Scrubs, sarcasm, and saving lives — one patient (and cocktail) at a time.
Welcome to Vet Tech Nerd Party — the unfiltered, laugh-out-loud podcast where four seasoned Registered Veterinary Technicians gather 'round the mic (and the drink cart) to spill stories, vent, educate, and celebrate the real, raw, and ridiculous world of veterinary medicine.
Hosted by Mallory Dickinson, RVT, and co-hosted by Jenn, Julia, and Erin, this is more than just a podcast — it's a survival circle for the vet tech soul. With over 80 years of combined experience across general practice, shelter med, equine, surgery, emergency, marine mammal, and teaching, the crew dives deep into everything from burnout and boundaries to maggot-infested nightmares, favorite surgical cases, and the art of not losing your mind during a nail trim.
Whether you’re elbows deep in a parvo kennel, dodging anal glands like a ninja, or just trying to remember what day it is — Vet Tech Nerd Party is your new favorite hangout.
🎧 What to expect:
– Candid convos about the chaos and comedy of vet tech life
– Hot takes on workplace culture, teaching, and mental health
– Brutally honest insights, advice, and war stories
– Ridiculous games, dark humor, and relatable moments
– Guests, giveaways, drinks, and debates
🐾 Who we’re here for:
– Vet techs, assistants, and students
– Animal lovers and pet parents
– Veterinary professionals who need a break — and a laugh
– Anyone who’s ever left a neutered testicle in their bra
– You. Especially if you're not okay — and that’s totally okay.
📍 New episodes drop regularly on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.
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The Admissions Gatekeeper | Delaney on Veterinary Reality vs. Puppy Dreams | Vet Tech Nerd Party
Season 2 · Episode 11
Friday, March 13, 2026 • Duration 55:18
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
Moral Injury vs. Burnout | Dr. G on The Corporate Excel Sheet vs. Vet Med | Vet Tech Nerd Party
Season 2 · Episode 10
Friday, March 6, 2026 • Duration 01:01:31
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
Spilling the Corporate Tea & Corporate Buyouts | Real Vet Life Unfiltered | Vet Tech Nerd Party
Season 2 · Episode 1
Friday, January 2, 2026 • Duration 01:11:04
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
Holiday Chaos in Vet Med | Sweaters, ER Stories, & Real Talk | Vet Tech Nerd Party
Season 1 · Episode 19
Friday, December 19, 2025 • Duration 59:43
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
Ready Vet Go Vet Tech Mentorship Stories Vet Tech Nerd Party Collab
Season 1 · Episode 18
Friday, November 7, 2025 • Duration 01:02:08
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
Vet Tech Appreciation Week Real | Burnout, Raises vs. pizza, Anesthesia Tips | Vet Tech Nerd Party
Season 1 · Episode 17
Monday, October 20, 2025 • Duration 56:09
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 🧪⚙️
From Burnout Signs to Career Wins | Mentorship, Reality Checks & Resilience | Vet Tech Nerd Party
Season 1 · Episode 16
Thursday, September 18, 2025 • Duration 01:00:45
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:
Dr. G on Saving Vet Med | Mentorship, Culture & Mid-Level Debate | Vet Tech Nerd Party
Season 1 · Episode 15
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 • Duration 01:17:09
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
Cheers to the Embarrassment | Mortifying Moments, Poop Prints & Bra-Testicles | Vet Tech Nerd Party
Season 1 · Episode 14
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 • Duration 01:16:04
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
Animal Bite Stories & Vet Tech Scars | Sharks, Rabies, Shelter Chaos | Vet Tech Nerd Party
Season 1 · Episode 13
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 • Duration 01:23:07
Ever had a sea lion bite, a cat claw your forehead, or a shark phobia straight out of vet school nightmares? You're in good company.
Join host Mallory Dickinson RVT and cohosts Erin Jackson RVT, Julia Hamilton RVT, and Jenn Graney RVT for a wildly entertaining episode of Vet Tech Nerd Party.
From bite scars to rabies rants to Shark Week therapy sessions—this one hits hard and heals with humor.
Packed with unfiltered stories, professional wisdom, and absurd trivia (how much does an elephant seal weigh?), this episode is for anyone who's been bit, bruised, or belly-laughed through the wild world of vet med.
🔍 What you'll discover:
🩸 Horrifying and hilarious bite stories: sea lions, cats, German Shepherds
🐱 Why cat bites are sneakier (and more dangerous!) than dog bites
🏥 Shelter medicine chaos & ethical dilemmas with aggressive animals
💉 Rabies vaccine 101 — when, why, and who needs it
🐘 Why elephant seals (8,800 lbs!) are not to be messed with
