2 Keys to Happy Mentorship: Connection & Community (Dr Dani Rabwin)

Vet Life Reimagined guest is Dr. Dani Rabwin, the founder of Ready Vet Go, a formal mentorship program for new veterinary grads. Dani graduated vet school at UC Davis in 2004, completed an internship, and has been in general practice medicine ever since. An unexpected situation led Dani down a surprising veterinary career path in mentorship which complemented her values of human connection and community.

Resources:
Episode on YouTube
Ready Vet Go website
Veterinary Wellbeing Buddy with Melyssa Allen, MA, NBC-HWC, DIPACLM
AVMA's Dog Bite Prevention Coloring Book

Transcript

Dani Rabwin: [00:00:00] There is so much more to being a well rounded and really happy and satisfied veterinarian that is not that clinical stuff. And that's the stuff that I really love. 

Megan Sprinkle: Welcome to Vet Life Reimagined. Today, we have some themes around connection and community. If you've heard the phrase, know your why, then you'll understand that these themes are important whys of our guest, Dr. Dani Rabwin. She is the founder of Ready Vet Go, a formal mentorship program that was a beautiful surprise that changed Dani's career expectations. 

Megan Sprinkle: Dani graduated vet school from UC Davis and has been a general practitioner Ever since, this is a fantastic conversation that you need to listen all the way through because we talk about finding joy in vet med, which is something we need to hear more of. So let's get to the conversation with Dr. Danny Rabwin. 

Megan Sprinkle: When did you know you were interested in vet medicine? 

Dani Rabwin: That is such a good question. 

Dani Rabwin: And thanks so much for inviting me to be here. I think the first moment that I really remember, I mean, I, I [00:01:00] loved. animals And I liked taking our pets to the vet, but I just remember this really pivotal moment when I was a kid. And this was in the day when, it was time to let our pets go. 

Dani Rabwin: My dad would drive the dog to the vet and drop them off and come home. And it was just a different time. but this was one of our beloved family pets and it was time for euthanasia and He was dropped off and my dad came home and that night we were sitting around having family dinner at the dinner table and the phone rang and it was the veterinarian and he called to check in on us because, you know, he knew, how hard it must be for us. 

Dani Rabwin: And he asked if he could get me on the phone and I got on the phone with him. And apparently the story goes that I talked to him and I don't really know what he said, but I hung up and I said, I want to be like him when I grow up. And I just, it was this feeling of like, feeling like. This veterinarian was almost a part of our family. 

Dani Rabwin: He cared about us. And so for me, when I look back on it, I realized [00:02:00] that this pivotal moment was really about the connection with people. It wasn't even so much about, I love animals. I want to save all the animals. It was this sort of relationship and that's kind of guided my whole career. So I think that was kind of the first moment for me. 

Dani Rabwin: And then everything from then on was what am I going to do to get into veterinary school? 

Megan Sprinkle: Yep. And just wanted to shout out to that veterinarian. I love that he understood that it was a relationship. It impacts the family emotionally. And to reach out and do that as a, as a really big deal that I hope is not lost. 

Megan Sprinkle: I also remember the time when pets were, It was their time to go. They went to the vet and they just didn't come back or they came back in a box. And I did not have that experience. And somehow I still ended up here in vet medicine. But, to have that where the veterinarian seemed so interested in the [00:03:00] human side of things in the whole relationship, I think it's just huge. 

Megan Sprinkle: So. You know, if somebody wants to know how to make somebody's day, just reaching out and saying, how are you, I think is, is so important. 

Dani Rabwin: So it's such a good lesson and such a reminder. I mean, I certainly don't do that every time. I euthanize a pet, but when I tell this story, I'm reminded of it. 

Dani Rabwin: And then I might go back when I'm next in the clinic and make that phone call. You know, I think we're, we're good in our profession about writing really heartfelt cards and they're very touching and people generally appreciate them, but sometimes just picking up the phone, it's really meaningful. 

Megan Sprinkle: Yeah. Well, especially if, if, you know, the pet owner at all well, and I just had a interview yesterday with someone and his whole kind of mission was around the community aspect of, you know, and so he, he knows his clients very, very well because that's so important. And so, yeah, that means a [00:04:00] lot. 

Megan Sprinkle: The veterinarian can kind of, like you said, become kind of part of the family because of that connection with a beloved pet. So yeah, didn't realize you would get that deep, but I love that. We went there real fast. what a great way to get introduced into this profession. And yes, I think, some of these things do keep coming back in your journey and like you said, okay, so now you've, you've made this decision and now it's all focus, focus. 

Megan Sprinkle: How do I get to vet school? Did you know what you wanted to do when you got into vet school? How did that go? Did that change at all through those four years? And what other things did you kind of experience and learn during that time in vet school? I think I 

Dani Rabwin: was always pretty much set on small animal, which is where I ended up, but I did tinker with some other species. 

Dani Rabwin: I rode horses when I was younger and I volunteered, at the barn. just so that I could be around all the horse people. I did some volunteer work [00:05:00] in a wildlife center in Southern California. I did a summer at the zoo. So I really explored lots of different species and lots of different areas, but I really was mostly just focused on small animal. 

Dani Rabwin: I wasn't sure if I was going to specialize. That was always something that I was open to, but what I found in school is that I loved. all of it. And I thought the path for me really to do everything is general medicine and to be a really good general practitioner. And, you know, I did some really fun, interesting things along the way. 

Dani Rabwin: Like I got a grant with a friend of mine to go study yaks in Nepal and the Himalayas. and so there's so many amazing opportunities that you can have in veterinary school, even outside of your, you know, track or where you think you want to end up. So I took advantage of all of those opportunities. 

Dani Rabwin: But yeah, I really was focused eventually on general practice for small animals. And I would hear [00:06:00] things, you know, especially during my clinical rotations, you know, I would be on a service and somebody would say, Oh, you're so good at this. Why don't you specialize? And I thought, well, why can't we just reframe this? 

