In this engaging and eye-opening episode of ReadyVetGo, Dr. Dani Rabwin sits down with Dr. Adam Gassel, DVM, DACVS—a board-certified veterinary surgeon—to talk mentorship, surgical training, and what it really takes to build confidence in practice (especially when mistakes happen). 🩺💪

Adam shares how he went from pre-med at UCI to taking a “gap year” as a vet tech in Sherman Oaks, falling in love with veterinary medicine, and eventually training through Purdue, internship, and a surgery residency at the University of Tennessee. Along the way, he breaks down how mentorship actually works in the real world—how taking initiative attracts great mentors, why internship structure matters, and how to create training environments where interns learn to be doctors (not just coverage). 🤝🏥

This conversation is packed with real-world perspective on specialty culture, building strong internship programs, empowering new grads to do more surgery safely, and the communication skills that protect client trust when something goes wrong. 🗣️✨

📌 What You’ll Learn:

• Why surgery wasn’t the original plan—and how mentorship shaped the path 🤝
• The training roadmap: vet school → internship → residency → specialty practice 🎓
• What mentors look for (initiative, preparation, follow-through) ✅
• How to build an internship program that actually trains doctors 🏥
• Why confidence comes after you do the thing (not before) 💪
• When referral makes sense—and when GPs can absolutely do the surgery 🩺
• Corporate ownership + transparency in specialty medicine 🧩
• A powerful “walk of shame” mistake story—and how honest communication saves trust 😬🗣️

🎬 Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro: Meet Dr. Adam Gassel (board-certified veterinary surgeon)

01:10 – UCI pre-med → vet tech “gap year” → falling in love with vet med

03:10 – Pierce College + first clinic job in Sherman Oaks

04:45 – Purdue vet school → back to Southern California

06:00 – Rotating internship + specialty internship (Animal Specialty Group)

07:20 – Choosing surgery: how mentorship guided the decision

09:00 – Taking initiative: reading cases, writing up reports, earning opportunities ✅

10:30 – Spouse support + kids during residency (real life during training) 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

12:10 – First job as a surgeon: still needing mentorship after residency 🤝

13:40 – Culture without ego: learning both ways in specialty practice

15:10 – Internship programs: what was broken and how he rebuilt it 🏥

17:10 – Letting interns be doctors (not just coverage) + why it pays off

19:10 – New grads + surgery fear: how reps build confidence 💪

21:00 – Corporate ownership + transparency in vet med 🧩

22:30 – Mistake story: misplaced screw + the “walk of shame” 😬

24:40 – Preventing board complaints: ownership, documentation, and communication 🗣️

👇 QUESTION FOR YOU: What’s one procedure you wish you got more reps on before you were alone in practice? 💛

Season 1 Ep 21

✅ If this helped, like, subscribe, and share with a vet student or new grad who needs it today.

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

📲 Follow: @readyvetgo_

📧 Contact: info@pacificlensstudios.com

#ReadyVetGo #VeterinaryMedicine #VetMentorship #VeterinarySurgery #DACVS #VetInternship #NewGradVet #ClientCommunication #VetResidency #EarlyCareerVet

In this engaging and heartfelt episode of ReadyVetGo, Dr. Dani Rabwin sits down with Dr. Ally Williams, DVM to talk mentorship, early-career confidence, and what it really looks like to start veterinary practice while becoming a new mom. 👩‍⚕️👶🩺

Ally shares her non-linear path into veterinary medicine—from growing up with livestock, living in a girls’ home, and nearly choosing a different career, to Ross Vet Prep, transferring schools, and navigating vet school with a newborn. Along the way, she opens up about how mentorship, collaboration, and honest communication shaped her confidence as a brand-new veterinarian. 🤝✨

This conversation is packed with real-world perspective on choosing the right first job, building trust with clients when complications happen, leaning into discomfort (in practice and on social media), and why being valued as a person—not just a producer—is essential for a sustainable veterinary career. 💛

📌 What You’ll Learn:

• A non-traditional path into vet med—and why it still leads to success 🛤️
• The impact of early mentorship (and chosen mentors) 🤝
• Ross Vet Prep: what it is and who it’s for 🎓
• Vet school with a newborn: support, flexibility, and resilience 👶
• What to look for in a first job (culture, teamwork, real mentorship) 🏥
• A real dental complication—and how communication preserved client trust 🦷🗣️
• Why asking for help is a strength, not a weakness 📞
• Social media, vulnerability, and leaning into discomfort 📱
• Small daily habits that support confidence and longevity 💪

