vinfoundation

VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | prevet resources veterinary student resources veterinarian resources | Nonprofit free veterinary resources | Blog | Veterinary Pulse Podcast Episode 180 | Jeanice Wiard on shooting for contentment and satisfaction and the importance of self-compassion

Jeanice Wiard on shooting for contentment and satisfaction and the importance of self-compassion

Listen in as we talk with Jeanice Wiard as she shares her journey in veterinary medicine. She takes us through the highs and lows and lessons learned through multiple veterinary practices and shares her path to self-compassion and finding the importance of emotional wellbeing. 
 
As always, we want to hear from YOU. Please share your thoughts by sending an email or joining the conversation.  

GUEST BIO:

Jeanice Wiard, M.Ed., B. Tech, CVT, CCFP
Jeanice attended the State University of New York at Canton, obtaining her associate of science in veterinary technology and her bachelor’s in veterinary service management. She was an active member of the New York State Air National Guard from 2004-2010 as a Command Post Controller, providing emergency communications and status reports to the commander and personnel on Hancock Air Force Base. She’s been a certified veterinary technician since 2007 and has worked in various field areas: general practice, academia (University of Illinois), diagnostic imaging, intensive care, and equine/farm animal medicine. She has held many roles within vet med: receptionist, technician, lead technician, charge auditor, and practice manager. While at the University of Illinois, Jeanice obtained her Master of Education, focusing on human resource development, and is a graduate of the Emerging Women Leaders program offered by the University. She previously served as the ISVMA CVT board member from 2021-2023 and actively participated in the CVT committee. She is currently focusing on her role as the assistant director for VSPN and offering mental health and wellness education to veterinary professionals through her business, Veterinary Wellness Education, LLC, or VetWE for short. Her non-professional interests include spending time with her husband, two sons, a spoiled cat, and a troublesome dog. She enjoys meditation, gardening, hiking, yoga, pole fitness, dancing, and loud music. Her favorite music artist is Qveen Herby. Jeanice is passionate about moving the veterinary profession toward a more individual-focused framework, allowing space and grace for all professionals to grapple with and heal from the difficult experiences we all encounter within the field and the daily struggles that all humans encounter throughout their lifetimes. She is particularly interested in teaching, psychology, compassion fatigue, cognitive behavioral therapy, growth mindset, and mental health awareness.

LINKS AND INFORMATION:

Veterinary Support Personnel Network (VSPN): https://www.vin.com/vspn/
VSPN CE: https://www.vin.com/vspn/default.aspx?pId=8505&id=8286322
Air National Guard: https://www.airforce.com/ways-to-serve/air-national-guard
VIN Foundation Vets4Vets®: https://vinfoundation.org/v4v
AVMA QPR Training: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/wellbeing/qpr-suicide-prevention-training
Please consider a gift to help support this podcast: https://vinfoundation.org/give

Get updates to stay tuned for the VIN Foundation webinars on student debt. 
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Jeanice Wiard on shooting for contentment and satisfaction and the importance of self-compassion Read More »

VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | Nonprofit free veterinary resources | Blog | Veterinary Pulse Podcast | Veterinary Pulse Podcast with Dr. Bree Montana dives deep on preventing burnout and compassion fatigue

Dr. Bree Montana dives deep on preventing burnout and compassion fatigue

Listen in as we chat with VIN Foundation Vets4Vets® team lead Dr. Bree Montana as part of our Inhale, Exhale Series and this time were talking about preventing burnout and compassion fatigue

In this episode we have six major topics we’re addressing:

Identifying burnout and compassion fatigue
Understanding the cause
Task switching
How to handle feelings of losing the joy and fulfilment of vet med
The importance of team culture
How to get support

 
As always, we want to hear from YOU. Please share your thoughts by sending an email or joining the conversation.  

