Top 9 Veterinarian Podcasts You Should Be Listening To
Keeping pace with veterinary news and continuing education is a priority for all veterinarians. However, learning opportunities like lectures or conferences can be difficult to commit to, due to the time and resources they might require—many veterinarians are already struggling with a hectic daily schedule thanks to the nationwide vet shortage.
That’s where podcasts come in.
Veterinarian podcasts are quickly becoming the go-to option for vets looking to improve their education and stay up-to-date on the latest vet-related news. According to Statista, podcasting is a quickly growing industry—over 81 million people listened to podcasts in 2021, and this number is expected to grow to 200 million by 2024.
Unlike attending a lecture, podcasts can seamlessly fit into the morning commute, grocery shopping, working out, etc. And because podcasts are free, they’re accessible to all vets—whether they’re newly out of school or brushing up on clinical skills after 30 years in the field, there’s something to listen to.
What Makes a Good Veterinarian Podcast? The Winning Formula
What do the best veterinary podcasts have in common? We rank podcasts based on a few different factors.
Quality of content:
Veterinarian podcasts that are well-structured and meticulously researched ensure an engaging show. Regular publishing schedules are important, especially for shows focused on continuing education and veterinary news. Sound quality is also key—a muffled host talking through background noise will be hard to tune in to every week.
Host expertise:
Host expertise shapes the show. Hosts choose the topics to discuss, and great hosts are adept at asking the right questions of their guests—allowing topics to be fully fleshed out.
User reviews:
Ultimately, listeners often provide the best feedback when it comes to figuring out which podcasts are engaging and insightful. The ratings and comments of fellow vets help distinguish the good pods from the great.
In other words: not all podcasts are made equal. Here are 10 of the best veterinarian podcasts, offering everything from clinical tips to advice on maintaining work-life balance.
The Top 9 Veterinarian Podcasts
If you’re looking for a podcast focused on continuing education (and hate the idea of sitting through hours of lectures), Dr. Justine Lee is your girl on VETGirl. Both she and Dr. Garret Pachtinger discuss everything from how to diagnose and manage dogs with cutaneous adverse food reaction (CAFR), to mitral valve disease management. With 614 episodes cataloged, there’s plenty to listen to. This is one of the OG vet podcasts, and Dr. Lee believes in saving lives by learning what’s truly important.
The Uncharted Veterinary Podcast
For veterinarians looking for workplace know-how and advice, The Uncharted Veterinary Podcast bills itself as the place for veterinary professionals “who want to ace the tough parts of practice that happen daily but don’t get discussed.” This includes topics like dealing with veterinary burnout, and whether it makes sense to switch from salary to pro-sal. Host Dr. Andy Roark helps listeners learn how to deal with common workplace issues that all vets struggle with from time to time.
Dr. Andy Roark is a practicing veterinarian and media personality, and his conversational interview style makes these episodes easy to digest. This is a great podcast for continuing education and getting an overview of highly relevant clinical topics. Episode topics range from mastering weight management to discussing how big data can impact the future of veterinary medicine. As one reviewer notes: “Every vet professional needs this in their life!”
VETChat Podcast, founded by Dr. Anthony Chadwick, helps veterinary professionals stay up to date with the latest industry trends. The podcast has featured over 70 guest speakers and leaves no stone unturned—discussing both educational topics like diagnosing subcutaneous and dermal masses, as well as workplace issues, like the mental health challenges veterinarians can face.
There’s a reason this is one of the most popular veterinary podcasts on Spotify! The cat-themed Purr Podcast, hosted by renowned feline medicine expert Dr. Susan Little and Dr. Jolle Kirpensteijn, combines humor with insightful perspectives about veterinary care. Learn more about genetic abnormalities in common cat breeds, as well as social media tips for cat practitioners. This podcast covers it all.
The financial aspects of being a vet aren’t always discussed, yet veterinarian care is often small business care as well. Hosts Tom Seeko and CJ Burnett, founders of Florida Veterinary Advisors, bring their expertise to the podcast space where they discuss both personal and business financial topics for veterinarians. The episodes cover relevant topics like preparing a vet practice for sale and making sure veterinary clinics are properly insured.
EquiManagement’s Disease Du Jour delves into equine research and best practices. Host Kimberly S. Brown is an award-winning equine journalist who walks listeners through topics like equine wobblers syndrome, diagnosing kissing spines, and more. This is a great podcast for any veterinarian looking to sharpen their large animal knowledge.
For those interested in natural health, Australian-based pureANIMAL Collective, hosted by Dr. Sarah Howard, aims to make integrative veterinary medicine accessible to all. The podcast discusses relevant topics like cannabinoid use in pets, animal kinesiology, and veterinary acupuncture.
For the continuing education crowd, Veterinary Vertex (an American Veterinary Medical Association official podcast) is one to bookmark. It’s a veterinary medicine podcast covering clinical and research discoveries published in AJVR and JAVMA. Recently covered topics include uncovering discrepancies in neonatal incubator temperatures, as well as PFAS: using comparative medicine to understand exposure.
A Prescription for Podcasts: Elevate Your Practice of Veterinary Care by Listening In
Veterinarians are lifelong learners—providing the best care for their patients means staying abreast of advancements in care and continuing to hone their knowledge. Whether they’re looking for entertaining veterinary podcasts or information about interesting and unusual cases, podcasts are helping vets learn more about the industry, how to improve their workplace, and the latest techniques—on their own schedule.
If you’re a veterinarian, we recommend checking out some of these podcasts in your free time—you can use an existing music app like Spotify or Amazon, or you can download a free podcast app like Castbox.
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