Why Is This Cat Walking on Its Toes? The Vet’s Surprising Diagnosis Will Shock You!

Our fifth host is finally here! Meet Emese Avdeyenkova, a first-year veterinary student at Rowan University, former U.S. Army officer, and mom to a one-year-old, as she shares how she's balancing vet school, parenting, and a brand-new career path.

Summer is officially over, and JC, Jeremiah, Jess, and Kennedi are here with stories, questionable life choices, and the reality check that comes with another year of vet school. Kennedi is fresh off an externship in Miami - literally, she just landed back in Indiana- and still mourning the beach, while the crew catches up on summer adventures and what they are looking forward to this year. Then things get real. They talk about food insecurity in veterinary school, what it actually looks like, why so many students quietly struggle with it, and where to find help when money gets tight. Because surviving vet school is hard enough without wondering where your next meal is coming from.

What does it take to bring one of veterinary medicine’s most iconic conferences to Music City for the very first time? On this episode of Living Well with Dr. Jessica Turner, Dr. Jessica sits down with Andrea Davis, CEO of Viticus Group, the organization behind the legendary WVC veterinary conferences, for a behind-the-scenes look at WVC Nashville and the people, planning, and big ideas bringing this nearly 100-year-old veterinary tradition to Nashville. Andrea shares what goes into creating a conference veterinarians genuinely don’t want to miss, from hundreds of hours of continuing education and hands-on learning to KNACK Tracks, incredible speakers, live music, networking, and unforgettable events. WVC Nashville is taking everything veterinarians love about WVC and mixing in a serious dose of Music City energy. But this conversation goes well beyond the conference. Jessica and Andrea talk candidly about leadership, ambition, family, and what it means to build a career at the highest levels of veterinary medicine. Andrea shares her perspective on leading as a female CEO in an industry where women dominate the profession but remain far less represented in its top executive roles. They also talk about something many working parents understand all too well: how to pursue a big career while still making room for the people who matter most.

Brain Smarts Live from WVC Nashville, with The Career Coach Vet, Dr. Ashley Hopkins Hosts Clay and Caitlin Palmer bring Brain Smarts live from Nashville ahead of WVC Nashville 2026. Guest Dr. Ashley Hopkins, Career Coach Vet and founder of Hopper Vet, takes on trivia covering Bobcat Fever in cats, proposed UK veterinary reforms, and Arizona State University's fast track to full AVMA accreditation. Then an uninvited guest from the previous night's honky tonk crashes the taping with a career plan that is, generously, ambitious.

Hosts Clay and Caitlin Palmer bring Brain Smarts live from Nashville ahead of WVC Nashville 2026. Guest Dr. Ashley Hopkins, Career Coach Vet and founder of Hopper Vet, takes on trivia covering Bobcat Fever in cats, proposed UK veterinary reforms, and Arizona State University's fast track to full AVMA accreditation. Then an uninvited guest from the previous night's honky tonk crashes the taping with a career plan that is, generously, ambitious. Recorded live ahead of WVC Nashville, August 15 to 18 at Music City Center.