Are you joining vet med for the puppies, or are you ready for the "unhinged" reality?

Join host Mallory Dickinson and co-hosts Jenn and Julia for a bittersweet and insightful episode of Vet Tech Nerd Party as they sit down with our very own "Golden Goose," Delaney Knipps. As she prepares to transition from her role as Admissions Coordinator at OCVAS to a career in athletic mental performance, Delaney pulls back the curtain on what it’s really like to be the first point of contact for aspiring vet techs.

From "luring" students into the field to dealing with the emotional fallout of behavioral euthanasia, this episode explores the messy, beautiful, and often chaotic gap between expectation and reality in veterinary medicine.

🎧 What you'll discover:

– The "Unhinged" Factor: Why the best vet techs usually have a touch of chaos in them.

– Admissions Truth-Telling: How Delaney balances marketing the school with giving students a "naked truth" reality check.

– Cognitive Dissonance in Vet Med: A mini science break on why the gap between expectation and reality causes early career burnout.

– The Ex-Girlfriend Chronicles: A wild (and cautionary) tale of how a lack of pet owner responsibility can lead to tragedy.

🐾 Who will love this episode:

– Veterinary technicians & assistants

– Animal lovers & pet owners

– Veterinary students & recent graduates

– Vet med professionals seeking humor & community

– Aspiring career changers looking for a realistic view of the industry

🎬 Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro: Meet our "Golden Goose," Delaney Knipps

06:05 – The Admissions Filter: Identifying "Puppy & Kitten" syndrome

13:18 – Alternative Routes: Explaining the OCVAS pathway to licensure

18:10 – Small World: Growing up down the street from Dr. G

23:04 – Practical Chaos: Using QR codes and navigating "administrative" questions

28:40 – The "Ex-Girlfriend" Chronicles: Cautionary tales of pet negligence

35:41 – VMD vs. DMV: Why Penn State is the outlier in vet degrees

41:14 – Mini Science Break: Cognitive Dissonance in early vet careers

45:12 – The Future of Vet Med: Resilience vs. Work-Life Balance

53:56 – Closing Thoughts: Changing the culture we’ve built

🔔 Stay Connected:

– Like this video if you learned something new!

– Drop your questions or share your clinic stories in the comments.

– Subscribe & hit the bell icon to never miss an episode.

Welcome to the Nerd Party. We're not okay – and that's totally okay.

📚 Resources Mentioned:

– OC Veterinary Assistant School (OCVAS): ocvas.com

– Educational Psychology & Athletic Mental Performance Consulting

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

📸 Follow us: @Pacific.Lens.Studios

📥 Contact: info@pacificlensstudios.com

Season 2 Ep. 11

#VetTechLife #VetTechNerdParty #OCVAS

Is it burnout, or are you actually suffering from moral injury?

Join host Mallory Dickinson and co-hosts Jenn and Julia as they welcome back the "big guy," Dr. Gershon Alaluf (Dr. G), for a deep dive into the psychological toll of modern veterinary medicine. Fresh off a massive research project involving over 3,200 surveys, Dr. G pulls back the curtain on his findings regarding emotional labor and the corporate "numbers game."

From the "Sunday Scaries" to the heartbreaking reality of veterinary suicide, this episode explores why the "gold standard" of care often clashes with the cold reality of Excel spreadsheets.

🎧 What you'll discover:

– Moral Injury Defined: Why doing something against your oath is different from just being "tired."

– The Client Factor: Why emotional labor scales are driven almost entirely by client interactions, not the medicine.

– Cortisol & the Brain: How chronic stress creates irreversible changes similar to CTE in athletes.

– The Corporate Critique: A raw look at how KPIs and ACT numbers are driving talented professionals out of the industry.

🐾 Who will love this episode:

– Veterinary technicians & assistants

– Animal lovers & pet owners

– Veterinary students & recent graduates

– Vet med professionals seeking humor & community

– Practice managers & owners interested in team culture

🎬 Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro: Mental health disclaimer and the "Big Guy" returns

07:11 – Defining Moral Injury: The soldier’s trauma in the vet clinic

14:22 – Luxury Items: Why pet ownership in a recession is a "moral injury" catalyst

21:50 – The Dark Side: Suicide prevention and the "Allostatic Load" on the brain

30:29 – Sustainability: Is the profession losing its best people?

