The Vet Vault: Veterinary Career, Clinical Skills & Wellbeing

This little bonus episode is for a very select audience of brave souls who have already completed the written part of their Australia New Zealand College Of Veterinary Scientists membership exams, and are due to sit oral exams in a few week’s time. It's made from snippets of conversation about how to get into the right head space for the oral exams, with tips on last minute preparation, and what to expect in the actual exam.

Our guests are specialist surgeons and former examiners Dr Chris Tan and Dr Mark Newman, and former membership candidates Dr Justin Ward and Dr Stephen Mansour, and they deliver on the nuggets of wisdom that might help get you over the line. (Or at least stop you from wetting your pants on exam day!)

If you clicked on this episode, then I’m guessing that you already know WHAT the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists membership exams are. Maybe you’re considering sitting them, or perhaps you’ve already put your hand up for 2025, but you still have so many questions. Like, how much time would I need to commit, how much study is required each week, HOW hard is it actually, WHAT do I need to study, and how do I set myself up for success? Should I do a course, how do I utilise me mentors, or my study group, and perhaps the most important question… WHY would I even put myself through it?!

This episode is made up of multiple conversations about surgery membership, and it will answer all of those questions and more. We talk to specialist surgeons Dr Chris Tan and Dr Mark Newman, as well as membership candidate (at the time of recording) Dr Stephen Mansour and recent successful membership candidate Dr Justin Ward. While the conversation focuses on surgery memberships, most of the information will be applicable to any of the specialties. 

If you need an on-the-go study aid for your surgery membership prep, or if you just want to take your surgery theoretical knowledge to the next level, check out our advanced surgery podcast at cutabove.supercast.com

Oh, and if you were just curious about what membership exams are: the ANZCS (Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists) membership exams are rigorous assessments designed to evaluate the clinical knowledge and expertise of veterinarians who want to level up in their field of interest. Anyone with a degree that is eligible for registration in Australia or New Zealand and with more than 3.5 years in practice can register to sit memberships. The exams serve as a benchmark for professional excellence, enabling successful candidates to attain membership in the College, thereby recognising their advanced competency in a specific area of veterinary science. 

Still interested? Then keep listening!

Topics and time stamps

04:29 Exam Structure and Requirements

08:28 The Importance of Pathophysiology

12:52 Personal Experiences and Motivations

16:54 Balancing Study and Life

17:36 The Value of Membership Certification

26:59 Marketability and Practical Skills

29:36 Preparing for Membership Exams

31:21 Time Management and Study Schedules

35:56 Mentorship and Study Groups

48:17 Essential Study Resources

55:44 Balancing Study and Personal Life

Have you ever considered doing something other than clinical veterinary practice, only to get stuck at 'but what else could I do? The only skill I have is fixing sick animals!' Dr Steph Morley will show how how wrong you are.

You'll learn how the skills and attributes that make you a good vet are highly valued outside of the vet clinic, and how to re-write your CV to make it applicable to any industry.

And if you're not considering leaving practice - great! This conversation will help you better value your skills and knowledge and change the negative self talk that devalues your skills and makes you feel like an imposter.

Dr Stephanie Morley's career has included a degree in hospitality and business and working in clinical practice and practice management, and in lab animal medicine. This led her first major pivot into a role as the Associate Director of Business Development at the University of Michigan, and then to the entrepreneurial life as the Co-Founder and President of Zomedica. Dr Steph is currently the President of Vetlen Advanced Veterinary Devices, the team behind an innovative new antibiotic delivery device for veterinarians.

Join our community of Vet Vault Nerds to lift your clinical game and get your groove back with our up-to-date, easy-to-consume clinical episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vvn.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Get help with your tricky cases in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Specialist Support Space.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

V⁠⁠isit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for show notes and resources related to this episode.

⁠Subscribe to our weekly newsletter⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.

04:57 Your Unique Veterinary Superpowers

15:55 Overcoming Self-Doubt and Limiting Beliefs

25:00 Translating Veterinary Skills to Other Careers

36:42 Networking Tips for Introverts

38:27 Transitioning from Clinical Practice

47:19 Innovative Antibiotic Delivery Device

01:07:28 Advice for New Veterinary Graduates

You know that conversation that you have with your client when you first diagnose congestive heart failure in their mitral valve disease dog? The one where you say: 'This will be the thing that kills your pet.' Well, that conversation is changing. 
Veterinary cardiologists  Dr Brad Gavaghan and Dr Fiona Meyers  introduce us to TEER (Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair), a minimally invasive procedure that can completely change the outcome for your mitral valve patients. 
In this episode they explain how it works, what the procedure involves, and what the risks are. They also guide us through selecting the right patients for this procedure so you don't miss the window of opportunity, and outline a new approach for screening and monitoring your newly diagnosed heart murmur patients now that the paradigm of care has shifted. We get into the practicalities of referring your patients, including setting expectations and cost of the procedure. 

