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Ep 61: The Time of Your Life with Dr Adam Christman

Episode Details

Listen on: Itunes | Spotify | Soundcloud 

On today’s show, I’m joined by vet, author, social media personality, and potentially the biggest Doxie & Disney cheerleader in the world, Dr. Adam Christman.

Adam gained his Bachelors in Animal Science from Rutger University in 2000 before going on to study veterinary medicine at Iowa State where he graduated in 2004. He is also a rare breed vet holding an M.B.A from Aspen University.

Adam’s career kicked off at lightning pace, initially working in his hometown practice where he ended up the chief of staff (while also working ER and relief shifts). He also scratched his altruistic itch working both in shelter medicine and in education teaching on the veterinary assistant program at his local community college.

In 2010, his personal brand took off with the launch of his Dr. Christman Show on YouTube, and most recently the explosion of his Tik Tok profile where nearly a million followers consume his content designed to help pet owners and vets connect. Although I admit at least 500,000 of them are me watching his version of Doxie vs. Soft-toy Roulette videos. If you’re confused, don’t worry, just google Adam.

In 2017, he faced a triple tragedy that would put anyone in a tailspin. and after much soul-searching, he pivoted again into his current role as CVO of the much-loved Fetch DVM360 media group.

Oh, and did I mention he also wrote and published a book called ‘Honey, Have You Squeezed the Dachshund? A Guide for Dachshund Owners Who Are Terrified of IVDD’?

Now, whilst you catch your breath, I’d like to invite you to join something that can help you get ahead in your career as a vet. We all know that imposter syndrome, angry clients, and burnout are real, and cause many vets to leave their jobs and careers.

But what you might not know is that there is a community where you can learn the essential street skills for how to be a great GP vet upon which you can build a sustainable, fulfilling career. A place where you can access mentors view jobs from practices that care about culture and access new weekly articles and podcasts dedicated to your wellbeing.

That place is called VetX, and you can access all of the resources including a career planning tool, 14 hours of accredited education, hundreds of articles, and live mentor Q&A sessions, plus earn swag and more.

To join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better go to www.vetxinternational.com today. Registration is free so go to vetxinternational.com now.

Now back to the show,

In this episode, Adam offers us an honest and open conversation about his life and journey through veterinary medicine. This is a high-octane glimpse into the world of a high achiever with a big personality and an even bigger heart. If you’ve ever dared to dream big, had to deal with hate, or just love Disney or Doxies, then this episode is for you.

So without further ado, I give you my conversation with the wonderful human whirlwind, Dr. Adam Christman.

Outline of this episode:
  • [02:55] The episode begins with Dr. Adam Christman and Dr. Dave Nicol chatting and introducing themselves (and Adam’s dachshunds).
  • [06:02] Dave asks Adam where his love of ‘doxies’ (dachshunds) came from.
  • [08:26] What inspired Dr. Adam to write his book ‘Honey, Have You Squeezed The Dachshund?’
  • [12:35] What drew Adam into veterinary medicine?
  • [17:24] Dave asks Dr. Adam how his parents supported his journey into veterinary medicine.
  • [19:48] What was Adam’s vet school experience like?
  • [22:55] Adam discusses how being a vet tech helped him through veterinary school.
  • [24:42] Dr. Adam discusses the versatility of being a vet and how he’s dabbled in all the different aspects of it.
  • [26:35] Adam recalls a time when a client made him cry.
  • [29:59] Does the Hippocratic Oath set us up to fail? 
  • [33:05] How does Dr. Adam deal with the pressure to fix everything and ‘say yes’? Adam recalls the pressure of being a ‘hometown veterinarian’. 
  • [39:22] Dr. Dave asks Dr. Adam how he set boundaries.
  • [43:35] Dave and Adam discuss ‘community’… Is community important to Dr. Adam, if so why?
  • [47:53] How does Adam manage and cope with ‘haters’ online? Dr. Adam talks about the struggles he’s faced being gay.
  • [54:58] Adam talks about his work with DVM360. 
  • [1:00:53] Dr. Adam talks through the loss of his parents and how being a veterinarian helped him through it. 
  • [1:08:27] How Disney has influenced Adam?
  • [1:13:15] What 3 bits of advice would Dr. Adam give practice owners?
  • [1:15:39] What’s Adam’s favorite Disney movie?
  • [1:18:35] The episode wraps up with Adam giving us a final word of wisdom and telling us where to find him on social media. 

Resources Mentioned:

Connect with Dr. Adam Christman:

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