Jason Szumski highlights a new AI-driven path in veterinary medicine

Version 1

A new Vet Life Reimagined episode spotlights an increasingly visible career path in veterinary medicine: early-career clinicians moving from practice into health tech entrepreneurship. In the interview, University of Illinois graduate Jason Szumski, DVM, describes how his experience as a recent new grad helped shape VetSOAP, an AI documentation company he co-founded with Aaron Smiley, DVM, to generate SOAP notes from recorded appointments and support clinical workflow. University of Illinois’ veterinary college previously profiled the pair’s launch of VetSOAP in April 2024, saying the product was built to save time, improve records, and reflect the needs of new veterinarians, while the company’s site now positions Szumski as a co-founder and practicing small animal veterinarian in the Chicago suburbs. (vetmed.illinois.edu)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the story lands at the intersection of workforce pressure, documentation burden, and changing career expectations. Szumski’s comments echo a broader industry conversation around AI scribes: reducing administrative load, preserving note quality, and giving clinicians more time with patients and pet parents. That conversation has moved well beyond startup marketing. AAHA has published guidance for pet parents on AI scribing in accredited practices, and Dr. Andy Roark’s January 19, 2026 podcast episode with Veterinary Innovation Council executive director Aaron Massecar framed AI scribes as a meaningful but still evolving tool that could reduce burden while introducing new questions about oversight and appropriate use. (aaha.org)

What to watch: Expect more scrutiny of veterinary AI tools around validation, transparency, privacy, and clinical oversight as adoption spreads and regulators, educators, and practices decide where these tools fit in daily care. (frontiersin.org)