This episode is from our RACE approve clinical podcast series. Join our Vet Vault Nerds at vvn.supercast.com for more updates, refreshers, pro tips, and show note with over 450 episodes in Small Animal Medicine, Surgery and Emergency and Critical Care.

Serious surgeons, interns, residents and membership candidates should check out our new Advanced Surgery Podcast for a deep level of foundational surgery content.

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It’s the topic in veterinary science that we wish we didn’t have to talk about. Every time we hear about another veterinary suicide, we feel sad, angry, and frustratingly powerless. But in this conversation with Dr. Kat Williams and Dr. Alena Gadoury, you’ll be inspired to take back the power to act against this curse of our profession.

Drs. Kat and Alena are the founders of VetHerd, an industry-based suicide prevention program for the veterinary profession. VetHerd utilizes the collective power of our community to create a robust safety net to combat the alarming rates of veterinary suicide through collaboration, awareness, and education.

You’ll learn about 'Mates in Construction,' the inspiration for the program, the parallels between ‘herd immunity’ and mental health, why it’s essential for all of us to learn how to talk openly and bravely about suicide, and how to get better at it.

Register for VetHerd’s upcoming two-day ASIST suicide prevention workshop, sponsored by Flynn’s Walk, here, or contact Kat and Alena at [email protected] or [email protected] to find out how you can get involved.

Join our community of Vet Vault Nerds to lift your clinical game and get your groove back with our up-to-date, easy-to-consume clinical episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vvn.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Get help with your tricky cases in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Specialist Support Space.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

V⁠⁠isit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for show notes and resources related to this episode.

⁠Subscribe to our weekly newsletter⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.

Episode Topics and Timestamps

00:00 Introducing VetHerd: A Vision for Community and Protection

06:19 Drawing Inspiration from Mates in Construction

08:32 Addressing the Mental Health Crisis in the Veterinary Industry

11:51 Exploring the Complex Causes of High Suicide Rates Among Veterinarians

20:44 The ASIST Model: A Framework for Suicide Prevention

28:41 Exploring the Model for Safety Planning

29:22 Community Involvement and Support

29:40 Addressing Responsibility and Training Needs

30:32 Practical Training and Its Importance

32:08 Overcoming the Fear of Discussing Suicide

33:46 The Power of Asking, and Community Support

34:48 Training Opportunities and Industry Support

42:37 Personal Insights and Podcast Recommendations

45:14 Funding Challenges and Industry Contributions

50:36 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

What if I told you that your clients never have to worry about when they inject their diabetic cats with insulin, and still maintain beautiful glucose control? And timing insulin with meal times: forget about it!

Those are just some of the things you’ll learn about in this episode about using basal insulin in veterinary diabetic patients. We also discuss:

Dr Linda Fleeman is an internationally renowned veterinary expert on the treatment of diabetes, and is regularly invited to write textbook chapters and speak on this topic at international forums. Linda has worked in both university referral practice and general small animal practice, with her primary focus for more than 20 years being all aspects of diabetes in dogs and cats. She completed a Residency in Small Animal Medicine, followed by a PhD on the clinical management of diabetes mellitus in dogs.  She’s held positions as Lecturer in Small Animal Medicine at the University of Queensland and Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Medicine at the University of Sydney before deciding to return to private clinical practice back in 2010. She currently does her work through Animal Diabetes Australia, the only diabetes-specific veterinary clinical service in the world, where she and her team pioneer ground-breaking diabetes treatments and management strategies and help practitioners better manage their patients through her consulting service.

Join our Specialist Support Space for case support for your tricky from our team of specialists, including diabetes case help from Dr Linda.

Subscribe to our RACE approved clinical continuing education podcasts for the show notes for this episode, a follow up session on managing diabetic dogs with basal insulin, plus hours of diabetes content with veterinary endocrinology guru Prof David Church, and over 450 other episodes in Medicine, Surgery and Emergency and Critical Care.

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You know when you see that case, usually some sort of traumatic injury , where something feels a bit 'off'. Maybe the story doesn't fit the injury, or it's the third time you've seen this patient in the last few months. Whatever it is - there are alarm bells...

In this episode forensic veterinarian Dr Elizabeth Pearlman tells us why it's so important that you listen to those alarm bells, how to get better at hearing them, while sharing a structured plan for what to do about it to help us bring a bit of light to the darker aspects of human-animal interactions, without compromising your own wellbeing.

Dr Elizabeth Pearlman is a forensic veterinarian for the ASPCA’s Veterinary Forensic Science Center in Gainesville FL. A childhood of watching Animal Cops on Animal Planet sent her on her path to veterinary science and eventually a Masters degree in Veterinary Forensic Science. She has practiced as a private practice emergency veterinarian and as a staff veterinarian for the Houston SPCA, and In 2018, she joined The ASPCA full-time as a forensic veterinarian. In her position, she assists law enforcement agencies nationwide with the identification, documentation, and collection of forensic evidence from crime scenes, live animals, and deceased animals. Additionally, she authors reports based on her findings and testifies in court as an expert witness.

