Podcasts
The Stethoscope and the Spreadsheet
Produced in partnership with Veterinary Management Groups (VMG)
The Stethoscope and the Spreadsheet is a podcast celebrating independent veterinary practice ownership — the challenges, the wins, and everything in between. Hosts Martin Traub-Werner and Dr. Peter Weinstein sit down with practice owners, vendors, and veterinary leaders to share the strategies and stories that sustain independent practices in a changing industry.
The Stethoscope and the Spreadsheet is a podcast celebrating independent veterinary practice ownership — the challenges, the wins, and everything in between. Hosts Martin Traub-Werner and Dr. Peter Weinstein sit down with practice owners, vendors, and veterinary leaders to share the strategies and stories that sustain independent practices in a changing industry. Produced in partnership with Veterinary Management Groups (VMG). New episodes released biweekly.
He's the recently wrapped up president of the AVMA, a boarded radiologist who's been practicing teleradiology since the early 90s, and one of the most candid voices in veterinary medicine today. In this episode, Martin and Peter sit down with Dr. Michael Q. Bailey for a wide-ranging conversation about AI, radiology, and the economic forces squeezing both practices and pet owners.
In this episode:
- Teleradiology from the early 90s to today and why the fundamentals haven't changed
- AI in veterinary radiology: why you must always keep a human in the loop
- How AI bias works and why geography and breed matter more than you think
- The biggest economic headwinds: student debt, supply costs, and public perception
- The gold standard problem: when ideal care leaves patients with no care at all
- Communication as the single best tool to reduce complaints and litigation
- What AVMA is doing, and being honest about what it isn't yet doing, for independent practices
- The Stethoscope & Spreadsheet Seven: Dr. Bailey answers Questions #5 and #6
Timestamps:
00:00 — Intro & welcome
00:59 — Introducing Dr. Michael Q. Bailey, AVMA President & boarded radiologist
01:07 — His background: Queens, Rutgers, Tuskegee, Michigan State, Ohio State & Capitol Hill
02:43 — Martin asks the important question: Yankees fan?
03:44 — Radiology's evolution: from dunk tanks to digital to AI
04:40 — Teleradiology since the early 90s and why access to care still drives it
07:47 — Why vets must put their own eyes on every radiograph, even with AI
11:51 — AI bias explained: geography, breed, and what Stephen Hawking warned us about
12:49 — The biggest economic issues facing the profession
13:09 — Student debt, supply costs & the third-party payer problem
17:47 — Pet health insurance: Scandinavia has 70% coverage. The US has 4%
19:21 — The gold standard problem
21:49 — California graduates 8,000 lawyers a year. The US graduates fewer vets in two years
22:58 — Good communicators don't get sued. Good doctors do. Be both.
26:47 — What is AVMA doing to support independent practices?
29:57 — The Stethoscope & Spreadsheet Seven begins
30:37 — The $100,000 CT scanner story and what it taught him about risk
31:37 — Nia the Labrador Retriever; the lesson she taught without saying a word
34:20 — ”Three years, and then you get parole”
Mentioned in this episode:
- American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) · avma.org
- AVMA Annual Conference — Anaheim, CA · July 2026
- Tuskegee, Michigan State & Ohio State Colleges of Veterinary Medicine
New episodes every two weeks. Supported by Veterinary Management Groups (VMG) · myvmg.com
Meet the Hosts
Martin Traub-Werner
Martin Traub-Werner is a veterinary industry entrepreneur and business leader with more than 40 years of experience in human resources, business intelligence, and financial management. Originally from Toronto, he earned his undergraduate degree from York University and a Master of Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. Martin founded VetSuccess in 2013, pioneering business intelligence and analytics for veterinary practices, and later co-founded VetBooks, a leader in bookkeeping and financial services for independent veterinary hospitals. He lives in Nanaimo with his wife, Tamara, their two children, and their rescue dog, Austin.
Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA
Peter Weinstein is a veterinarian, business consultant, and educator with decades of experience in clinical practice and veterinary leadership. A graduate of Cornell University and the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, he later earned an MBA from the University of Redlands. Dr. Weinstein has served as president of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association, California Veterinary Medical Association, and VetPartners, and was Executive Director of SCVMA for more than a decade. He teaches business and finance at Western University of Health Sciences and is co-author of The EMyth Veterinarian.
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