Dani Rabwin: You're so good at this. How wonderful that you can take this into general practice and be a really well rounded. Solid general practitioner. So I, I really wanted some extra support after graduation. I decided to do an internship and I interviewed multiple places. It was like me interviewing them. If I come here to do an internship, are you going to support my desire to go directly into general practice? 

Dani Rabwin: Because I felt like a lot of the push in many of the internships was to, get people ready for residencies, which is great. Um, but I found a place that, was very supportive of my ambitions to be Solid general practitioner. And so that's where I ended up and that was Michigan veterinary specialists. 

Dani Rabwin: It's blue pearl now, that's outside of Detroit and I did my year there. And then I went into general practice and loved it. 

Megan Sprinkle: Yeah. And that was quite a ways for you growing up in California and then [00:07:00] going to Michigan, a little bit of a different weather, probably cultural changes and everything. 

Dani Rabwin: It was, yeah. 

Dani Rabwin: And I, I did it partly for that reason. You know, I thought when. Am I ever going to go live in Michigan and now's the time to do it. And so it was, it was a really good fit for me. 

Megan Sprinkle: And just knowing where you are now and some of the big things that are important to you. When you were in that internship, what was the mentorship like? 

Megan Sprinkle: How did you, embrace that one year experience to really get you ready to go into general practice? 

Dani Rabwin: The mentorship there was great. There were, you know, some things that I look back on now and I go, that happened, you know, just right off the bat, starting on overnight emergency shifts, being the only doctor in the clinic for me, it worked out great. I really took advantage of the mentorship from the experienced credentialed technicians on those overnight emergency shifts. They are just such a wealth of information and I relied on them a [00:08:00] lot. the mentorship that I received from the specialists was excellent. They had a really robust program where we would do rounds and, really had an opportunity to connect with the specialists that we were rotating with. 

Dani Rabwin: they put a lot of emphasis on the peer connection. We had a really tight internship class that we would meet with both in and outside of the clinic. And I really loved that. but a lot of it I really had to go out and kind of get myself, you know, I really had to be very proactive around saying, okay, this is something that I want to learn and I'm going to make sure that I learn this before I leave. 

Dani Rabwin: I really felt like this is my opportunity to soak up as much information as I can before I go out into general practice. I wanted to be ready. For the every few years GDV that was going to come in or the every few years chest tap that I was going to have to do in general practice. You know, these aren't things in general practice that we do regularly, but I sort of had this feeling that when it does come in, I want to know how to [00:09:00] do it. 

Dani Rabwin: And so I really found myself gravitating towards the emergency side, just so that I could be very prepared. And that turned out to serve me very well. And it actually made me love emergency medicine. So even though I've been in general practice for 20 years, I have always done relief in emergency. Just, you know, once a month or every couple months, I'll pick up an emergency shift because I just love it. 

Dani Rabwin: And I always kind of want to see. What's happening in the, field of emergency medicine. So some of it, I had to really go out and get myself and others was, you know, some of the mentorship was kind of structured in that internship environment. 

Megan Sprinkle: That's a good way of approaching things too. If you're interested in lots of things or you like emergency medicine, but. 

Megan Sprinkle: You know, five days a week seems like a lot. You can do that as an option where you have your foot in both general practice as well as emergency. And I'm sure you learn a lot on both sides that can be applicable across the ways. So whether it's understanding, I don't know, you've maybe [00:10:00] had a client show up in emergency and you're like, Oh, I know you, I know this dog or cat. 

Megan Sprinkle: that's kind of a neat circle as well. 

Dani Rabwin: Yeah, definitely. It really overlaps and that's one of the things that I love about our profession so much is that with our degree, we really can kind of create the careers that we want and do so many different things. And if we want to pick up a relief emergency shift, we can, and what I learned on the emergency shifts really influences how I practice in my day practice. 

Dani Rabwin: it certainly influences, you know, how I mentor now that I'm in mostly a mentoring role with new veterinarians, it influences that. So it's all really connected. And that is one of the things that I love about this profession and this degree is that you can kind of move into different areas that interest you. 

Megan Sprinkle: And I also, I really liked how you approached, discovering which internship to go on. You, you knew what you were looking for. You interviewed as in like you interviewed them. I always encourage people. Don't forget that. It's like, yeah, [00:11:00] it sounds like an interview for like you as in they're interviewing you, but it is equally the other way around because you have to make sure it is the right fit for you. 

Megan Sprinkle: And so did you take that approach? Once your internship was done looking for, a practice to start full time working, how did you, uh, decide which hospital was going to be right? What were you looking for? and what was that experience. 

Dani Rabwin: yeah, it's a good question. I was, I was pretty picky and it was a, fun time. It was, new veterinarians were not as, I I say, they're sort of a hot commodity right now. You know, we know there's so many open positions and only so many veterinarians to fill them. This was in, I finished my internship in '05, and so this was a really good time still where, you know, we were in, in demand and so I was. 

Dani Rabwin: allowed to be picky in what I chose. I had some pretty specific requirements. I wanted, there to be multiple doctors. I wanted it to be busy. I wanted to make sure that I was going to have really good mentorship, even though [00:12:00] I had done an internship, I still had only been out for a year. So I wanted to make sure that I had good mentors. 

Dani Rabwin: I learned during my internship that I loved ultrasound. So I wanted a place that was going to be very, involved with my ultrasound training, so the practice that I ended up in, and I stayed there for 8 or 9 years. It turned out to be a really good fit for me. It was a group of 3 practices. 

Dani Rabwin: So the main practice was a 24 hour clinic. So it was day practice during the day and emergency overnight. And then two satellite, one doctor or two doctor practices. And so I was able to work at all of those. And I really liked that. So sometimes I would do an overnight emergency shift. Sometimes I would work at one of the smaller satellite practices. 

