veterinary thought exchange vtx:podcast

Episode 56 - ”If you can’t see it you can’t be it”

This week we are joined by the incredible Janika Patel. Janika is a small animal veterinary surgeon that qualified from University of Nottingham in 2017. She has worked in various practices across London and Surrey and is currently a locum around Leicestershire. She has a keen interest in internal medicine and a passion for raising awareness of issues such as racism, diversity and equality within the profession. Janika’s Instagram page @janikathevet began as a diary of her experiences as a vet and soon evolved into an inspiring space for other people of colour to join the veterinary profession.

 

Instagram - @janikathevet

                • British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society: https://bveds.com/

                • Animal Aspirations: https://www.animalaspirations.com/

                • RCVS Diversity and Inclusion Working Group: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/who-we-are/committees/advancement-of-the-professions-committee/diversity-and-inclusion-working-group-dig/

                • BVA Good Veterinary Workplace: https://www.bva.co.uk/media/3708/bva-position-on-good-veterinary-workplaces.pdf

                • RCVS Supporting Guidance: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/setting-standards/advice-and-guidance/code-of-professional-conduct-for-veterinary-surgeons/supporting-guidance/veterinary-team-and-business/

 

In our clinical segment today Scott continues a series of discussions regarding the investigation of liver disease, especially those pesky liver enzymes. Learn more about liver disease in dogs and cats by joining our liver course:

 

https://vtx-cpd.com/courses/love-your-liver-liver-disease-in-dogs-and-cats-2023/

Episode 55 - ”Plant trees you will never see”

In this week's episode, we talk to Elly Russell from the Veterinary Defense Society (VDS). After graduating from Cambridge Vet School in 2002, Elly worked in a variety of clinical roles including small animal practice and an emergency critical care setting. In 2017 she completed her CertAVP in small animal surgery and discovered her passion for patient safety. Elly is currently undertaking a PhD researching the role communication plays in the delivery of safe, effective veterinary care. Elly is passionate about supporting vet teams and developing the communication practices they need to achieve high performance and fulfilling, happy careers.

We would like to say a huge thank you to the VDS for their support of this podcast and to Elly for this thought-provoking conversation!

https://www.vds-training.co.uk/

https://www.thevds.co.uk/

 

In our clinical segment today Scott starts a series of discussions regarding the investigation of liver disease, especially those pesky liver enzymes. The question is… how do you investigate these liver enzyme increases, especially those that you find incidentally! Learn more about liver disease in dogs and cats by joining our liver course :

https://vtx-cpd.com/courses/love-your-liver-liver-disease-in-dogs-and-cats-2023/

 

#vtx #vtx_cpd #veterinarycpd #veterinarypodcast”

 

Episode 54 - Leading Change

In this week's episode we are talking to the incredible Helen Silver-MacMahon and Cat Auden from VetLed. We have recorded this special episode ahead of the VetLed 2023 Veterinary Human Factors Conference. We hear a lot of voices in our profession calling for change of all sorts.  Maybe you are too…but how do we really do that? How can we improve things for the long-term, and not just apply ‘sticking plasters’ to problems? Hopefully this episode will help in starting to answer some of these questions! At VetLed the team passionately believe that taking a Human Factors approach to change in veterinary practice will make a fundamental difference to both the patients under our care… and the people delivering that care.

The jam-packed online two day-conference schedule features nearly 24 hours of cutting-edge CPD, and over 40 speakers with a range of diverse and highly interactive sessions from panels, discussions, lectures, key-note sessions, TED-style talks, and abstract presentations and networking:

 

https://www.vetled.co.uk/conference

 

If you are listening to this podcast after the event… do not fear! The Main Conference runs live online, but ALL content is recorded and available on replay for 6 months after conference day (23^rd and 24^th February 2023).

 

In our clinical segment this week we continue a discussion about leptospirosis with our very own Scott. This week we chat about the diagnosis and treatment of this challenging condition. To learn more about vtx and what we do, please check out our website:

 

www.vtx-cpd.com

Episode 53 - Shelters, Surgery and Stinky

This week we talk to Dr. Kelly Gehlhaus who works in shelter medicine in Minnesota. We talk about her international studies, shelter medicine and navigating the challenges this brings for patients and their owners. We dive into finding your niche and what makes each veterinary professional individual. 

