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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 165 | Dr. Alexia Mazzarella shares her experience with NAVLE and the positives of a non-typical path

Dr. Alexia Mazzarella shares her experience with NAVLE and the positives of a non-typical path

Listen in as we talk with recent veterinary graduate Dr. Alexia Mazzarella, as she shares the pros and cons of starting veterinary school during COVID, and the benefits she has experienced from a non-typical veterinary path.

This episode covers how she managed to learn anatomy online, became fast friends with a roommate, and then finding out she didn’t have the necessary educational knowledge for the NAVLE. Alexis takes us inside her journey as a leader in her class, and finding her way to overcome struggles.

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

GUEST BIO:

Alexia Mazzarella, DVM, cVMA
Alexia graduated from Michigan State University this past May in the Class of 2024. While at MSU, she served as the 2024 Class President all four years and was very involved with SAVMA, serving on the Executive Board for 2 years as the Veterinary Economics Officer. It was through these experiences that she developed a passion for organized veterinary medicine and serving her community. Her veterinary interests include soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, acupuncture, rehab, and palliative care, especially for geriatric patients. Her goals right now include a ABVP residency path and ultimately working in a high-volume General Practice setting. In her free time, Alexia loves checking out local gym classes, hiking, biking, kayaking, and visiting the local Farmer’s Markets. Alexia just moved to Apex, NC with her fiancé to start a rotating internship in July. She is excited to share her story with the VIN Foundation and hopes she can bring comfort to others who may have experienced similar circumstances!

LINKS AND INFORMATION:
Student American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA): https://www.avma.org/membership/SAVMA
Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA): https://vbma.biz/
NAVLE VIN/VIN Foundation course: https://www.vin.com/navle
VIN Foundation Vets4Vets®: https://vinfoundation.org/v4v

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!

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

Leave a Comment / Veterinary Pulse Podcast / By vinfoundation

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

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Blog | VIN Foundation | Supporting veterinarians to cultivate a healthy animal community | veterinary student loan information veterinary student debt information veterinary student debt news veterinary student debt podcast veterinary student debt blog | Federal Student Loan Repayment: 2025 Year-End Wrap and Preparing for 2026

Federal Student Loan Repayment: 2025 Year-End Wrap and Preparing for 2026

11 Comments / Consolidation, Veterinary Questions & Answers, Veterinary Resources, Veterinary School, Veterinary Student Debt, Veterinary Student Loans, Veterinary Students / By Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA

It’s been a confusing year in student loan repayment, to say the least. We continue to see changes even as we approach the end of 2025. We have two ongoing points of frustration and one suggestion to round out 2025. IBR application issues: Partial Financial Hardship update SAVE may be ending sooner rather than later.

Federal Student Loan Repayment: 2025 Year-End Wrap and Preparing for 2026 Read More »

Changes to federal student loans come into focus

Leave a Comment / Consolidation, Veterinary Questions & Answers, Veterinary Resources, Veterinary Student Debt, Veterinary Student Loans / By Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA

This commentary was originally posted by VIN News on July 10, 2025. Updates are made as new information becomes available. This post was last updated on 4/15/2026. New US law introduces borrowing limits, major shift in repayment options We now have a more definitive blueprint on what comes next for veterinary student borrowers and those

Changes to federal student loans come into focus Read More »

Student Loan Repayment: Trying to leave the SAVE forbearance? Choose PAYE or Wait for RAP.

17 Comments / Consolidation, Veterinary Questions & Answers, Veterinary Resources, Veterinary Student Debt, Veterinary Student Loans / By Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA

Choosing a repayment plan for your federal student loans has never been more challenging. Recent court rulings, administrative changes, loan servicer processing delays, and new laws have created uncertainty around the federal income-driven repayment (IDR) plans. And just recently, following an approved settlement, the Department of Education announced the end of the Saving on a

Student Loan Repayment: Trying to leave the SAVE forbearance? Choose PAYE or Wait for RAP. Read More »

Urgent for Class of 2026: Do NOT Consolidate Your Federal Student Loans!

