Why do some vet techs thrive in corporate while others run straight back to private practice?

In Part 2 of this conversation, host Mallory Dickinson joins Jenn, Julia, and Erin to continue unpacking the real differences between corporate and private veterinary medicine. Building on the stories, frustrations, and laughs from Part 1, this episode dives deeper into leadership breakdowns, employee treatment, burnout triggers, and the surprising culture shifts that happen when ownership changes hands.

Packed with chaos, candid storytelling, clinical insight, and hard-earned wisdom, this episode is the perfect follow-up for anyone navigating the realities of working in today’s vet med world.

🎧 What you'll discover:

– How corporate vs. private leadership actually impacts team morale

– Why mentorship, structure, and trust matter more than written protocols

– The relationship between burnout, underutilization, and pay ceilings

– How “family-style” private practices differ from corporate HR systems

– What new grads should look for when choosing their first clinic

🐾 Who will love this episode:

– Veterinary technicians & assistants

– Animal lovers & pet owners

– Veterinary students & recent graduates

– Vet med professionals seeking humor & community

– Anyone deciding between corporate and private practice

🎬 Timestamps:

00:00 – Cold open chaos: “Are you not entertained?” & spritzers

05:15 – Corporate pros: benefits, CE, equipment & real HR vs. private gray areas

10:02 – Protocols, “recipes,” and when critical thinking actually matters

17:04 – Private practice realities: owner illness, family stress & spillover into staff

24:03 – Title protection debates, OTJ “techs,” and scope-of-practice fights

29:01 – RVT exams, alternate route war stories & imposter syndrome

42:09 – Pay, burnout, multiple jobs & why techs stay too long in bad situations

52:57 – ESOP and employee-owned models: profit sharing, shares & a better path forward

1:10:38 – Corporate vs. private for newbies: how to choose your first clinic

1:13:44 – Final thoughts, bathroom-cry confessions & closing cheers

🔔 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, Episode 2

#VetTech #VetLife #VetTechNerdParty

What really happens when a thriving private veterinary hospital gets bought out by a corporation? Join host Mallory Dickinson and co-hosts Jenn, Julia, and Erin for the explosive Season 2 premiere of Vet Tech Nerd Party. In this brutally honest episode, the crew finally spills the tea on their clinic’s corporate buyout — the shocking mismanagement, emotional fallout, and lessons every vet pro should hear.

Packed with laughs, jaw-dropping stories, and heartfelt reflections, this episode is a must-listen for vet techs, animal lovers, and anyone navigating the changing world of veterinary medicine.

🎧 What you’ll discover:

– The inside story of a real-life corporate takeover in vet med

– How decades-long family clinics are vanishing overnight

– Why leadership failures destroy staff morale and client trust

– The emotional toll on teams when hospitals lose their identity

🐾 Who will love this episode: – Veterinary technicians & assistants

– Animal lovers & pet owners – Veterinary students & recent graduates

– Vet med professionals seeking humor & community

– Anyone curious about the future of private veterinary practice

🎬 Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro + Season 2 kickoff

01:00 – Catching up after summer break & Beerfest stories

02:10 – The truth about our hospital’s corporate buyout

06:00 – How a pillar of the community fell apart

10:00 – What happened when ownership changed hands

17:00 – Staff walkouts & clients noticing the shift

25:00 – Controlled drugs and chaos behind the scenes

35:00 – Losing trust and watching a legacy fade

47:00 – The final days and closing the doors for good

59:00 – Corporate vet takeovers by the numbers

1:09:00 – Looking ahead to Part 2 (corporate vs private)

🔔 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. 1

#VetTech #VeterinaryPodcast #VetTechNerdParty

Is the day after a holiday the real emergency season?

Join host Mallory Dickinson and co-hosts Jenn, Julia, and Erin for a festive, chaotic, and surprisingly real holiday episode of Vet Tech Nerd Party—ugly sweaters, clinic holiday schedules, post-holiday ER stories, and the behind-the-scenes realities vet teams face this time of year.