GUEST BIO:

Dr. Bree Montana, DVM, CCFP
Bree Montana, DVM, CCFP, is a small animal practitioner and Founder of the Agate Bay Animal Hospital and Dog Gone Crazy boarding/training facilities in North Lake Tahoe California. Following the completion of a B.S. in Biology at the University of Cincinnati’s McMicken College, Dr. Montana graduated from the Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 1992. A past member of the external advisory and admissions committees for UC Davis’ College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Montana also served as a working member of the VIN Foundation Board. In 2010, Dr. Montana helped to create the VIN Foundation’s innovative Vets4Vets® program, a confidential support group providing critical emotional care to veterinarians struggling with all forms of stress/addiction/mental health issues. The program is international and free for all veterinarians and veterinary students. Learning to balance the life of a rural solo practitioner, mom, wife, husky wrangler and aspiring dressage queen while coordinating the Vets4Vets® program has allowed Dr. Montana to become an expert at thinking outside of the box when advising veterinarians who feel stuck in their careers and personal lives. Dr. Montana enjoys lecturing on topics at the intersection of personal and professional life balance, including strategies for a healthy mentoring relationship, job seekers’ success techniques, effective communication in the workplace, as well as teaching the workplace ergonomics section of The Other Side of Veterinary Medicine: Healthy Clinicians Make Better Practitioners (a RACE approved course).

LINKS AND INFORMATION:
VIN Foundation Vets4Vets®: https://vinfoundation.org/v4v
VIN Foundation Veterinary Pulse Podcast Future’s So Bright Series: https://vinfoundation.org/category/futures-so-bright/
VIN Foundation get updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
VIN Foundation GIVE page to support these programs & tools: https://vinfoundation.org/give
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Dr. Bree Montana dives deep on preventing burnout and compassion fatigue Read More »

VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | free resources veterinary students veterinarians | Blog | Veterinary Pulse Podcast | Veterinary Pulse Podcast with Dr. Tony Bartels

Dr. Tony Bartels on the latest student loan news as we start 2026

Listen in with student debt expert Dr. Tony Bartels in this next installment of our Student Debt Series covering the latest news and information on student loans.

In this episode we have seven major topics we’re addressing:

Removal of the IBR (Income Based Repayment) Partial Financial Hardship test
SAVE ending soon?
WikiDebt: What is your IDR (Income Driven Repayment) profile?
Good time to review student loan options
Preparing for more changes this year
How to get help

 
As always, we want to hear from YOU. Please share your thoughts by sending an email or joining the conversation. 
 
GUEST BIO:

Dr. Tony Bartels
Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA graduated in 2012 from the Colorado State University combined MBA/DVM program and is a VIN Foundation Board Member and Student Debt Expert, and an employee of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). He and his wife, a small-animal internal medicine specialist practicing in Denver, have more than $400,000 in veterinary-school debt that they manage using federal income-driven repayment plans. By necessity (and now obsession), his professional activities include researching and speaking on veterinary-student debt, providing guidance to colleagues on loan-repayment strategies and contributing to VIN Foundation resources. Beyond debt, his professional interests include small- and exotic-animal practice. When he’s not staring holes into his colleagues’ student-loan data, Tony enjoys fly fishing, ice hockey, camping and exploring Colorado with his wife, Audra, daughter, Lucy, and their two rescued canines, Addi and Maggie.

LINKS AND INFORMATION:
Check your current student loan servicers and other loan details — VIN Foundation My Student Loans tool: http://www.vinfoundation.org/mystudentloans
Loan Repayment Simulator: https://vinfoundation.org/loansim 
VIN Foundation WikiDebt: https://vinfoundation.org/wikidebt
VIN Foundation Webinars: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/webinars/
VIN Foundation Get Updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
VIN Foundation GIVE page to support this podcast: https://vinfoundation.org/give
VIN Foundation Blog, Related Student Debt Blog posts: 

2025 Year End Wrap & Preparing for 2026: https://vinfoundation.org/federal-student-loan-repayment-2025-year-end-wrap-and-preparing-for-2026/
2026 Federal Poverty Rates Published: https://vinfoundation.org/2026-federal-poverty-rates-published-why-that-matters-for-your-student-loans/
40 veterinary school simulations in 60 days project: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/veterinary-student-debt/40-veterinary-school-loan-estimations-in-60-days/
Changes to federal student loans come into focus: https://vinfoundation.org/changes-federal-student-loans-come-into-focus/
Student Loan Repayment: Trying to leave the SAVE forbearance? Choose PAYE: https://vinfoundation.org/student-loan-repayment-trying-to-leave-the-save-forbearance-choose-paye/ 
Student Loans in SAVE Plan Will Start Accruing Interest August 1st: https://vinfoundation.org/student-loans-in-save-plan-will-start-accruing-interest-august-1st/ 
Application for Federal Income-Driven Repayment Plans Reactivated: https://vinfoundation.org/application-for-income-driven-repayment-plans-reactivated/ 

