Spotlight: Amber Goldman, LVT
On this triumphant Thursday of National Veterinary Technician Week, we are so excited to spotlight Amber Goldman, LVT. Founder of A RAD VET TECH, GVTA CE committee member extraordinaire, and incredible human - Amber has entered the chat 💬
“I started working in veterinary medicine because I’ve always loved science and medicine, and saving animals has become the unexpected joy of that choice. Throughout my twenties, I tried several different jobs and had a lot of fun along the way, but veterinary medicine is where I found my home and I’ve stayed for fifteen years. When I think about why, it always comes back to the incredible women who surrounded me. I’ve been lucky to have three especially supportive women who saw my ambition and helped me find my path. I was first hired at a practice with a registered technician, Sara Berger, who encouraged me to pursue licensure. When I didn’t make the cut for Gwinnett Tech’s veterinary program, I pivoted and enrolled in Cedar Valley’s online program instead. It took me a little longer, three years, but it turned out to be a much better fit. The structured semesters and deadlines kept me accountable, unlike the self-paced Penn Foster approach. Judging by my pile of unfinished yarn projects, I’m confident I’d still be enrolled there today if I’d gone that route!
My biggest hurdle with Cedar Valley were the video requirements, it's a numbers game, there are only so many patients that come into a practice needing the skills we need recorded, it simply wasn't getting done, so I got a new job. I applied and was hired at specialty practice in the diagnostic imaging department and when I say it clicked, it CLICKED. I was hooked. The surgeons are brilliant, placing plates to stabilize a knee, removing a lung, a limb, a mandible! I was radiographing all of it under the direct mentorship of a radiologist. I learned about oncology, cardiology, internal medicine. We save, change and sadly end lives. It's a hard truth that our pets are not with us forever, but it's the last gift we can give them to say goodbye with dignity and love. They aren't alone when we send them across the rainbow bridge, and neither are we. We shoulder the burden together, as veterinarians and support staff. Licensed and unlicensed. Meditating and practicing mindfulness has been an incredible tool for me in this regard. A good cry and a long walk after work helps too.
Mentorship is integral in every department but it was a way of life in diagnostic imaging. It was here the importance of teaching and sharing knowledge truly took root in me. Dr. Axam mentored veterinary students and we (the radiology techs) were preceptors for the Gwinnett Tech students. I stayed in DI for 8 years learning and teaching until we all went separate ways. Thanks to Dr Axam's support (and my RVT license!) I continued giving CE locally and started presenting at national conferences in Reno, Austin, North Carolina and at UGA. These are all places I never would have traveled to, so that's a huge bonus as well! I love conferences! Networking with like-minded people and seeing all the advances in veterinary medicine. Managing that additional income led to the creation of my own business, ARADVETTECH, LLC, which has allowed me to continue teaching and supporting veterinary professionals in new ways. I’m also excited to share that a new sponsorship with Vespecon has opened even more doors for me in the education space.
In 2020 when the world turned upside down, I thought I'd try management. I didn't last long. It wasn't the right path for me. Shortly thereafter I responded to a job posting from a mobile sonographer in Boone, NC looking for an assistant. I applied and moved to a town I had never heard of; it was one of the best, and most challenging experiences of my life. Dr Cooper taught my hand to do what my eyes watched Dr. Axam do for eight years and we did meaningful work serving rural Appalachia. She mentored me not only in telling the story of an abdominal ultrasound, but of being a business woman and steward to the earth. The spectrum of cultures in veterinary clinics in Appalachia is vast, but the desire to practice great medicine is consistent. In 2024, when Helene devastated the region, I returned home to Atlanta. Today, I’m grateful for the life I’ve built within veterinary medicine as a mobile sonographer, radiology trainer, and lifelong learner. I may not know exactly what’s next, but I’m deeply thankful for where I am right now and the people that helped me get here.”
Thank you Amber for all that you do, this world is a better place thanks to you ❤️
