Episode Details

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In this week’s episode of ‘That Vet Life podcast’, Dr. Moriah interviews the lead didactic mentor for VMS (Vet Mentor Solutions), Dr. Dan Phillip. 

Dr. Dan Phillips began his journey into mentorship after he graduated from North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011 where he began his first rotating internship. This internship, at Tufts Cummings College of Veterinary Medicine, gave Dan the opportunity to experience training and teaching veterinary students.

After finishing his internship, Dr. Dan went on to work in both general and emergency medicine in Chicago for four years, before joining the Animal Care Clinic as a medical director. As a medical director, Dan gained experience as a mentor and began to notice several common characteristics of new graduates, including a lack of confidence and a lack of mentors to get them where they aim to be. It was then that Dr. Dan decided to launch VMS in 2019, an online organization ‘committed to helping young veterinarians gain confidence and clinical skills through online, video-based mentoring’.

In the episode, Dr. Dan discusses his journey into mentorship, from his own mentoring to that he delivers. Tune in to understand the true meaning of mentorship and how to find it.

Outline of this episode:

• [01:10] The podcast begins with Mo and Dan discussing the conference they are both at.
• [02:53] Dan discusses how he always wanted to be a veterinary surgeon and how this pathway led him to find a great mentor. 
• [05:08] Dan discusses what his mentor taught him on a personal level. 
• [07:35] Dr. Dan tells Dr. Moriah about the time where he worked in the ‘wrong’ practice. 
• [13:40] Mo asks what was it that made Dan realize he was in the wrong job?
• [16:05] Mo asks Dan, what happened after he left this veterinary practice?
• [18:45] Dr. Dan talks about his time working alongside Adam Conroy. 
• [19:30] Short ad break – join Thrive www.vetxinternational.com/thrive.
• [20:28] The episode resumes with Mo and Dan discussing the impact of having mentorship support.
• [26:11] Dan talks about how having mentoring influenced his career. 
• [30:07] Dr. Dan tells us how he approached his mentors when he wanted to start a new company. 
• [32:09] Mo reflects back and summarises the episode so far. 
• [33:15] Dan talks about Vet Mentor Solutions – the program he curated “to deliver the mentorship needs of new clinicians across the county”.
• [37:35] How is mentorship unique?
• [39:05] How to find a mentor whilst at veterinary school.
• [41:50] Mo thanks Dan for being on the episode, and Dan discusses his partnership with MVP (Mission Veterinary Partners) and what mentorship he offers. 
• [43:34] The episode comes to an end.

Sign up to Thrive to access the extended version of this episode and learn more about Dr. Dan’s story.

Resources Mentioned:

• Thrive
• https://vetmentorsolutions.com/ 

Connect with Dr. Dan:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram