In today’s episode of That Vet Life Podcast, host Dr. Moriah McCauley is joined by Cole Upton, a rising third-year vet student, who asks her the burning questions most vet students and new grads want to ask but are often too scared to.

No questions were off-limits in this special Q&A episode. Listen in as Dr. Moriah explains the ideal mentor-mentee relationship, how to negotiate contracts, the keys to eliminating impostor syndrome and gaining clinical confidence, and how to thrive overall in the sink-or-swim world of veterinary medicine!

Outline of this episode:

• [01:45] Cole shares his backstory and how he and Dr. Moriah first met.
• [07:35] “What is your definition of mentorship?”
• [11:26] “How do you achieve that balance between hand-holding and giving freedom to your mentee?”
• [14:06] “How do you assess your mentee’s strengths, weaknesses, and skill progression?”
• [20:36] “Where do you turn when you don’t know the answer to something?”
• [23:50] “What do you say to an in-house patient when you don’t know the answer to something?”
• [26:05] Ad break - Join our Thrive community.
• [28:02] “How do you choose whether to pursue a corporate opportunity or one in a small clinic?”
• [32:06] “Who are my referral centers and how do I negotiate my compensation?”
• [37:05] “What are your thoughts on non-competes?”
• [40:34] “How do I grow my competencies as I progress in my career?”
• [47:46] “When did you finally lose your fear of incompetency after graduating?”
• [49:16] “What do fresh grads need to know about CE Credits?”
• [55:47] “What self-care tips do you have for fresh grads?”
• [1:00:12] The episode wraps up.