Episode Details

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In today’s episode of That Vet Life Podcast, Dr. Moriah interviews Dr. Marie Bucko, a veterinarian and Chief of Staff for the U.S. Chief Veterinary Officer at USDA in Washington D.C.

Marie has over a decade of experience working in food/agriculture issues, the intersection of animal health, public health, and communicating science. Before qualifying as a veterinarian, Meria worked as a Science Policy Analyst at the US Food and Drug Administration’s Foods and Veterinary Medicine Program.

It wasn’t until 2021 that Maria gained her Doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Wisconsin-Madison after gaining her Bachelor’s of Science in Animal Science and Nutrition from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 2012, and her Masters in Science in Food Safety from Michigan State University in 2015.

As a veterinary student, Dr. Marie was elected as the student president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, before graduating and working as a Science and Technology Advisor. In her current role, Dr. Marie works as the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Chief Veterinary Officer at USDA in Washington D.C.

In this episode, Dr. Marie openly recalls her journey into veterinary medicine and how it differed from most, also touching on the effects of the global pandemic on her final year of veterinary school, and how there should be a push for alternative opportunities for veterinarians.

Outline of this episode:

• [01:05] The episode begins with Dr. Marie and Dr. Moriah chatting and Moriah asking Marie what she is doing with her career at the moment. 
• [05:16] Dr. Moriah asks Dr. Marie “when you first started at vet school, was this the pathway you thought you would take?”
• [08:00] Dr. Marie talks about when she didn’t get into med school the first time, why this happened, and why she wouldn’t change her journey to where she is now.
• [10:44] Moriah asks Marie what was it like finishing her final year of veterinary school during a global pandemic.
• [17:44] Ad break – join our Thrive community
• [18:54] The episode resumes with Moriah and Marie continuing their discussion around navigating their final year during the pandemic. 
• [21:28] Moriah asks Marie how she and her peers from her veterinary school felt finishing school during covid. 
• [24:35] What does a veterinarian do in policy?
• [28:36] How can we promote alternative opportunities for veterinary students other than working in practice? 
• [33:05] Dr. Moriah thanks Dr. Marie for coming on the podcast and asks Marie where people can find her to get in touch. 
• [34:45] The episode wraps up to an end. 

To access the bonus extended version of this episode, sign up to Thrive, our educational course aimed at veterinarians, students, and graduates that teaches you the professional skills school misses. 

Connect with Marie:

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