Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald’s update highlights kindness and conservation

AVMA’s My Veterinary Life podcast brought back Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald for a January 8, 2024, update centered on three themes he says have shaped his 43-year career: kindness, community involvement, and conservation. Fitzgerald, a Denver small animal veterinarian known to many for Emergency Vets, used the episode to reflect on his memoir, It Started With a Turtle, and on a career that has spanned companion animal practice, public visibility, comedy, and wildlife advocacy. Additional background shows that conservation has been a long-running part of his professional identity, including service with the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance and years of public-facing advocacy around species loss and stewardship. (podcasts.apple.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the update is less about a single policy or clinical development and more about how a veterinarian can use credibility beyond the exam room. Fitzgerald’s message aligns with a broader One Health and public-engagement mindset also reflected in Cornell’s recent “Bio-Diplomat” podcast with Dr. Steve Osofsky, which framed conservation, community partnership, and stewardship as part of veterinary medicine’s wider social role. For practices and veterinary teams, that’s a reminder that trust with pet parents can extend into education, local service, wildlife awareness, and humane leadership. (support.doctorpodcasting.com)

What to watch: Expect continued interest in how veterinarians translate clinical authority into community leadership, especially as wellbeing, access to care, and One Health themes keep gaining ground across the profession. (myvetlife.avma.org)