Dani Rabwin: so that was really good for me. Um, I can't imagine doing that now, mixing it up with overnight and day practice and working five days a week, but I was in my twenties and had tons of energy. And so it worked fine for me. And the other thing that was really amazing is that we had an agreement. it was [00:13:00] a, three year contract in exchange for, very intensive ultrasound training for me. 

Dani Rabwin: And so they said, you know, if we. Provide you with this really extensive ultrasound training. It was a 20 day course over the time of 1 year, that I would go to a facility and get intensive ultrasound training for general practitioners. They said, if we make that investment in you, we want an understanding that you're going to stay with us. 

Dani Rabwin: And so we agreed on 3 years. It was an amazing agreement. I became the primary ultrasonographer for the practice. We had a mobile radiologist who would come in for some of the things that I didn't feel like I could handle, but it really allowed them to build out their in house ultrasound program. I was allowed to pursue this special interest and I have really maintained this kind of love for ultrasound throughout the 20 years. 

Dani Rabwin: So it was a big negotiation. There was a lot of discussion around what my needs were as a new grad and what the clinic's needs were. And we ended up coming up with a really good. Agreement. 

Megan Sprinkle: you said, this was a long conversation. So, you know, really understanding each [00:14:00] other and what you were looking for and how it was a mutual arrangement. 

Megan Sprinkle: And it sounds like you really liked the practice cause I think you were there for eight years. So, that worked, that can be scary for some people on, multiple year contracts and things like that. But, understanding. Keep having the conversation, see, see what works. And it sounds like it worked really well and it allowed you to really upskill in places that you were interested in and it benefited the practice right back. 

Dani Rabwin: Yeah, that's exactly right. and this is not to say that, you know, I would encourage most people to sign on to something like a three year contract. Cause we hear. Stories about, poor fits all the time. And so, you know, if you don't feel like you have the time to go into those deep conversations or do some shifts in the clinic to make sure that it's going to be a good fit, I would not necessarily recommend a long contract like that. 

Dani Rabwin: honestly, I don't even know if it was valid. It was like a handshake. You know, I'm gonna stay here for three years in exchange for, for this. I don't even remember if it was written down and if it was, is it [00:15:00] valid? I don't know. that's not really my, my area, but it ended up being a really good fit for me. 

Dani Rabwin: 'cause yeah, like you said, I ended up staying there for, for many years and you know, I think people forget sometimes, like we, we can say as new grads and early career vets. What we want to get out of this experience, and we are bringing so much to the clinic, and that's why I'm always encouraging vet students and new grads to really understand their value and their worth and that they are bringing such a gift, really, to 

Dani Rabwin: the clinics, you know, they have so much new medical information and knowledge and, they ought to be able to speak up for the things that they want out of the relationship as well. That are not monetary. I'm not talking about asking for, you know, crazy high sign on bonuses or, salaries or anything like that. 

Dani Rabwin: You know, it takes time to be able to. be producing for a clinic to earn that, you know, those large numbers, but there's lots of other ways that we can be compensated. And that might be in the area of special interests or, you know, things like that. [00:16:00] Yeah. And on the other side, being able to listen and understand the needs of the practice is also really important because then you can communicate in a way to show how your value fits their needs and their, their values as well. 

Megan Sprinkle: So, great skills all together to, to know your value, but also to listen and understand other people's, priorities as well. it's going to help you get what you want when you're able to understand both sides. 

Dani Rabwin: It's such a good point and so much of what we do as veterinarians is listening to our clients and just starting off right off the bat with that, you know, listening to the needs of the practice so that you can then share how you can add value in areas that they're specifically looking for. 

Dani Rabwin: I think that's a great call out. 

Megan Sprinkle: Now you ended up moving and you went to the Bay area, so you found a new practice. And so. Was that the move where you just, like, family wanted to move and you were going to have to look for a new [00:17:00] job? 

Dani Rabwin: Exactly. family wanted to move. And so, my partner at the time had a job that needed to be relocated. 

Dani Rabwin: And, you know, as a veterinarian, I knew I could pretty much work anywhere. And I said, let's do this. Let's, pick up and move. And so we did. And again, I was very picky. I had had such a good experience. It was heartbreaking for me to leave that practice in Southern California. the mentor at the time became one of my closest confidants and he's still very much in my life today. 

Dani Rabwin: And I love my team members and my coworkers. And I said, this is going to be, a big move. And I want to make sure that I make the right choice. And we moved to Oakland and there were a couple of practices that I really wanted to work at. And none of them were hiring and I knocked on their doors and I met the owners and I said, Hey, I'm, moving up here soon. 

Dani Rabwin: I want to work for you. And I had two really amazing experiences at two different clinics where both of the practice owners said, we're not hiring, [00:18:00] but can we take you out for coffee? I met with them, got to know them and they said, well, we're really, you know, Keep you in mind if something opens up, but now it's not the right time. 

Dani Rabwin: And I said, okay, well, there wasn't anything else in, in the area where I was living that really spoke to me, but there was a practice in San Francisco. So it was across the Bay. I was going to be living in Oakland. There was a practice in San Francisco that was hiring. I thought, you know, this practice sounds great. 

Dani Rabwin: It really fits the bill. And I ended up taking a job there and commuted into the city. that was not a good fit. And. I did not connect well with the practice owner. There was some things that just didn't work out very well in my favor. And it was a good experience to go through that. you know, to really understand what people say when, when they go to a practice that is not a good fit. 

Dani Rabwin: And I commuted by bus often, mostly public transportation. And I had a horrible day in the clinic. It was just awful. And I was on the bus, I think I was crying and I opened up my phone and I went to some jobs [00:19:00] board. And I saw that one of the practices that I wanted to work at in Oakland now had an opening. 

Dani Rabwin: And that day I basically called, I said, remember me? They said, yeah, we do come on in. So I did a shift at this clinic in Oakland and it was a great fit. And I put in my notice at , the San Francisco practice. I accepted a position at the Oakland practice and I've been at that practice for 11 years now. 