Personalized student loan Help from VIN and VIN Foundation: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-student-loan-debt-help/ 
Income-Driven Repayment Plan Discretionary income calculations, WikiDebt: https://www.vin.com/studentdebtcenter/default.aspx?pid=14352&catId=74141&id=7249857 
Federal Student Aid Data, Consolidation, and Repayment Applications: https://studentaid.gov/
One-time Forgiveness Count Adjustment  https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/idr-account-adjustment
Federal Student Loan Servicers: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/servicers
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service
Stay up to date with VIN Foundation updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
Email VIN Foundation: [email protected]
Get updates to stay tuned for the VIN Foundation webinars on student debt. 
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Dr. Tony Bartels on the latest student loan news as we start 2026 Read More »

VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | free resources veterinary students veterinarians | Blog | Veterinary Pulse Podcast | Dr. Kate Creevy on panic zone vs. stretch zone and the benefit of staying open to opportunities

Dr. Kate Creevy on panic zone vs. stretch zone and the benefit of staying open to opportunities

Listen in as we talk with Dr. Kate Creevy about her fascinating and insightful path in veterinary medicine. She shares how decisions she didn’t see as impactful at the time played crucial roles in her career development, and the important role of science and research for the future of human and animal kind. Plus, learn how a phone call that started with “I got this guy in genetics” led to her role as Co-Founder and Chief Veterinary Officer with the Dog Aging Project, and her advice to veterinary students and colleagues as a veterinary school professor. This is one of those episodes you will want to listen to, save, and listen to again.

As always, we want to hear from YOU. Please share your thoughts by sending an email or joining the conversation.  
 
Photo credit: Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences photo, Dr Creevy with two Border Collies at different parts of their lifespan journey – Poet at age 3, and Sophie at age 14.

GUEST BIO:
Kate Creevy, DVM, MS, DACVIM-SAIM
Dr. Creevy’s educational path includes Georgetown University (BS), the University of Tennessee (DVM), the University of Minnesota (small animal rotating internship) and the University of Georgia (internal medicine residency and MS in Infectious Disease). Along the way she has worked in emergency practice in the Twin Cities and Washington DC, as well as academic emergency practice at UGA, and completed a Cancer Research Training Award Fellowship developing protocols for chimeric bone marrow transplantation in immunodeficient dogs at the NIH’s National Cancer Institute. After ten years as a small animal internist on UGA’s faculty, she joined the faculty at Texas A&M University’s School of Veterinary Medicine where she is now a Professor in Small Animal Internal Medicine.  Dr. Creevy is the Chief Veterinary Officer for the Dog Aging Project, a multicenter, multidisciplinary research collaboration, with over 50,000 dogs enrolled across the US. The long-term goal of the Dog Aging Project is to understand the genetic and environmental determinants of healthy aging in companion dogs. In addition to her work on canine aging, Dr. Creevy’s research interests include infectious disease, and the development of lifelong learning skills and critical thinking skills among professional students and early-career veterinarians.
 
 
LINKS AND INFORMATION:

Dog Aging Project: https://dogagingproject.org/
University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine: https://vetmed.tennessee.edu/
University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine: https://vet.uga.edu/
Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine: https://vetmed.tamu.edu/
One Health: https://www.who.int/health-topics/one-health#tab=tab_1
Zoobiquity book: https://www.zoobiquity.com/
Lessons in Chemistry book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58065033-lessons-in-chemistry

 
If you like these podcast and want to hear more, please support these efforts through a donation to the VIN Foundation: https://vinfoundation.org/give/
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or signup for the newsletter.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Dr. Kate Creevy on panic zone vs. stretch zone and the benefit of staying open to opportunities Read More »

VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | free resources veterinary students veterinarians | Blog | Veterinary Pulse Podcast | Veterinary Pulse Podcast with Dr. Tony Bartels

Dr. Tony Bartels on the latest student loan news

Listen in with student debt expert Dr. Tony Bartels in this next installment of our Student Debt Series covering the latest news and information on student loans.

