Your First Vet Job | Dr. Dave Nicol (@drdavenicol)

In this episode, Dr. Lottie sits down with Dr. Dave Nicol to unpack what actually matters when choosing your first role, how to spot a genuinely supportive clinic, and why most interview processes completely miss the mark.

Dave is a veterinarian, author and founder of the Veterinary Leadership Academy. He works with practices worldwide to build healthier teams, stronger leadership, and sustainable careers in vet med. He has set up and led graduate programmes and has been a proud mentor for many new vets over the years.

Dave’s 5 Laws for a good graduate programme:

1. Clear mentorship ownership
2. Capacity & capability to teach
3. Staged expectations
4. Accessible support
5. Intentional progression over time

Where to find Dave:
Instagram: @drdavenicol
Website: https://www.drdavenicol.com/

Find us on TikTok & Instagram: @veterinaryvista

Timeline:
00:00 Intro
01:46 Dave’s Career as a Vet
14:10 Culture in Practice & New Grads Fitting In
18:59 Day-to-Day as a GP
31:14 Finding the Perfect First Clinic
44:47 How to Nail an Interview
52:35 Mental Health
01:04:32 Final Questions
01:14:10 Outro

Links
Website: https://drdavenicol.com
So You’re a Vet… Now What?: https://drdavenicol.com/book
Veterinary Leadership Success Show: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wZzJq0dQk6p2vFZP4Jr5Y
Blunt Dissection: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Zx7w1vF9Xqk0s8nV6Q2kL

Current Vet is an educational podcast intended for veterinary students, veterinary professionals, and individuals with an interest in veterinary medicine.

All content provided in this podcast and its associated materials is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as, and must not be considered a substitute for, professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Any clinical cases discussed in this podcast are fictional, and are designed to reflect typical or likely clinical scenarios for educational purposes. They do not represent specific real-life cases, clients, or animals.

While every effort is made to ensure accuracy and alignment with current evidence at the time of publication, veterinary medicine is a rapidly evolving field, and recommendations may change over time.