Packed with laughs, relatable moments, and hard-earned perspective, this one’s for vet techs, animal lovers, and everyone who’s ever said “they were fine yesterday…”

🎧 What you'll discover:

– How clinics actually split holiday shifts (and why it gets messy)

– The real “holiday surge”: pancreatitis, foreign bodies, chocolate toxicity, and more

– Why the day after the holiday is often worse than the holiday itself

– The emotional side of the season: euthanasia, finances, and compassion fatigue

🐾 Who will love this episode:

– Veterinary technicians & assistants

– Animal lovers & pet owners

– Veterinary students & recent graduates

– Vet med professionals seeking humor & community

– Anyone surviving holiday chaos with pets at home

🎬 Timestamps:

00:00 – Ugly sweaters, holiday drinks, and “Christmasified” intros

04:45 – Holiday clinic scheduling: sign-ups, trades, and fairness drama

10:15 – The real surge: why the days after holidays hit hardest

15:40 – Post-holiday cases: ornaments, tinsel, and foreign bodies

21:10 – Pancreatitis season: prime rib, grease trays, and trash raids

27:10 – Out-of-town emergencies + why holiday clients can be extra stressed

33:40 – The heavy reality: euthanasia spikes, waiting for family, and money pressure

40:15 – Holiday hazards: chocolate toxicity, tree water, lights, and mouth burns

46:30 – Pets as gifts: what not to do + worst “starter pets” for kids

52:10 – Mini science break: why pets act insane during the holidays + guest chaos stories

58:55 – Festivus wrap-up, final story, and goodbye to the year

🔔 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 1, Ep. 19

#VetTech #VetMedHumor #VetTechNerdParty

What happens when Vet Tech Nerd Party teams up with Ready Vet Go?

Join hosts & RVTs Mallory Dickinson, Julia Hamilton, and Jenn Graney for a Season 2 kickoff collab that dives deep into mentorship, burnout, and the unique partnership between veterinarians and RVTs.

With Ready Vet Go’s founder Dr. Dani Rabwin, DVM, this episode blends humor, honesty, and expert insights on how mentorship can transform veterinary medicine.

Whether you’re a vet tech, student, or seasoned vet, this collab brings laughs, truths, and encouragement to everyone in the field.

🎧 What you'll discover:

• How Ready Vet Go is changing mentorship for new vets nationwide
• The real impact of burnout (and how to survive it)
• Why techs are essential mentors to veterinarians, too
• Laughter, cocktails, and the messy but beautiful side of VetMed

🐾 Who will love this episode:

• Veterinary technicians & assistants
• Veterinary students & recent graduates
• Veterinarians seeking mentorship and team support
• Animal lovers & pet owners curious about vet life
• Vet Med pros who need humor and community

🎬 Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Welcome back to VTNP Season 2 🎉
• 00:16 – VTNP x Ready Vet Go collab kicks off
• 03:20 – Bloody Mary garnishes gone wild (beef jerky straw?!)
• 06:00 – Mentorship that flows both ways: vets & techs
• 10:30 – Burnout in vet med: the hard truths
• 18:00 – New grads entering real-world clinics
• 25:00 – Learning from mistakes & sharing them openly
• 33:40 – Why RVTs are vital to mentorship in clinics
• 46:00 – Rekindling joy when instructors lose the spark
• 56:00 – Science break: mentorship literally rewires the brain
• 1:00:30 – Wrap-up & future field trip collab plans

🔔 Stay Connected:

• Like this video if you laughed or learned something new!
• Drop your questions or 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:

• Ready Vet Go: https://www.readyvetgo.com
• AAEVT: https://www.aaevt.org

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

📸 Follow us: @Pacific.Lens.Studios

📥 Contact: info@pacificlensstudios.com

Season 1 Ep. 18

#VetTech #VeterinaryPodcast #VetTechNerdParty

Glitter spritzers & real talk. Join host Mallory Dickinson, RVT with cohosts Erin Jackson, RVT, Julia Hamilton, RVT, and Jenn Graney, RVT for a special Vet Tech Appreciation Week episode of Vet Tech Nerd Party. We unpack the controversy around Tech Week, what real appreciation looks like (beyond pizza), and swap the moments that turned us from baby techs into leaders. We also dive into anesthesia essentials (warming, monitoring, recovery) and why restraint done right changes everything 💪🐾.