Leave a Comment / Consolidation, Veterinary Resources, Veterinary School, Veterinary Student Debt, Veterinary Student Loans, Veterinary Students, VIN Foundation News / By Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA

2026 New Graduate Student Loan Playbook Webinar: 4/22 5pm PT REGISTER NOW DVM/VMD Class of 2026 Do NOT consolidate your federal student loans! What is student loan consolidation? Consolidating your loans, by definition, means replacing one or more loans with a single new loan. For federal student loans, applying for a federal Direct Consolidation Loan

Urgent for Class of 2026: Do NOT Consolidate Your Federal Student Loans! Read More »

Dr. Rebecca Mears on her love for horses, and the vital role resources have played in her veterinary career

Leave a Comment / Veterinary Career Journeys, Veterinary Pulse Podcast / By vinfoundation

Listen in as Dr. Rebecca Mears from the VIN Foundation Student Debt Education Team shares her unorthodox path to veterinary medicine, the trends she is seeing in her work with veterinary students and student debt. Find out how a horse jockey and dinosaur fit into her story. As she says in the beginning, this episode is a fun ride!

GUEST BIO:
Dr. Rebecca Mears
Rebecca Mears, DVM is from Lexington, KY, where she completed her BS at University of Kentucky. She is a graduate of University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Rebecca has worked as an equine general practitioner and is an active AAEP member. She has been involved in the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA) since vet school and now as a co-advisor for the National VBMA. In her work with VIN and the VIN Foundation she has a primary focus on student debt education and is a member of the VIN Student Team. She is passionate about giving back to the profession and improving the lives of veterinarians, pre-vet and vet students. In her time away from veterinary medicine, she can be found hiking, baking, and hosting impromptu dance parties.

LINKS AND INFORMATION:
VIN Foundation Student Debt Center: https://vinfoundation.org/studentdebtcenter
VIN Students: https://www.vin.com/students
VBMA: https://vbma.biz/
Vets for Pets and People: https://news.uga.edu/vets-for-pets-and-people/
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

You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
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. Rebecca Mears on her love for horses, and the vital role resources have played in her veterinary career Read More »

Dr. Susan Cohen on perfectionism, why it impacts the veterinary profession, how to identify it, and what to do next

1 Comment / Inhale/Exhale, Veterinary Pulse Podcast / By vinfoundation

Listen in as VIN Foundation Vets4Vets® team member Dr. Susan Cohen dives deep on perfectionism. She covers how to identify it in ourselves and/or others, how it impacts veterinary teams, and helpful tools to decrease the self-torment. Learn how to move toward enjoying the good stuff, and find out what a bliss list is and how it can be motivational. Check the links below to download a copy of Susan’s Bliss List example.

GUEST BIO:
Dr. Susan Cohen
Susan P. Cohen, DSW, ACSW has been called a pioneer in the fields of pet loss, human-animal interaction, and the human side of veterinary practice. Since 1982 Dr. Cohen has helped pet lovers make decisions about the illness of their pets. She developed the first-ever Pet Loss Support Group and began an animal assisted activity program that took the then-unusual form of having volunteers work with their own pets. She originated many training programs for workers in the veterinary and social service fields, and she has been a field instructor for several schools of social work. She has written several book chapters and scholarly articles on social work, veterinary practice, and the human-animal bond. Her most recent book chapter, “Loss, Grief, and Bereavement in the Context of Human-Animal Relationships” (Susan Cohen, DSW; and Adam Clark, LSW, AASW) was published in 2019. She is currently working on a chapter on pet loss for Routledge’s International Handbook on Human-Animal Interaction. These days she consults with veterinary groups on client and professional communication, compassion fatigue, and how to make practice fun again. She facilitates online support groups for veterinarians, animal welfare workers, managers, and those grieving the loss of a pet. She teaches online workshops and lectures widely to veterinary colleges and conferences, colleges of social work, veterinary technician programs, and human health groups on communication, pet loss and bereavement, human-animal interaction, client relations, compassion fatigue, and career development. She is Vice Chairperson of SWAHAB (Social Workers Advancing the Human-Animal Bond), the first such committee of the National Association of Social Workers. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, and Smithsonian Magazine. In addition, she has made numerous television and radio addresses nationwide, including “The Today Show,” “20-20,” and “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

