The Uncharted Veterinary Podcast

Recent Episodes

1. 412 - Tech Team Lead Pulled In All Directions

   Aug 5, 2026

   Dr. Andy Roark and Tyler Grogan, CVT, address a mailbag question from a veterinary technician lead struggling with conflicting directives from multiple doctors and unclear expectations. They discuss strategies for distinguishing personal preferences from practice-wide policies, identifying patterns that warrant systemic solutions, managing authority limitations, building trust through servant leadership, and establishing clear communication with practice management through regular check-ins focused on problems, impacts, and proposed solutions.

2. 411 - How Do I Ask For a Raise in This Economy?

   Jul 29, 2026

   Dr. Andy Work joins host Maria Burrita to discuss how veterinary practice managers can effectively ask for salary raises in a challenging economic climate. The episode addresses a practice manager's three-year wait for a raise amid revenue declines from closed services and broader economic pressures, exploring the emotional and strategic dimensions of compensation negotiations while acknowledging the financial constraints facing independent practices.

3. 410 - When Everything Lands on the Medical Director's Desk

   Jul 22, 2026

   Dr. John Yunker, veterinarian and founder of Vet Launch consulting, discusses the common challenge of medical directors becoming decision-making bottlenecks as practices grow. The episode explores how to distinguish between decisions that belong to medical directors versus practice managers, the importance of delegating authority, and practical frameworks for building team ownership through protected admin time, requesting solutions from staff, and structured meetings.

4. 409 - My Friends Won't Stop Asking Me for Veterinary Advice

   Jul 15, 2026

   Dr. Andy Work joins host Marie Parita to discuss the common challenge veterinary professionals face when friends, family, and acquaintances repeatedly ask for free veterinary advice outside of work. The episode explores the tension between compassion and professional boundaries, examining why people ask (trust, access via social media, perception that vets don't charge for advice), and providing actionable strategies to set healthy limits without resentment. Key frameworks include the "5-minute rule," Adam Grant's "give and take" framework, and practical phrases to redirect requests while maintaining relationships.

5. 408 - Empowered or Overstepping? Helping Techs Make Better Decisions

   Jul 8, 2026

   Ron Sosa, CVPM, joins Maria Pirita to discuss how veterinary practices can empower technicians and staff to make confident decisions within their scope of practice without risking patient safety or overstepping into veterinary territory. The conversation explores psychological safety, the difference between training gaps and performance issues, practical decision-mapping strategies, and coaching techniques that build confidence while maintaining accountability.

6. 407 - How To Schedule Recheck Visits

   Jul 1, 2026

   Dr. Andy Rourke discusses strategies for managing recheck appointments in veterinary practices, addressing a common problem where urgent care slots become catch-alls for all appointment types. The conversation explores forward-booking systems, leveraging credentialed technicians for recheck appointments, setting client expectations around continuity of care, and balancing practice capacity with quality medicine. Key topics include reducing veterinarian burnout, implementing technology solutions like AI scribes to monitor capacity, and creating team systems to ensure rechecks are scheduled proactively rather than reactively.

7. 406 - War Against Smoke Breaks

   Jun 24, 2026

   Ron Sosa, a veterinary practice consultant and neurodivergent advocate, joins host Marie Prita to discuss the importance of breaks in veterinary clinics. Drawing from his article "Bring Back Smoke Breaks," Ron explores how eliminating breaks has inadvertently reduced team resilience and psychological safety, while offering practical strategies for implementing break culture in high-pressure veterinary environments. The conversation covers neurodivergent accommodations, leadership communication styles, and operational solutions for maintaining breaks during emergencies.

8. 405 - Frustrated with All The Feelings

   Jun 17, 2026

   Maria Prita hosts a mailbag episode with Dr. Andy Rourke addressing a practice manager or owner frustrated with managing team emotions and interpersonal conflicts that seem to interfere with business performance. The hosts discuss whether emotional management is inherent to leadership, how to distinguish between supporting staff and enabling unhealthy patterns, and provide strategies for coaching teams to manage their own emotions and resolve conflicts without constant escalation to leadership.

9. 404 - How To Let People Go When The Team Likes Them

   Jun 10, 2026

   Maria Parita and Ron Sosa, CVPM and author of Rewriting the Rules, discuss the emotionally difficult process of terminating well-liked team members in veterinary practices. They explore the headspace leaders need to maintain, the balance between empathy and accountability, and how to communicate terminations to remaining staff while protecting confidentiality and minimizing loss of trust. The conversation covers liability considerations, managing personal biases, handling team dynamics and ripple effects post-termination, and what effective leadership in these moments communicates about practice culture.

10. 403 - Should Vets Really Be Involved in Client Finances?

    Jun 3, 2026

    Dr. Andy Rourke discusses his perspective that veterinarians should not be involved in pet owner finances, clarifying that this does not mean withholding care or judgment, but rather avoiding the moral burden of assessing clients' financial situations. The conversation explores how practices can transparently communicate pricing, financing options, service differentiation, and referral pathways to other practices, while maintaining ethical standards and supporting pet owners without judgment.