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Dr. Bree Montana on the importance of work transition rituals

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

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 the importance of work transitions

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

Defining work transitions
Why thought through work transitions matter
Build a departure ritual
Create a rejuvenation plan
Add in technological barriers
Build a work transition ritual for homecoming
Things that go bump in the night
Where 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. 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:

Leaving Work at Work: A Daily Transition Checklist: https://vinfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/VIN-Foundation-_-Veterinary-Pulse-Podcast-_-Inhale-Exhale-Series-_-Bree-Montana-DVM-CCFP-_-Transitions-Checklist.pdf

Brene Brown on transitions: https://brenebrown.com/podcast/lock-in-and-lock-through-power/
VIN Foundation Vets4Vets®: https://vinfoundation.org/v4v
VIN Foundation Veterinary Pulse Podcast Inhale, Exhale Series: https://vinfoundation.org/category/inhale-exhale/
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!

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Dr. Lee Friedman on how a non-traditional path led him to his love for veterinary medicine

Listen in as we talk with Dr. Lee Friedman as he shares his non-traditional path to veterinary medicine. From selling encyclopedias to training as a Navy fighter jet pilot, heart-touching and fascinating, this story is a great reminder of how life brings us profound learning and through it we find our way.

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

GUEST BIO:

Stuart Lee Friedman, DVM
Woody Allen once said that Parker Brothers offered to buy his memoirs so that they could make it into a board game. If Lee’s story was a board game, it would most certainly be more chutes than ladders.

“I’m more proud of my struggles with failure than my actual successes in life. What I achieved doesn’t define me as much as the failures I prevailed over.”

At first, failure came easily. By the time he hit college, Lee was well-practiced in the art of underachievement. He managed to drop out of college on academic probation after two and a half years for more aimless pursuits. Lee found work as a movie theater usher. Then as a busboy. Then a school janitor. Driving a taxicab lasted all of two weeks before being fired for a minor fender bender. He then sold encyclopedias door-to-door, where he once had his pants torn off by an angry dog. Selling stereo equipment was more lucrative, fun, and promised greater wardrobe integrity. And he helped introduce the idea that bicycle couriers – already popular in the condensed city of San Francisco – could actually work in the sprawling freeway metropolis of Los Angeles. He established himself as the only bike messenger with a city-wide courier agency of automobile messengers – and made it work.

Despite little successes, however, most of his jobs could well be classified as failures – both the way they ended (often at the insistence of management) and the way they failed to measure up to his existing potential. The gift of treading upon failure’s floor was not knowing any ceiling of success. That naivety stood in the stead of accepting less lofty “realistic” goals. Most everything he achieved was launched from the simple question, “Why not?” Friends who offered ready answers to that question soon found themselves outside the small circle of friends who did not.

From nothing, he turned daydreams into goals, and goals into realities. Coming out of life’s starting blocks late, he achieved most of the targets he set for himself while being nothing extraordinary in terms of talent or intelligence. He managed to gain admission to UCLA despite a miserable academic record at SUNY Buffalo (a success which he attributed to turning the required essay on his application into a written treatise on why someone like him could make UCLA proud). He obtained an appointment to the highly selective US Naval Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) at NAS Pensacola with the help of a good citizenship letter written by the San Francisco Police Department after he tackled a suspect running from an officer. At AOCS, he endured a 16-week “pressure cooker” program designed to cull candidates who failed to meet stringent medical requirements, physical training goals, academic performance, and standards of character. Class attrition rates were typically over 30%.

Orders to primary flight training were received at the officer commissioning ceremony (AOCS graduation). Lee’s orders sent him immediately to VT-2 at NAS Whiting Field, where he met performance standards for selection to the strike (jet) training pipeline at VT-19 at NAS Meridian. A failed vision test ended his training, but not his love of aviation. He continued in the civilian sector. earning instrument and multi-engine ratings and is a commercially-rated pilot and instrument flight instructor.

With the airlines in furlough mode, he restructured his goals along a new set of impossible dreams, dusted off his undergraduate studies, and gained acceptance to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, having been wait-listed on his second attempt and outrightly accepted on his third. He graduated with his VMD degree in 2003.

From a perfectly average underachiever, he shares his recipe of realizing his goals: one part focus and one part attitude, all mixed together with a willingness to suspend disbelief and an embrace of impossible things. From flying military jets to writing published articles to becoming a doctor in his mid 40’s, each of those goals meant pushing past gate keepers who explained all the ways it could never be possible – while maintaining an optimism that capitalized on the opportunities that made them happen. That same recipe has helped him perform both as a pilot and as a doctor.

Lee also explains how attitude played a role in carrying the debt from his education – a debt assumed in the middle of life that he expected to pay to the grave – and how a positive perspective on a negative burden allowed him to redefine what it was – and carry it with grace.

LINKS AND INFORMATION:

VIN Foundation Student Debt Education program: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/veterinary-student-debt/
VIN Foundation Student Debt Series podcast episodes: https://vinfoundation.org/category/veterinary-student-debt-podcast/
VIN Foundation Vets4Vets®: https://vinfoundation.org/v4v
US Naval Aviation Officer Candidate School: https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2025/july/reestablish-aocs-nas-pensacola
University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine: https://www.vet.upenn.edu/
If you enjoy these podcast episodes, please support this podcast with a gift: https://vinfoundation.org/give

Get updates to stay tuned about VIN Foundation news and updates.
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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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 160 | Becky Godchaux shares her story in creating the veterinary student scholarship | veterinary student scholarship | veterinary school scholarship

Becky Godchaux shares her story in creating the veterinary student scholarship

1 Comment / Veterinary Pulse Podcast / By vinfoundation

Animal lover Becky Godchaux shares how she came to create the veterinary student scholarship offering two new veterinary students up to $140,000 each for their DVM education. Listen in to learn what inspired her generosity, how animals have positively impacted her life, and how she views the important relationship between the anima, the client, and the veterinarian. This is a great episode for animal lovers who want to support a healthy animal community.

The VIN Foundation is honored to be the home of the Mike Dunn, DVM Veterinary Student Scholarship created by Becky Godchaux. Learn more about the scholarship in the link below.

LINKS AND INFORMATION:
Veterinary Student Scholarship: https://vinfoundation.org/scholarship
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 LinkedIn.

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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 and Dr. Susan Cohen The Futures So Bright Ins and Outs of Selling a Veterinary practice different types of veterinary practice sale options the emotional mental aspect of selling a veterinary practice

The Future’s so Bright Series: Dr. Bree Montana and Dr. Susan Cohen on the mental and emotional aspect of selling a veterinary practice

Leave a Comment / Future's So Bright, Veterinary Life, Veterinary Pulse Podcast, Veterinary Resources / By vinfoundation

Listen in as VIN Foundation Executive Director Jordan benShea has a conversation with Dr. Bree Montana and Dr. Susan Cohen in the 3rd installment of the podcast series The Future’s So Bright, the ins and outs of selling a veterinary practice. This episode we’re diving into the mental and emotional aspect of making the choice to sell a veterinary practice.
From exploring how identity can be tied up with owning a practice, to how to deal with a shift in life priorities. Bree shares her personal experience, Susan offers tips on how to assess when the right time to sell might be based on a colleague’s individual life circumstance, and we discuss how colleagues can set themselves up for mental success.

Most importantly, we want to hear from YOU our listeners, please weigh in on the discussion, and we want to know what topics YOU want to hear about from experts. Please email us to share your thoughts: [email protected].

GUEST BIOS:
Dr. Bree MontanaBree Montana, DVM, CCFP graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Science degree focused in the field of Biology followed by a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation from veterinary medical school, Dr. Montana worked exclusively in small animal outpatient and emergency hospitals while pursuing additional medical training in the latest technologies. Dr. Montana has advanced training in ultrasonography, echocardiography, chemotherapy, dentistry, emergency medicine and surgery, transfusion medicine, class IV laser therapy, pain management and rehabilitation. A past member of UC Davis’ College of Veterinary Medicine’s External Advisory and Admissions Boards, and a past Board member of the VIN Foundation, Dr. Montana is the Director of the VIN Foundation’s Vets4Vets® programs. When not practicing medicine, Dr. Montana will generally be found playing with her daughter Ember and their ponies, hiking with her huskies, and skiing or snowboarding with her husband.

Dr. Susan CohenDr. Susan P. Cohen 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
Book appt with Vets4Vets®: https://vinfoundation.org/v4vappt
Veterinary Pulse Podcast on VIN: https://vinfoundation.org/podcast_v
VIN Foundation application access for VIN: https://vinfoundation.org/vinapp

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!

The Future’s so Bright Series: Dr. Bree Montana and Dr. Susan Cohen on the mental and emotional aspect of selling a veterinary practice Read More »

Dr. Jennifer Woolf uncovers the details of veterinary forensics

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

Listen in as we talk with Dr. Jennifer Wolf as we dive a bit deeper into veterinary forensics. In this second episode she digs into the laws and of veterinary forensics, shares her experiences, and where colleagues can go for resources to learn about state-specific regulations.

