We invite you to take a peek into part of what makes the Uncharted Veterinary Community so unique: our members! We sat down to interview some of the amazing people who have joined us on our amazing journey since the first conference in 2017. Now, we’re expanding our interviews to highlight the Uncharted Team! This week’s interview was with the social media queen herself, Kelsey Beth Carpenter, RVT! Enjoy!
For anyone who doesn’t know you, could you tell us a little about yourself?
Hey! My name is Kelsey, and I’m not sure where to start. I’m a Registered Veterinary Technician in California and the current Social Media Manager for DrAndyRoark.com. I also have my own brand, Vet Tech Kelsey, where I write goofy Vet Med songs, run series like “Things Heard At An Animal Hospital,” and do a little speaking and performing on the side. I’m a full-time Chihuahua mom, peanut butter and jelly enthusiast, and awkward turtle.
What tasks do you work on as part of the UVC Team?
For some time now, I’ve been the social media manager of both DrAndyRoark.com and the Uncharted Veterinary Conferences. Just recently, I had to come to terms with the fact that I just didn’t have enough time to divide myself between the two (on top of working full time in the clinic and managing my own brand!) So I turned the UVC social media management over to the brilliant and talented Tyler Grogan, and now focus the majority of my time on social media, content creation, and video work for Dr. Andy Roark. That being said, I still love being part of the Uncharted team and contribute all sorts of odds and ends!
Who is one of your favorite people you’ve met through Uncharted and why?
HARDEST. QUESTION. EVER. I mean, that’s like asking who your favorite pet is – you love them all, how can you choose?!! Maggie Brown-Bury will always be one of my favorite Uncharted people – we discovered we were suffering from the same medical condition at roughly the same time and it was invaluable having someone there to talk to who understood (plus she’s just straight-up hilarious.) Tanya ten Broeke is someone who makes me smile on a regular basis, and I always feel cool being able to say I’m friends with the Harry Potter Vet – Michael Miller really does put the magic back into Veterinary Medicine! And then there’s that one guy, Andy Roark – have you heard of him? He’s been a pretty incredible mentor and friend, and on a regular basis, I find that I believe in myself because he believed in me first.
What were you looking for when you joined Uncharted?
I jumped on board (pun intended) when the first ever UVC was launched. At the time, I wasn’t yet part of the team, but my Vet Med music had just started taking off, and I was interested in developing my own personal brand. I was also very invested in everything Andy and his team were doing in the Vet Med space, and I knew that at the very least, I would have the opportunity to meet some really inspiring people. I had no idea what I was in for, I just knew I was looking to make my world a little bigger and my career a little broader and it seemed like a good place to start. Boy, was I right! *Pats self on back*
What is your favorite hobby and how did you discover it? Would you recommend it to others?
I recently discovered Krav Maga and became absolutely obsessed. However, there’s lots of touching involved, and I’m kind of a cactus when it comes to human contact, so I transitioned into an at-home boxing program and love it just as much! Let me tell you: If you have never hit something as hard as you possibly could, you are missing out. It’s like if exercise and therapy had a baby.
Tell us a story of how another Uncharted Member has helped you.
At the last Uncharted Conference, I fell extremely ill and ended up in the hospital. Melanie Kramer dropped everything without thinking twice and was my rock in the most difficult moments of that experience. Saye Clement left the conference that she had paid to attend to sit by my bedside and reassure me when I was the most scared. Jamie Holms personally picked my Mom up from the airport and made sure my job back home knew what was going on. The entire Uncharted Team kept that conference running flawlessly, pic
ked up all of my job duties, and yet somehow still found a way to make sure I was never alone in the hospital. It was a humbling experience, to say the least, and one I will forever be grateful to these people for. Yet again, I’ve found that my life has been impacted in a way that has nothing to do with Veterinary Medicine, but that will stay with me forever. I truly couldn’t have gotten through that experience without them.
What is one thing you never thought you could do (or were afraid to try) that you’ve done since joining Uncharted?
I conquered my fear of flying! All my life I’ve had a crazy fear of flying, to the point that I had let it stand between me and many wonderful experiences and opportunities. When the 3rd Uncharted Conference rolled around, I was going to have to get there on my own, and I was beyond terrified. However, after having experienced it twice before, I was SO motivated to make it to that conference that I fought my fear and I DID IT! It took months and months of preparation, but I did it, and it has been LIFE CHANGING. Because of Uncharted and the opportunities it has brought about, I find myself flying on a regular basis now. While I’ll never love it, I’m confident doing it on my own, and no longer let it stop me from having the experiences I want to have. I think this is a perfect example of what Uncharted does for people – it changes lives in a big way, and those changes extend way beyond Vet Med!
What is one thing you believe all veterinary professionals can do right now to make Vet Med even better?
Laugh! They say laughter is the best medicine – that’s not necessarily true, especially when we have IV fluids and Cerenia at our disposal – but it’s definitely up there with the best. Our jobs are hard, the medicine is challenging, the experiences are emotional, and the day-to-day tasks are draining. Why not laugh a little? There’s something funny to be found in almost any situation, and laughing about it is what keeps us sane and brings us together.
Do you have a dream for your career? What is it?
I want to be happy in my career and I want what I’m doing to make other people happy. Isn’t that the dream for all of us? I find that being part of Uncharted helps me get closer and closer to that every day.
You can join the Uncharted community and meet people like Kelsey by visiting www.UnchartedVet.com!
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