Dani Rabwin: So that was a great fit. So in my 20 years, I've really only worked at three clinics aside from all of the relief that I've done eight years and then one year and, and 11 years now at this practice in Oakland. 

Megan Sprinkle: Yeah, well, and the other thing I kind of noticed earlier on when you started working for Broadway Pet Hospital and about 2013, not long, you, you started doing a little bit more in the community. 

Megan Sprinkle: And this is only what I can see in LinkedIn. So, so. But that's, that was really neat for me to see again, kind of knowing what you do now, you also started a [00:20:00] yearly program where you would open up the vet hospital to local elementary students, I think as well, you've done your homework together because you're, you're already, you know, when we were talking about community and the importance of that relationship and, and but also your Your understanding of the younger generation and the importance of letting them see the, um, the special part of veterinary medicine and letting them be part of it. 

Megan Sprinkle: And so I just, I love seeing that. So I saw that. And then like a little bit later, you volunteered with the youth mentor group. So. I mean, you were really starting to get involved. So what was kind of your thought process and doing some of these things and, and how did that kind of impact you just in general? 

Dani Rabwin: I love that question. And no one's ever asked me about that part of what I've done. It's always been just kind of a thing that I do, and I don't necessarily really talk about it, but it has given me so [00:21:00] much meaning and joy as a veterinarian. You know, the way that came about really, I think, started. Well, I love people. 

Dani Rabwin: I love connecting with people. I love kids. I have one who I'm sending off to college in a few weeks, but when that one was in preschool, they were always looking for volunteers and. People to do interesting things in the classroom. And I think the AVMA had just come out with this like coloring book on, ways that young children can interact with dogs. 

Dani Rabwin: It was like a dog bite prevention coloring book. And I thought, well, this is a really cool resource. Why don't I take this into the preschool? So I ordered a bunch of those coloring books and I went into the preschool. I haven't even thought about this memory in so many years. so thanks for asking about this. 

Dani Rabwin: This is the, how this all started. I went into the preschool and I did a, like a little session on dog bite prevention for preschoolers. And we filled out our little coloring books and it was so much fun. And so then as my son went from class to class, as he got older, I would Always offer my services, to the classroom and the teachers [00:22:00] loved it. 

Dani Rabwin: So in kindergarten, I brought in skulls that we had in the clinic and I would talk about different skulls and anatomy and teeth. And we would talk about that. And then in first grade when he was in first grade, I went in to his classroom and we did a bandaging lab and I had all the kids bring in one of their stuffies and I brought in bones, actual, you know, some of the bone models that we had in the clinic and we talked about like, When we would want to set a limb or when we would want to do a bandage, and I brought in all the materials from the clinic. 

Dani Rabwin: We did a bandaging lab and they were obsessed. They loved it so much. And this got a conversation started with the parents and the teachers. And they said, how can we do more of this? Well, the school has an auction every year. And so I decided to auction off a day with the veterinarian and I got permission from my Oakland clinic. 

Dani Rabwin: They were very supportive. the practice owner. You know, we really connected [00:23:00] on his, he also was very involved in the community. so our kids went to the neighborhood school, which was right near the vet clinic. And for being an urban area in Oakland, it had kind of a small town feel. And so he was very supportive of me doing this auction event. 

Dani Rabwin: And I auctioned off, I don't remember how many seats, it was maybe four and they sold out immediately and made some good money for the school and that grew and I ended up doing like three days a year and we would have up to 10 kids at a time and I would come in on my day off because now we had so many kids I couldn't do it on a work day. 

Dani Rabwin: And the staff loved it. Everyone just loved it. And other schools got wind of what we were doing. So I would donate to other schools a day with a vet. And, it was a, it was a big hit and I just loved it. And it was just such a fun part of connecting with the community and connecting with kids. I had kids who repeat, they would come year after year, and then they would come with their siblings. 

Dani Rabwin: I'm still in touch with a couple of them. They've [00:24:00] reached out to me as they're heading off to college now. for advice. And it's just, it's been amazing. That was a really fun, a fun way to give back to the community. And then I got a lot of clients out of it because you can imagine now all of these families wanted to bring their pets to me. 

Dani Rabwin: So I did not do it for business, but it ended up being a good thing. way to build my personal practice within the larger practice where I was working. 

Megan Sprinkle: Oh, neat. I have talked about this before where it would be like a open house day at veterinary clinics. Cause I think that would be so much fun for the kids to come in and the parents get to see the clinic in a very non scary threatening way. 

Megan Sprinkle: Right. Like the worst thing is, is having, you know, an emergency situation. And then that's not a good memory, but if it's like a family affair where they can come and tour and meet the vet and, the kids are all excited. I just see so much good coming from that, both that, back to how you felt [00:25:00] very seen and appreciated when you were a child going through something challenging and the veterinarian , you know, took that time with you, you're doing that for other kids. 

Megan Sprinkle: And I think that's a great way to keep that enthusiasm and the interest in vet med. So we always have this Other generation who's inspired and feels our passion and I just think it is so cool. So thanks. 

Dani Rabwin: Yeah, it is. It is so cool. And I love your idea of just like an open house and bringing people in because you're right. 

Dani Rabwin: It's scary taking your animal to the vet, especially when they're sick is scary. And so doing it in a time where. You know, some, it's kind of like low stakes, the pressures off, is a great way to do it. I would always, during those days with a vet, I would choose one, kid and ask them if they had a pet and let them bring their pet in. 

Dani Rabwin: And so that would be kind of like our pet that we would practice things on doing physical exams. we had somebody bring a hamster one year, we had a rat, we've had dogs and cats, and, it's just been really, really fun. And that transitioned, you know, as my [00:26:00] son got older and I would it. You know, go to the various schools where he was. 

