Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald returns with a call for kindness and community
AVMA’s My Veterinary Life podcast opened 2026 with a return appearance from Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald, the Denver small animal veterinarian, longtime comedian, author, and former Emergency Vets television personality. In the January 8 episode, Fitzgerald reflects on his 43-year veterinary career, shares an update on his memoir It Started With a Turtle, and centers three themes he says have guided his work: kindness, community involvement, and lifelong learning. The conversation also reinforces Fitzgerald’s longstanding public identity as a veterinarian whose work has extended beyond companion animal practice into conservation advocacy and public engagement. (spreaker.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the episode lands at a moment when the field is paying close attention to retention, wellbeing, and professional meaning. Fitzgerald’s message is less about a clinical breakthrough than a career model: staying rooted in practice while also building community ties, communicating with the public, and connecting animal care to broader conservation concerns. That framing also fits with other recent My Veterinary Life conversations, including episodes on Spectrum of Care, student entrepreneurship and burnout recovery, and Dr. Jon Geller’s humanitarian veterinary relief work in Ukraine and Gaza—signals that AVMA programming is highlighting purpose-driven, community-facing career paths alongside traditional practice topics. It also echoes wider One Health and planetary health conversations in academic veterinary circles, including recent Cornell content featuring Dr. Steve Osofsky on the links among wildlife, domestic animal, and human health. (spreaker.com)
What to watch: Expect continued interest in stories that connect veterinary careers with public service, conservation, access to care, and cross-sector One Health work, especially as professional organizations keep emphasizing purpose, resilience, and community engagement. (spreaker.com)