
Mentorship Isn’t What Clinics Think | Dr. Moriah McCauley on New Grad Anxiety | Irreplaceable Truths
From Irreplaceable Truths by Gershon Alaluf
February 23, 2026 · 1h 8m · Season 1 · Episode 61
About this episode
Dr. Moriah McCauley discusses the importance of real mentorship for new veterinary graduates and how it impacts their confidence and anxiety levels.
New grads don’t quit veterinary medicine because they “can’t handle it.” They quit because the mentorship they were promised never actually shows up. They need a real mentorship plan before the first bad case hits. In this episode of Irreplaceable Truths, Dr. Gershon Alaluf sits down with Dr. Moriah McCauley, DVM, host of the podcast So You’re a Vet… Now What? , for a practical conversation about mentorship, confidence, and what new grads actually need to survive their first years in practice. They unpack what real mentorship actually looks like, what clinics often mislabel as mentorship, and why early-career vets can spiral into anxiety even in supportive environments. Dr. McCauley shares how she handles mistakes, builds psychological safety, avoids coddling, and helps mentees grow real confidence. The conversation also covers new-grad fears around lawsuits, documentation pressure, why mentorship agreements matter more than signing bonuses, and how she’s using AI tools in practice to reduce after-hours charting and strengthen clinical decision-making. 🎧 What you’ll hear explored: — What mentorship is supposed to look like in the first 3 to 6 months — Why new grads spiral even…
People in this episode
Host: Gershon Alaluf
Guest: Dr Moriah Mccauley
Topics covered
- mentorship
- new grad anxiety
- veterinary medicine
- psychological safety
- clinical decision-making
Keywords
- veterinary mentorship
- new graduates
- confidence building
- mistake handling
- AI tools
Mentioned in this episode
Products: AI tools
Books & works: Irreplaceable Truths, So You’re a Vet, So You’re a Vet… Now What?
Places: New York, Edinburgh, Virginia
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