Megan Chadwick, CVT, has extensive hands-on animal care expertise and throughout her career, excelled in supporting veterinarians across diverse hospital functions, particularly in patient care and educating clients. Her commitment also extends to the next generation of veterinary professionals as a veterinary technician instructor at Penn Foster and overseeing the Veterinary Academy within the Penn Foster Group. Veterinary education plays a crucial role in advancing the field, offering a multitude of pathways for individuals passionate about animal health and welfare.

Learn more about Megan Chadwick and her advice on education in this Q&A style interview:

Megan Chadwick, CVT, academic director of The Veterinary Academy for Penn Foster Group.

Can you please introduce yourself and what you currently do in veterinary medicine?

My name is Megan Chadwick. I am a certified veterinary technician and I'm also the Academic Director of the veterinary technician program and all the animal–related programs here at Penn Foster.

What got you interested in the educational side of the veterinary profession?

Education was something that I kind of stumbled upon, I never really had that in my career goals. I'm pretty introverted, so I never really saw myself on the educational side, like standing in front of a class or a crowd of people. After I graduated vet tech school, I worked in general practice for a number of years, [and] I loved it. But I also saw how underutilized vet techs were at that time, and that really pushed me to go back to school, because I wanted to do more, and I wanted to be able to provide an environment for other veterinary technicians to do more.

So, I went back to pursue a bachelor's in business. At the time, I was thinking I could further my education, become maybe a practice manager. So that way, I could have a team where I was able to increase the utilization at that hospital for veterinary technicians. But while I was in school getting my bachelor's, I actually got a job here at Penn Foster, and I really haven't turned back since. I've been here for 10 years. I love the education space. I love the mission of Penn Foster and what we do here. It's really a perfect mix of what I wanted to do with giving back to the profession and increasing awareness of vet tech utilization.

Can you discuss the various career paths available to veterinary professionals?

I could probably talk about this all day. I mean, there's so many paths, I think when people think about working in the veterinary field, they automatically think about working in general practice, which, is awesome, it's a great place to start, it has a lot of opportunity for growth.

At Penn Foster, we have a NAFTA approved Veterinary Assistant Program and that's really great for people who want to work in the field. For people who don't want to work in the field, maybe they're not ready to take that leap towards a college program or maybe that's just not the career path they want. They want to be a veterinary assistant, it's amazing. It's also really great for maybe somebody right out of high school; maybe they're still exploring their career options and they haven't really been exposed to the veterinary profession. We have a lot of students that are fulfilled with being a vet assistant. All the roles in the veterinary team bring value, and we need veterinary assistants to make the team work. There's not really any right or wrong ways to go. It really depends on the person in your career goals.

Our vet tech program is an associate's degree. I prepare students to work in a lot of different areas. As far as career paths, there’s a lot of options out there. Maybe in emergency medicine, working at a specialty hospital. But there's things that are not as common, like working with large animals, with horses or cows and other ruminants and poultry. There's exotic animal medicine or laboratory animal medicine, working with those smaller cutters, like rodents and rabbits.

Our associate's degree program is mainly focused on teaching students skills with small animal dogs and cats, but there's a good amount of information on that covers all animals. We have 2 externships in the program. There's one at the end of our second semester, and that one is working with small animals, basic vet tech skills, but there's a second externship at the end, and that’s the more advanced small animal skills, and you're also doing a handful of skills with large animals and laboratory animals.

As far as veterinary medicine, I find that a lot of us are lifelong learners. I think it's the nature of the field of veterinary medicine is always changing and proving. Being a credentialed veterinary technician is a very rewarding role. We have a veterinary practice management program as a certificate degree. And we also have a bachelor’s of applied science in veterinary technology and that's a completion degree. So those are 2 really great options for people that want to continue to grow in the career fields.

What are some tips for individuals looking to enter the veterinary profession?

Remember that everybody starts somewhere, I hear a lot of students or new people doubt themselves, that they don't have any experience in the fields or working with animals, I think you have to remember, we all started that way. We all started somewhere.

Dedicate yourself to learning…that's what's going to make you successful. And take advantage of every opportunity that you have. That's really going to help your success. Everybody's path looks a little different.

How can programs like Penn Foster Group be beneficial for individuals looking to enter vet med or up-skill their expertise?

I think there's a lot of benefits; the programs are flexible. I think a lot of people nowadays, especially with the economy, they're balancing working full time, maybe have a family, have a lot of other priorities going on. So it makes it difficult to find time to prioritize your education. With us being online, it gives opportunity to people that maybe wouldn't have it.

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The academic director of the Veterinary Academy for Penn Foster Group shares her thoughts on veterinary education

Q&A with Megan Chadwick, CVT

Shelters United, a group purchasing organizations that allows animal welfare groups to purchase care products and supplies at discounted rates, announced it is developing a Veterinarian of Record Program. The first-of-its-kind program will work to increase access to care for shelter pets as well as boost relationships between animal rescues and veterinary professionals.

“Healthy veterinarian of record relationships enable animal shelters and rescues to fulfill their missions while maintaining good welfare for the animals in their care,” explained Terry Spencer, DVM, MEd, program director and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Florida, in an organizational release.

