The MacVet Podcast

By Dr Fiona MacGillivray MRCVSScience Social Sciences

The MacVet Podcast episodes

August 15, 2024Home is where the heart is
Large animal vet and dairy farmer Hazell Mullins loves the variety of her work, which includes being the current president of Veterinary Ireland. In this role, she hopes to support younger vets build their confidence and skills in communication.

Hazell has enjoyed working in clinical practice over the past 11 years and shares her exploits through her popular Instagram account Vet On The Moove.

Having worked in different parts of Ireland since graduation, she recently moved back home to Cork.

In this episode, we discuss:
sharing her clinical cases through social media to help others better understand veterinary work,
the importance of non-clinical CPD for vets to broaden their skillset,
posh coffee and where to find it in Cork!

Listen in to hear Hazell's thoughts on communication, cows and coffee!
52 min
July 18, 2024 People development
Jo Speed has an affinity for supporting people, especially those who work with cows. She has worked in the dairy industry for over 20 years, holding positions with Kite Consulting, DairyCo/AHDB and Promar.

Jo recently set up her own business - Jo Speed Coaching – after training to become a life coach, and in this role, she applies her skills as a mentor, coach and facilitator.

In this episode, we discuss:
how asking questions can achieve a better outcome than telling someone what to do,
not letting a feeling of discomfort stop you from pushing yourself out of your comfort zone to grow your skills and experience,
comparing yourself with yourself not with others, and the importance of reflecting on your achievements.
Listen in to hear Jo's thoughts on communication, cows and coffee!
38 min
July 04, 2024 Tell it like it is
Dairy market analyst Chris Walkland believes in speaking his mind. As a consummate communicator, he believes that sharing opinions with others should be done with diplomacy, confidence and a thorough understanding of the topic.

Chris soon recognised that his passion for communicating could be channelled into supporting the dairy industry, by bringing to data to life and explaining the relevance to UK dairy farmers.

Data analysis could be for many a 'dry' topic; to avoid this, Chris adds his own flamboyant style and storytelling, which extends to his choice of clothing at public events.

In this episode, we discuss:
key skills to be an effective communicator,
the future of dairy journalism,
coffee or tea?!

Listen in to hear Chris's thoughts on communication, cows and coffee!
38 min
June 20, 2024 The Resilient Ageing Project
Clinical exercise physiologist Marcelle Malan joins us again on the show to share details of her latest educational programme, the Resilient Ageing Project.

Her objective for using this with both clients and fitness professionals, is to provide scientifically proven and evidence based exercise strategies for maintaining cognitive function (including memory, language skills, concentration and reaction time) into older age.

In season 1, Marcelle talked about the application and benefits of exercise for women in perimenopause and menopause.

In this episode, we discuss:
what forms of exercise boost brain health and function, and those that are less effective, to allow us to make more informed choices on our exercise programmes,
the challenges faced by clients living with chronic painful conditions - the role of exercise in managing those conditions,
practical tips for keeping your mind sharp and active into your 70s, 80s and beyond.

Listen in to hear Marcelle's thoughts on the role of communication in the world of exercise.

Links from the show:
"Bones, brains and exercise" episode 17 from season 1 https://www.macvetltd.co.uk/podcast/episode/209135ef/bones-brains-and-exercise

The Resilient Ageing Project https://www.marcellemalan.com/rap
34 min
June 06, 2024 The 4th dimension
Renowned animal welfare researcher Nina von Keyserlingk believes that scientists can help bridge the gap between public values and animal welfare, providing evidence on which systems work for the animals, work for the farmers and resonate with societal values.
Nina grew up on her family cattle ranch in British Colombia,
Canada, and she is now the NSERC* Industrial Research Chair Professor at the University of British Columbia. She is internationally recognised as a pioneer in the field of farm animal welfare research.
In this episode, we discuss:
defining animal welfare, with a recognition that we must factor in the humans who influence the lives of animals - the 4th dimension of animal welfare,
some of the management changes seen in the cattle industry that were driven by scientific findings, such as social housing for calves after nipple bucket feeding was introduced,
recognising that changes take time and change offers opportunities.
Listen in to hear Nina's thoughts on communication, cows and coffee!
*NSERC Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Background: 73% of Canadian dairy farms use tie stalls (2022 figures from Canadian government).
50 min
May 23, 2024 Life with Longhorns
Elise Sutton had not planned on forging a career in farming, yet when she failed her A levels, she started on a path that would lead her to work with the majestic English Longhorn breed. Elise manages the herd of Longhorn cattle at Cherry Lodge Farm in Wiltshire, South West England, a role she holds through Natural England.
In this episode, we discuss:
Longhorn breed characteristics and traits: including their gentle nature, calving ease and longevity,
how to communicate more effectively with farmers when coming from a non-farming background and the importance of being relatable,
building a strong support network within the farming community and not being afraid to ask for help when you don't know something!
Listen in to discover Elise's thoughts on communication, cows and coffee!
Links from this episode:
Longhorn Cattle Society https://www.longhorncattlesociety.com/
Nature Friendly Farming Network https://www.nffn.org.uk/
Pasture for Life https://www.pastureforlife.org/