🎬 Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro: Meet Dr. Ally Williams

01:20 – Early inspiration: dogs, livestock, and a life-changing mentor

04:10 – Living in a girls’ home + finding support through vet med

06:40 – Switching majors, academic struggles, and taking time off

09:15 – Ross Vet Prep: what it is and why it mattered

12:40 – Vet school + pregnancy + becoming a new mom 👶

16:10 – Faculty support and bringing a baby to class

19:00 – Career goals shifting after graduation

21:30 – Finding the right first job: culture over production

24:45 – Dental complication as a new grad (and calling for help) 🦷 2

9:20 – Client communication, honesty, and building trust 🗣️

33:30 – Social media, discomfort, and inspiring others 📱

38:10 – Surgery confidence, small wins, and daily habits that matter

41:45 – Final reflections + encouragement for new grads

👇 QUESTION FOR YOU: What’s one small habit or support that’s helped you feel more confident in practice? 💛

Season 1 · Episode 20

✅ If this helped, like, subscribe, and share with a vet student or new grad who needs it today.

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

📲 Follow: @readyvetgo_

📧 Contact: info@pacificlensstudios.com

#ReadyVetGo #VeterinaryMedicine #NewGradVet #VetMentorship #VetMom #WorkLifeBalance #ClientCommunication #EarlyCareerVet #WomenInVetMed

In this engaging and eye-opening episode of ReadyVetGo, Dr. Dani Rabwin sits down with Dr. Chelsea Fishenfeld—an ambulatory equine veterinarian in California—to talk mentorship, emergency medicine in the field, and what it really takes to survive (and thrive) in modern equine practice.

Chelsea shares what drew her to horses at age four, why she chose an intensive mentorship/internship after graduating from WesternU (Class of 2022), and how equine medicine is facing a sustainability crossroads—especially when vets are expected to do dentistry all day and colics all night.

This conversation is packed with real-world perspective on internships, teamwork across large groups, building confidence in high-stakes scenarios, and the communication skills that can make or break client trust.

📌 What You’ll Learn:

• Why many equine vets benefit from doing an internship (especially for emergencies)
• What’s broken in the equine emergency model—and what could fix it
• How mentorship and collaboration keep practitioners (and horses) safer
• How to teach clients in real time so they understand the value of care
• A “mistake/complication” story that highlights why communication is everything
• How to coach students out of freeze mode and into confidence
• What grit really means in equine medicine (and why attrition is high)

🎬 Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro: Meet Dr. Chelsea Fishenfeld (equine ambulatory in CA)

01:10 – “Horse vet since age 4”: barns, riding, tech life, and the long road to DVM

03:05 – WesternU 2022 grad: why she chose an intensive mentorship/internship

05:05 – Inside the equine hospital model: specialists at your fingertips

07:10 – Equine emergency reality: why the current system isn’t sustainable

10:05 – The fix: shifts, haul-in emergencies, and collaborative coverage

12:05 – Finding mentors: choosing people, not “assigned” relationships

14:10 – Teaching and leadership: students, pre-vets, and full-circle moments

17:10 – Should you go equine? The honest talk: lifestyle, safety, grit, and burnout

20:10 – Client education in real time: narrating colics, tubes, and “showing the value”

23:10 – Mistakes/complications: when teeth fracture—and how communication saves trust

26:10 – Where communication is learned: mentors, life experience, and repetition

28:30 – Mentorship in action: letting students do the thing (and why it matters)

31:20 – “Freeze mode” is real: building reps, confidence, and capability

👇 QUESTION FOR YOU: What’s one skill you wish you got more reps on before you were alone in practice?

Season 1 Ep 19

✅ If this helped, like, subscribe, and share with a vet student or new grad who needs it today.

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

📲 Follow: @readyvetgo_

📧 Contact: info@pacificlensstudios.com

#ReadyVetGo #VeterinaryMedicine #EquineVet #EquineMedicine #VetMentorship #VetInternship #NewGradVet #ClientCommunication #AmbulatoryVet #LargeAnimalVet