In this episode we have seven major topics we’re addressing:

Quick review of student loan grace periods
Consolidation Caution
Application Ataxia
Start with PAYE, when possible
Important dates to add to your calendar
How to get help

 
As always, we want to hear from YOU. Please share your thoughts by sending an email or joining the conversation.  

GUEST BIO:
Dr. Tony Bartels
Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA graduated in 2012 from the Colorado State University combined MBA/DVM program and is a VIN Foundation Board Member and Student Debt Expert, and an employee of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). He and his wife, a small-animal internal medicine specialist practicing in Denver, have more than $400,000 in veterinary-school debt that they manage using federal income-driven repayment plans. By necessity (and now obsession), his professional activities include researching and speaking on veterinary-student debt, providing guidance to colleagues on loan-repayment strategies and contributing to VIN Foundation resources. Beyond debt, his professional interests include small- and exotic-animal practice. When he’s not staring holes into his colleagues’ student-loan data, Tony enjoys fly fishing, ice hockey, camping and exploring Colorado with his wife, Audra, daughter, Lucy, and their two rescued canines, Addi and Maggie.

LINKS AND INFORMATION:
Check your current student loan servicers and other loan details — VIN Foundation My Student Loans tool: http://www.vinfoundation.org/mystudentloans
Loan Repayment Simulator: https://vinfoundation.org/loansim 
VIN Foundation WikiDebt: https://vinfoundation.org/wikidebt
VIN Foundation Webinars: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/webinars/
VIN Foundation get updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
VIN Foundation GIVE page to support these programs & tools: https://vinfoundation.org/give
VIN Foundation Blog, Related Student Debt Blog posts: 

Changes to federal student loans come into focus: https://vinfoundation.org/changes-federal-student-loans-come-into-focus/
Student Loan Repayment: Trying to leave the SAVE forbearance? Choose PAYE: https://vinfoundation.org/student-loan-repayment-trying-to-leave-the-save-forbearance-choose-paye/ 
Student Loans in SAVE Plan Will Start Accruing Interest August 1st: https://vinfoundation.org/student-loans-in-save-plan-will-start-accruing-interest-august-1st/ 
Application for Federal Income-Driven Repayment Plans Reactivated: https://vinfoundation.org/application-for-income-driven-repayment-plans-reactivated/ 

Personalized student loan Help from VIN and VIN Foundation: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-student-loan-debt-help/ 
Income-Driven Repayment Plan Discretionary income calculations, WikiDebt: https://www.vin.com/studentdebtcenter/default.aspx?pid=14352&catId=74141&id=7249857 
Federal Student Aid Data, Consolidation, and Repayment Applications: https://studentaid.gov/
One-time Forgiveness Count Adjustment  https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/idr-account-adjustment
Federal Student Loan Servicers: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/servicers
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service
Have a veterinary story you want to share? https://share.hsforms.com/1e6QkQvg2RI-wpDv59Byqkwcos60
Stay up to date with VIN Foundation updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
Email VIN Foundation: [email protected]
Get updates to stay tuned for the VIN Foundation webinars on student debt. 
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Dr. Tony Bartels on the latest student loan news Read More »

VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | free resources veterinary students veterinarians | Blog | Veterinary Pulse Podcast episode 175 | Veterinary Pulse Podcast with Walter Baker

Scholarship awardee Walter Baker shares insights from his first year of veterinary school

Listen in as we talk with VIN Foundation Mike Dunn, DVM Veterinary Student Scholarship awardee Walter Baker. Walter shares insights and advice from his first year in veterinary school, and what he is looking forward to as he starts his second year. 
 
As always, we want to hear from YOU. Please share your thoughts by sending an email or joining the conversation.  

GUEST BIO:

Walter Baker
Walter has been devoted to becoming a veterinarian since seventh grade, and took all of the animal science courses  that were available to him throughout my grade school education. He attended the University of Kentucky for his undergraduate education, and received a Bachelor of Science in animal sciences. As a current second year at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, he was fortunate to secure the Kentucky residents’ in-state institution. Walter was one of two recipients of the inaugural Mike Dunn, DVM Veterinary Student Scholarship created by Becky Godchaux. Walter’s goal is to return to rural Kentucky to practice general mixed-animal medicine.

