On today’s show, I am joined by Dr James Greenwood. James is a practising vet living and working in Bristol, England. Originally from the flat cap, whippet and ferret loving county of Yorkshire, James’ family has been farming the Pennines Hills in England for generations. Although his parents chose to leave farming, James inherited the family trait and devoted himself to a life spent in the company of animals.

After graduating from Bristol Vet School in 2007, he began his career as an equine vet, but like many young vets quickly began to struggle with the complexities of life after graduation and slowly fell out of love with his career.

What makes James a little different was his ability to find balance and rediscover a passion for veterinary medicine again by connecting with his more creative side.

Throughout his life, James harboured a dual love, on one hand, science, but on the other art. Although originally trained to paint, James’ artistic creativity developed into a deep love for ceramics. And after pursuing this passion and developing his personal brand on Instagram he was invited to compete on the first series of BBC2’s 'The Great Pottery Throwdown' where he showcased his ceramic skills to the nation and earned his fame.

James has now made incredible ceramics for many celebrity pet lovers and has further developed his TV vet status by appearing in the popular CBBC children's television series 'The Pets Factor’.

Now, just before we jump into the episode, I just wanted to drop a quick word from today's show sponsor which is the VetX:Thrive community.

If you are a young vet looking to find your feet in veterinary medicine, grow your confidence, avoid burnout and beat your inner imposter, then VetX:Thrive is for you. As a community member, you’ll receive 12 success-skill training modules, access to experienced mentors and incredible toolkits to help you thrive in your career.

A year-long membership of the community is available for just $275 and if you use the promocode ‘podcast' then you will receive a further 10% discount.

Head to www.vetxthrive.com to redeem this offer and take control of your career.

Now, back to the show, James’s interview was a real pleasure for me as he bravely and openly shares his experience of mental struggles and inner turmoil and how he was able to find a way through difficult times to a happier place where veterinary medicine now fits nicely with his other interests.

If you’re struggling in practice, I hope this episode speaks to you and offer some insight into how you can also find balance and, I hope, happiness in the wonderful world of veterinary medicine.

So, without further ado, I present to you, my conversation with the fabulous, Dr James Greenwood.

Today’s episode marks a very big mile stone on the Blunt Dissection pathway as we reach our two year and 24 episode-th birthday! (Apologies to the English language for that abuse).

We needed a big episode and I am thrilled to say that my guest, Dr. Bree Montana, absolutely nailed it.

Dr Montana, or Bree as I can now call her since we’re blunt dissection besties, gained her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Ohio State University.

After graduation she worked in emergency hospitals before moving into general practice and eventually practice ownership where much of her real “learning” began. Safe to say the road was bumpy.

Outside of her practice, Bree has served as a member of UC Davis’ College of Veterinary Medicine’s External Advisory and Admissions Boards, is a past Board member of the VIN Foundation. And, somehow, finds time to act as the Director of the VINFoundation’s Vets4Vets programs – a place where vets struggling with a range of physical, emotional and psychological problems receive much needed support. She is also in high demand as a speaker on the subject of caregiver compassion fatigue.

Now, just before we jump into the episode, I just wanted to drop a quick word from today's show sponsor which is my brand new VetX:Leaders training group.

If you are a manager or owner of a vet practice and people are your biggest problem then VetX:leaders is designed for you. As a member you will learn how to build a high performing team based on three vital areas. Recruitment of th right people, daily management of those people and leadership skills. This is a unique deep dive into the world of high performance and I will be your personal mentor throughout. There will be teaching, mentoring and access to all of the templates and frameworks I have used to run successful veterinary hospitals around the world over the past decade. So if that sort of training would improve your practice performance then go to vetxleaders.com to learn more. And if you use the promo code ‘podcast’, then you’ll get 10% off.

Back to Dr Bree. Her’s is a story of work, struggle and ultimately, balance and joy. There is something here for anyone who ever dared to pull on a white coat and throw a stethoscope round their neck. And I hope for some of you, this episode is going to change everything – in a good way.

So, without further preamble, I present to you, my interview with the amazing, Dr Bree Montana.