LINKS AND INFORMATION:
VIN Foundation Vets4Vets®: https://vinfoundation.org/v4v
Bliss list example: https://vinfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/VINFoundation-Veterinary-Pulse-Episode-157-Dr.-Susan-Cohen-on-Perfectionism-Bliss-List-example.pdf
Red Shoes Syndrome podcast: https://vinfoundation.org/are-you-caring-too-much-red-shoe-syndrome-with-dr-susan-cohen/
Wabi Sabi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi
Nine Signs Your Perfectionism is Out of Control: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/telltale-signs-your-perfectionism-out-control-dr-travis-bradberry/
14 Signs Your Perfectionism Has Gotten Out of Control: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-perfectionism-is-ruin_n_4212069

Quotes mentioned in the episode:
Brene Brown: “Perfectionism is the belief that if we live perfect, look perfect, and act perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgment, and shame.”
Fred Astaire: “Do it big, do it right, and do it with style.”

You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
If you like this podcast, we would appreciate it if you leave a review, subscribe/follow and share. As always, we welcome feedback. If you have an idea for a podcast episode, we’d love to hear it!

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Dr. Tony Bartels and Dr. Rebecca Mears on the latest student debt hot list topics and what borrowers need to do now

Leave a Comment / Veterinary Pulse Podcast / By vinfoundation

Listen in as student debt expert and Board Member Dr. Tony Bartels and student debt team member Dr. Rebecca Mears in this next installment of our Student Debt Series. This episode we’re going through the current hot list of student debt topics the team is hearing from colleagues and a to-do list of what borrowers need to do now.

Hot List:
Did you finish vet school before 2014? – You may have privately-held FFELs. Consolidate and benefit from the one-time forgiveness count adjustment
Do you have loans that have been in repayment longer than you’ve been using income-driven repayment? – Consolidate and benefit from the one-time forgiveness count adjustment.
Are you eligible for PAYE? Are you using PAYE? – Make sure you find out before PAYE is phased out!
Did you make any payments before the pandemic forbearance benefits began, March 13, 2020? – Request a refund before the benefits end!
Do you know when your income-driven repayment renewal date is? Hint – it’s not until sometime after January 2024, at least. Use the My Student Loans tool to see your “Anniversary Date” and start planning your post-forbearance strategy.
Married? Have you been filing your taxes separately from your spouse recently because of your student debt? – You can amend recent prior year tax returns from separate to joint! We covered this in a recent Dear Dr. Debt column. Visit with your accountant to see if you can get a refund.
Graduating veterinary school in 2023? Congratulations! Did you miss the New Grad Student Loan Repayment Playbook webinar? – Here is a link to the playbook recording, slides, and checklist.

Honorable mentions (coming soon):
Most unpaid interest capitalization is going away starting July 1, 2023
One-time forgiveness count adjustments will be applied in 2024 (or sooner if you are due forgiveness)
The Supreme Court will rule on the special cancellation benefits this summer
Interest and payments are likely starting up later this summer, possibly after August 2023.
Interest rates have been set:

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, and their two rescued canines, Addi and Maggie.

Dr. Rebecca Mears
Rebecca Mears, DVM is from Lexington, KY, where she completed her BS at University of Kentucky. She is a graduate of University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. While in vet school, she served as the National Business Certificate Director for the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA) and as a board member for Vets for Pets and People. During this time she took an active role in wellbeing awareness and access within the veterinary community. Rebecca then worked as an equine general practitioner and is an active AAEP member. In her time away from veterinary medicine, she can be found hiking, baking, 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:
Get Student Debt Updates: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-student-debt-updates/
VIN Foundation Student Debt Tools:
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

