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. 

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!

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? 

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. 

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.  

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. 

Being a veterinary client or patient in the human healthcare system can, well, suck! Why is client and patient service often underwhelming, rushed, and, insensitive in the medical professions? Hosts Drs. Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney along with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor share some of their most terrible medical appointment stories, common mistakes made in veterinary client service, and tips for making your team better. In this week's episode you'll also learn why Dr. Ward started giving money to his clients over 20 years ago and how any team can change their mindset with a few simple mental tricks. Join the conversation and share your thoughts on Facebook/VeterinaryViewfinder and Twitter @VetViewfinder.

Chances are, you’ve got plenty of people to thank for helping you attain the goal of working in the veterinary profession. Host veterinarians, Drs. Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney, along with registered veterinary technician, Beckie Mossor, share the tales of who mentored them, what mentoring means to them, and how you can become an effective mentor in your clinic. Dr. Ward frankly discusses why many veterinary clinics don’t hire high school students or participate in veterinary school externship programs. The panel shares the ways mentoring has positively impacted their lives and how to find — and become — the best mentor. Finally, the trio ask if virtual or online mentorship counts? What role does social media, internet, books, podcasts, and more play in shaping and developing our careers and professional lives?

You know the saying, “You can’t please everybody?” Well, it’s true. Unfortunately, most veterinary healthcare professionals are pleasers by nature and try to please everybody all of the time, resulting in big problems. This week, host veterinarians Dr. Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney along with registered veterinary technician, Beckie Mossor, talk with Dr. Cherie Buisson about Imposter Syndrome in the veterinary profession. What exactly is “Imposter Syndrome,” how can you tell if you have it, simple steps to overcome it, and how to help those experiencing Imposter Syndrome in your clinic. The quartet also explores the problems with trying to please everybody - colleagues, bosses, and clients - and how to take, and give, constructive feedback. Join the conversation and share your thoughts on Facebook/VeterinaryViewfinder and Twitter @VetViewfinder.   

What do you do when you’re asked to do something unethical, immoral, illegal, or just plain weird in veterinary practice? What if it’s your boss, manager, or co-worker who asks you to do — or don’t do — something that makes you uncomfortable? Hosts Drs. Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor tackle the tough topic of responding to these challenging scenarios in this week’s podcast.

Medical mistakes are estimated to result in over 250,000 human deaths in the U.S. each year. What about in veterinary medicine? What types of medical mistakes do we commonly encounter in our animal patients?  What are steps we can do prevent medical mistakes and how should a veterinary clinic team respond when mistakes are made? Host veterinarians Drs. Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney along with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor discuss real-world problems, their experiences, and offer suggestions and advice on avoiding medical mistakes in your clinic. Dr. Ward also shares a unique program from Australia to help you reduce medical errors.

This week our hosts discuss how should veterinary professionals work with other pet care providers? Drs. Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney along with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor contemplate the roles and responsibilities veterinarians and veterinary technicians have when referring to pet care individuals such as trainers, groomers, pet sitters, and boarding facilities. What should the veterinary profession do about unlicensed, non-credentialed, uneducated individuals offering advice on animal care? How can we determine which non-veterinary providers are safe for our patients and clients? How can we foster collaboration between veterinary professionals and everyone else? As Dr. Ward states, “This is an incredibly important topic that touches us all.”