Today’s show is the 2018 end of year review. Normally it is my job to interview and tease apart the life of interesting people from around the world of veterinary medicine.

But in this end of year review episode, I take the time to reflect on my favourite clips from my 2018 guests and this year I decided to wrap the clips up in a theme which this year is how to overcome fear.

F.E.A.R. (or false evidence appearing real) stalks many of us in veterinary medicine and shows up to wreck our days in many ways if we let it.

It influences us as students and can lead to burnout, it can prevent us from making good decisions that can change our lives for the better and it can harm the welfare of our patients. So in this episode, I put fear under the microscope and each guest shares their take on fear from a unique angle and offers their advice on how to be more fearless.

Now, just before we jump into the episode, I just wanted to drop a quick word from today's show sponsor which is my brand new VetX:Leaders training group.

If you are a manager or owner of a vet practice and people are your biggest problem then VetX:leaders is designed for you. As a member, you will learn how to build a high performing team based on three growth areas.

Firstly, you’ll learn how to recruit the right people. Secondly, you’ll learn how to performance manage your people effectively so the team reaches new heights. And thirdly you’ll take your leadership skills to the next level.

This is a unique deep dive into the world of performance and I will be your personal mentor throughout. There will be teaching, mentoring and access to all of the templates and frameworks I have used to run successful veterinary hospitals around the world over the past decade. So if you think that sort of training would help improve your game as a leader and reduce your stress then go to www.vetxleaders.com to learn more. And if you use the promo code ‘podcast’, then you’ll get 10% off.

Ok, back to the episode. We cover everything from farming to fast jets and much in between. While this episode may be more staccato than you are used to, it also provides insight and solutions to the many-faced beast that fear can manifest as.

I hope you enjoy this exploration and dissection of the topic of fear, which may help you slay one or two of your inner demons.

A better Christmas gift I cannot offer. Enjoy.

On today’s show I am joined by Dutch Veterinary Royalty and Communication Master Dr Roeland Wessels.

Roeland graduated from Utrecht University with a doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1995 and entered the workplace in his native Holland.

In 2001 he opened St Anna 404, his own small animal vet practice which he and his wife have operated successfully as an exemplar of veterinary business in Holland ever since.

Away from his practice, Roeland is best known for his work as a veterinary business consultant and in particular a communications specialist.

There are many skills needed by modern veterinarians, but as Roeland says veterinary schools don’t teach you the most important one: how to understand humans. (Hear, hear, say I). It is safe to say that he is on a mission to change the way communication between humans is taught to veterinarians at all levels of the profession.

To this end, Roeland published his first book, The Veterinary Communication Handbook, in May 2013. It’s a great book that I encourage any vets to read.

Now, in addition to his book, the forward-thinking Utrecht University Veterinary School (one of the best-rated vet schools on the planet), has boldly incorporated Roeland’s communications program into their undergraduate curriculum since 2015. Kudos there to Utrecht in making a move that one hopes other vet schools around the world will follow.

Now, just before we jump into the episode, I just wanted to drop a quick word from today's show sponsor The VetX:Thrive community. VetX:Thrive is a place where vets of all ages and walks of life can learn the non-clinical skills required to lay the foundations for career happiness and success. Members learn from the best tutors and have access to role models and mentors around the world. The aim? Simple, to engage and retain the next generation of vets so they too can have happy, healthy and long careers in veterinary medicine. If you think that sort of support and training would be of benefit to you or one of your team then head to drdavenicol.com/vetx and click on VetX:Thrive to learn more. The link is also found in the show notes.

Back to the episode. This conversation is already one of my favourites simply because Roeland shared so freely and honestly from his wide-ranging and deep experience and knowledge. The episode is so crammed full of advice and insight I know you are going to have to listen again and again.

And happily, for accent lovers, due to his soft Dutch accent, that should prove no hardship at all. So, without further ado, I give you my conversation with Mr Veterinary Communication, Dr Roeland Wessels.

In This Episode

The life and work of Roeland Wessels: how he became interested in Veterinary medicine.

The struggle of schooling and how the light went on for Roland.

The gift of an ivory detection dog (Mitch) and how you can support the cause.

Roeland’s 3 dimensional encouragement to his fellow veterinarians.