Additional links:
Personalized student loan Help from VIN and VIN Foundation: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-student-loan-debt-help/
Repay Wiser:
https://vinfoundation.org/resources/repay-wiser-veterinary-school-debt-loan-repayment/
Borrow Better: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/borrow-better-veterinary-school-loan-debt/
New Grad Student Loan Repayment Playbook: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/veterinary-new-grad-student-loan-repayment-playbook/
Federal Student Aid Data, Consolidation, and Repayment Application: https://studentaid.gov/
New Proposed Regulations Would Transform Income-Driven Repayment by Cutting Undergraduate Loan Payments in Half and Preventing Unpaid Interest Accumulation: https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/new-proposed-regulations-would-transform-income-driven-repayment-cutting-undergraduate-loan-payments-half-and-preventing-unpaid-interest-accumulation
Student Debt Relief Information: https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief-announcement/one-time-cancellation
Department of Education press release (Nov 2022): https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-continues-fight-student-debt-relief-millions-borrowers-extends-student-loan-repayment-pause
Department of Education press release (April 2022): https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/department-education-announces-actions-fix-longstanding-failures-student-loan-programs
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/
VIN Foundation GIVE page to support these programs & tools: https://vinfoundation.org/give
Email VIN Foundation: [email protected]

You may learn more about the VIN Foundation, on the website, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter.

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 and Dr. Rebecca Mears on the latest student debt hot list topics and what borrowers need to do now Read More »

Dr. Philip Richmond on advocating to remove the stigma around alcohol and substance use disorder and improve wellbeing in the veterinary profession

Leave a Comment / Inhale/Exhale, Veterinary Career Journeys, Veterinary Pulse Podcast / By vinfoundation

Dr. Philip Richmond vulnerably shares his journey with alcohol substance abuse, and how he takes lessons learned to help colleagues through vital peer support. He shares the importance of clear communication, the needed ongoing effort to work on ourselves, assuming good intent, and the power of positive emotions. This episode digs deep with heart touching stories and an empathic approaches to well being in the veterinary profession. As Philip shares in the podcast one of his favorite quotes: “Be curious, not judgemental” – Walt Whitman

*Trigger warning* hey all, a quick heads up that some of the content in today’s episode may include a trigger as it relates to alcohol and substance abuse disorder, childhood trauma, and suicidal ideations.

As a reminder, the VIN Foundation’s confidential support group Vets4Vets® is here for you and you can find information to reach out in the episode notes. please know, you are not alone.

GUEST BIO:
Philip Richmond, DVM, CAPP, CPHSA, CPPC, CCFP
Dr. Richmond is the Chief Medical & Wellbeing Officer for Veterinary United and the Founder of Flourishing Phoenix Veterinary Consultants. He is an advocate for positive culture and individual, team and organizational psychological health, safety, and wellbeing in veterinary workplaces.

Dr. Richmond both leads and is involved in state, national and international projects for the advancement of workplace wellbeing and culture in veterinary medicine. He currently serves as the chair for both the Florida Veterinary Medical Association’s Outreach and Professional Wellbeing Committees and is a member/advisor for several national committees and boards for workplace suicide prevention and veterinary wellbeing, including those sponsored by the CDC/NIOSH, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, AAHA, Fear Free, MentorVet and Appalachian State University.

Dr. Richmond is a speaker and published writer, a frequent veterinary podcast guest, and holds multiple certifications in the fields of applied positive psychology, appreciative inquiry, workplace wellbeing, psychological health & safety, trauma-informed workplaces, resilience training, behavior change, and suicide prevention. He was awarded the FVMA Gold Star for service in 2019 and FVMA Veterinarian of the Year in 2021.

LINKS AND INFORMATION:
About Dr. Philip Richmond: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drphilrichmond/
VIN Foundation Vets4Vets®: https://vinfoundation.org/v4v
Veterinary Hope Foundation: https://veterinaryhope.org/
Adverse Childhood Events: https://numberstory.org/
Instead of what’s wrong with you, what happened to you? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNIJBT5q0nI
VIN Foundation get updates: https://vinfoundation.org/updates/

If you enjoy listening to this podcast and want to support these efforts, please consider making 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, or Twitter.

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. Philip Richmond on advocating to remove the stigma around alcohol and substance use disorder and improve wellbeing in the veterinary profession Read More »