The Vet Tech Cafe's Podcast Vet Tech Cafe

Caffeinators, it's already May and if you've followed us for a while, you know May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we dedicate our May episodes to mental health issues in our profession. This year, we have two awesome episodes for you-each featuring an RVT, both from Canada, that are pivoting in their careers from clinical medicine to supporting veterinary workers in the area of Mental Health.
First up is Kathleen Dunbar, RVT, VTS(Clinical Practice-C/F). She has a Masters Degree in Social Work and is working to become a veterinary social worker, as she has worked in the mental health field for 25 years alongside her veterinary career. Her passion is death, grief, and end of life support and provides both individual and group support for pet parents and veterinary team members throughout the east coast of Canada. This was a fascinating and thought-provoking discussion you don't want to miss!
 
Show Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleenmadunbar/?originalSubdomain=ca
https://www.mcha.ns.ca/
https://www.carnegyanimalhospital.com/
 
Our Links:
Check out our sponsor https://betterhelp.com/vettechcafe for 10% off your first month of therapy
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vettechcafe
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vettechcafepodcast
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vet-tech-cafe
Like and Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMDTKdfOaqSW0Mv3Uoi33qg
Our website: https://www.vettechcafe.com/
Vet Tech Cafe Merch: https://www.vettechcafe.com/merch
If you would like to help us cover our podcast expenses, we'd appreciate any support you give through Patreon. We do this podcast and our YouTube channel content to support the veterinary technicians out there and do not expect anything in return! We thank you for all you do. 🐾
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vettechcafe
Dog Days Consulting Social Media Management - https://dogdaysconsulting.com/

Caffeinators, pack your bags and fasten your seatbelts. We're going to where the water spins backwards. We're headed back to the Southern Hemisphere, specifically New Zealand! We met a wonderful Kiwi at IVECCS last year, Ashleigh Walsh, at the AVECCTN pinning ceremony. When we learned she was there from New Zealand we knew we had to have her on as a guest. It took until THIS WEEK to figure out the logistics as she's 19 hours and 16 hours ahead of Jeff and Dave, respectively. What an awesome conversation! We learned some things that blew our minds-did you know New Zealand doesn't have snakes? We talked so much about what it looks like to become an RVN in New Zealand, the fact that Ashleigh is the FIRST VTS(ECC) there, the profession and so much more. This episode is so much fun. Come for her accent, stay for her knowledge. We really enjoyed this one and we hope you do too!
 
Show Links: 
https://arcvets.co.nz/
 
Our Links:
Check out our sponsor https://betterhelp.com/vettechcafe for 10% off your first month of therapy
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vettechcafe
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vettechcafepodcast
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vet-tech-cafe
Like and Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMDTKdfOaqSW0Mv3Uoi33qg
Our website: https://www.vettechcafe.com/
Vet Tech Cafe Merch: https://www.vettechcafe.com/merch
If you would like to help us cover our podcast expenses, we'd appreciate any support you give through Patreon. We do this podcast and our YouTube channel content to support the veterinary technicians out there and do not expect anything in return! We thank you for all you do. 🐾
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vettechcafe
Dog Days Consulting Social Media Management - https://dogdaysconsulting.com/

We got lots to talk about in this Taproom Episode!  We've got outside sources criticizing our profession and we think you know who we're talking about.  We also dive into the concept of CPR/DNR policies  What is your hospital's CPR policy?  When do you bring that up with the client?  Do you have a flat fee for CPR? Who has that discussion with the owner?  Let us know in the comments!

Caffeinators, are you ready to have your mind blown?
We've long thought it's time to rethink veterinary technician education, and many out there agree. Thankfully, Jennifer Gunther is someone that is out there doing it. She's been an educator at Denver Community College's vet tech program for 20+ years, and they have recently started an apprenticeship program that exists separately and in addition to their standard, 2 year AVMA accredited program.
But here's the deal: It's not an alternate route/alternate pathway. They still graduate with a 2 year degree, it's still AVMA approved, they just work 30 hours a week at an approved hospital and do the education part remotely. Jennifer discusses all the ins and outs of an apprenticeship program, and the hoops they had to go through with the US Department of Labor to get approval, along with vetting the hospitals and applicants, and SO MUCH MORE.
She talks challenges and the uniqueness of the program-it is the FIRST and ONLY so far in the US! Is this the future of veterinary technician education? Take a listen and let us know what you think.
 
Show Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-gunther-a2556b110/
https://www.ccd.edu/
 
Our Links:
Check out our sponsor https://betterhelp.com/vettechcafe for 10% off your first month of therapy
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vettechcafe
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vettechcafepodcast
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vet-tech-cafe
Like and Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMDTKdfOaqSW0Mv3Uoi33qg
Our website: https://www.vettechcafe.com/
Vet Tech Cafe Merch: https://www.vettechcafe.com/merch
If you would like to help us cover our podcast expenses, we'd appreciate any support you give through Patreon. We do this podcast and our YouTube channel content to support the veterinary technicians out there and do not expect anything in return! We thank you for all you do. 🐾
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vettechcafe
Dog Days Consulting Social Media Management - https://dogdaysconsulting.com/

Caffeinators, have you ever thought about what it would be like to be a traveling veterinary technician? Maybe have a home base, but otherwise constantly on the road traveling to all corners of the US and working relief? Then have we got an episode for you!
Our friend Simon Chavez recently stopped by one of our locations-it may have been Chicago, Boston, or Anchorage, we're not sure-but we had a very interesting conversation on what life and a career look like as a locum technician! We talked about how Simon built his network of hospitals he does most of his relief at, how he builds his schedule, getting started, taxes, travels, licensing, all of it.
We literally circled the map in this discussion, and we're sure that in the time since we recorded this episode, Simon has re-circled the US again as well! Oh, and we also talk about his traveling sidekick, Bruce Wayne!
 
Show Links:
https://www.mspca.org/medical-centers/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-chavez-4b071436/
 
Our Links:
Check out our sponsor https://betterhelp.com/vettechcafe for 10% off your first month of therapy
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vettechcafe
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vettechcafepodcast
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vet-tech-cafe
Like and Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMDTKdfOaqSW0Mv3Uoi33qg
Our website: https://www.vettechcafe.com/
Vet Tech Cafe Merch: https://www.vettechcafe.com/merch
If you would like to help us cover our podcast expenses, we'd appreciate any support you give through Patreon. We do this podcast and our YouTube channel content to support the veterinary technicians out there and do not expect anything in return! We thank you for all you do. 🐾
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vettechcafe
Dog Days Consulting Social Media Management - https://dogdaysconsulting.com/

Hello from Phoenix!  Our second "staff meeting" trip to Phoenix.  We recap our trip and have a discussion about "Things we don't do anymore".