Vet Life Reimagined

Recent Episodes

1. Own Your Career: Making Intentional Choices in Veterinary Medicine | Dr. Rae Hutchins

   Sep 14, 2026

   Dr. Rae Hutchins, a board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialist turned Chief Veterinary Officer at Wedgewood Pharmacy, discusses how intentional career decisions and self-awareness have shaped her evolution from clinical practice to organizational leadership. The episode explores how she recognized her passion for solving complex problems, established non-negotiable personal boundaries, and maintained her veterinary identity while scaling impact across larger organizations. Hutchins shares practical frameworks like her "circle of control" approach and emphasizes applying the same critical thinking skills veterinarians use with patients to navigate their own career choices.

2. More Than One Educator Path: One Veterinary Technician’s Journey | Mariel Hendricks

   Sep 7, 2026

   Veterinary technician Mariel Hendricks, MVEd, RVTg, FVTE, shares how a major career disappointment—rejection from a VTS in Surgery application—ultimately redirected her toward education, mentorship, and leadership. The episode explores her journey from clinical surgery specialist to educator to COO of Mentor Vet, covering themes of veterinary technician utilization, building trust within teams, mentorship, self-advocacy, and broadening the definition of what it means to be an educator in veterinary medicine.

3. Say "Yes" to Opportunity: Building a Veterinary Career You Never Expected | Dr. Jeffrey Kim

   Aug 31, 2026

   Dr. Jeffrey Kim, a board-certified laboratory animal veterinarian, discusses his unexpected career path after not being admitted to veterinary school on his first attempt. He shares how that detour—including work in research settings and a master's in public health—led him to discover laboratory animal medicine and roles ranging from clinical care to research collaboration with scientists studying infectious disease, cancer, vision, and neuroscience. Beyond his clinical work, Dr. Kim reflects on nine years of involvement in veterinary school admissions, offering insights into what makes strong applications and how to help aspiring veterinarians articulate their candidacy.

4. Making Tough Career Decisions: Vet Surgeon to Nutrition Company (Jolle Kirpensteijn)

   Aug 24, 2026

   Dr. Jolle Kirpensteijn, a veterinary surgeon, professor, and researcher with over 20 years in academic surgical oncology, discusses his unexpected career transition to Hill's Pet Nutrition, where he recently retired. The episode explores his unconventional path from wanting to be a fighter pilot to becoming a pioneer in minimally invasive surgical techniques and surgical oncology, his mentorship philosophy, and his signature "5-year rule" for evaluating career satisfaction. Kirpensteijn also discusses his early adoption of podcasting, co-hosting three veterinary podcasts focused on feline medicine and surgical topics.

5. A Veterinarian's Unplanned Career in Marine Mammal Medicine | Dr. Juli Goldstein

   Aug 17, 2026

   Dr. Juli Goldstein shares her unconventional career path from initially planning zoo medicine to becoming a marine mammal veterinarian, wildlife researcher, Hollywood technical advisor, and now veterinary biotech professional. Over a decade she conducted field research on 400+ wild dolphins, helped rescue and care for Winter and Hope (featured in two Dolphin Tale films), evaluated a Russian military beluga whale in Norway, and worked on multiple film productions. She discusses how staying curious, recognizing unexpected opportunities, and building diverse skills—from small animal medicine to animal hospice and palliative care—created a career unlike any other in veterinary medicine.

6. Biggest Challenges in Pet Care: A Different Vantage Point (Peter Kenseth)

   Aug 10, 2026

   Peter Kenseth, a partner at Maia Strategy and host of the Petworking Podcast, discusses the biggest challenges facing veterinary medicine and animal health from a unique outside perspective. With 15+ years studying the animal health industry while working with Fortune 500 companies, Peter brings cross-industry insights to problems like access to care and economic euthanasia. He founded the Petworking Angel Fund to prevent financial euthanasia and explains how pet insurance, policy changes, and reimagined care models could address systemic barriers to veterinary care.

7. Leadership, Mentorship, and a Lifetime of Giving Back (Dr. Mehdi Mobini)

   Aug 2, 2026

   Dr. Mehdi Mobini, a veterinarian trained in Iran who immigrated to the United States during the 1979 hostage crisis, discusses his nearly 50-year career spanning large animal medicine, small ruminant specialty, veterinary technician program development, and six years on the AVMA Board. The conversation covers his journey from Auburn University through faculty positions at Tuskegee and Fort Valley State University, his pioneering work in sheep and goat medicine in the Southeast, and his sustained advocacy for veterinary technician education, utilization, and career advancement.

8. AVMA Live - Vets Leading Innovation With Natalie Marks

   Jul 27, 2026

   Dr. Natalie Marks, CEO of VAIN (Veterinary Angel Network for Entrepreneurs), discusses how veterinarians can expand their impact beyond clinical practice by participating in innovation, startups, and strategic leadership roles. Recorded live at the AVMA convention, Marks shares her journey from co-owning Chicago's largest small animal practice to becoming a key voice in animal health innovation, emphasizing the concept of "pre-invention" and the critical need for veterinary perspectives in boardrooms and advisory teams where decisions about the future of animal health are made.

9. The Neurologist Who Reimagined Education | Dr. Ryan Gibson on AI, Teaching & Career Fulfillment

   Jul 20, 2026

   Dr. Ryan Gibson is a veterinary neurologist at Auburn University who has reimagined what a neurology career can look like by blending clinical practice, academic education, and consulting. He discusses his journey from discovering neurology during vet school clinics, through private practice, a hand injury that prompted soul-searching, and into academia where he now teaches neuroanatomy, supports veterinarians with non-referral cases via consulting, conducts translational neuroscience research, and leads faculty development workshops on AI and active learning across STEM disciplines.

10. A Veterinary Behaviorist's Unapologetic Guide to Building a Career on Science, Empathy, and Infinite Confidence | Dr. Lisa Radosta

    Jul 13, 2026

    Dr. Lisa Radosta is a board-certified veterinary behaviorist with 26 years of specialty practice experience who discusses her journey from childhood trauma and animal companionship to building a multi-location behavior practice in Southeast Florida. She explores the evolution of her leadership style from purely scientific "frankness" to "frank empathy," her approach to establishing legitimacy for veterinary behavior as a specialty, and her vision for the future of the profession. The episode covers her residency at University of Pennsylvania, entrepreneurial practice-building strategies, her philosophy of mentoring eight residents, and her perspective on how emerging veterinarians are reshaping the profession through humane animal handling and client communication.