The Uncharted Veterinary Podcast
Uncharted Veterinary Community
The Uncharted Veterinary Podcast is for veterinary professionals who want to ace the tough parts of practice that happen daily but don't get discussed. We'll cover topics like how to manage workplace conflict, take exceptional care of pets and people, convince pet owners to follow your advice, have difficult money conversations, survive toxic co-workers and much more. If you want to up your communication, efficiency, management, or marketing skills so you can get more success and enjoyment from…
Recent Episodes
409 - My Friends Won't Stop Asking Me for Veterinary Advice
Jul 15, 2026Dr. Andy Work joins host Marie Parita to discuss the common challenge veterinary professionals face when friends, family, and acquaintances repeatedly ask for free veterinary advice outside of work. The episode explores the tension between compassion and professional boundaries, examining why people ask (trust, access via social media, perception that vets don't charge for advice), and providing actionable strategies to set healthy limits without resentment. Key frameworks include the "5-minute rule," Adam Grant's "give and take" framework, and practical phrases to redirect requests while maintaining relationships.
407 - How To Schedule Recheck Visits
Jul 1, 2026Dr. Andy Rourke discusses strategies for managing recheck appointments in veterinary practices, addressing a common problem where urgent care slots become catch-alls for all appointment types. The conversation explores forward-booking systems, leveraging credentialed technicians for recheck appointments, setting client expectations around continuity of care, and balancing practice capacity with quality medicine. Key topics include reducing veterinarian burnout, implementing technology solutions like AI scribes to monitor capacity, and creating team systems to ensure rechecks are scheduled proactively rather than reactively.
406 - War Against Smoke Breaks
Jun 24, 2026Ron Sosa, a veterinary practice consultant and neurodivergent advocate, joins host Marie Prita to discuss the importance of breaks in veterinary clinics. Drawing from his article "Bring Back Smoke Breaks," Ron explores how eliminating breaks has inadvertently reduced team resilience and psychological safety, while offering practical strategies for implementing break culture in high-pressure veterinary environments. The conversation covers neurodivergent accommodations, leadership communication styles, and operational solutions for maintaining breaks during emergencies.
405 - Frustrated with All The Feelings
Jun 17, 2026Maria Prita hosts a mailbag episode with Dr. Andy Rourke addressing a practice manager or owner frustrated with managing team emotions and interpersonal conflicts that seem to interfere with business performance. The hosts discuss whether emotional management is inherent to leadership, how to distinguish between supporting staff and enabling unhealthy patterns, and provide strategies for coaching teams to manage their own emotions and resolve conflicts without constant escalation to leadership.
404 - How To Let People Go When The Team Likes Them
Jun 10, 2026Maria Parita and Ron Sosa, CVPM and author of Rewriting the Rules, discuss the emotionally difficult process of terminating well-liked team members in veterinary practices. They explore the headspace leaders need to maintain, the balance between empathy and accountability, and how to communicate terminations to remaining staff while protecting confidentiality and minimizing loss of trust. The conversation covers liability considerations, managing personal biases, handling team dynamics and ripple effects post-termination, and what effective leadership in these moments communicates about practice culture.
403 - Should Vets Really Be Involved in Client Finances?
Jun 3, 2026Dr. Andy Rourke discusses his perspective that veterinarians should not be involved in pet owner finances, clarifying that this does not mean withholding care or judgment, but rather avoiding the moral burden of assessing clients' financial situations. The conversation explores how practices can transparently communicate pricing, financing options, service differentiation, and referral pathways to other practices, while maintaining ethical standards and supporting pet owners without judgment.
402 - The Team Doesn't See How We Support Them
May 27, 2026Maria Prita and Dr. Andy Rourke discuss a veterinary practice mailbag from two practice owners who created a culture focused on rescuing people from toxic work environments but are struggling with expectations management when multiple team members pursue education simultaneously. The hosts explore the tension between prioritizing team development and maintaining business needs, analyzing how unclear expectations around educational support have created employee dissatisfaction despite genuine leadership efforts to accommodate schedules.
401 - The Clinic Is Fully Staffed… But Still Completely Overwhelmed
May 20, 2026Dr. Andy Rourke hosts Maria Parita to discuss a common veterinary practice challenge: a fully staffed clinic that remains overwhelmed, with errors occurring despite adequate headcount. The episode explores the distinction between staffing numbers and true operational capacity, examining systems failures, communication breakdowns, and the tension between high-touch client service and high-volume throughput. Rourke provides actionable advice for both individual team members feeling overwhelmed and practice managers trying to diagnose and fix the underlying operational problems.
399 - Selling Your Practice To A Group
May 11, 2026Dr. Mary Sheridan, former co-owner of Winthrop Veterinary Hospital in Maine, discusses her journey selling the practice to Blue River Pet Care after 20 years of ownership. She shares her decision-making process, emphasizing the importance of maintaining practice culture and staff retention, and offers practical advice for veterinarians considering selling their practices, including the value of directly contacting other practices that have gone through similar transactions.
398 - My Boss Makes Me the Bad Guy
May 6, 2026Ron Sosa, a CVPM, joins host Maria Parita to discuss a common practice management challenge: when practice owners enthusiastically announce new initiatives (equipment, raises, benefits) to staff before they're budgeted or approved, leaving the practice manager to deliver bad news and feel like "the bad guy." The episode explores the visionary-vs-implementer dynamic, the importance of shared leadership intention, and practical systems to protect team trust while preserving the owner's inspirational energy.
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