“Anecdotally, we frequently hear shelters and rescues complain that their local veterinarians do not understand their needs. We also commonly hear veterinarians complain that shelter and rescue leadership does not understand their concerns about how these relationships function. This study was the first formal attempt to explore these interactions so we could better understand what is leading to these frustrations between the partners,” she continued. 

According to the release, shelters rely heavily on a veterinarian of record (VOR) to provide care for pets in shelters waiting to be adopted as well as purchase prescription medications. At this point in time, there is no current VOR model to help the rescue organizations and veterinary professionals work together in a way that is productive and sustainable. 

“The Veterinarian of Record Toolkit will make an impact to the many rescues and shelters that struggle to find veterinary services for the pets in their care,” said Robyn Jaynes, DVM, director of veterinary affairs at PetSmart Charities.

“The veterinary shortage experienced by shelters and rescues is partly due to many veterinary practitioners lacking familiarity working in shelter medicine. We’re proud to support this collaboration between Shelters United and the University of Florida to foster these mutually beneficial relationships. Moving forward, veterinarians will be better equipped to take on the rewarding work of animal welfare.”

The completion of the program will include a Veterinarian of Record Toolkit, an online education course and a state-by-state- resource directory. The toolkit was also put together with funding from PetSmart Charities.

First-of-its-kind veterinarian of record program will improve access to care. News release. Shelters United. May 2, 2024. Accessed May 2, 2024.

The Veterinarian of Record Program will also improve relationships between veterinarians and animal rescues 

New record program aims to improve access of care 

Erchonia created the first green and violet laser (GVL) for the veterinary market. The GVL works to improve outcomes with non-healing wounds, chronic infections, pain and inflammation, postoperative healing, bone healing, anxiety, neurological trauma, and more. With 27 years of experience in the human medicine market, Erchonia designed this laser to have more power and energy.

“My clinical outcomes have improved significantly since adding the green and violet wavelengths to my protocols” Rachel Starr, DVM, a practicing veterinarian in Traverse City, Michigan told Erchonia. Starr will be speaking at our upcoming Fetch dvm360 conference in Nashville, Tennessee on decoding the physics and classification system in veterinary therapy to give veterinary professionals more clarity on these devices.

The GVL utilizes complexes I, II, & III of the electron transport chain, leading to enhanced clinical outcomes. This laser has a notable increase in energy output compared to infrared lasers, which can significantly elevate your clinical effectiveness and yield outstanding results for patients with various conditions.

“I have seen a significant difference in my veterinary patients since adding the VGL into my laser protocol. Their pain seems reduced, they relax more during treatment, and overall healing seems to be enhanced. It is certainly a game changer! I love the violet combined with the green, making it a truly versatile and extremely effective treatment tool,” Janet Varhus, DVM, MSTCVM, a practicing veterinarian in Salida, Colorado told Erchonia.

According to Erchonia, the GVL was put through rigorous clinical research and engineering and was shown to be the most effective wavelength combination for the increase of ROM and decrease in pain in a single session. This is currently the ﬁrst and only green wavelength laser FDA cleared for pain and inﬂammation.

Erchonia will be at Fetch Nashville and more information and details about the GVL will be available from the representatives of Erchonia at their booth in the exhibit hall. 

GVL laser new release. Erchonia. Accessed May 2, 2024. 

Erchonia introduces a new laser for the veterinary market

First ever green and violet laser

The FDA announced that it has made a risk-based decision based on reviews of safety and quality data and information for a canine leukoreduced allogeneic pooled freeze-dried platelet-rich plasma (PrecisePRP Canine; VetStem). The therapy is a prescription product because a professional is required to administer, provide post-treatment care, monitor the product's safe use, and treat any adverse effects.

 Based on the findings at this time, the FDA does not expect VetStem to submit an application for approval before marketing.

According to an FDA release, PrecisePRP Canine provides dogs with a species-specific source of concentrated platelets in plasma used for an intra-articular injection going directly into a dog’s joint.

 At this time, this is the first animal cell, tissue, and cell-and-tissue-based product (ACTP) intended for intra-articular use to undergo reviews from the FDA and receive this determination.

Before this review, the FDA had not reviewed animal platelet-rich plasma products to be available for veterinarians. All ACTPs are maintained by the FDA’s list located on its websites to show which have been evaluated for potential risks. For PrecisiePRP Canine, the FDA performed an evaluation of potential risks associated with ACTPs, including infection and reaction from contamination or other product quality deviation risks. The FDA concluded that the PrecisePRP Canine developer properly identified and appropriately mitigated potential risks associated with the product and has no additional safety concerns.

The FDA also investigated the potential risk of the environment from marketing PrecisePrP Canine, and no hazards to the environment were identified and the product is attained from tissues that are present in most animals naturally.

 The FDA disclosed that the product is not expected to be used in a large quantity of animals at one time in a singular geographic location and is intended for non-food-producing animals only.

The FDA's determination was provided to VetStem, Inc.

