Co-Founder of Vetsie Dr. Steve Boyer on Veterinary Telemedicine, Burnout and Compassion Fatigue, and Developing Multiple Revenue Streams

This episode, we are pleased to welcome the Co-Founder of veterinary telemedicine start-up Vetsie, Dr. Steve Boyer, to the show.

Dr. Boyer is a born and raised Calgarian. He grew up with a passion for animals, and always knew he wanted to work with them.

Steve graduated from the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in 2013 and jump started his career in a busy 24 hour emergency hospital in Calgary. He worked a combination of days, evenings and overnights for a year and a half, then moved into primary care where he has been since.

Over the past few years he has developed an interest in telemedicine and in 2020, Co-Founded Vetsie, a veterinary telemedicine company.

Steve feels there is significant opportunity in the veterinary industry to utilize technology to improve the Veterinary – Client – Patient interaction.

With the current shortage of veterinarians and technicians, combined with the increase in pet ownership, there is too much pressure on the industry. Steve hopes that with more innovation and embracing change in how we practice, more pets can get the help they need, without the burnout and stress that often comes with being a veterinary professional.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Steve discusses:

• How the pace of being a veterinarian can be a lot to keep up with
• Veterinary burnout and taking on too much
• How working night-shifts straight out of Vet school gave Steve multiple years worth of experience within months
• Overcoming internal doubts around your own limitations and experience
• Recognizing the signs of burnout and compassion fatigue to actively do something about it
• Financing the life you want to live through creating more streams of revenue outside of being a Veterinarian
• The genesis of starting Vetsie: A Veterinary Telemedicine Company
• The case for Telemedicine in the Veterinary industry
• High points and low points of being involved in a start-up

Thank you to Dr. Boyer for joining us on the show! For more information and to see what Vetsie is all about, check them out online:

www.vetsie.com

Connect with Steve in the following places:

steve@vetsie.com

@govetsie

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Want to join our community of like-minded Veterinary Professionals? Send us an email at theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com and we'll get you connected to our private Veterinary Project Facebook group.

Any questions, comments, feedback, or requests for guests can also be sent to theveterinaryprojectpodcast@gmail.com. Thank you for listening and we look forward to seeing you next Wednesday for another episode of The Veterinary Project Podcast!

- Jonathan Leicht, DVM and Michael Bugg, DVM