The RVT Glass Ceiling: Pay, Diversity & Finding Your Place in Vet Med | Marina John, RVT

**What happens when you stop accepting “this is just how vet med works”?** Marina John, RVT, joins Leilani and Jillian at the CVMA Convention in Charlottetown to talk about building a veterinary career on her own terms. Marina shares her path from 17 hour ER shifts and veterinary martyr culture to GP, acupuncture, locum work, research, management, and eventually technical services at the Atlantic Veterinary College. Along the way, the conversation gets into what meaningful diversity actually looks like in veterinary medicine, why representation matters, how hiring practices can reinforce the status quo, and what workplaces can do to become genuinely more inclusive. They also trade stories about discrimination in job interviews, the wage gap, the value RVTs bring that never shows up neatly on a production report, and the glass ceiling technicians still face when it comes to pay, leadership, ownership, and advancement. And because this is Don’t Call Me Catty, Marina finishes with a ghost pepper hot take: **should RVTs be paid as much as veterinarians?** It’s a conversation about knowing your value, making room for different voices, and leaving veterinary medicine better than you found it. **About Marina** Marina is a seasoned RVT with almost 15 years of diverse experience. She embarked on her veterinary journey after an unconventional start. Following a Specialized Honours Bachelor of Science degree from York University, she found her passion, while teaching ESL in Seoul, when she stumbled upon the RVT Diploma Degree at the University of Guelph.  Marina has worn multiple hats, serving as the Vice President of the British Columbia Veterinary Technologist Association and instructing the Vet Assistant Program at Vancouver Island University. Her expertise spans large animal sciences, lab animal sciences, companion animal ophthalmology, ER, UC, and referral services. With a Veterinary Acupuncture Certification from the Xie Institute, she played a pivotal role in developing the acupuncture department at a small animal GP.  Marina's extensive background includes roles as a swine farrowing tech, Lead Tech, Production Manager, and contributing to a mixed animal practice handling companion animals, exotics, and avian species.  Committed to giving back, she volunteered with a local charity providing veterinary care to low-income and unhoused populations. Marina launched her own locum RVT business, embracing a fulfilling career as a traveling veterinary technologist. Most recently she relocated to PEI and is working as an Assistant Manager at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Atlantic Veterinary College - UPEI. **Get In Touch** LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-john-211695282/  UPEI Admin Support the show Follow us on Instagram @dontcallmecatty **Visit** Animal HealthLink Facebook Instagram LinkedIn **Visit** Steady Gait Planning Instagram For podcast inquiries, please contact [dontcallmecatty@gmail.com](mailto:dontcallmecatty@gmail.com)