MentorVet Mentor Spotlight: Kristen Turner, DVM
Kristen Turner, DVM, is one of our amazing mentors for MentorVet Leap! Kristen offers wonderful guidance and honesty on how to evolve within the vet industry. Check out her thoughts on mentorship and her inspiring journey as an exotic vet consultant!
Dr. Kristen Turner, DVM
MentorVet Mentor
Kristen, tell us a little bit about your career journey. What do you currently do in veterinary medicine and how did you end up here?
I’ve had a bit of a winding path that resulted in my husband and I relocating with our dogs to Belize last summer in 2023. I practiced in small and exotic animal clinics in Texas for the last 10 years, but developed chronic health issues and was eventually diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that is significantly worsened by stress. As much as I loved clinical practice, it was also making me sick. Now I work for myself, running a virtual exotics consulting and continuing education business — The Exotic Vet Consultant. It is not easy - being an entrepreneur is an entirely different challenge than clinical practice. I still need to show up every day, but it has to be entirely self-driven, rather than knowing others are relying on me to be there at a certain time to do a specified job. I work more hours now than I did in clinical practice and am not yet profitable, so it is sometimes a challenge to keep going. I have also become very involved in organized veterinary medicine as a committee chair for the Texas Veterinary Medical Association and as a board member for the Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative. I have the goal of obtaining board certification in exotic companion mammals in the next 2 years and would eventually like to work with wildlife here in Belize and do traveling locum work with exotics.
Why did you choose to be involved with MentorVet?
I have thoroughly enjoyed mentoring new and recent graduates as they have come through clinical practice and I’ve seen the need for more mentorship specifically within exotic veterinary medicine. I want exotic animal veterinarians to have support, even if they have to look outside their practice. MentorVet is a great way for me to continue to provide that support while not actually being in clinical practice.
Will you share an example of something you and your mentee have discussed?
Exotic veterinary medicine can sometimes be overwhelming and a bit isolating. The fact that most exotic companion animals are prey species means that we often see them once they have become very ill, and because of that, we tend to see a higher mortality rate. As a recent graduate, it can be difficult to learn how to deal with that, especially if other DVMs in the practice are not experiencing the same challenges. We have discussed how to treat ourselves how we would treat a classmate going through the same experience - often with a lot more kindness and understanding than we allow ourselves.
What is the most enjoyable aspect of being a mentor?
I love making personal connections with other veterinarians. I get to meet so many wonderful veterinarians, hear about their interesting cases, help them with personal growth, and have gained true friends from mentoring connections.
What is one thing that you have learned through your time mentoring for MentorVet?
Most veterinarians go through the same challenges despite differences in our situations and backgrounds. The key difference is the support system we each have in place and the tools we have learned to overcome these challenges.
What is the best piece of advice that you have ever received from a mentor or the best piece of advice that you have ever given?
We tend to treat others with much more compassion and understanding than we do ourselves.
Would you recommend volunteering as a mentor for MentorVet to other veterinarians?
Absolutely! There is so much we can all learn from each other and it is so fulfilling to be able to provide that support role to another veterinarian.
What is your favorite self-care activity?
Hiking and now that I live minutes from the 2nd-largest coral reef in the world, snorkeling and scuba diving.
Fun Fact:
I started a vintage home decor business during the pandemic specializing in glass and brass items.