The 4 Cs of a successful veterinarian.

Why the species we need to understand best is the human being.

What is contributing to the widespread dissatisfaction among veterinarians?

How perfectionism is debilitating many veterinarians from doing good work.

Fantastic failures Roland has made in his career - and what he learned from them.

The power of active listening and how it leads to greater happiness.

The best and worst advice Roeland has ever received.

Tips for building a team that works with passion and energy.

Lessons for veterinarians from Roeland’s secret passion: Carpentry.

On today’s show, I am joined by Bash Halow. Bash, is one of the most entertaining speakers on the veterinary circuit, firstly because he is tear-inducingly funny when he hits his flow, highly eloquent and not afraid to say things that others might take offence to. In short, he possesses a raw authenticity that has endears him to many in his native North America and beyond, notably he recently addressed the Veterinary Management Association at the House of Lords in London.

Based in New York Bash started out life as a technician and pursued his business interest to founding both the New Jersey Veterinary Hospital Manager’s Association, the Big Apple Veterinary Management group in NYC and served as an advisor for the Mercer County Community College’s Veterinary Assistant Program, the first of its kind in the area.

Bash’s day to day work involves helping veterinary hospitals understand how to build stronger teams and responsibly and ethically grow their businesses. And he is a member of the American Animal Hospital Association, the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association, and the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association which recognised Bash with the President’s Award in 2013 for his educational work in that state. He is also on the editorial advisory board for Firstline Veterinary Management Magazine and the FetchDVM360 veterinary conferences.

Now, just before we jump into the episode, I just wanted to drop a quick word from our show sponsor VetX:Thrive. If you are struggling in practice or you know a vet who is then please check this out. VetX:Thrive is a community that will help you find purpose and direction plus give you the skills to succeed and be happy. As a member, you'll learn and master the non-clinical skills required for success. You’ll get access to the best mentors around and you’ll be part of a supportive global network of vets. If you think that sort of support and training would help you succeed as a vet then head to drdavenicol.com/vetx and click on VetX:Thrive to learn more.

Back to Bash, I can honestly say that no guest has made me laugh so much at topics that I might otherwise find quite dark, Bash was genuine, forthright, vulnerable and honest during this interview which made him such an amazing guest.

So let me speak no more and instead leave you to savour, learn or maybe just enjoy this, my conversation with the wonderful, Bash Halow.

Topics covered in this episode include:

*Why Bash moved upstate and enjoys farming, bees and chickens

*Why everything knows about people he learned from chickens (vegans be warned, you are going to laugh at something you might find distasteful).

*His opinions on the modern veterinary practice

*Why the job of the veterinary receptionist is almost impossible the way most clinics do it.

*Much more about Bash you have never heard, but will make you love him even more. (Except vegans - and even then, it’s hard not to love Bash).

Normally on Blunt dissection it is my job to interview and get under the skin of the great and good of veterinary medicine, to get them to tell their story as you’ve never heard before and to learn as much about their journey in vet med as possible - in the hope we can all learn how to be better versions of us.

This episode is a little different because in this episode, the students at the University of Queensland Vet School decided that it was time to turn the tables and put me under the spotlight. So aside from having the creeping feeling that this is an unhealthy exercise in narcissism, I encourage you to manage your expectations down! I make absolutely no claims to being one of the great and good in vet med, nor do I offer any assurance that you, my dear listeners, will receive the benefit of wisdom what so ever!

Which of course is no reflection on the skills of my guest hosts Lianne (@vetmedkid), Mackenzie (@thevetintraining) and Amy (@chasingvetmed) who all did a fantastic job as first-time interviewers and are great examples of why millennials can and will rock the veterinary profession in future.

This show is entertaining at least but is especially good to listen to if you want to learn more about a career in vet med, how to survive vet school and also, how to get places quickly and be happier in your career after graduation. Plus it will give you an useful insight into not just my mind (god help us all), but also the mind of my interviewers who in a few short years will be entering the workplace.