32 min
May 23, 2024 The business of vetting
Accompanying his father on visits as a child, Den saw first-hand the special relationship that farm vets can have with their farming clients. Recognising that, unlike his three veterinary brothers, he would feel better suited to farm
vet practice, Den began his career at his father’s practice.

After several years he decided that perhaps farm vetting could be done differently, so together with good friend and colleague Charlie Lambert, they set up a practice in
Cheshire. This soon grew into Lambert, Leonard and May, a practice that would go on to disrupt the status quo of farm vetting.

But it was the business side of practice life that really became Den’s passion. Being introduced to the concept of setting a vision and values, then integrating them into everything the practice does, unlocked a realisation of
the power of what some may call soft skills: communication, understanding what motivates people, and how to build a strong team of workers and clients.

Although no longer in veterinary practice, Den recently took up a role that brings him back to working with the farmers he has always felt comfortable talking with and helping.

In this episode, we discuss:
The challenges and rewards of developing a novel veterinary business model,
Reflecting on the influence our communication can have on others, how we can become more aware of this and communicate in a more constructive manner,
Stepping into the public arena to support his farmers in
their challenge to control TB and the consequences associated with this.

Listen in to discover Den’s thoughts on communication, cows and coffee!
1 hr 4 min
May 09, 2024 Beyond a life in practice
Veterinarian Gwen Rees found herself reassessing her options as she realised she needed to move away from clinical work. Finding an opportunity to study what influences farmer decisions in their use of medicines gave her the chance to explore human behaviour, adding novel insights into the world of improved veterinary and farmer communication.
Gwen now lectures at Aberystwyth University in Wales and is the president of the British Veterinary Association Wales Branch. She also leads the Veterinary Prescribing Champions (VPCs) network, part of the Arwain DGC project that looks at ways to reduce the use of antimicrobials in cattle, sheep and horses.
In this episode, we discuss:
how her PhD project helped recognise that vets often make assumptions about how medicines are used on farm,
the question 'what does a farmer want from their vet?' with regards to understanding how to use prescribed medicines,
the success of the Veterinary Prescribing Champions network in Wales and how this was achieved.
Listen in to discover Gwen's thoughts on communication, cows and coffee!
Links from the show:
Arwain DGC https://menterabusnes.cymru/arwaindgc/home-2/
42 min
April 25, 2024 Galvanize
Farmer and veterinarian Kat Hart believes you shouldn't let a lack of experience hold you back from trying something new. If it's something you are passionate about doing, then make a start and you can learn the skills along the way.

Kat is part of a team of farm vets working in England, where she specialises in young stock, having developed this role from scratch within the practice she's worked in since graduating in 2011.

In this episode, we discuss:
practical tips for vets worried about feeling confident when going onto a new farm,
looking for opportunities to build your unique offering to clients,
building and promoting the family beef and sheep farming business.

Listen in to discover Kat's thoughts on communication, cows and coffee!
43 min
April 11, 2024 Communication, curiosity and complexities
David Main is a vet and professor of production animal health and welfare at the Royal Agricultural University, England.
His research interests lie in welfare education, the science and practice of knowledge exchange, animal welfare assessment and improvement strategies.
Like many, he began his veterinary career expecting to improve animal health and welfare by sharing his technical knowledge and expertise with clients. Soon recognising that this was not the most effective approach to take, he became increasingly interested in learning more about communication style in medical and veterinary interactions.

In this episode, we discuss:
how communication style will influence the uptake of veterinary advice,
using a 'what would a friend say?' approach in conversations dealing with difficult topics, such as terminal illness, to better connect with clients,
how use of positive language in programmes that aim to improve animal welfare, such as Health Feet, achieves better engagement with farmers.

Listen in to hear David's thoughts on communication, cows and coffee!

Links from the episode:
BMJ article 'Communication in difficult situations: what would a friend say?' https://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f5037.full
Healthy Feet Programme https://ahdb.org.uk/healthy-feet
45 min