FREE WEBINAR:

Climbing Mt. Debt: Navigating student loan changes and repayment uncertainty

Tuesday, January 6, 2026 - 7pm ET

Recent changes and repayment uncertainty have made it more confusing than ever to choose a viable student loan repayment strategy. Let’s discuss recent changes, who is affected, and the best available options for you, whether you’re just getting started in your career or have several years of experience under your belt.

VIN Foundation Climbing Mt. Debt Repay Wiser Student Debt

Brought to you by the VIN Foundation, join Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA and Rebecca Mears, DVM, to learn how you can Repay Wiser!

This session is designed to help veterinarians with student loans and those who hire, mentor, and work with them understand the complexities of student debt and the changing repayment landscape, including the knowledge, resources, and tools to help formulate a flexible strategy for nearly any situation.

During this Climbing Mt. Debt session, we will approach student loans clinically, like any complex medical case. We start with a good “history” (recent happenings and changes), perform a thorough “physical exam” of your student loan portfolios, and then use our findings to create a “treatment” plan (repayment strategy) for a variety of circumstances.  

The objectives of the Climbing Mt. Debt session are:

  • See one, do one, teach one: Student Loan Concepts & Terms
  • Recent student loan changes: Who is impacted & what do they mean for repayment?
  • Performing the student loan “Physical Exam”
  • Student Loan “Treatment Plans:” Time-driven vs. Income-driven repayment
  • Choose your adventure: Tough topics, questions, curiosities, and cases

Why register for this webinar?
By registering you will receive a recording of the webinar with additional information. You will also stay up to date on student debt topics, get exclusive downloads, student loan repayment tips, and beneficial VIN Foundation news.

BONUS: Those who attend this session live will be eligible for 2 CE credits. 

Presenter:

Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA
Tony Hubspot profileTony Bartels graduated in 2012 from the Colorado State University combined MBA/DVM program and is an employee of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). He and his wife, a small-animal internal medicine specialist practicing in Denver, have more than $400,000 in veterinary-school debt that they manage using federal income-driven repayment plans. By necessity (and now obsession), his professional activities include researching and speaking on veterinary student debt, providing guidance to colleagues on loan-repayment strategies and contributing to VIN Foundation resources. Beyond debt, his professional interests include small- and exotic-animal practice. When he’s not staring holes into his colleagues’ student-loan data, Tony enjoys fly fishing, ice hockey, camping and exploring Colorado with his wife, Audra, their daughter Lucy, and their two rescued canines, Addi and Maggie.

Presenter:

Rebecca Mears, DVM
Becca headshotRebecca Mears, DVM is from Lexington, KY, and a graduate of University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Rebecca started her career as an equine general practitioner and is an active AAEP member, currently serving as a member of the AAEP DEI Committee. Her interest in student debt education began with keeping her own education costs lower and grew from there. This was supported by her involvement in the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA) which she now gives back to as a National Advisor. In her time away from veterinary medicine, she can be found obsessing over plants and hosting impromptu dance parties. She is passionate about giving back to the profession and improving the lives of veterinarians, pre-vet and vet students.