Many years ago, my wife and I decided to put our kids on the swim team. We wanted them to do something athletic, and I was frankly a little concerned that my oldest daughter seemed deeply opposed to doing anything remotely competitive. She would routinely let people tag her on the playground because “everyone should… Read More
Wellness
When Your World Turns Upside Down
Dr. Ryane Englar is joining me on the podcast today to tell her unique story: What happens when you go blind as a veterinarian? Dr. Englar takes us through the journey, from her first symptoms, to diagnosis, to treatment and transplant, to learning to move through the world differently with a disability. Dr. Englar is… Read More
Making Veterinary Medicine Work for the People Who Do It
Dr. Andy Roark welcomes Dr. Isaac Bott, an Utah practice owner and theriogenologist who works with reindeer, to discuss his run for AVMA president (election July 2027) and the profession’s sustainability challenges. They explore how rising cost of care intersects with the need to pay living wages and retain veterinarians, technicians, and support staff, arguing… Read More
Is It Bad Medicine or Just a Bad Outcome?
Dr. Chad R. Brown, DVM (Purdue), executive director of the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center at Iowa State University, joins Dr. Andy Roark to tackle a gut-punch truth in veterinary medicine: good decisions do not always equal good outcomes, and outcome-based judgment can be brutal on clinicians. They unpack how hindsight bias and outcome bias trick… Read More
Vet Medicine as Dark Comedy
Dr. Steve Deels, a New Zealand emergency veterinarian and career coach, joins Dr. Andy Roark to tackle a familiar gut punch: “you can save a life at 2:00 a.m. and still get a one-star review because the wait was too long.” They dig into dark humor as a healthy coping tool, the unrealistic expectations placed… Read More
Unpopular Opinion: Vet Medicine Gets Better With Time
Everyday there are barrels of virtual ink being spilled on the ills and hardships of veterinary medicine. A lot of this ink is well deserved, and some of it comes directly from me. Veterinary medicine is a difficult, complicated, and rapidly changing profession that can take a toll on those who practice. At the same… Read More