LINKS AND INFORMATION:

Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine: https://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/
Veterinary Information Network (VIN) 3D Anatomy: https://www.vin.com/3danatomy
Cornell Merlin App: https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

Do you like this podcast and want to hear additional stories? The VIN Foundation needs your help supporting this program: https://vinfoundation.org/give
Get updates to stay tuned for the VIN Foundation webinars on student debt. 
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Scholarship awardee Walter Baker shares insights from his first year of veterinary school Read More »

VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | prevet resources veterinary student resources veterinarian resources | Nonprofit free veterinary resources | Blog | Veterinary Pulse Podcast Episode 174 | Drs. Tony Bartels and Rebecca Mears on the One Big Beautiful Bill impact on student loans

Drs. Tony Bartels and Rebecca Mears on the One Big Beautiful Bill impact on student loans

Listen in with student debt experts and Board Member Drs. Tony Bartels and Rebecca Mears in this next installment of our Student Debt Series covering the One Big Beautiful Bill impact on student loans.

In this episode we have seven major topics we’re addressing:

SAVE forbearance zero-interest ending
Updates for current veterinary students those starting and returning to vet school
Pre-veterinary students applying for 2026/2027 year
2025 veterinary graduates whose grace period is ending
RAP (Repayment Assistance Program)
Phase out of existing programs
Where things stand with PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness)

 
As always, we want to hear from YOU. Please share your thoughts by sending an email or joining the conversation.  
 
GUEST BIOS:

Dr. Tony Bartels
Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA graduated in 2012 from the Colorado State University combined MBA/DVM program and is a VIN Foundation Board Member and Student Debt Expert, and an employee of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). He and his wife, a small-animal internal medicine specialist practicing in Denver, have more than $400,000 in veterinary-school debt that they manage using federal income-driven repayment plans. By necessity (and now obsession), his professional activities include researching and speaking on veterinary-student debt, providing guidance to colleagues on loan-repayment strategies and contributing to VIN Foundation resources. Beyond debt, his professional interests include small- and exotic-animal practice. When he’s not staring holes into his colleagues’ student-loan data, Tony enjoys fly fishing, ice hockey, camping and exploring Colorado with his wife, Audra, daughter, Lucy, and their two rescued canines, Addi and Maggie.

Dr. Rebecca Mears
Rebecca Mears, DVM is from Lexington, KY, and a graduate of University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Rebecca started her career as an equine general practitioner and is an active AAEP member, currently serving as a member of the AAEP DEI Committee. Her interest in student debt education began with keeping her own education costs lower and grew from there. This was supported by her involvement in the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA), which she now gives back to as a National Advisor. In her time away from veterinary medicine, she can be found obsessing over plants and hosting impromptu dance parties. She is passionate about giving back to the profession and improving the lives of veterinarians, pre-vet and vet students. 
 
LINKS AND INFORMATION:
Check your current student loan servicers and other loan details — VIN Foundation My Student Loans tool: http://www.vinfoundation.org/mystudentloans
Loan Repayment Simulator: https://vinfoundation.org/loansim 
VIN Foundation WikiDebt: https://vinfoundation.org/wikidebt
VIN Foundation Webinars: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/webinars/
VIN Foundation get updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
VIN Foundation GIVE page to support these programs & tools: https://vinfoundation.org/give
VIN Foundation Blog, Related Student Debt Blog posts: 

Changes to federal student loans come into focus: https://vinfoundation.org/changes-federal-student-loans-come-into-focus/
Student Loan Repayment: Trying to leave the SAVE forbearance? Choose PAYE: https://vinfoundation.org/student-loan-repayment-trying-to-leave-the-save-forbearance-choose-paye/ 
Student Loans in SAVE Plan Will Start Accruing Interest August 1st: https://vinfoundation.org/student-loans-in-save-plan-will-start-accruing-interest-august-1st/ 
Application for Federal Income-Driven Repayment Plans Reactivated: https://vinfoundation.org/application-for-income-driven-repayment-plans-reactivated/ 

