Ep 15: Dr Mia Cary

On today’s episode, it’s a pleasure to be joined by Dr Mia Cary. When I ask for guest recommendations from you guys, Mia’s is a name that comes up frequently, and here’s why. She has seen animal care from multiple different and interesting vantage points. And she’s excelled in them all. She began her career as a marine biologist before trading dolphins for dogs and completed her veterinary degree at the University of Florida. After graduation, she had a short spell in general practice before moving into her first industry role with Novartis where she spent many years rising to the level of national sales trainer and brand manager. She then moved to the snappily titled Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica where she held the roles of Marketing Manager for the Companion Animal Section and Director of Professional Services for the mid-Atlantic area. Her career then took a new direction when she traded a life in pharma for a role as the head of training and innovation for the North American Veterinary Community. A role she last year somewhat controversially traded in to move over to the American Veterinary Medical Association where she is now Chief of Professional Development and Strategic Alliances. Alongside her day jobs, Mia has also served as the 2017 President for the American Association of Industry Veterinarians and is on the Board of Directors for Pet Peace of Mind. And if all of that left you a little overwhelmed then just know this, Mia is an amazing example of leadership done right and she knows this industry, at least the North American bit of it, inside and out. Now, just before we jump into the episode, I just wanted to drop a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is the VetX Graduate Community. If you are a practice owner and want to offer your new vets a greater level of support so they grow faster and stay longer with your practice, then jump onto my website drdavenicol.com/vetx-grad and learn how we are enabling practices to recruit and retain talent by helping young vets across the world thrive in clinics just like yours. And with that said and done let’s get into the show. Mia is about as positive a person as you might meet and despite her success, she remains a humble, fun person to spend time with. She is truly a cheerleader for our profession. And I challenge anyone to find a picture on social media where she is not grinning from ear to ear like the proverbial Cheshire Cat. So, without further ado, and with great pleasure, I give you my interview with the human dynamo that is Dr Mia Cary. In this episode we cover: What’s going on at the University of Florida Vet School (they seem to be putting something special in the water there). Why she traded in NAVC for AVMA and what she’s working to achieve. What changes are going to be most likely to shape the profession in the coming 5-10 years. Why her mum is such a rock in her life and how that helped to form her character. Imposter syndrome. Why farting is not only human, but one of life’s great ice breakers! (Seriously).