In this engaging and laugh-out-loud (but deeply meaningful) episode of ReadyVetGo, Dr. Dani Rabwin sits down with her friend and beloved Ready Vet Go mentor Jeff Klemens, DVM to talk mentorship, relief practice, real-world “cowboy medicine,” and what it actually takes to build a sustainable career in veterinary medicine. 🩺✨

Jeff shares how a sixth-grade classroom visit with a lovebird sparked his path into vet med, what it was like not getting into vet school the first time, and how early mentorship shaped him long before he even had words for it. They also dive into learning medicine without perfect tools, building a full-time relief career from scratch (before apps existed), and why honesty with clients is non-negotiable when mistakes happen. 🤝🎲🍺

📌 What You’ll Learn:

• How mentorship can shape you before you even realize it 🤝
• Not getting into vet school the first time—and why it’s normal 📨
• Practicing without “perfect” tools (and still doing good medicine) 🔧🩺
• Why “give bowel a chance” is a real clinical philosophy 🌀
• Relief practice: freedom, burnout protection, and building your own schedule 🗓️
• A memorable mistake story (ITP misdiagnosis → pneumonia) and how to own it 😬🐱
• Why client communication determines whether mistakes become disasters 🗣️💛
• The importance of hobbies, joy, and life outside vet med 🎲🍺🐉

🎬 Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro: Meet Dr. Jeff Clemen 01:10 – Sixth grade spark: the lovebird that changed everything 🐦

03:40 – Kennel kid to clinic assistant: mentorship before he knew it 🤝

06:40 – Not getting into vet school the first time 📨

09:40 – What he did differently before reapplying

12:30 – Vet school realities: species overload + “city mouse” perspective 🐾

16:10 – Dentistry ambitions + doing extractions without the right tools 🦷

21:30 – “Cowboy medicine”: learning to treat without perfect conditions 🔧

25:30 – Give bowel a chance: the golf ball dachshund story 🌀

30:10 – Becoming a Ready Vet Go mentor + helping rural new grads

34:10 – Life outside vet med: board games, craft beer, and Gen Con 🎲🍺

40:20 – Why full-time relief: burnout, nights, and sustainability 🗓️

45:10 – Building Reliable Relief Services before apps existed ✉️

52:10 – Mistake story: sticky platelets, ITP diagnosis, and pneumonia 😬🐱

56:40 – The hard part: owning the mistake and talking to the client 🗣️

59:10 – Wrap-up + why mentors love Ready Vet Go 💛

👇 QUESTION FOR YOU: What’s one mistake that taught you more than any success?

Season 1 • Episode 22

✅ If this helped, 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

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