What you’ll discover:

– Why Tech Week gets pushback—and how to reframe it without diluting the RVT role 🎯

– “Raises vs. cupcakes”: what meaningful appreciation looks like (staffing 👥, time ⏱️, tools 🧰, pay 💵)

– Burnout drivers & utilization: why many techs leave in the first five years and how to fix it 🔥➡️🌱

– Anesthesia must-knows: hypothermia risk 🥶

– Monitoring priorities 📈

– Patient vitals vs. machine 🐶⚖️🖥️

– Case talk: ADR cats 🚫🐈

– Blocked toms 🚫🐈

– Triage instincts 🚑

– What great restraint really does 🦴

– Mentorship & imposter syndrome: going from “I need an adult” to being the adult 🙋‍♀️➡️🧑‍🏫

– Relief vs. GP vs. specialty: where techs thrive and how protocols translate 🏥🔄

Who will love this episode:

– Vet techs (students to seasoned) 🧑‍🎓🧑‍⚕️

– Veterinary assistants and RVT educators 📚

– DVMs & practice leaders aiming to utilize techs at top of license 🩺📋

– Shelter teams seeking practical anesthesia & workflow wins 🧪⚙️

– GP teams seeking practical anesthesia & workflow wins 🧪⚙️

– Specialty teams seeking practical anesthesia & workflow wins 🧪⚙️

– Animal lovers curious about the real work behind great veterinary care 🐕🐈❤️

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 to never miss an episode.

Welcome to the Nerd Party. We’re not okay—and that’s totally okay 🧠💙.

Resources Mentioned:

– NAVTA burnout/utilization reports 📄

– Warming & recovery best practices from your clinic SOPs 🧣📝

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

Follow us: @Pacific.Lens.Studios 📸

Contact: mallory@pacificlensstudios.com 📬

ep. 17

#vettech #veterinarytechnician #rvt #cvta

Two RVTs told me, “Don’t get into this field.” Here’s why I didn’t listen.

Join host Mallory Dickinson, RVT and cohosts Erin Jackson, RVT, Julia Hamilton, RVT, and Jenn Graney, RVT for a raw and relatable conversation with special guest Sarah—a vet tech student navigating the early stages of her career.

From jaded mentors to dream externships , corporate vs. private culture, and the financial realities of pet ownership, this episode blends humor , honesty , and heart.

Packed with laughs 🤣, real-life stories 📖, and professional insight 🩺, this episode is perfect for vet techs, animal lovers 🐾, and anyone curious about what it really takes to thrive in veterinary medicine.

🎧 What You’ll Discover:

• 🐾 What happens when your mentors warn you not to join the field
• 🏢➡️🏡 How corporate and private practices differ in culture & client care
• 💸 The financial realities of owning pets—even for veterinary pros
• 🤝 Why mentorship can make or break your start in vet med
• 🕰️ The golden age of vet med—and whether it can return
• 💪 How resilience and curiosity can keep your career growing

👥 Who Will Love This Episode:

• 🎓 Vet tech students & recent grads
• 👩‍⚕️ Early-career RVTs and veterinary assistants
• 🔄 Anyone exploring a career change into vet med
• 🐕🐈 Animal lovers curious about the behind-the-scenes reality
• 📚 Educators, mentors, and clinic managers

💬 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 🍏 | All Major Platforms

📲 Follow us: @Pacific.Lens.Studios

📧 Contact: mallory@pacificlensstudios.com

Ep. 16

#VetTechNerdParty #PacificLens #VetTechLife #VetTechStudent #VetTechCareer #VeterinaryPodcast #VeterinaryMedicine #VetTech #VetTechnician #VetMedLife #VetMedProblems #VetMed #VetTechHumor #VetTechStories #VetLife #VeterinaryAssistant #VetTechSchool #VetTechCommunity #AnimalCare #PetCare #AnimalHealth #VeterinaryCareers #VetMedSupport #VetMedReality

How do we fix burnout in vet med—without losing the soul of the profession?

