the hidden upsides

03:02 - Solo overnights during curbside: reality + hidden upsides

07:18 -Scripts that save you: recommender/decider + looking things up gracefully

11:06 - Shared decisions, not sales: reducing moral weight

15:20 - Open ER transparency: narrate-the-exam, X-rays in-room, stethoscope listening

20:44 - Case lessons: dystocia hemorrhage & phone-a-mentor

26:03 - “Negative explore” after prior R&A: owning outcomes + next steps

31:12 - Leading with love: feedback, safety, and the wins box

36:25 - Curbside → face-to-face: age comments + clinical presence 41:10

Resources mentioned

• Sample “recommender/decider” scripts (ER & GP)
• Narrate-the-exam + transparency checklist
• Tough-case debrief template (+ wins box idea)

Ready Vet Go — because mentorship matters, and vets shouldn’t have to go it alone.

Follow: @readyvetgo_

Contact: info@pacificlensstudios.com

#ERveterinary #mentorship #communication #vetmed #ReadyVetGo

This one’s a game-changer. In Part 2 of his Ready Vet Go interview, Dr. Gersh Alaluf (Dr. G) takes a hard look at who we’re accepting into veterinary school — and what that means for the future of our profession.

🔥 Are we selecting for IQ over EQ? 🔥 Are perfectionists more prone to burnout in vet med?

🔥 Are schools doing enough to prepare students emotionally for real-world practice?

Joined by host Dr. Dani Rabwin, Dr. G unpacks how admissions criteria, mentorship gaps, and emotional blind spots are fueling stress, imposter syndrome, and attrition among new grads. He shares real stories of mentorship done right, burnout avoided, and moments that almost broke him — and why communication, empathy, and community are the true skills that will save the profession.

🧠 In This Episode:

• The theory that sparked Dr. G’s doctoral research: Attraction–Selection–Attrition (ASA)
• Why Ready Vet Go bridges the gap between what vet school teaches and what vet med requires
• Real-life board complaint stories — and how emotional intelligence helps prevent them
• How mentors can pick up the phone for their mentees in moments of crisis
• What to say when things go wrong (and how to say “I’m sorry” without accepting blame)
• The 3-part burnout triad — and how to break it
• Condolence card wins, thank-you boxes, and how to hold on to why you started this journey

Whether you’re a vet student, new grad, mentor, or practice leader, this conversation is a roadmap to sustainability, self-worth, and staying power in veterinary medicine.

ep. 10

#ReadyVetGo #VetAdmissions #VeterinaryBurnout #EmotionalIntelligence #VetMentorship #VetSchool #VeterinaryEducation #EarlyCareerVet #MentorshipMatters #EQinVetMed #VeterinaryPodcast #VetMentalHealth #LeadershipInVetMed

This is the Ready Vet Go episode you didn’t know you needed.

Veterinarian, entrepreneur, mentor, and doctoral candidate Dr. Gersh Alaluf (Dr. G) joins Dr. Dani Rabwin to unpack the raw, unfiltered truth behind veterinary mentorship, leadership, ownership, and emotional intelligence.

💥 What happens when the corporate machine makes you question your entire identity?

💥 How do you go from kennel kid to practice owner — and still feel like you don’t belong?

💥 Why is emotional intelligence the most overlooked skill in veterinary education today?

💥 What does real mentorship look like — and why are so many vets getting it wrong?

Dr. G shares his journey from humble beginnings to owning multiple practices to being pushed out by a corporation that misunderstood him — and how that sent him on a mission to understand what makes this profession tick (and break).

🎓 Now a doctoral candidate in business researching early-career veterinary stress, Dr. G offers wisdom, wit, and unwavering honesty on what it takes to survive and thrive in vet med today.

🧠 Topics Covered

• The real ROI of mentorship: stories that changed his life
• Why early-career vets aren’t failing — the system is
• Emotional intelligence as a teachable skill (and why it’s missing from vet school)
• Leadership lessons from the exam room and the boardroom
• What to watch for when choosing your first job
• Why mentorship needs structure — not just “I’m here if you need me”
• The truth about burnout, corporate buyouts, and imposter syndrome

This episode is a must-listen for early-career veterinarians, practice owners, and vet students who want to build a career that’s sustainable, joyful, and real.

ep. 9

#ReadyVetGo #DrG #VeterinaryMentorship #VetBurnout #VetOwnership #EmotionalIntelligence #VeterinaryLeadership #EarlyCareerVet #VetMedRealTalk #VetStudentLife #VeterinaryPodcast #VetMentalHealth #EmpathyInVetMed #VetLife

Veterinary school graduate Dr. Alex Elizas shares a powerful and candid journey from feeling unprepared, overwhelmed, and nearly quitting veterinary medicine to discovering strength, resilience, and career-saving mentorship.

Facing difficult mentors, surgical nightmares, and professional isolation, Alex reveals how joining Ready Vet Go transformed her confidence, practice, and future.