Dani Rabwin: I ended up, you know, going into the high schools and one of our neighborhood high schools has, sort of like, not specialties, but, you know, special interests within the high schools and there's a health. Sciences track within the high school. So now I'm invited in every year to speak to the students to talk about opportunities in the veterinary profession. 

Dani Rabwin: We talk about veterinary, technician school. Um, there's a local one. So we, we team up with them to really introduce the high schoolers to all of the different areas of veterinary medicine that they can explore. So, it's really opened up a lot of doors for, for me to connect with a wide variety of kids. 

Dani Rabwin: It's been really fun. 

Megan Sprinkle: So you're, doing this for while. It sounds like you're still doing it. And then of course, there's the fun pandemic that hits everybody. and so I wasn't quite sure because I saw that around 2020 is when you asked. to be able to train a new [00:27:00] grad and bring a new grad into the practice sounds like you had to convince the practice owner a little bit of this. 

Megan Sprinkle: Was this before the pandemic after the pandemic? Why were you so? interested in bringing this new grad in? 

Dani Rabwin: Well, that's a good question. So the, this is the Oakland practice where I still am. We are a six doctor practice and we only had five doctors and the empty doctor seat was right next to mine in the doctor's office and we couldn't fill it. 

Dani Rabwin: Because this was around 2018 2019 veterinarians are hard to come by the practice owner loved new grads. He always brought on new grads. He loved mentoring, but he was at a different phase in his career where he was thinking of exiting and it just wasn't the right time for him to bring on a new grad to be the point person for him to do most of the mentoring and all of us associates were so busy. 

Dani Rabwin: He didn't want to put that on any of us. And I was We needed another doctor [00:28:00] and we weren't looking at new grads because we needed someone to hit the ground running. And I basically went to leadership and I just said, look, we've got to fill the seat. I know that, being the point mentor is not in your interest right now. 

Dani Rabwin: he's an amazing mentor, just, you know, he was phasing out and I said, I'll do it. I am willing to take on this extra responsibility for a period of time because it's. For the good of the practice. And honestly, it's going to be for my best interest also to take some of these cases off my plate. 

Dani Rabwin: And so we had a conversation around what that would look like. And everybody agreed. And we decided to bring on a new grad. So we made the decision before the pandemic in 2019 and we hired a. 2020 UC Davis grad. So then she came and joined us right in the beginning of the kind of the peak of pandemic time. 

Dani Rabwin: So she joined us in 2020 and we agreed that I would be her point mentor. We negotiated some [00:29:00] financial changes, you know, because I was going to be taking even more on my plate, so I got a little bit of a raise. we even cut back on my schedule a little bit so that I could really devote my time to really giving her the attention that she needed. 

Megan Sprinkle: the owner, our practice owner ended up doing a lot of the mentoring for her as well. Um, we were all kind of in it together, but that was, that was the timing. And that's how we came to get a new grad in 2020. 

Megan Sprinkle: Yeah. And then when you were thinking about how to do this, cause it sounds like this may have been the first time you were really taking on this type of responsibility and helping someone right out of school, what were you kind of thinking about? 

Megan Sprinkle: Like, how did you know how you might go about this mentorship? Did you like stop and think about anything while you did this or kind of discover things maybe once you got there that kind of led to you, you know, This actually being a little bit bigger than maybe you initially thought. 

Dani Rabwin: Yeah, we, we kind of made up a lot as we [00:30:00] went. 

Dani Rabwin: It wasn't nearly as structured as things are now. You know, obviously I have a mentorship program. It's very structured. I help practices create their own in house mentorship programs that are more structured. we really kind of progressed, based on what her needs were, we had a conversation around what she wanted to get out of this experience. 

Dani Rabwin: So I knew kind of what some of her areas of interest were. We talked a little bit about what our relationship would look like, how the mentoring was going to work. It was a six doctor practice and I was not going to be the only mentor for her. And there were other people who had interests in surgery. 

Dani Rabwin: That was a big interest that Dr. Katie, our new grad, that was a big interest of hers. So there were people that she could go to for surgery, questions. So we, talked about who she could go to for various things. And I always encourage mentees to have lots of mentors, um, and not put, all your eggs in one basket.[00:31:00] 

Dani Rabwin: So we talked about that, but we really had to pivot because everything was curbside. And so the practice of veterinary medicine in the summer of 2020 was much different than it was, leading up to it. And plus she had missed out on the last few years of her clinics. And so she had a lot of making up to do with, clinical skills. 

Dani Rabwin: So we really put a lot of emphasis on that. We had to really talk about communication because a lot of communication was lost. We use a lot of nonverbal communication when we're in the exam room and a client, and that was lost because everything was over the phone. And so we had to talk a lot about phone communication, written email communication. 

Dani Rabwin: It was very heavy on on that. so some of it was discussed in advance, and some of it was kind of created as we went along. And that's a good point, too, because as a new grad, you have a lot of questions a lot. You know, everything is new. Even when you're training is fantastic in vet school. 

Dani Rabwin: It's just different getting out into [00:32:00] the world. I think there's always that need for. Learning and mentorship, but during that time, it was a really big deal because just like veterinary medicine and practice was changing. They were having to adapt and academia as well. , how did you start figuring out there was a huge need for additional mentorship and guidance for younger grads? Well, that sort of came about organically, and it was just such an interesting experience because it literally changed the whole trajectory of my career being now in this mentorship space. 

Dani Rabwin: So, you know, Dr Katie and I. Developed a really close relationship, I think, partly just because we connected really well, but also partly because of the circumstances of the pandemic. And we were in our office together all day every day. And we got to know each other very well. And I got to know her cases very intimately because I heard her on the phone all of the time. 

Dani Rabwin: Um, and it was just [00:33:00] so much fun to watch her grow. And she, after a few months of us working together, would come to me with questions that were not necessarily about cases that were hers. And I knew that because I knew what all of her cases were. I said, this is not your case. Why are you asking this question? 