Now, just before we jump into the episode, I just wanted to drop a quick word from our show sponsor VetX:Thrive. If you are struggling in practice or you know a vet who is then please check this out. VetX:Thrive is a community that will help you find purpose direction and give you the skills to succeed and be happy. As a member, you'll learn and master the non-clinical skills required for success. You’ll get access to the best mentors around and you’ll be part of a supportive global network of vets. If you think that sort of support and training would help you succeed as a vet then head to drdavenicol.com/vetx and click on VetX:Thrive to learn more.

Now back to the show. This episode was recorded originally as a Live Instagram broadcast between the UK and Australia, so it is amazing that it happened at all. I want to shout out my sound team who have worked some technological miracles to bring this episode together - so thank you very much Evenlin. And with all of that said, all that remains now is to invite you to sit back and enjoy this special student episode of Blunt Dissection.

On today’s show, I am joined by Nancy Slessenger. Nancy, I’m quite confident, most of you have never heard of before. But I’m also confident that you are going to learn more in this show that will help you work with your fellow human beings than any before.

So let me tell you more about this incredible woman.

Nancy is the author of over 20 publications including “How to Write Objectives that Work” with sales of over 250,000 copies and “Difficult People Made Easy”, a booklet of practical tips for dealing with difficult situations.

In 1995 she started a management consultancy and went on to develop a recruitment process that now achieves a success rate of over 91% compared with the average of 25 – 30%. Her company, Vinehouse Hiring now specialises only in recruitment and hiring for small to medium sized owner-run businesses in the English-speaking world.

Before starting her own company Nancy worked in the manufacturing industry, starting at Mars, and was director of an electronics company a few years later.

But most impressively of all, Nancy was my own coach for years and is who I credit with helping me to become not just a better leader, but a better human being.

Now, just before we jump into the episode, I just wanted to drop a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is VetX:Thrive. If you are struggling as a vet, then please check this out. VetX:Thrive is a community that will help you find your happy place in veterinary medicine, and it does this by training you in the non-clinical skills required for success. Goal setting, staying positive, combatting burnout, handling rude clients... and much much more. VetX:Thrive members also get access to the best mentors around and are networked together as part of a supportive global community all focused on helping each other to succeed. So if this sounds like something that might help you then please head to drdavenicol.com/vetx and click on VetX:Thrive to learn more.

Now back to the show, this episode was one of my favourites, partly because Nancy has got so much she can teach us all, but also because she’s become a very dear friend and is a wonderful storyteller. I really hope you have as much fun and get as much knowledge from listening as we did from recording it.

This is a very deep dive into the world of performance management mixed wonderfully with Nancy's whimsical stories. Enjoy.

On today’s show, I am joined by Dr Cody Creelman Cow Vet. Cody, our second Canadian in a row, is cow vet “extraordinaire” growing up near Beaverlodge, Alberta on a commercial cattle operation and attended the University of Alberta where he received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with distinction in 2006.

He followed this up with his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2011 from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

Soon after, Dr Creelman joined Veterinary Agri-Health Services as an associate veterinarian and is now a managing partner with professional interests including pathology, large animal surgery, feedlot medicine and the production of abscess and gore-spattered videos for youtube.

These videos and his talent for crafting together the story of his everyday life with great images, and upbeat feel and great music; have elevated him to become a bona fide veterinary youtube star with farmers, vets and students alike. Cody has amassed an impressive 30,000 subscribers with over 6.5 million plays of his content notably over 2.5 million of those plays are of exploding cow abscesses, so there are clearly some very sick puppies embedded within his audience!

Now, just before we jump into the episode, I just wanted to drop a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is my very own VetX Graduate Mentoring community. If you are a practice owner and want to offer your new vets a higher level of support, so they grow faster and stay longer with your practice, then jump onto my website drdavenicol.com/vetx and learn how we are helping graduates across the world thrive in practices just like yours.

Back to Cody, and aside from his evident love of life, one of the things that most impresses me about Cody is his ability to produce high quality, high volume content consistently. He averages a whopping two video blogs and two podcasts each week. The guy is a genuine content monster. He does this while running three businesses and bringing up his young family too.

So, if you are having a hard time wondering whether you might be able to publish an article each month for your blog, you might do well to watch Cody’s moves carefully.