In this episode Liz gives us a peek into the career of a forensic vet. She shares practical advice and resources on how to deal with cruelty and neglect cases, including evidence gathering, documentation, reporting, working with law enforcement and even how to get over your fear of being an expert witness in court. If you feel like this might be the job for you - Liz also lays out a few possible career pathways for us.

Topic List:

01:56 - The Reality of Forensic Veterinary Work

02:26 - Case of Suspected Chicken Abuse

03:42 - Abby's Case: A Deep Dive

07:43 - Impact of Forensic Work on Animal Welfare

08:14 - Veterinary Forensics Education and Reporting

11:07 - Another Case Study: Khaleesi

14:07 - Discussion on Non-Accidental Injuries

16:12 - Overview of a Forensic Vet's Role

18:53 - Forensic Veterinary Opportunities in the U.S. and Abroad

22:31 - Educational Resources and Career Paths in Forensic Veterinary Medicine

25:54 - Handling Suspicions of Animal Abuse in Practice

28:33 - Emotional Challenges in Forensic Veterinary Work

36:01 - Importance of Detailed Documentation in Suspected Abuse Cases

38:21 - Court Appearances and Testifying as a Forensic Vet

40:08 - Maintaining Emotional Health in Forensic Veterinary Roles

43:56 - Closing Thoughts and Stoic Philosophy in Veterinary Practice

Resources from Dr Pearlman:

Continuing Education Opportunities:

Trial our clinical subscription for free at ⁠vvn.supercast.com ⁠to access the show notes for this episode and to listen to all 500+ of our clinical episodes.

You know that feeling when the ‘not breathing well’ patient gets rushed to your crash bench, and you stand there with your stethoscope trying to look like your planning, but actually, you’re just panicking... You have to do something, but what? Where do you begin?! 

'Resilience' can be a very loaded word: where is the line between 'toxic resilience' that relies mostly on stubborn grit and self-sacrifice, and a deep sustainable resilience that stems from a much deeper place?

Dr Geoff Wilson is intimately familiar with resilience: veterinarian down to the core, Dr Geoff lives a vast and varied life split between being a family man, veterinarian, practice owner, entrepreneur, and expeditionist. Highlights from Geoff’s adventurer career include completing the longest solo, unsupported polar journey in human history, the fastest solo, unsupported crossing of Antarctica, the first to cross the Torres Strait by kiteboard, the first and only wind-assisted crossing of the Sahara Desert (2009), and the first wind-powered crossing of the Simpson Desert in Australia. Geoff’s newest adventure, Project Zero, is a net-zero docu-series documenting a voyage that explores some of the world’s most isolated and vulnerable environments and the visible impact of global warming on these landscapes, and engaging with the world’s leading climate scientists, advocates and initiatives.

You'd think that for someone like this, the challenges of working in veterinary science would be insignificant, but that's not the case. In this conversation Geoff takes us on a journey through the peaks and troughs of his own experiences in vet life, and beyond, shedding light on the dangers of pushing ourselves too far and the pitfalls of 'toxic resilience', vs utilising passion, purpose, and persistence to help shape true resilience. Geoff helps us explore how vulnerability, optimism and a service mindset support resilience, and he opens up about a unique program at his group of practices, VetLove, that is designed to cultivate 'unicorns' – exceptional vets who thrive under the weight of demanding expectations, and how they are trying to find that delicate balance of nurturing growth without breaking spirits.

Topic list:

03:29 From Polar Expeditions to Veterinary Practice: Jeff's Unique Journey

04:27 Cultivating True Resilience in the Veterinary Field

13:21 The Vet Love Resilience Program: Shaping Exceptional Veterinarians

35:49 Addressing the Challenges of Modern Veterinary Practice

35:49 The Importance of Support and Community in Veterinary Medicine

43:58 Navigating Difficult Clients: Zero Tolerance

45:38 Transforming Customer Service

46:55 Building a Positive Work Environment Amidst Challenges

51:44 Redefining Veterinary Education and Practice for Future Generations

54:20 The Power of Positivity

01:05:23 Balancing Passion with Personal Well-being

01:24:17 Final Thoughts: Embracing the Veterinary Profession with Optimism and Resilience

Join our community of Vet Vault Nerds to lift your clinical game and get your groove back with our up-to-date, easy-to-consume clinical episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vvn.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Get help with your tricky cases in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Specialist Support Space.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join us in Japan or in Wanaka with Vets On Tour: email [email protected] for details. (And tell Dave we sent you for your 10% discount!)

V⁠⁠isit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for show notes and resources related to this episode.

Connect with us through our online ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vet Vault Networ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠k⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for episode highlights, clinical resources, discussions, questions and support.

⁠Subscribe to our weekly newsletter⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.