Your Veterinary Voice episode 5: Meet Sarah Wooten, DVM

"If kids are in college and say they want to become veterinarians, I say, 'Well, if you have a trust fund. Sure.'"We at dvm360 have a funny story about Dr. Wooten-well, we have many, but this is the most appropriate: She walked right up to our content director, Marnette Falley (catch her on a podcast here!) and said, "Hi, I'm Dr. Sarah Wooten! And I want to work with you. Today."

It's that combination of self-confidence, charm and personality that's led us to crazy video shoots in grocery stores and "nightclubs" and many, many articles on dvm360.com, ranging from the very clinical to the very emotional.

Dr. Sarah Wooten is a multifaceted, fascinating and vocal associate veterinarian who wants to change the way we view veterinary medicine. And we're along for the ride, courtesy of interviewer and Business Channel Director Brendan Howard.

Short on time? Fast-forward to these soundbites:

At 2:35, Dr. Wooten talks about being in her first "bleeding ovarian pedicle in a fat, in-heat Lab." (How's that for a visual?) Anyway-dvm360 recently reported on a study of a new ovarian pedicle tie technique. Find more here.

At 7:35, the discussion turns to fears in veterinary medicine, specifically surgery. Dr. Wooten talks about how she dreaded going to work on Monday mornings. Here's a shocker: It's not uncommon.

At 13:00, Dr. Wooten talks about what it's like as an introvert playing the part of an extrovert. So, who wins at veterinary practice, introverts or extroverts (or both)? And since (studies show) many veterinarians are introverted, here are three things every introvert should know in veterinary practice.

At 15:05, Dr. Wooten touches on the "give, give, give" nature of veterinarians. This leads to a host of issues (as you well know). Check out the dvm360 Burden of Care package for more resources, tips and tools to handle burnout, compassion fatigue and stress in yourself and for others.

At 18:30, Brendan asks Dr. Wooten point-blank whether she thinks that some veterinarians indulge their hyper-caregiver personalities by using self-exhaustion as a status symbol. One veterinary hospital decided to up the ante on this phenomenon by giving out an award … to the biggest complainer. More here.

At 24:00, Dr. Wooten talks about how her priorities changed from being a superwoman to a softer, more balanced life, and how that affects her financial success. If you're feeling like you could use a tip or two in this area, the Business Channel on dvm360 has a small mountain of articles on personal finance for associates-check it out here.

At 30:00, Dr. Wooten talks about feeling stuck, especially for relatively new veterinary graduates who don't feel confident enough in their life and career choices. Regular dvm360 columnist Dr. Mike Paul has some wise words about how to get "unstuck" in life.

At 33:00, Brendan and Dr. Wooten get a tiny bit philosophical about the future of veterinary medicine. While Dr. Wooten believes the financial burdens weighing heavily on the profession are a big problem, she's still hopeful. For more on veterinarians' finances, strategies and solutions to put you in more control of your future, check out the resources here.