This honest discussion is a must-watch for vet students, early-career veterinarians, and anyone navigating mentorship challenges in veterinary medicine. Dr. Alex Elizas opens up about the harsh realities faced by new vets, the critical role of mentorship, and how Ready Vet Go saved her veterinary career.

ep. 8

#petmed #vet #ReadyVetGo

In this powerful and refreshingly honest episode of Ready Vet Go, Dr. Dani sits down with Dr. Greg Gstrein—relief veterinarian, business owner, and all-around empathetic powerhouse.

💥 Rejected from vet school multiple times

💥 Learned the hard way how to trust his gut and survive critical mistakes

💥 Built his own relief business from scratch

💥 Mentors teams with compassion, leadership, and some serious X-ray teaching skills

Dr. G doesn’t just talk vet med—he lives it. From his beginnings as a zookeeper to navigating imposter syndrome, tax strategy, and client heartbreak, this episode is packed with wisdom for anyone in veterinary medicine.

📌 What You’ll Learn:

• Why not getting into vet school the first time can actually be a gift
• How early-career vets can survive mentorship gaps
• What relief veterinarians owe their clients and the team
• How to communicate through grief, mistakes, and misdiagnosis
• The power of shared decision-making and empathy in client care
• Business tips for starting your own relief practice
• Why pollinating practices with positivity matters

🐾 Whether you're a vet student, early-career DVM, or exploring relief work, Dr. Gestrin’s journey will resonate, inspire, and educate.

👉 Don't forget to subscribe, like, and share this episode if it speaks to you—or to someone you know who’s feeling alone in this profession.

ep. 7

#ReadyVetGo #ReliefVet #VeterinaryMentorship #VetSchoolJourney #VetLife #VetMedRealTalk #EarlyCareerVet #ImposterSyndrome #SharedDecisionMaking #VeterinaryPodcast #VeterinaryMedicine #VetMentalHealth #VeterinaryMistakes #MentorshipMatters

Welcome to Ready Vet Go, the podcast where we elevate veterinary mentorship one real conversation at a time.

In this powerful episode, Dr. Dani sits down with Dr. Tasha—emergency veterinarian, mentor, and mother—to talk about what it really takes to survive and thrive in veterinary medicine.

💥 From vomiting into a trash bag during her internship while pregnant...

💥 To discovering her passion for organized chaos in emergency vet med...

💥 To owning her mistakes, surviving imposter syndrome, and mentoring the next generation...

Dr. Tasha gets real about what it means to be a resilient, resourceful, and relatable veterinarian today.

Whether you're an early-career DVM, a vet student, or a seasoned pro wondering how to make this career sustainable—this episode is a masterclass in honesty, humility, and hope.

📌 Topics Covered:

• Emergency medicine vs. general practice
• Relief vet lifestyle (and the real challenges behind the glamor)
• Mistakes that changed her career—and why we need M&M Rounds in vet med
• How to ask for help and bounce ideas off colleagues
• In-home euthanasia and rediscovering purpose
• Mentoring with heart, even after burnout

🎧 Ready to feel seen, supported, and inspired? Press play.

👇 And don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode with a fellow vet who needs to hear it.

ep. 6

#ReadyVetGo #VeterinaryMentorship #EmergencyVet #ReliefVet #VetMedLife #VeterinaryMedicine #NewGradVet #VetMom #WomenInVetMed #ImposterSyndrome #MentorshipMatters #VeterinaryPodcast #VetStudentLife #RealTalkVetMed #VeterinaryStudent #VeterinarySchool

This episode of Ready Vet Go hits different. 🎙️

Veterinary student Garth turns the tables and puts podcast host Dr. Dani Rabwin in the hot seat to tackle some of the realest questions about veterinary mentorship, early-career stress, and what it actually means to be ready after vet school.

🔥 What does true mentorship look like—and how do you find it before you graduate?

🔥 What happens when mentorship is promised but never delivered?

🔥 How does Ready Vet Go actually support new grads, and why does it matter now more than ever?

🔥 Why are so many new grads leaving their first job within 12–18 months—and how do we stop it?

🔥 PLUS: Dr. Dani opens up about her own mistakes as a mentor, her biggest lessons learned, and the secret to feedback that doesn’t suck.

This is not your average episode. This is a call to action for every student and early-career veterinarian who’s navigating mentorship, burnout, feedback, and the fear of failure in vet med.

👣 Whether you’re applying for your first job or still in school, this episode gives you a roadmap for building confidence, finding your people, and creating longevity in the profession.

🧠 Topics Covered:

• Finding the right mentor as a student
• Being a strong mentee (and why that matters)
• Red flags in mentorship promises
• The hard truth about early-career attrition
• Creating psychological safety in feedback
• The value of community and shared experience
• How Ready Vet Go actually works—and how to ask your clinic to pay for it

🎓 Vet students, this one’s for you.

🐾 Early-career vets, you’ll feel seen.

💬 Practice owners, take notes.

ep. 5

#ReadyVetGo #VetMentorship #VeterinaryStudent #NewGradVet #VetSchoolLife #MentorshipMatters #VeterinaryPodcast #VetMedCommunity #VeterinaryWellness #EarlyCareerVet #FeedbackCulture #PsychologicalSafety #VeterinaryLeadership #DVM