“As vet techs/veterinarians, we do have a personal responsibility for setting boundaries, finding resources, and doing what we need to take care of ourselves.” Jenn chats with a very special guest for this episode, Dr. Katie Krothapalli. A former veterinary practitioner and Veterinary Medical Officer for the U.S. Army, Dr. Krothapalli now serves as Director of Healthcare Education at Edcetera, a leading provider of professional development and continued education resources and parent company of Vetcetera.
She discusses how a critical turning point led her to this current role and how she is using her experience to help others in the veterinary field. She also touches on the challenges veterinary professionals face, particularly in the wake of the pandemic, how creating space for a mental health dialogue in veterinary medicine will help push the industry forward and so much more.
Show Notes
00:00 Dr. Katie Krothrapalli introduces herself, detailing her trajectory to becoming a veterinarian and creating Vet Cetera, a community for veterinarian professionals – all while dealing with animal allergies
5:02 Dr. Krothrapalli discusses some of the unexpected challenges she faced in the veterinarian profession regarding medical responsibility, financial struggles with patient families, etc.
10:45 Dr. Krothrapalli discusses how she applies the tools she learned in veterinarian training to her current role with EdCetera, noting how the company was built to assist the veterinarian community
16:40 Dr. Krothrapalli discusses the current sentiments on mental health in the veterinarian/vet tech community
19:43 The discussion shifts to boundaries; Jenn and Dr. Katie discuss some of the everyday dilemmas doctors have, and how America’s rush to adopt pets during the pandemic severely impacted veterinarian health providers
26:04 Dr. Krothrapalli leaves parting advice to those looking to join the veterinarian industry: expect things to not be easy, and be flexible
28:35 Dr. Krothrapalli defines mental fitness and explains how she flexes her mental fitness muscle – by setting time for things that matter and maintaining healthy boundaries