Personalized student loan Help from VIN and VIN Foundation: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-student-loan-debt-help/ 
Income-Driven Repayment Plan Discretionary income calculations, WikiDebt: https://www.vin.com/studentdebtcenter/default.aspx?pid=14352&catId=74141&id=7249857 
Federal Student Aid Data, Consolidation, and Repayment Applications: https://studentaid.gov/
One-time Forgiveness Count Adjustment  https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/idr-account-adjustment
Federal Student Loan Servicers: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/servicers
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service
Have a veterinary story you want to share? https://share.hsforms.com/1e6QkQvg2RI-wpDv59Byqkwcos60
Stay up to date with VIN Foundation updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
Email VIN Foundation: [email protected]
Get updates to stay tuned for the VIN Foundation webinars on student debt. 
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Drs. Tony Bartels and Rebecca Mears on the One Big Beautiful Bill impact on student loans Read More »

VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | prevet resources veterinary student resources veterinarian resources | Nonprofit free veterinary resources | Blog | Veterinary Pulse Podcast Episode 173 | Dr. Tony Bartels and Dr. Rebecca Mears on the the latest student debt news and a new grad student loan challenge

Drs. Tony Bartels and Rebecca Mears on the latest student debt news and new grad challenge

Listen in with student debt experts and Board Member Drs. Tony Bartels and Rebecca Mears in this next installment of our Student Debt Series. In this episode we have three major topics we’re addressing: 1) a new challenge for the almost new grads 2) New Grad Playbook webinar and 3) the latest student loan updates.
 
As always, we want to hear from YOU. Please share your thoughts by sending an email or joining the conversation.  
 
GUEST BIOS:

Dr. Tony Bartels
Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA graduated in 2012 from the Colorado State University combined MBA/DVM program and is a VIN Foundation Board Member and Student Debt Expert, and an employee of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). He and his wife, a small-animal internal medicine specialist practicing in Denver, have more than $400,000 in veterinary-school debt that they manage using federal income-driven repayment plans. By necessity (and now obsession), his professional activities include researching and speaking on veterinary-student debt, providing guidance to colleagues on loan-repayment strategies and contributing to VIN Foundation resources. Beyond debt, his professional interests include small- and exotic-animal practice. When he’s not staring holes into his colleagues’ student-loan data, Tony enjoys fly fishing, ice hockey, camping and exploring Colorado with his wife, Audra, daughter, Lucy, and their two rescued canines, Addi and Maggie.

Dr. Rebecca Mears
Rebecca Mears, DVM is from Lexington, KY, and a graduate of University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Rebecca started her career as an equine general practitioner and is an active AAEP member, currently serving as a member of the AAEP DEI Committee. Her interest in student debt education began with keeping her own education costs lower and grew from there. This was supported by her involvement in the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA), which she now gives back to as a National Advisor. In her time away from veterinary medicine, she can be found obsessing over plants and hosting impromptu dance parties. She is passionate about giving back to the profession and improving the lives of veterinarians, pre-vet and vet students. 
 
LINKS AND INFORMATION:
VIN Foundation Student Debt Center: https://vinfoundation.org/studentdebtcenter
Check your current student loan servicers and other loan details — VIN Foundation My Student Loans tool: http://www.vinfoundation.org/mystudentloans
Loan Repayment Simulator: https://vinfoundation.org/loansim 
VIN Foundation WikiDebt: https://vinfoundation.org/wikidebt
VIN Foundation Webinars: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/webinars/
VIN Foundation get updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
VIN Foundation GIVE page to support these programs & tools: https://vinfoundation.org/give
Debt Repayment Prep Challenge: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/veterinary-student-debt/debt-repayment-prep-challenge/ 
May 7th webinar – New Graduate Student Loan Playbook: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/veterinary-new-grad-student-loan-repayment-playbook/
VIN Foundation Blog, Related Student Debt Blog posts: 

Application for Federal Income-Driven Repayment Plans Reactivated: https://vinfoundation.org/application-for-income-driven-repayment-plans-reactivated/ 

Personalized student loan Help from VIN and VIN Foundation: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-student-loan-debt-help/ 
Income-Driven Repayment Plan Discretionary income calculations, WikiDebt: https://www.vin.com/studentdebtcenter/default.aspx?pid=14352&catId=74141&id=7249857 
New Grad Student Loan Repayment Playbook: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/veterinary-new-grad-student-loan-repayment-playbook/ 
Borrow Better: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/borrow-better-veterinary-school-loan-debt/ 
Federal Student Aid Data, Consolidation, and Repayment Applications: https://studentaid.gov/
One-time Forgiveness Count Adjustment  https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/idr-account-adjustment
Federal Student Loan Servicers: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/servicers
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service
Have a veterinary story you want to share? https://share.hsforms.com/1e6QkQvg2RI-wpDv59Byqkwcos60
Stay up to date with VIN Foundation updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
Email VIN Foundation: [email protected]
Get updates to stay tuned for the VIN Foundation webinars on student debt. 
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Drs. Tony Bartels and Rebecca Mears on the latest student debt news and new grad challenge Read More »

VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | prevet resources veterinary student resources veterinarian resources | Nonprofit free veterinary resources | Blog | Dr. Tony Bartels on the latest student debt news | Veterinary medicine podcast vetmed podcast student debt podcast

Dr. Tony Bartels on the latest student debt news

Listen in with VIN Foundation board member and Student Debt Education lead Dr. Tony Bartels in this next installment of our Student Debt Series. In this episode we’re covering the latest news on income-driven repayment application changes 
 
Topics covered included:

What happened to the Income-Driven Repayment application?
If borrowers are using an income-driven payment plan right now, what should they do?
How do these changes impact monthly payments for borrowers?
How about borrowers who are hoping for PSLF? How do the recent changes impact them?
What’s the best approach for borrowers when dealing with loan servicers?

 
As always, we want to hear from YOU. Please share your thoughts by sending an email or joining the conversation.  
 
NOTE: This is an ongoing situation, for continued updates visit the VIN Foundation Blog and student debt message board areas.
 
GUEST BIO:

Dr. Tony Bartels
Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA graduated in 2012 from the Colorado State University combined MBA/DVM program and is a VIN Foundation Board Member and Student Debt Expert, and an employee of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). He and his wife, a small-animal internal medicine specialist practicing in Denver, have more than $400,000 in veterinary-school debt that they manage using federal income-driven repayment plans. By necessity (and now obsession), his professional activities include researching and speaking on veterinary-student debt, providing guidance to colleagues on loan-repayment strategies and contributing to VIN Foundation resources. Beyond debt, his professional interests include small- and exotic-animal practice. When he’s not staring holes into his colleagues’ student-loan data, Tony enjoys fly fishing, ice hockey, camping and exploring Colorado with his wife, Audra, daughter, Lucy, and their two rescued canines, Addi and Maggie.
 
LINKS AND INFORMATION:
VIN Foundation Student Debt Center: https://vinfoundation.org/studentdebtcenter
Time for your student loan physical exam? VIN Foundation My Student Loans tool http://www.vinfoundation.org/mystudentloans
VIN Foundation Download My IDR Progress Google Chrome extension to help you grab a copy of your IDR forgiveness progress
VIN Foundation Blog, most recent:

All IDR applications for student loans are paused – Now what?
February 2025 Q&A from Climbing Mt. Debt Webinar: What’s Next for your Student Loans?

VIN Foundation Navigating Uncertainty Checklist, what you can do now: https://vinfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/VIN-Foundation-What-You-Can-Do-Now-Navigating-Student-Loan-Uncertainty.pdf
Climbing Mt. Debt webinar: What’s Next for Your Student Loans? by VIN and VIN Foundation, February 5th, 2025: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/repay-wiser-veterinary-school-debt-loan-repayment/#MostRecentWebinar 
VIN Foundation Relevant WikiDebt Resources:

IDR Profiles: What is your IDR profile?
IDR Discretionary income calculations

Personalized student loan help from VIN and VIN Foundation: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-student-loan-debt-help/ 
Department of Education Updates on Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE Plan): 

https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/save-court-actions
https://www.ed.gov/save
https://studentaid.gov/ 

VIN Foundation get updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
VIN Foundation GIVE page to support programs these programs & tools: https://vinfoundation.org/give
Have a veterinary story you want to share? https://share.hsforms.com/1e6QkQvg2RI-wpDv59Byqkwcos60
Stay up to date with VIN Foundation updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
Email VIN Foundation: [email protected]
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Dr. Tony Bartels on the latest student debt news Read More »

VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | prevet resources veterinary student resources veterinarian resources | Nonprofit free veterinary resources | Blog | Dr. Tony Bartels on the latest student loan announcements and what you need to know as we close out 2024 | Veterinary medicine podcast vetmed podcast student debt podcast

Dr. Tony Bartels on the latest student loan announcements and what you need to know as we close out 2024

Listen in with student debt experts and Board Member Dr. Tony Bartels in this next installment of our Student Debt Series. In this episode we’re covering the latest news on student loans as we close out 2024 and start 2025. 
 
