In this engaging and eye-opening episode of ReadyVetGo, Dr. Dani Rabwin sits down with Dr. Adam Gassel, DVM, DACVS—a board-certified veterinary surgeon—to talk mentorship, surgical training, and what it really takes to build confidence in practice (especially when mistakes happen). 🩺💪

Adam shares how he went from pre-med at UCI to taking a “gap year” as a vet tech in Sherman Oaks, falling in love with veterinary medicine, and eventually training through Purdue, internship, and a surgery residency at the University of Tennessee. Along the way, he breaks down how mentorship actually works in the real world—how taking initiative attracts great mentors, why internship structure matters, and how to create training environments where interns learn to be doctors (not just coverage). 🤝🏥

This conversation is packed with real-world perspective on specialty culture, building strong internship programs, empowering new grads to do more surgery safely, and the communication skills that protect client trust when something goes wrong. 🗣️✨

📌 What You’ll Learn:

• Why surgery wasn’t the original plan—and how mentorship shaped the path 🤝
• The training roadmap: vet school → internship → residency → specialty practice 🎓
• What mentors look for (initiative, preparation, follow-through) ✅
• How to build an internship program that actually trains doctors 🏥
• Why confidence comes after you do the thing (not before) 💪
• When referral makes sense—and when GPs can absolutely do the surgery 🩺
• Corporate ownership + transparency in specialty medicine 🧩
• A powerful “walk of shame” mistake story—and how honest communication saves trust 😬🗣️

🎬 Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro: Meet Dr. Adam Gassel (board-certified veterinary surgeon)

01:10 – UCI pre-med → vet tech “gap year” → falling in love with vet med

03:10 – Pierce College + first clinic job in Sherman Oaks

04:45 – Purdue vet school → back to Southern California

06:00 – Rotating internship + specialty internship (Animal Specialty Group)

07:20 – Choosing surgery: how mentorship guided the decision

09:00 – Taking initiative: reading cases, writing up reports, earning opportunities ✅

10:30 – Spouse support + kids during residency (real life during training) 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

12:10 – First job as a surgeon: still needing mentorship after residency 🤝

13:40 – Culture without ego: learning both ways in specialty practice

15:10 – Internship programs: what was broken and how he rebuilt it 🏥

17:10 – Letting interns be doctors (not just coverage) + why it pays off

19:10 – New grads + surgery fear: how reps build confidence 💪

21:00 – Corporate ownership + transparency in vet med 🧩

22:30 – Mistake story: misplaced screw + the “walk of shame” 😬

24:40 – Preventing board complaints: ownership, documentation, and communication 🗣️

👇 QUESTION FOR YOU: What’s one procedure you wish you got more reps on before you were alone in practice? 💛

Season 1 Ep 21

✅ If this helped, like, subscribe, and share with a vet student or new grad who needs it today.

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

📲 Follow: @readyvetgo_

📧 Contact: info@pacificlensstudios.com

#ReadyVetGo #VeterinaryMedicine #VetMentorship #VeterinarySurgery #DACVS #VetInternship #NewGradVet #ClientCommunication #VetResidency #EarlyCareerVet