Dani Rabwin: She said, well, I have this friend and she doesn't really have a mentor. And I have this other friend. And so she was coming to me with questions on behalf of her friends. Who are out in practice and didn't really have the same type of support that she was. And it was such an interesting time in the summer of 2020 when everyone was getting used to zoom and meeting virtually. 

Dani Rabwin: We were even having, zoom appointments with our clients. And I said, you know, this is silly. You do not need to be the go between, between me and your. Friends, we can just form a zoom group. Why don't we just do that? Let's just all get together. And so we formed this impromptu zoom group with myself and some of her friends. 

Dani Rabwin: [00:34:00] And I had a very close friend who I graduated with, who was an equine practitioner and she was transitioning into small animal. And she said, well, I want in on that group. And so we formed this group and we would meet a couple of times a month after everyone got home from work. Okay. And everybody would get like a tea or a glass of wine and we would just get on zoom and everyone would bring a case that was stumping them that they wanted to talk about. 

Dani Rabwin: And it was just really transformative. I learned, I learned a lot of things from my, my work with Dr Katie and from my work with our impromptu zoom group. Mostly what I learned is that new veterinarians know medicine, they know it really well and in a lot of ways they know it better than I do because, you know, I know medicine that I learned 20 years ago and as much as I've tried to keep up with things, things are changing all the time and what they struggle with a lot of the time is around confidence. 

Dani Rabwin: They struggle with translating their medical knowledge [00:35:00] into layman's terms, connecting with clients. they're really good at coming up with a treatment plan. Um, but sometimes struggle with having clients understand the value of that treatment plan or getting buy in to, a treatment plan. they struggle with communication. 

Dani Rabwin: there are, you know, a lot of imposter syndrome issues that come up. sometimes new veterinarians will be taking over a case that their colleague had previously managed and they might want to do something differently. Well now how do I navigate working with a colleague who's more experienced and I want to do something differently? 

Dani Rabwin: these are things that we don't really talk about in veterinary school. And these are the things that I love talking about. And I thought, wow, there is really a need for this type of content. And there's a need for supporting new veterinarians , in ways that we don't really think of as traditional mentorship. 

Dani Rabwin: You know, it's really important that a new veterinarian has somebody that they can call if they need a second set [00:36:00] of eyes on some radiographs. or if you drop a pedicle during a spay, to have somebody come in and help you or to run a drug dose by. but there is so much more to being a well rounded and really happy and satisfied veterinarian that is not that clinical stuff. 

Dani Rabwin: And that's the stuff that I really loved. And I realized that there's a need for supporting new vets with this, and it can definitely be done remotely. And so I had a lot of aha moments from that first early group that I worked with in 2020. And it really lit a fire under me. And I looked around to see if there was any type of remote support program to help veterinarians in this way. 

Dani Rabwin: And there wasn't. And, so I had a little bit of a career shift and I, I built Ready, Vet, Go, which is a remote mentorship program to support. Veterinarians in all kinds of situations and lots of different practices, , and it's really taken off 

Megan Sprinkle: and on that. Do you mind sharing a little bit about the kind of the evolution so far of maybe the initial ideas [00:37:00] to where you are now ? 

Dani Rabwin: Yeah, so I initially thought, you know, I want to get this information out to as many new veterinarians as possible. And the way I'm going to do that is with an online course. And I spent the next year taking the topics that came up most commonly with our group that we met with, and I turned it into a really robust online course. 

Dani Rabwin: I worked with a team to help me build out, an online course that was six modules. We talked about client communication, time management, being a leader. in the practice, you know, all of those things that were really important and not talked about so much in veterinary school. And I thought I'm going to just take all of this wisdom and information that I have. 

Dani Rabwin: I'm going to disseminate it down into this course, give it to everybody and everybody's going to be a happy and successful veterinarian. And when I kind of beta tested this product, and all the information in this course, the course was really well [00:38:00] received, but the piece that people really wanted was almost recreating what we had with this impromptu zoom group. 

Dani Rabwin: And that was the connection and the community piece. And, that, you know, it was pretty enlightening for me to see that, you know, people are hungry for connection. So I really built on the course. So it started with the online course and now what ReadyVetGo is, it is a, it's a community. So we have an online community, which is available to everybody in the veterinary profession, vet students, new grads, practice managers, experienced veterinarians. 

Dani Rabwin: But our flagship program is the ReadyVetGo Mentorship Program, which is a seven month program that is extremely robust. It includes the online course that I built, which is now way more extensive than what I started with two years ago. it starts three times a year as a cohort. So we enroll [00:39:00] new and early career veterinarians from all over the country, from independent practices, from corporate groups. 

Dani Rabwin: We put them together in a cohort. So they immediately have that connection of a community of people who, are in a similar stage in their career as they are. We meet. seven times over the course of seven months for what we call that success workshops. And these are really fun workshops. They're 75 minutes. 

Dani Rabwin: we usually have a guest speaker, somebody very, known in our field for an area that we're discussing, whether that be around client communication or technician utilization or time management, something like that. The speakers speak for 30 minutes. And then we go into breakout rooms and each breakout room is hosted by a Ready Vet Go mentor. 

Dani Rabwin: And I should say that our mentors are amazing. Mentors all have at least 10 years of clinical experience. They all have held a leadership role in the field, either as a medical director or a practice owner. So they really understand the business side and some of the [00:40:00] nuances, that takes some time to learn. 

Dani Rabwin: so breakout rooms are hosted by a ready vet go mentor, and this is where mentees have an opportunity to dive more deeply into that month's topic. And, we always have an option for clinical case rounds. So if a mentee comes to a vet success workshop and they really need help managing a case, we want to make sure they get that need met. 