34:42 – The "Dr. G Is Me" Saga: Email nightmares and joint-account tangents

43:23 – Vegas vs. Orlando: A breakdown of VMX, WVC, and corporate "Trump Towers"

46:50 – The Practice Manager Encounter: Finding closure after a corporate firing

51:28 – The Hill We Die On: Retractable leashes, shelter chances, and cat intubation

59:02 – Final Words: Corporate "Excel" culture and the impact on families

🔔 Stay Connected:

– Like this video if you learned something new!

– Drop your questions or share your clinic stories in the comments.

– Subscribe & hit the bell icon to never miss an episode.

Welcome to the Nerd Party. We're not okay – and that's totally okay.

📚 Resources Mentioned:

– 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988lifeline.org

– QPR Training: qprinstitute.com

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

📸 Follow us: @Pacific.Lens.Studios

📥 Contact: info@pacificlensstudios.com

Season 2 Ep. 10

#VetTechLife #MoralInjury #VetMed #VetTechNerdParty #DrG

What career paths exist for RVTs outside the clinic? Is pet insurance a smart pivot for vet techs ready for something different?

Join host Mallory Dickinson and co-hosts Jenn, Julia & special guest Phil Snow, RVT for a hilarious, engaging episode of Vet Tech Nerd Party as they unpack real-life burnout, the pivot into pet insurance, teaching as a way to give back, and the wild behind-the-scenes story of how a locked-door school shutdown helped spark OC Veterinary Assistant School.

Packed with laughs, relatable insights, and professional wisdom, this episode is perfect for vet techs, animal lovers, and veterinary professionals alike.

🎧 What you'll discover:

– VTNE vs California exam reality + why testing strategy matters long-term

– Burnout even in “great clinics”: emotional drain, hypervigilance, and the silent drive home

– Pet insurance as a pivot: what claim work/training is actually like (and why techs love it)

– How teaching started immediately after licensure — and how it shaped Phil’s career path

– The Heritage shutdown story, the 90/10 rule, and how they got students through anyway

– Building OC Veterinary Assistant School + accidental SEO win + expanding into Lake Forest

– Phil’s best advice for techs: perseverance, durability, and not quitting over one bad moment

🐾 Who will love this episode:

– Veterinary technicians & assistants

– Animal lovers & pet owners

– Veterinary students & recent graduates

– Vet med professionals seeking humor & community

– Techs considering leaving clinics but wanting to stay in vet med (insurance, teaching, training)

– Anyone curious how vet tech programs and licensing pathways actually work behind the scenes

🎬 Timestamps:

00:00 – Part 2 kickoff + VTNE vs California exam talk (and why some techs had to re-test)

06:30 – “Unicorn clinic” reality check: management pressure + burnout still happens

13:30 – Hypervigilance at home + emotional exhaustion (silent drive home vibes)

20:30 – Bernie stories: foreign bodies, “bad dogs,” and clinic culture memory lane

27:00 – Pivot to pet insurance: VPI/Nationwide, trainer life, and why some techs thrive there 33:30 – Teaching right after licensure + interview/CPR presentation story

39:30 – Heritage campus shutdown: locked doors, 90/10 rule, and finishing students anyway

46:00 – Launching OC Veterinary Assistant School + naming/SEO luck + expansion to Lake Forest

51:30 – Closing advice: perseverance, staying flexible, and the crew’s sendoff

🔔 Stay Connected:

– Like this video if you learned something new!

– Drop your questions or share your clinic stories in the comments.

– Subscribe & hit the bell icon to never miss an episode.

Welcome to the Nerd Party. We're not okay – and that's totally okay.

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

📸 Follow us: @Pacific.Lens.Studios

📥 Contact: info@pacificlensstudios.com

Season 2 Ep. 9

#VetTechNerdParty #PetInsurance #VTNP #VetTech #RVT