Topics covered included:

December 18, 2024 US Department of Education announcement on Pay As Your Earn (PAYE) and Income Contingent Repayment (ICR)
Timeframes/features and additional information about PAYE and ICR
Income Driven Repayment (IDR) profiles
What this latest news means for the Save On Valuable Education (SAVE) plan 
Where things stand on the One-time Forgiveness Adjustment
Additional helpful information for borrowers

 
As always, we want to hear from YOU. Please share your thoughts by sending an email or joining the conversation.  
 
NOTE: This is an ongoing situation, for continued updates visit the VIN Foundation Blog and student debt message board areas.

GUEST BIO:

Dr. Tony Bartels
Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA graduated in 2012 from the Colorado State University combined MBA/DVM program and is a VIN Foundation Board Member and Student Debt Expert, and an employee of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). He and his wife, a small-animal internal medicine specialist practicing in Denver, have more than $400,000 in veterinary-school debt that they manage using federal income-driven repayment plans. By necessity (and now obsession), his professional activities include researching and speaking on veterinary-student debt, providing guidance to colleagues on loan-repayment strategies and contributing to VIN Foundation resources. Beyond debt, his professional interests include small- and exotic-animal practice. When he’s not staring holes into his colleagues’ student-loan data, Tony enjoys fly fishing, ice hockey, camping and exploring Colorado with his wife, Audra, daughter, Lucy, and their two rescued canines, Addi and Maggie.

LINKS AND INFORMATION:
 
VIN Foundation Student Debt Center: https://vinfoundation.org/studentdebtcenter
Check your current student loan servicers and other loan details — VIN Foundation My Student Loans tool: http://www.vinfoundation.org/mystudentloans
VIN Foundation IDR Profiles: WikiDebt – IDR Eligibility
Loan Repayment Simulator: https://vinfoundation.org/loansim 
VIN Foundation WikiDebt: https://vinfoundation.org/wikidebt
VIN Foundation get updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
VIN Foundation GIVE page to support programs these programs & tools: https://vinfoundation.org/give
VIN Foundation Blog, Related Student Debt Blog posts: 

PAYE and ICR income-driven repayment plans temporarily reactivated https://vinfoundation.org/paye-and-icr-income-driven-repayment-plans-temporarily-reactivated/
The election is over. Change is on the horizon. What is next for your student loans? https://vinfoundation.org/the-election-is-over-change-is-on-the-horizon-what-is-next-for-your-student-loans/
Student Loan FAQs and What’s Next?
https://vinfoundation.org/september-2024-student-loan-update-faqs-and-whats-next/
SAVE is blocked. What does that mean for your student loans?: https://vinfoundation.org/save-recent-court-rulings/ 
Choosing between PAYE and SAVE income-driven plans: Are you in The Pickle? https://vinfoundation.org/choosing-between-paye-and-save-income-driven-plans-are-you-in-the-pickle/
A ‘new’ income-driven repayment plan? https://vinfoundation.org/a-new-income-driven-repayment-plan/ 

Personalized student loan Help from VIN and VIN Foundation: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-student-loan-debt-help/ 
Income-Driven Repayment Plan Discretionary income calculations, WikiDebt: https://www.vin.com/studentdebtcenter/default.aspx?pid=14352&catId=74141&id=7249857 
Federal Student Aid Data, Consolidation, and Repayment Applications: https://studentaid.gov/
Department of Education Updates on Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE Plan): https://www.ed.gov/save 
SAVE Plan Court Actions: Impact on Borrowers: https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/save-court-actions 
Have a veterinary story you want to share? https://share.hsforms.com/1e6QkQvg2RI-wpDv59Byqkwcos60
Stay up to date with VIN Foundation updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/
Email VIN Foundation: [email protected]
Get updates to stay tuned for the VIN Foundation webinars on student debt. 
You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

Dr. Tony Bartels on the latest student loan announcements and what you need to know as we close out 2024 Read More »

Scroll to Top