Dani Rabwin: And so they can go into the breakout room where a mentor will be able to help them with clinical cases. and then after the breakout rooms, we come back and we debrief and everybody shares what they've learned in their room. And the mentees love this part because you can't be in every room and getting in all the wisdom of the rooms. 

Dani Rabwin: And so they, they share those. So those are our 75 minute workshops. Those are with the full cohort. And then the next layer is we break the cohorts down into what we call packs. And packs are groups of three to four mentees matched with a Ready Vet Go mentor, and they meet twice a month throughout the 7 month program. And this is really like a recreation of, the whole [00:41:00] inspiration for Ready Vet Go with those zoom meetings that we had. 

Dani Rabwin: And these are really transformative. This is what people say really is their favorite part of this program. They get to know each other. extremely well, over the course of the seven months and they, get to connect with each other. They get to learn from each other. Everybody is invited to bring a case, either a medical case or something that they're struggling with in the clinic, and they quickly learn that, it's not the medicine that they need help with, you know, they learn what I learned. 

Dani Rabwin: In this initial group that I had a few years ago, they know the medicine, they're just, having trouble with some of the other things that go along with, patient care. And that's where they really have an opportunity to dive deep and talk about some of the more complex things that there just isn't time to talk about in the clinic with all the day to day hustle and bustle. 

Dani Rabwin: so it's really robust now. It's kind of those three components. It's the online curriculum that they progress through on their own time. It's the full cohort monthly vet success [00:42:00] workshops, and then it's the small group meetings. and so it's turned out to be something way beyond what I had initially envisioned. 

Dani Rabwin: And it's really resonated with people. it's growing. I had eight mentees my first year in 2022, and we've have a hundred, in 2024, it's growing really fast. It's really resonating with people. we lead with a spirit of. Joy and love for this profession. And people are responding to that. We work very closely with the practices. 

Dani Rabwin: You know, we want to make sure that what we are doing bonds the new veterinarian to their practice so that they don't leave within the first year. You know, a staggering like 30 to 44 percent of new vets leave their first job within a year. I don't think this is good for the new vets. I don't think it's good for the profession. 

Dani Rabwin: And so we really help bond the new vets to their practice. So practice is really like that. We're making a huge dent in the turnover problem. So, yeah, that's, that's the program in a, in a long nutshell, that's where we are. 

Megan Sprinkle: And you mentioned the word joy or joyful when you talked [00:43:00] about the attitude that you bring all of this to, and I think a lot of times. 

Megan Sprinkle: As scientific problem solvers, we initially think, Oh, the main thing I need to figure out is the medicine. And then we figure out, okay, maybe it's the communication or something else. And I think there's even another layer when it comes to overall career satisfaction and feeling like you're thriving. It is more of a joy component. 

Megan Sprinkle: have you noticed that at all? Or what are you, what are you finding is what really keeps them excited and motivated? And, and you, even you personally, you talked about how much you love this profession. What is it that keeps you loving the profession? What, what is it down to the, your why and, and what have you found that really is? 

Megan Sprinkle: Like the key of making a very happy, doctor as well. 

Dani Rabwin: It's such a good question. And you just nailed it when you said, you know, what is your [00:44:00] why? It's going to be different for everybody. And that exercise of knowing your why is something we do early in the ReadyVetGo mentorship program, because it's unique to each person. 

Dani Rabwin: And I think it's kind of like your guiding light throughout your profession and it can change and morph, but to. To know what it is and to revisit it when you're feeling down around the day-to-Day challenges of this profession. 'cause it's hard and it can be sad. and so, you know, understanding what your why is, as kind of a guiding light, I think is super important. 

Dani Rabwin: My why is around connecting with people, so I. Started out going into veterinary medicine. I sort of used patient care, and pets as a way to connect with the humans who are attached to them. Because my why is around connection with people that has morphed now into, being the founder of a mentorship program and helping the next generation of veterinarians. 

Dani Rabwin: find their why and love for this profession. So I think it, it varies from person to person. And I think it's really important for [00:45:00] everybody to kind of identify what their why is. we do lead with joy. This profession is fun. And I think when I talk to veterinarians who are in my stage or have graduated even before me, who have been out for 30 and 40 years, they like what they do. 

Dani Rabwin: And I think sometimes we forget that there's a lot of noise online and just sort of out there around the challenges and the frustrations. And those are real. And I don't want to dismiss them in any way. Like I said, this profession is hard, but I do honestly think that the majority of people who have been doing this for a long time. 

Dani Rabwin: And are happy in what they do. They're not out there saying that on social media. They're just going into work and doing their day to day jobs, connecting with their clients, helping pets, being part of the community and not out there vocalizing it. And so I feel like part of what we're doing is really amplifying Some [00:46:00] of those voices. 

Dani Rabwin: I think that's what you're doing is amplifying some of those voices and we need those voices because I think they're really important and I think they're so important for people who might be struggling or worrying about struggling in this profession to know that actually A lot of us really love what we do, and I think it's really, honestly, the majority of us. 

Dani Rabwin: And, you know, I mentioned before what the requirements are for mentors in ReadyVetGo. I didn't mention the most important one, and that is must love Vet Med. So after being a skilled clinician for at least 10 years and having either owned a practice or been a medical director or been in a big leadership role, after all that, You still need to love this profession. 

Dani Rabwin: and I was told when those were my requirements, oh, good luck. Good luck finding that. And I said, no, I'm going to stick to this. I, I can't be the only one. and I'm not, it's incredible who we have attracted to be mentors in this. organization. I am blown away. I constantly tell our mentors, I want to sit in on your pack [00:47:00] meetings. 

Dani Rabwin: I want you to be my mentor because there are a lot of people who are experienced and still have the joy and love for this profession to, to pass on to the mentees who come through this program. 

Megan Sprinkle: I think that's a really good point. Even if you don't fit into that first few years out of veterinary school. 