*Trigger warning: this episode may include triggers associated with animal abuse and human abuse.*

Topics covered in this episode include:

Defining veterinary forensics
Top issues in the veterinary forensics field
Laws and legal process for reporting animal abuse
The role of law enforcement in animal abuse cases
Resources available for colleagues looking to learn more

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

GUEST BIO:

Jennifer Woolf, DVM, MS
Dr. Woolf (pronouns: she/her) is a veterinarian with a Master of Science degree concentrated in Veterinary Forensics. Over the years, she has worked in private practices and animal welfare organizations as well as owning her own relief veterinary services business for many years. In 2014 she founded Woolf Veterinary Forensics Consulting where she lectures internationally on animal abuse, the Link, and veterinary forensics, as well as investigating and consulting on individual cases. She also works for Veterinary Information Network (VIN) as a Topic Specialist consulting on message boards, developing resources, and providing webinars on animal abuse and veterinary forensics for VIN members. Additionally, she writes articles for VIN members and the public. Dr. Woolf has published numerous articles, education modules, and a book chapter on animal cruelty topics, and was a 2018-2019 Don Low-CVMA Practitioner Fellow at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine in the Anatomic Pathology Department. Previously, she was an instructor in the University of Florida Veterinary Forensic Sciences Online Graduate Program. Dr. Woolf is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the International Veterinary Forensic Sciences Association (IVFSA), and a founding member of the Alameda County Animal Cruelty Task Force. Previously she has served on the boards of the IVFSA and the Contra Costa County Veterinary Medical Association.

LINKS AND INFORMATION:

Dr. Jennifer Woolf initial Veterinary Pulse podcast episode: https://vinfoundation.org/dr-jennifer-woolf-on-raising-awareness-about-veterinary-forensics-and-the-importance-of-asking-the-right-questions/
Dr. Jennifer Woolf website: https://www.wvfcinc.com/
AVMA animal welfare toolkit: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-welfare/responding-to-suspected-animal-cruelty-maltreatment
Veterinary Information Network (VIN) animal abuse center
Melinda Merck – https://www.amazon.com/Veterinary-Forensics-Animal-Cruelty-Investigations/dp/0470961627
University of FLorida veterinary forensics: https://info.distance.ufl.edu/l/307541/2025-07-06/56xwzx
National Link Coalition nationallinkcoalition.org
Animallaw.info Michigan State
International Veterinary Forensic Sciences Association: https://www.ivfsa.org/
VIN Foundation Vets4Vets®: https://vinfoundation.org/v4v
If you enjoy these podcast episodes, please support this podcast with a gift: 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!

Dr. Jennifer Woolf uncovers the details of veterinary forensics Read More »

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

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

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:

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 »

Dr. Tony Bartels on the latest student loan news

Leave a Comment / Veterinary Pulse Podcast, Veterinary Student Debt Podcast / By vinfoundation

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:

RAP rule change alert
What does this rule change mean for repayment strategies
Class of 2026 new grads, STILL do not consolidate
Determine your IDR profile, know your monthly interest accrual, know your starting repayment balance, & run your Simulations!
RAP subsidies – what are they? Will you benefit? For how long?
What’s next? RAP to IBR 2014 vs. IBR 2014 only vs. RAP only vs. other?
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:
Urgent message for Class of 2026: https://vinfoundation.org/urgent-for-class-of-2026-do-not-consolidate-your-federal-student-loans/
2026 New Grad Student Loan Playbook: https://vinfoundation.org/resources/veterinary-new-grad-student-loan-repayment-playbook/
Check your current student loan servicers and other loan details — VIN Foundation My Student Loans tool: http://www.vinfoundation.org/mystudentloans
VIN Foundation WikiDebt: IDR Profiles
Student 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/
40 veterinary school simulations in 60 days: 40 in 60 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/

Personalized student loan Help from VIN and VIN Foundation: https://vinfoundation.org/veterinary-student-loan-debt-help/
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, 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 Read More »

Dr. Tony Bartels on the latest student loan news

Leave a Comment / Veterinary Pulse Podcast, Veterinary Student Debt Podcast / By vinfoundation

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 »

Dr. Tony Bartels on the latest student debt news

Leave a Comment / Veterinary Pulse Podcast, Veterinary Student Debt Podcast / By vinfoundation

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:

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 »

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

Leave a Comment / Veterinary Pulse Podcast, Veterinary Student Debt Podcast / By vinfoundation

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

GUEST BIO:

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 »