Lauren Grider

Biography

Dr. Grider has been working with the clinical year students as a Clinical Year Mentor at the University of Arizona since the first senior class came through in 2022-2023. She is currently a full-time Clinical Year Mentor and Assistant Professor of Practice. Dr. Grider also presents wellness and mental health subjects in the Professional Skills curriculum. 

Dr. Grider is a 2008 graduate of Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine. Following graduation, she spent 12 years working in general practice as an associate veterinarian in two progressive small animal hospitals in north Alabama. During that time, she led the dentistry and chemotherapy programs at both practices. In late 2019, Dr. Grider started her own relief practice, and she spent time traveling across Alabama to fill in at various general practice and emergency clinics. That experience helped her learn a lot about adapting to new clinic environments, management styles, and methods of clinical practice.

Cumulatively, Dr. Grider has 18 years of small animal general practice experience and 8 years of experience as an emergency clinician in a specialty setting. She has also served as a medical writer for Veterinary Information Network's VINcyclopedia team, where she authored or updated several chapters including those for frostbite, calcaneal tendon disorders, carpal/tarsal instability, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, heat stroke, and high-rise syndrome. In addition to oncology and dentistry, Dr. Grider's other special interests include feline medicine and dermatology. 

Dr. Grider is passionate about advocating for mental health and wellness in the veterinary profession. Her interest in this topic led her to pursue certification as a compassion fatigue professional (CCFP) in 2020 and to return to school in 2021 to complete a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling. She completed the program in late 2023 and is currently an Associate Licensed Counselor in Alabama and a National Certified Counselor. Her therapy practice is focused on counseling veterinary professionals, healthcare workers, and those in the helping professions. She has since earned the CAMS Trained designation for mental health clinicians who pursue additional training in sucide prevention. In 2026, Dr. Grider completed a Graduate Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders to better understand and address the needs of neurodivergent students. 

Dr. Grider is passionate about mental health education and enjoys public speaking. She was honored to serve as the Keynote Presenter at the 2025 RTA Summer Conference, the 2026 UAzCVM Faculty Retreat, and the 2026 AAVMC VetEd Conference. Dr. Grider has also recently presented at the 2026 AVMA Convention. Dr. Grider's favorite lecture topics include perfectionism, healthy assertiveness, and neurodiversity.

In her free time, Dr. Grider hosts a veterinary podcast called IntroVETS (a veterinary podcast by introverts with high-functioning anxiety - just a heads up that it does contain some four-letter words!), which has wrapped its fifth season of production. She is also into yoga, powerlifting, and gardening. She enjoys hanging out with many types of animals, but she has a special connection to cats - and she has four!

Degrees

• Graduate Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders Special Education
• Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States
• M.A. Clinical Mental Health Counseling
• University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama, United States
• D.V.M. Veterinary Medicine
• Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn, Alabama, United States
• B.S. Animal and Dairy Science
• Auburn University College of Agriculture, Auburn, Alabama, United States