Megan Sprinkle: I think we all need community. We all need to soak in the passion and the people who are really thriving in vet med. I think we need to surround ourselves with that because I think you're right. I think sometimes the loudest voice is the one that is the negative voice. And unfortunately that has gone outside of our. 

Megan Sprinkle: Of our profession, I have parents who have reached out to me worried about burnout. I've had people who said, I've always wanted to be a veterinarian, but all I hear is that just, everybody's burnt out. And like, that breaks my heart that that is the message that people are hearing. And [00:48:00] so all the more reasons that if you are feeling that way. 

Megan Sprinkle: Completely. Okay. Yes. Look for the community that can help you. and I think we do need to raise the, the positive voices because, oh my goodness, like doing this podcast, you, you mentioned, I am just a Every time I get to have one of these conversations, I'm just excited by the end. I'm so proud to be part of the veterinary industry and I want to share that. 

Megan Sprinkle: So yes, I think community is a big part of that and making, being picky. I felt like I want to go back to your, your, uh, phrase, be picky about the community you choose. cause that really will influence you, your attitude, you know, and everything, I think so. 

Dani Rabwin: I agree with you completely. The community piece is so important, amplifying the voices of people who love what we do. 

Dani Rabwin: you know, it breaks my heart to hear you say that you've been reached out to by these people who are just so [00:49:00] worried and concerned and you're like doing such an important part to kind of Change that narrative or at least make sure that there are other voices that are heard. and for people who are struggling, fortunately, now we have a lot of resources and we're naming it. 

Dani Rabwin: We're talking about it and that is really important. and so there's lots of different opportunities to join a community that you connect with. that's partly why we develop the RVG community because I did my first official cohort in 2022 of new grads. And at the time it was a six month program. At the end of the six months, they're like, well, now what? 

Dani Rabwin: And I was like, well, I haven't really thought about now what, I really just launched this program. but yeah, now what? So then I created the ready vet go community. And opened that up to the veterinary profession at large, so that there is a place where people can connect with like minded people. 

Dani Rabwin: They can get continuing education. They can talk to people who, are really, you know, love this [00:50:00] profession and, and just get a different voice and have a community. and there's lots of different groups out there like that. So, you know, looking around and finding something that resonates with you, it can be scary, you know, for new grads or vet students or even a later career veterinarian who is looking for community. 

Dani Rabwin: Um, it can be a little bit intimidating to put yourself out there. but once you do that and, and start forming that community, I think the benefits are just so incredible. 

Megan Sprinkle: Yeah. And is that how you also keep so motivated and happy is your community? What's your kind of big support that keeps you happy and thriving every day in vet med? 

Dani Rabwin: Yeah, for me, it is social connection. I, I put a lot of emphasis on that sometimes to the detriment of other areas. that could probably use some attention. like I mentioned, we have a guest expert who comes on in every vet success workshop. And yesterday was month five [00:51:00] for our, winter cohort who we're wrapping up with. 

Dani Rabwin: and that month is our wellbeing month and we bring on Melissa Allen from veterinary wellbeing buddy. And she's been one of our speakers since the beginning. And she talks about the six pillars of lifestyle medicine and of health and wellbeing. so there's all these different areas. social connection is one nutrition and sleep and all these other things. 

Dani Rabwin: And, as she was speaking yesterday, I was like, Oh, I really prioritize the social connection over some of the other things that could probably use some of my attention. so for me, that's really important. And I've had to be extremely intentional around creating that. Now that I've cut back on my clinic time, I'm still in the clinic, same clinic in Oakland where I've been for a long time, but I'm there much less frequently and I'm here in my home office running a remote mentorship program, and that can be a very lonely endeavor and that's not, super beneficial for somebody like me who really thrives on social connection. 

Dani Rabwin: And so I've had to really make an effort to join. I've joined some, amazing [00:52:00] women's business networking groups that have been crucial to my wellbeing. I have become a real conference junkie, to connect with people in person. part of growing my mentorship program and being an entrepreneur, which is something I never thought I would be, um, has really opened my world to, a whole area of networking that, that I wasn't doing when I was in the clinic. 

Dani Rabwin: going to conferences before was all about getting my CE and making sure I knew how to manage liver disease and the newest things in nutrition. And now I still do some of that, but I also am really focused on a lot of the in person networking. And so for me, that's been really important and it's been really fun to really grow my, my network in a way that I, I didn't have, you know, five years ago. 

Megan Sprinkle: And I'm sure a lot of this may wrap into this final question, but I still love to end on it. What is something that you are really grateful for? Just kind of the first few things that pop into your mind. 

Dani Rabwin: Oh, gosh, I love that question so much. I'm really [00:53:00] grateful for, the people that I've been able to meet through this journey and experience, I would not have met you and there are other people like you who have come into my world that I'm just so grateful for. 

Dani Rabwin: I'm grateful for a profession that really supports. innovation and supports people doing something different than just being in the clinic. We have such an amazing profession and I'm super grateful for that. yeah, really it's around connection and community and I'm, grateful just at this new, new phase that I'm in with my career. 

Dani Rabwin: I'm grateful to the mentees who are trusting me and now our 14 amazing mentors, um, who have come on to the team, and grateful to the clinics who trust their new associates with us. and again, that's part of just building the community, within our [00:54:00] veterinary profession 

Megan Sprinkle: I hope you enjoyed this fascinating veterinary story. We can make an impact in so many places. Check out the show notes for lots of resources. Please make sure you are subscribed on your podcast app, subscribe on the YouTube channel and follow me on LinkedIn, where I hang out the most. You can contact me on LinkedIn, on the website at vetlifereimagined. 

Megan Sprinkle: com. And brand new is that you can text me to send me a text message. Find the link at the top of the show notes below that says, send us a text message. I want to thank our longtime sponsors, fire consulting, and we'll use who support the podcast over on our hosting platform. Buzzsprout. You can support the podcast to just check out the show notes for a link. 

Megan Sprinkle: And I hope to see you next time on that life reimagined.