 

Dr. Kelly Gehlhaus attended the University of Edinburgh's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, graduating in 2015. Upon graduation, she moved to Utah on a whim to begin her veterinary career in small animal clinical practice at a low-cost, high-volume clinic, where she was first introduced to the spectrum of care concept. After years in Utah, her partner, a fellow vet and Dick Vet graduate, obtained a veterinary pathology residency at the University of Minnesota. A year into their life in Minnesota, and amidst a pandemic, she joined the veterinary team at Animal Humane Society's community clinic, where she is now the Managing Clinic Veterinarian. At AHS, she played a pivotal role in piloting the Community Medicine Rotation with the University of Minnesota. Her special interests are animal behaviour, internal medicine, hospice care, and strengthening the human-animal bond through veterinary medicine. She is also the mother of five fur children (three dogs and two cats) and a small human child. One of her dogs is a recent impulse adoption, and so happens to be a blind pit bull puppy! Although life and work keep her very busy, she enjoys taking time to draw and paint, go for long runs, and is an avid equestrian. One of her passion projects is breaking down breed stigmas and volunteering for the most amazing organization, known as 'My Pitbull is Family', which runs the North Minneapolis Pet Resource Center.

 

Animal Humane Society of Minnesota: https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/

My Pitbull is Family: https://www.mypitbullisfamily.org/

North Minneapolis Pet Resource Center: https://www.mypitbullisfamily.org/nmprc

 

You can also follow Kelly’s pup on Instagram and follow their journey! https://www.instagram.com/blindpittiebros/ 

 

Episode 52 - From surgery to psychology: leaving expectations behind

In this week's episode, we are talking to the brilliant Liv of @vetgonereal. We talk all about her journey through veterinary medicine, from an aspiring surgeon to a qualified coach teaching veterinary teams about the power of positive psychology.

We discuss the power of divorcing the expectations we put on ourselves, and how emotions are not as simple as good and bad or positive and negative. What does it really mean to live your life with purpose and show up as your authentic self?

Liv graduated in 2016 from a university in Poland and shortly after graduation moved to the United Kingdom. Throughout her career, Liv has been mentoring and providing mental health support to her colleagues. This passion for veterinary wellbeing led her to undertake a masters degree in Applied Positive Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University.

Based on several years of veterinary and peer-support experience, combined with Positive Psychology and EQ training, Liv created the Vet Gone Real platform. Liv specialises in veterinary wellbeing and emotional intelligence. She works with both individuals and practices to help them understand how positive psychology can improve their team dynamics and improve psychological safety and build thriving workplace cultures.

You can find out more about Liv's platform Vet Gone Real below:

https://www.instagram.com/vetgonereal/

https://www.facebook.com/vetgonereal

https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-oginska

https://www.vetgonereal.com/

 

Episode 51 - the good, the bad and the social media

On this week's show we are talking to Cat Henstridge, also known online at Cat the Vet. We will be talking about her life as a first opinion vet and what it is like to navigate being a vet on social media. 

 

Cat graduated from Bristol University in 2003 and has worked ever since as a small animal vet in first opinion practice.  She started her career in a hospital in Wolverhampton and after a few years left to locum in and around the West Midlands. In 2015 she moved with her family back to her home town of Sheffield where she now works part-time in an independent clinic.

 

Her passion is, and always has been, this profession and the people in it and after writing a website of pet advice for owners because she was frustrated at the lack of good quality information on the internet (this was a while ago, things are different now!), she started to blog and then created social media pages, both to continue to educate but also to showcase the veterinary world and combat the myths and misinformation about us.  These have grown to form a significant part of her career, which she balances with her actual job, her three children and a busy family life!

 

https://www.facebook.com/catthevet

https://www.instagram.com/cat_the_vet

https://www.tiktok.com/@cat_the_vet

 

If you have any questions about the cpd material featured on today's podcast, or if you have an idea for a future episode, contact scott@vtx-cpd.com

Episode 50 - Microaggressions, mental health and meaning

This week on the podcast we are chatting to Daniella Dos Santos and Rosie Allister about the important topic of microaggressions. 

 

Daniella graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2012, having previously obtained a degree in molecular genetics from Kings College London. She is past President of the British Veterinary Association, during which she championed #VetDiversity, and is a vocal advocate of the importance and value of diversity, inclusion and widening participation within the veterinary profession. She led the first BVA Discrimination Survey in 2019, and has presented the work she has undertaken as BVA President to the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe. In 2021 she became a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for Meritorious Contributions to the Profession, and was also awarded the RCVS Inspiration Award 2021.