FDA announces decision for a tissue-based product for use in dogs. News release. US Food and Drug Administration. April 26, 2024. Accessed May 1, 2023. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/cvm-updates/fda-announces-decision-tissue-based-product-use-dogs?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

The decision was made based on reviews from safety and quality data and information reviews

FDA makes decision for tissue-based canine product 

Wag!, a pet service, product, and wellness brand, launched Furscription as a new digital tool for veterinary clinics to streamline the prescription process. Through a partnership with veterinary pharmacies across the country, Furscription enables clinics to electronically prescribe medications, eliminating the necessity and associated risks of handwritten prescriptions and traditional manual prescription management methods like fax and phone calls. The digital advantage also reduces the amount of paperwork for the veterinarian to fill out, giving them more time back for patient care.

Furscription also makes the process easier for owners. When a veterinarian prescribes a pet medication, owners can receive status notifications directly on their phone.

“We’re leveraging state-of-the-art technology to create a seamless, secure, and robust prescription platform for veterinarians and clinic staff, which helps them minimize the manual burden of inbound prescription requests and protect their licenses from fraud and drug diversion,” said Georgia Jeremiah, DVM, the creator of Furscription, in a news release.

 “Furscription is a complement to the Wag! ecosystem by closing the loop between veterinarians and pet parents, furthering our dedication to providing pet parents with everything they need to keep their pets healthy and happy.”

Wag! designed Furscription to easily integrate with a clinic’s software systems and is aimed at streamlining the prescription process for both veterinarians and pet owners. The software also has two-factor authentication built into it, to reduce the risk of fraud.

Furscription is coming out this month in a select beta launch but is currently receiving signup requests via an online waitlist registration.

Wag! launches Furscription, a revolutionary software solution to solve the veterinary prescription headache. News release. Wag! April 22, 2024. Accessed May 1, 2024. 

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240422031626/en/Wag%21-Launches-Furscription-a-Revolutionary-Software-Solution-to-Solve-the-Veterinary-Prescription-Headache

Wag! introduces a new digital tool for veterinary clinics: Furscription

New digital prescription software

A newly published study documents the case of a bottlenose dolphin that was found with the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) in Florida. The discovery was made through a postmortem examination at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine (UF CVM) more than 2 years ago.

On March 29, 2022, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation’s Marine Mammal Pathobiology Laboratory (FWC MMPL) notified the University of Florida’s Marine Animal Rescue Team about a distressed dolphin in Dixon County, Florida. The dolphin later died and was transported to UF CVM for a necropsy.

 The team identified the virus with brain and tissue samples collected from the dolphin.

 an initial analysis performed at the zoological medicine diagnostic laboratory at UF ruled out other potential agents and, with help from the Bronson Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Kissimmee, Florida, the presence of HPAI in the lungs and brains of the dolphin was verified.

The results were also sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa to characterize the virus subtype and pathotype. The National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed the first to be the HPAI A (H5N1) Virus of HA clad 2.3.4.4b.and subsequent tissue was then analyzed at the Biosafety Level 3 enhanced laboratory at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Allison Murawski, DVM, a former intern with UF’s aquatic animal medicine program, and fellow investigators authored a study based on these findings that was recently published in 

 and created a case report on the dolphin as part of her research project. Murawski traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, to work with Richard Webby, PhD, director of the World Health Organization collaborating Center for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals and Birds, who also served as a corresponding author for the published paper.

“This investigation was an important step in understanding this virus and is a great example where happenstance joins with curiosity, having to answer the ‘why’ and then seeing how the multiple groups and expertise took this to a fantastic representation of collaborative excellence,” said Mike Walsh, DVM, an associate professor of aquatic animal health, and Murawski’s faculty advisor, in the release.

The Webby Lab team investigates cases of avian influenza in many species and plays a key part in determining where the virus could have originated from, as well as unique RNA characteristics or mutations to suggest its ability to infect other mammals, and how they can track the virus from this source. The investigators sequenced genomes from local birds and then looked at viruses isolated from Northeast seal populations at this time, Webby and the research teams do not know how the dolphin contracted the virus and more research needs to be done.

The investigators noted they believe that the detection of the H5N1 virus should emphasize the importance of following proper biosafety protocols when it comes to working with marine mammals who are stranded. The high viral loads that were detected within the brain of this dolphin demonstrated to researchers the value of routine postmortem marine mammal examinations.

 Because there is no end in sight for the outbreak, the authors said testing for the avian influenza viruses should be part of routine health monitoring when responding to a marina mammal stranded, especially if that animal is presenting with any neurological signs.

Murawski A, Fabrizio T, Ossiboff R, et al. Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in a common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in Florida. Communications biology. 2024;7(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06173-x

Carey S. Report recounts Florida dolphin found with highly pathogenic avian flu. The University of Florida Academic Health Center . Published April 26, 2024. Accessed May 1, 2024. https://ufhealth.org/news/2024/report-recounts-florida-dolphin-found-with-highly-pathogenic-avian-flu

Discovered in 2022, this bottlenose mammal was the first cetacean in North America to test positive for the H5N1 virus.