Brain Smarts Takes the Stage: Can Dr. Stephen Carey Outsmart the Week's Wildest Veterinary News?
As WVC Nashville 2026 draws near, Vet Candy's Brain Smarts series previews one of the profession's sharpest voices
There's a particular kind of panic that sets in when you realize you don't know the answer to a question you probably should. On this week's episode of Brain Smarts, that panic belongs entirely to Dr. Stephen Carey.
Hosts Caitlin and Clay Palmer, the masterminds behind Vet Candy's trivia and news game show, challenge Carey to a fast-paced reckoning with the week's wildest veterinary headlines, most surprising research breakthroughs, and oddest animal stories circulating through the profession. It's loosely inspired by NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me, except everyone involved actually knows what a splenectomy is.
The catch? Carey isn't just some random vet. He's an internal medicine specialist and Associate Dean at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine. In other words, he's the kind of person who should theoretically dominate this.
But Brain Smarts has a way of leveling the playing field. The episode delivers exactly what the show promises: unexpected moments, genuine laughs, and the kind of learning that sticks. You'll hear about stories reshaping the profession right now, get insight into Carey's journey as both educator and clinician, and leave with a much better sense of what's actually trending in vet med.
Why This Matters for WVC Nashville
This episode is part of Vet Candy's comprehensive coverage leading into WVC Nashville 2026, one of the profession's largest and most important annual gatherings. As the official digital media partner, Vet Candy is bringing you the stories, the speakers, and the moments everyone in vet med will be talking about long after the conference wraps.
Dr. Carey is one of the featured speakers at the conference, and this episode serves as both a preview and a deeper look at the kind of thinking and expertise that will shape conversations in Nashville. For veterinarians, students, and techs already planning to attend, this is essential listening. For those still on the fence, it's proof that WVC Nashville 2026 is bringing together the voices that matter most to the profession.
The full conference runs August 15 through 18 at the Music City Center. Between Carey's session and dozens of others, WVC Nashville will deliver the education, networking, and community that defines the event.
What to Expect
Over the course of the episode, you'll get trivia that tests whether you're actually keeping up with veterinary news. You'll hear about the research making headlines right now. You'll laugh at genuinely weird animal facts. And you'll get a real sense of who Dr. Carey is beyond his title, including what drives him as both an educator and a practicing clinician.
Brain Smarts is designed for everyone invested in vet med: practicing veterinarians, students, technicians, practice managers, and anyone else who cares about where this profession is heading. The show delivers learning wrapped in entertainment, which feels increasingly rare in professional media.
Listen In
New episodes of Brain Smarts drop weekly. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts to catch this episode and all the conversations shaping veterinary medicine right now. And if you're heading to WVC Nashville 2026, add Dr. Carey's session to your calendar.
Vet Candy continues its full coverage of WVC Nashville 2026 across all platforms. Follow along at myvetcandy.com and through our social channels for exclusive interviews, speaker previews, and stories from the conference.
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