 

Rosie has received the BVA Chiron Award and RCVS Impact Award for work on veterinary mental health. Her PhD researched mental health, support and identity and how this affects veterinary wellbeing. She has substantial experience in applied suicide prevention, support, and evidence-based solutions. She combines technical and academic knowledge with a practical background in veterinary practice. Rosie manages Vetlife Helpline and volunteers with All4Paws veterinary clinic and Samaritans.

 

Vetlife Helpline is available 24 hours a day to provide confidential support to the veterinary community. Call 0303 040 2551 or email via www.vetlife.org.uk

 

https://www.bva.co.uk/take-action/good-veterinary-workplaces/

 

#vtx #vtx_cpd #veterinarycourses #veterinarypodcast #TimeForChange #BigConversation #GoodWorkplaces

Episode 49 - Are we really a product of our own success?

In this episode we are talking to the insightful Carolyne Crowe. We talk about everything from communication, managing expectations and listening. And what inspired her to run 10 marathons in 10 days! Carolyne is an equine vet, personal performance coach, mentor, international speaker, researcher and lecturer, and has a Masters degree in Workplace Health and Wellbeing. Through her role as Head of Training at the VDS, she has been able to help support professionals through non-clinical training on leadership, resilience and communication, helping workplaces and employees learn and grow in a busy and pressured environment.  As a founding member of the Coach of Excellence Accreditation, Carolyne was awarded an Honorary Fellowship in 2020 for her outstanding contribution to the profession.

 

We would like to say a huge thank you to the VDS for their support of this podcast and to Carolyne for this inspirational conversation!

 

https://www.vds-training.co.uk/

https://www.thevds.co.uk/

 

Episode 48 - From clinic, communication and compassion

In this week's episode we are talking to the incredible Helen Silver-MacMahon. We talk about her expansive career as an RVN and how her intrigue in human-factors and non-technical skills have shaped her career. We discuss the importance of addressing incivility in clinical practice and the impact these behaviours can have not only on us as professionals but also to those around us including our patients! 

Helen is a veterinary nurse and Research and Development Director at VetLed. Having worked in general practice, referral hospitals and nursing education over the past 21 years, she has extensive professional experience and understanding from a wide range of  settings. Helen is passionate about developing the veterinary professions understanding of Human Factors as a powerful aid in improving patient safety, enhancing performance and supporting the wellbeing of the veterinary team. She is a RCVS Knowledge Champion for her role in the sustained training and use of a surgical safety checklist within the small animal theatre at the former Animal Health Trust. In 2021, Helen completed an MSc in Patient Safety and Clinical Human Factors at the University of Edinburgh. For her dissertation project Helen researched situational awareness in the veterinary operating theatre and has a special interest in non-technical skills, and has just begun a PhD to research this area. In her role at VetLed she enjoys applying this knowledge to develop and deliver professionally relevant training for all members of the veterinary team. We would like to say a huge thank you to VetLed for their support of this podcast and to Helen for this eye-opening conversation!

In our clinical segment this week we continue a discussion about feline pancreatitis with our very own Scott. This week we chat about the treatment of acute pancreatitis.

https://www.vetled.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/vetledteam/
https://www.facebook.com/VetLedteam 
https://vtx-cpd.com/webinars/pancreatitis-what-the-feline-is-new/

Episode 47- From sheep farming to cytology

This week we are joined by the amazing Francesco Cian. Francesco is a veterinary clinical pathologist.  He qualified from University of Padua (Italy) with a DVM in 2006. He spent the next 4 years in small animal practice. In 2010, he started a residency program in Clinical Pathology at the University of Cambridge, which he finished in 2013 attaining both an ECVCP and FRCPath diploma. Francesco is passionate about teaching and has come up with lots of creating and engaging ways to share his knowledge and passion. We chat about his amazing veterinary journey that all started on a sheep farm! Make sure to check out his amazing platforms! In our clinical segment this week we start a discussion about feline pancreatitis with our very own Scott. This week we chat about the diagnostic process in this challenging cases.

 

www.veterinarycytology.org

 

https://www.instagram.com/veterinary_cytology/?hl=en

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/VeterinaryCytology/

 

https://vtx-cpd.com/webinars/pancreatitis-what-the-feline-is-new/