The Uncharted Veterinary Podcast

When wealthy pet owners happily spend on designer collars and gourmet treats but refuse essential veterinary care, the frustration for veterinary teams runs deep. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss unpack why affluent clients decline services, how this impacts team morale, and what strategies can help bridge the gap. From shifting your mindset to mastering client communication, th...

Ever had a case where the client was all in on helping their pet feel better, but regular in-clinic treatments just weren’t practical? Maybe it was a large dog with arthritis whose owner struggled to get them in the car. Or a client who cringes at the thought of daily medications. Dr. Andy Roark sits down with the brilliant Dr. Deb Torraca, veterinarian, rehab expert, and founder of Wizards of Paws Rehabilitation for Animals, to ex...

When a new graduate veterinarian joins your team, they bring fresh energy, curiosity, and hope for the future. But what happens when an experienced associate begins to undermine that confidence? Veterinary workplace bullying isn’t always loud or obvious, yet its impact can be devastating. Toxic behavior drives away bright new grads, damages team morale, and creates long-term retention challenges for practice leaders. In this episod...

When your clinic goes through a veterinary practice sale, it can feel like the ground shifts overnight. Associates wonder what their future looks like, owners face the weight of transition, and teams question whether the culture they love will survive. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, host Dr. Andy Roark talks with Dr. Gene Bauer of Blue River Pet Care about what really happens when a practice changes hands, how...

When your clinic hits chaos, nothing hurts morale faster than a disappearing team member who slips away from the treatment floor when they are needed most. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss tackle a real mailbag case about “Brenda,” a well-meaning but frustrating employee whose habit of vanishing during busy times leaves teammates overwhelmed and resentful. They dig into why this...

When you’re the one constantly picking up the slack in your practice, frustration can quickly turn into resentment. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark sits down with Dr. Saye Clement to tackle the all-too-common struggle of feeling overworked while others seem to move more slowly. Together, they dig into why resentment creeps in, how to recognize it early, and what leaders can do to shift their mind...

Are you struggling to bring doctors on board after a hospital acquisition? In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss tackle the challenges of onboarding an acquired hospital, from resistant associates to the cultural shift that comes with moving from independent practice to corporate structure.

They break down how leaders can build trust, create buy-in, and preserve a sense of autonomy wh...

Veterinary medicine is evolving faster than ever, and many leaders are struggling with the same challenge: how do you guide your team, embrace technology, and still protect the heart of our profession? In this episode of the Uncharted Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark welcomes Dr. Dave Nicol, veterinarian, practice owner, and international thought leader on veterinary leadership. Over his 20-year career, Dave has led multi-doctor teams on di...

When hospitalized patients don’t have clear veterinary handoffs, treatments get delayed, communication breaks down, and teams end up frustrated. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss tackle one of the most common workflow headaches in veterinary hospitals: who takes ownership of hospitalized cases after day one? They dig into why confusion happens, how it impacts both patient care an...

When you’re stuck working under a difficult veterinary leader, it can feel like the practice culture is unraveling and your team’s future is on the line. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Jenn Galvin dive into a mailbag letter from an office manager grappling with the fallout of a destructive practice owner. Together, they explore the reality of managing up, setting boundaries, deciding when to...

When veterinary clinics run on a sink or swim culture, new hires are tossed into the job after just a few days of shadowing and expected to keep pace in a high-pressure environment without the tools or confidence to succeed. In this episode, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss dig into why this outdated approach persists and how it fuels turnover, burnout, and inconsistent client service. They share practical strategies for building ...

When veterinary professionals can’t afford to work because childcare costs rival their paycheck, the entire clinic feels the impact. This episode tackles one of the most under-discussed yet critical challenges in veterinary medicine: how the lack of childcare support is pushing talented team members out of the field. The result is burnout, high turnover, and lost potential in an industry that already struggles to retain staff. Ente...

When it comes to animal neglect in veterinary practice, there are rarely black-and-white answers. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss tackle a real-world scenario from a practice owner struggling with an ethical disagreement: how to handle a case where an associate vet reported a client for animal neglect, but the owner worried the action could harm the clinic’s relationship with a...

In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss tackle a tough question from a practice leader: Can you coach a slow veterinary technician to keep up with the pace of the team, or is it time to part ways? Coaching slow veterinary technicians is a nuanced challenge. You want to support a valued team member while also ensuring operational efficiency, maintaining morale, and delivering excellent ...

Is AI in veterinary practice making your clinic smarter, or setting you up for trouble? Dr. Andy Roark and Maria Pirita, CVPM, tackle an associate veterinarian’s concerns about how fast their clinic is adopting AI, from scribes to client emails to appointment scheduling, and what that means for quality, trust, and team culture. If you’ve ever felt torn between embracing innovation and maintaining control, this conversation offers c...

Starting a new veterinary practice is an exciting and rare opportunity to build something truly your own. In this Hall of Fame episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss take on a powerful listener question: How can you maximize efficiency and still provide high quality low stress veterinary care? The conversation quickly turns into a masterclass on designing practice culture, client experience, ...

When you're running a veterinary practice, especially a mobile or specialty service, one challenge is almost guaranteed to show up at your front desk: price shoppers. In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Maria Pirita tackle the nuanced topic of how to train your client service representative (CSR) to handle pricing conversations with confidence, professionalism, and compassion. This episode is pac...

What do you do when a lead technician is silently drowning, and no matter how many times you offer help, they won’t take your hand? In this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss tackle a deeply familiar challenge: supporting veterinary technicians who are struggling, especially when they won’t open up about what’s really going on. This episode is a must-listen for any veterinary leader grapp...

What do you do when you're promoted, unsupported, and then demoted? That’s the raw question tackled by Dr. Andy Roark and Stephanie Goss in this episode of the Uncharted Veterinary Podcast. In veterinary medicine, leadership failure can feel deeply personal, especially when it looks like a promotion followed by radio silence and eventual disappointment. This episode dives into what it means to be set up to fail in leadership, how t...