Ep. 33: Some Crazy Stories From a Vet Tech; Meet Karen Scherrer, RVT

Karen Scherrer has been a registered veterinary technician for 25 years this month. Ironically, she is officially retiring after spending the past 10+ years of focused effort for supposed major animal welfare organizations, as she has been consistently disappointed in the real-life scenarios that have played out behind the scenes. The most recent scenario was her experience helping to rescue a historic retrieval of 4000 beagles from a research breeding compound. She has worked in every aspect of veterinary medicine imaginable, from the now-closed Wildlife Way Station, feeding donuts to bears, tube feeding newborn squirrels, restraining caymans while doctors searched for a vein to high-kill shelters, zoos, small animal hospitals, equine rescue, mobile medicine and traveling to multiple separate catastrophic events.  Within one year, Karen practiced along a spectrum from living in a tent following Hurricane Katrina, opening makeshift shelters at abandoned senior centers in Louisiana, and perishes she can not even pronounce.  She also scrubbed in on neurosurgery cases and traveled to perform anesthesia in general practices as a mobile surgery technician with a board-certified surgeon.  Hands down, her favorite area of practice has been the LA zoo. Karen is married to a board-certified small animal surgeon who she met while working as a mobile technician, and even behind the mask and cap, he still called her.  They have a 15-year-old daughter, two angelic Golden Retrievers, and live in Carlsbad, CA.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Working in mobile surgery as a veterinary technician
• Jaw-dropping malpractice stories from the road 
• PTSD and trauma from the workplace 
• Where have we gone wrong with veterinary culture?
• A pivotal story from the surgical suite
• Words of wisdom from a mentor

Links & resources:

• Visit Karen's favorite organization, the Beagle Freedom Project

The House Call Vet Academy links:

• Download Dr. Eve's FREE House Call & Mobile Vet Biz Plan! 
• Find out about The House Call Vet Academy online CE course  
• Learn more about Dr. Eve Harrison  
• Learn more about the Concierge Vet Mastermind!
• FREE Concierge Vet Starter Kit mini course
• Learn more about SoulShine Space For Vets. Use discount code SHINE15 for 15% OFF SoulShine Space For Vets!
• Learn more about 1-to-1 coaching for current & prospective house call & mobile vets. 
• Find out about the next House Call & Mobile Vet Virtual Conference 

Music:

In loving memory of Dr. Steve Weinberg.

Intro & outro guitar music was written,  performed, & recorded by house call veterinarian Dr. Steve Weinberg.

Thank you to our sponsors!

• Rockin' Pets, Rollin' Vets
• PriVet Pet Care
• First Opinion Veterinary Ultrasound- Online CE courses on ultrasonography & machine selection
• Good Pharma Tea (Use code Harrison20 for 20% off your order!)
• Veterinary Recommended Solutions - Get a $200 gift card! Just mention this podcast when you set up a discovery call with VRS's medical director about their ethical & rigorously tested veterinary supplements.