So with that said and done; let’s not waste any further time. It gives me enormous pleasure to bring you my conversation with Cody Creelman, Cow Vet.

On today’s show, I am joined by Dr Cody Creelman Cow Vet. Cody, our second Canadian in a row, is cow vet “extraordinaire” growing up near Beaverlodge, Alberta on a commercial cattle operation and attended the University of Alberta where he received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with distinction in 2006.

He followed this up with his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2011 from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

Soon after, Dr Creelman joined Veterinary Agri-Health Services as an associate veterinarian and is now a managing partner with professional interests including pathology, large animal surgery, feedlot medicine and the production of abscess and gore-spattered videos for youtube.

These videos and his talent for crafting together the story of his everyday life with great images, and upbeat feel and great music; have elevated him to become a bona fide veterinary youtube star with farmers, vets and students alike. Cody has amassed an impressive 30,000 subscribers with over 6.5 million plays of his content notably over 2.5 million of those plays are of exploding cow abscesses, so there are clearly some very sick puppies embedded within his audience!

Now, just before we jump into the episode, I just wanted to drop a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is my very own VetX Graduate Mentoring community. If you are a practice owner and want to offer your new vets a higher level of support, so they grow faster and stay longer with your practice, then jump onto my website drdavenicol.com/vetx and learn how we are helping graduates across the world thrive in practices just like yours.

Back to Cody, and aside from his evident love of life, one of the things that most impresses me about Cody is his ability to produce high quality, high volume content consistently. He averages a whopping two video blogs and two podcasts each week. The guy is a genuine content monster. He does this while running three businesses and bringing up his young family too.

So, if you are having a hard time wondering whether you might be able to publish an article each month for your blog, you might do well to watch Cody’s moves carefully.

So with that said and done; let’s not waste any further time. It gives me enormous pleasure to bring you my conversation with Cody Creelman, Cow Vet.

My guest on today’s show is cat vet extraordinaire, Dr Susan Little. Susan received her DVM from Ontario Veterinary College, Guelph and has been in feline practice since 1990, achieving board certification in Feline Practice in 1997.

She is part owner of two feline speciality practices in Ottawa and is a board member/Past President (2015) of the American Assoc. of Feline Practitioners, Dr Little also serves on the board of the International Council for Veterinary Assessment (the dudes that set the NAVLE).

Susan is undoubtedly one of the hardest working speakers on the veterinary circuit, her Airmiles collection is only outweighed by her risk of DVT, such is the time she spends travelling globally to educate us all.

But all of her hard work has paid dividends in the form of huge recognition from her peers with accolades including from the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Small Animal Practitioner Award (2010), the NAVC Small Animal Speaker of the Year Award (2013), and the International Society of Feline Medicine/Hill's Pet Nutrition Award for outstanding contributions to feline medicine (2013).

Finally, it would be rude not to mention the two books Susan has edited and co-authored: First up, The Cat: Clinical Medicine and Management, and also August’s Consultations in Feline Internal Medicine.

Now, just before we jump into the episode, I just wanted to drop a quick word from our show sponsor which today is the VetX Graduate Mentoring community. If you are a practice owner and want to offer your new vets a greater level of support so they grow faster and stay longer with your practice, then jump onto my website drdavenicol.com/vetx-grad and learn how we are helping graduates across the world thrive in practices just like yours. The class is open for global entry now so check it out.

This was my first time spending time with Susan one on one and I hope it will not be my last, she was a riot from start to finish giving generously with both time and knowledge. But what struck me the most was her passion and enthusiasm for both veterinary medicine and life in general.

So without further ado, it is my great pleasure to bring you my conversation with the amazing, Dr Susan Little.

In the show we cover:

1. Susan’s Oyster Fetish

2. The really dull, but (probably) authentic reasons she became a vet.

3. Her views on the current (poor) "State Of The Veterinary Union”.

4. The tough points in her career and the tools she uses to maintain her state of mind and performance.

5. Why she loves checklists and thinks we should use them way more in veterinary medicine.

6. Life auditing and how to say no.

7. Multiple tips she has for all clinics to improve their feline experience (at no or little cost.

Follow Susan at @catvetsusan on twitter, Instagram and Facebook.