Vets Stay Go Diversify!

You may not call it "project management" but we bet you are great at juggling what the day throws at you. Your excellent multitasking and organisational skills are critical in many roles across the veterinary industry and beyond.

The job advert is live, so it's time to announce! After five years of learning, growth, challenge, leading the best team of admins and tutors, and supporting the most amazing tutees, I'll be leaving VMG in the new year. We're recruiting for my replacement now - if you would like my job (details below), please get in touch! Exciting things are coming next so watch this space 😊 https://lnkd.in/e79wDHcq

I opened up a cat searching for a foreign body… And then there wasn’t one 🤯. Here are all the ways I could use this against myself: 🙄 I operated on a cat for no reason (= bad vet) 🙄 I’m wasting the owners money 🙄 The owners won’t trust me again 🙄 I should have waited and re-assessed the imaging (and many more should have/could have thoughts!!) 🙄 I can’t trust my clinical instinct Here’s how I make sure I don’t do this to myself: 🐾 I set expectations with the owners BEFORE I operate: I’m not 100% sure it’s a foreign body but if it IS, it could cause a lot of damage. 🐾I let them know that NO foreign body is GOOD news (my experience with foreign linear bodies in young cats has been quite devastating) 🐾I give a clear estimate of costs and make sure they know upfront 💰 🐾I take them through my thought process, and at the same time I revise my reasons for operating to make sure I like them 🐾 I set clear expectations for myself: If I don’t find anything, it’s ok, I’m here to rule it out. In the past, my brain for sure would have gone for the first lot of thoughts. I would have felt like an idiot, and regretted operating, mentally calculating how much money the owners could have saved. I would have felt really bad for the cat, for taking it through such an invasive procedure for seemingly no reason. But now, I flip it and remind myself of the consequences if the cat HAD a foreign body and we didn’t operate (death and disaster, in my experience). When we make these decisions, we HAVE to remember that we never know the consequences fully. It’s IMPOSSIBLE to control all the outcomes of our actions in veterinary medicine. But what you CAN control is: ➡️ the expectations you set for yourself and the owner. ➡️ How you treat yourself afterwards, no matter what ➡️ Deciding to like your reason behind your decision P.S: We DID find an enlarged (nay, GIANT!) mesenteric lymph node which was what I felt on abdominal palpation, so we took biopsies and cross fingers it’s not badness 🤞 P.P.S: This morning he is, of course, eating like a little pig and not throwing anything back up. Did we let the demon out for Halloween 🎃 👻 😂?!?! 

We've got a rather exciting new position in the team which I'm excited to share. So, if you're interested in working for a company who follow up their sustainability commitments with actions, who look at sustainability holistically (Planet, Pets, People), where you would get to lead sustainability projects in retail and veterinary and in a role we'll shape to the right candidate then take a little look! Check out our FY24 sustainability report to get an idea of what we're doing and critically where we are going! https://lnkd.in/eyfpXsWG Most importantly you'd get to work with the rather lovely Quinn and, if you've got a dog you can bring them to work with you too! #sustainability #jobopportunity #collaboration Pets at Home Vets for Pets Pets Foundation Amy Whidburn Amy Angus Rhys Rebello https://lnkd.in/eVxxC4NK

Job Alert! - senior leadership opportunity for a vet at World Health Organization. When I'm coaching senior leaders or people aspiring to senior roles, one of the questions I'm often asked is - where do I find the mega senior leadership roles being advertised, let alone see how I match the person specification? One of my answers is always NETWORK - actively grow it and ensure your LinkedIn Profile is keyword, competency and transferable skill heavy. Then the network will deliver. Here's an example that Linkedin has served up today - via a network contact Dominnique Karetsos. For all my vet contacts, you might have missed this as Vet is not in the title, but is clearly in the job spec. If you're a PhD, veterinarian and have senior leadership experience in AMR, then this is an AMAZING global one-health opportunity. Rachel Dalton may also have some insights to share on this, working for WHO in Geneva. https://lnkd.in/dvqshxgS And if I can help coach you on your leadership journey - drop me a note. #vetcareers #vetpassport #veterinary

It has been incredible journey and we are finally here. The AgDiversity programme is now live! Avaliable to all who are involved in the agricultural sector. I have been privileged and honoured to work with such an incredible team to bring this to fruition. A bespoke unique course for the agricultural sector, it aims to center people and help individuals grow in self reflection and understanding about difference. In our hearts and minds, we know that barriers, prejudice and discrimation should not exist. This is the opportunity for our sector to grow internally but also shine a positive light to those outside. We need to make agriculture a a space everyone can belong and thrive and this course is the start of that journey. Together we can make the difference! There will be more in the media but today was a short piece in BBC farming today https://lnkd.in/e5J7M8Jj The link to the course and sign up can be found here: https://lnkd.in/eZjxmfHC Big thanks to Tanya Robbins Amy Jackson Rupert Alers-Hankey Anna Bowen Kendra Hall Hetty Elliott Emily Ball Alex Hardie Roisin Taylor Lindsay Woods for all the hard work they put in and their dedication to the purpose and cause. Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust McDonald's AHDB - Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Harper Adams University IVC Evidensia #agriculture #veterinary #farming #diversity #inclusion

REFLECTION ON NEURODIVERGENCE AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR VET MED PROGRESSION Strange to think that at nearly 30 I'm only just now really starting to understand myself and my life and my direction. Having grown up in a not-so-typical childhood and dealing with mental health struggles all of my life, I've always felt limited by what I can achieve. It was also only recently where my GP had scored me as highly likely to be neurodivergent and both auDHD. Having been to BVNA (The British Veterinary Nursing Association) for the first time this year and going to one of Nikki McLeod BSc(Hons) PGDip (CAB) RVN's talks on behaviour inspired me, especially with the discussions surrounding being neurodivergent in the veterinary world. I felt being neurodivergent might hold me back from climbing to the top, but there are so many areas an RVN can grow into in a role designed entirely for what their passions are. Getting to head nurse isn't the end goal for everyone, but being neurodivergent also doesn't mean you can't get to the top if you wish to either - the beauty is that you get to truly decide what you want and you can create your own path in vet med. There was a time before beginning my current role with Hello Vet | www.hellovet.co.uk where I had been applying for non clinical roles and thought maybe I just wasn't cut out for being an RVN as someone who was not neurotypical - and I truly did almost leave vet med altogether. I was feeling burnt out and not supported in my interests and really stuck in roles where I had to try to fit into molds that didn't suit me as an individual. With Hello Vet, I've become the feline advocate and helped us obtain silver cat friendly status through ISFM and am now undertaking the ISFM diploma in feline nursing for the next year. I then plan on getting certified in clinical animal behaviour and taking the ISFM feline nursing behaviour course. I'm also finishing up my small mammal nursing course through Girling & Fraser right now - so I'm keeping my passion for exotics nursing alive. International Society of Feline Medicine With Hello Vet, I'm undertaking a study on feline behaviour in terms of how fear, anxiety, and stress can impact pain scoring in hospital to see how we as veterinary professionals can make the hospitalisation a less stressful experience for our patients. I think it's very important to really see what you've accomplished thus far and stop comparing yourself to others around you. Long story short is if you're thinking of leaving vet med and think you might not fit in, consider whether it's the environment you're currently in that is making you feel that way. My love for vet med didn't go away but the different environments I ended up in were stifling my growth. Keep chasing your unicorn clinic and find a company that will invest in your personal growth. Being different can be a superpower in the end, and being neurodivergent isn't a barrier for success - you just need to be supported.