Join host Mallory Dickinson and co-hosts Jenn, Julia, and Erin with special guest Dr. G (retired DVM, MBA, DBA candidate) for a lively deep-dive into culture, mentorship, emotional labor, mid-level debates, and why job descriptions matter more than you think.

Packed with hard truths, humor, and clinic stories (including gear-fail confessions), this one’s for every vet pro who still loves the work.

🎧 What you’ll discover:

• Why culture beats spreadsheets (and clients can smell fake smiles)
• Mentorship that sticks: trust, training, and letting techs lead
• Shared mental models: the science behind fewer errors & less stress
• Mid-level practitioner debate + the RVT hours shake-up
• Vet school expansion, corporate influence, and “follow the money”
• Real talk on work–life balance, job descriptions, and sustainability
• Spay/neuter chat: 120-lb dogs, lap vs. open, and shelter realities

🐾 Who will love this episode:

• Veterinary technicians & assistants
• Animal lovers & pet owners
• Veterinary students & recent graduates
• Vet med pros craving community, candor, and a laugh

🎬 Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Cold open chaos & intro to Ep. 15
• 00:41 – Meet Dr. G: career arc, retirement, MBA/DBA and the why behind attrition
• 06:15 – Culture over spreadsheets: mentorship, trust, and emotional labor 101
• 12:40 – Origin stories: how the team met G and empowering techs to lead
• 19:55 – Equipment oops with grace: ultrasound smoke, chargers and learning culture
• 26:20 – Mini Science Break: shared mental models = fewer errors, less stress
• 32:45 – Mid-Level Practitioner debate and RVT hours cut proposal (2,000 vs 4,400)
• 42:30 – Vet schools, AVMA and corporate influence—plus why job descriptions matter
• 1:00:40 – Spay/neuter talk: 120-lb dogs, lap vs open, shelter realities
• 1:15:30 – Shirts, CO story, Mexico house, final toast and outro

🔔 Stay Connected:

• Like this video if you picked up something useful.
• Drop questions or your clinic stories in the comments.
• Subscribe & hit the bell so you don’t miss an episode.

Welcome to the Nerd Party. We’re not okay — and that’s totally okay.

📚 Resources Mentioned:

• Dr. G’s DVM Survey → https://vetmedit.com/dvm-survey
• VetMedHQ

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

📸 Follow us: @Pacific.Lens.Studios

📥 Contact: info@pacificlensstudios.com

Ep. 15

#VeterinaryMentorship #VetMedDebate #VetTechNerdParty

What happens when a clinic mascot becomes a little too chill?

Join host Mallory Dickinson and co-hosts Jenn, Julia, and Erin for a wild, laugh-out-loud episode of Vet Tech Nerd Party as they swap unforgettable stories from the treatment floor — including the infamous Drug Pug.

From bizarre pet names and unpredictable patients to behind-the-scenes hilarity, this episode captures the chaotic, heartwarming, and downright weird side of vet med life.

Packed with relatable moments and hard-earned wisdom, it’s a must-listen for anyone in the animal care world.

🎧 What you'll discover:

• The unforgettable tale of Drug Pug
• Weirdest client requests and pet names
• How to survive the chaos of back-to-back emergencies
• Why laughter might be the best medicine in vet med
• Balancing patient care with mental health in high-stress shifts

🐾 Who will love this episode:

• Veterinary technicians & assistants
• Animal lovers & pet owners
• Veterinary students & recent graduates
• Vet med professionals seeking humor & community
• Anyone who’s ever worked in animal care or wants a peek behind the scenes

🎬 Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Welcome to Vet Tech Nerd Party & meet the Drug Pug
• 02:10 – The backstory of the clinic’s most relaxed patient
• 06:42 – Funniest (and strangest) pet names heard in the clinic
• 12:55 – Managing chaos when emergencies stack up
• 17:40 – When laughter saved the day in stressful moments
• 22:03 – Balancing client expectations with patient needs
• 26:17 – Quick-fire treatment floor stories
• 31:15 – Times when animals outsmarted the staff
• 37:42 – Camaraderie and support in the vet tech community
• 42:56 – Closing thoughts on finding joy in the chaos

🔔 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

Ep. 14

#VetMedHumor #FunnyVetStories #VetTechNerdParty