Thinking of trading grey skies for the Australian sun – stethoscope in hand?
Moving to Australia as a vet can change your life, but here’s the truth: it’s not a straight road. Between visa hurdles, the dreaded AVE exams, and adjusting to a new culture (gotta love the Aussie slang!), the journey demands grit, strategy, and support.
In this episode, we talk to Dr. Natalia Gomez , Colombian-born vet and co-founder of Brainy Bilby, a platform dedicated to helping foreign-trained vets prepare for the AVE, about the tips, pitfalls, and success stories learnt from her own her journey, and from the other overseas-trained vets she’s coached through the AVE.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
🎧 Listen now and start mapping your own Aussie vet journey.
Lift your clinical game with our RACE approved clinical podcasts at vvn.supercast.com for more clinical confidence and better patient outcomes, or check out our Advanced Surgery Podcast at cutabove.supercast.com.
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Join us in person for our epic adventure CE events at Vets On Tour. (Next up: Japan snow conference!)
Episode timestamps:
04:32 Why Australia? The Allure for Vets
10:04 The Australian Veterinary Examination (AVE)
16:31 Navigating the English Test and Paperwork
26:35 The Cost and Commitment of the AVE
29:05 Working Under Supervision
36:58 Preparing for the Practical Exam
44:43 Cultural and Language Barriers
You can think of a bunch of things that make your working day (and career!) as a veterinarian more frustrating than you’d like it to be, right? But have you ever considered the role of the software that you use in how frazzled you feel at the end of the day?
And beyond the pure frustration of ‘too many clicks’ and that spinning wheel of doom when you have ten other things to do - have you considered how the very software that feels like it's holding you back could actually help solve some of the systemic challenges that feel like they’re just baked into the vet profession, like low clinical confidence, medical errors, and even burnout?
In this conversation, we speak to emergency vet and tech entrepreneur Dr Caleb Frankel , founder of Instinct Science, about what’s broken in vet tech, what good software should actually do, and why the future of practice might depend on getting this right.
In this episode:
If you’ve ever felt like your tools are working against you, this is the conversation that might just change the way you practice—for good.
Lift your clinical game with our RACE approved clinical podcasts at vvn.supercast.com for more clinical confidence and better patient outcomes, or check out our Advanced Surgery Podcast at cutabove.supercast.com.
Get case support from our team of specialists in our Specialist Support Space.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.
Join us in person for our epic adventure CE events at Vets On Tour. (Next up: Japan snow conference!)
Episode topics and timestamps: 05:55 Why veterinary software is so challenging
11:15 What to look for (and avoid!) in veterinary software
14:26 Cloud vs server-based software?
34:08 Unexpected ways where tech can help with the main challenges in veterinary medicine
37:07 AI in veterinary medicine
48:09 Must-have tech tools for 2025
55:14 Advice for new graduates
We love to hear from you. If you have a question for us or you’d like to give us some feedback please get in touch via our contact form at thevetvault.com, or catch up with us on Instagram.
And if you like what you hear, please share the love by clicking on the share button wherever you’re listening and sending a link to someone who you think should hear this.
I’m never excited when I diagnose a cat with anaemia: vague signs, confusing diagnostics, and what feels like a not-so-great prognoses. But are they really that hopeless?
In this episode, feline medicine specialist Dr Rachel Korman joins us demystify the anaemic cat and offer a clear, practical diagnostic framework that will give you more confidence and better outcomes the next time you see a cat with a low PCV.
Some highlights from this conversation:
This episode will help you approach feline anaemia with more clarity, structure, and - dare we say - optimism.
💡 Proudly supported by Vetnostics Pathology: Australia's largest network of veterinary pathologists and internal medicine consultants. Learn how Vetnostics can support your work-up of complex anaemia cases with comprehensive PCR panels and diagnostic expertise.
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Upcoming conferences that I’m excited to attend:
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Episode Topics and Timestamps05:14 – Categorising anaemia06:00 – Regenerative vs. non-regenerative07:42 – Haemolytic anaemias in cats17:17 – Clinical signs and first tests18:43 – PCV/TP interpretation27:48 – Common causes by age31:38 – Mycoplasma diagnosis and treatment35:04 – Recognising haemolysis39:38 – PCR and anaemia panels48:53 – Bone marrow biopsy tips54:52 – Supportive treatments
🎙️ Introducing the Veterinary Business Accelerator, our new podcast for veterinary practice owners who want more than just survival - they want to own the practice they dreamed of when they first decided to start a practice - a place that gives them joy and freedom, and where other vets like to work.
In this brand-new series, vet business coach, author, and former Vet Vault guest Dr. Sam Bowden shares the mindset, strategies, and systems he’s used to help hundreds of practice owners transform their clinics into what he calls “abundant practices” - workplaces that are profitable, sustainable, and deeply rewarding.
In Episode 1: Why Even Start a Vet Practice?, we ask the question: Wouldn’t it be easier to just get a job?
When you’re in the thick of it all, it feels that way, doesn’t it?
Especially when you’re knee-deep in payroll, staff issues, client complaints, and wondering if you’ll ever take a proper holiday again.
In this kickoff episode we start with the question every practice owner should revisit regularly: Why are you in business?
Dr Sam Bowden breaks down why most owners start with good intentions: better medicine, a better team, better money - but end up overworked, underpaid, and out of joy. And why the fix begins with something deceptively simple: clarity on that why.
Sam outlines his framework for what he calls an “abundant practice” - the five pillars that any vet business needs to get right if it’s going to support the life you want. And yes, that includes permission to take a holiday.
What You’ll Learn:
If this episode was made just for you, and you’d like to hear more, you can find our other episodes here.
What’s your least favourite part of being a vet?
Is it talking about money?
In this episode, we take on one of the most emotionally charged parts of veterinary life: discussing high-cost treatments with clients.
Our guest is Dr. Bing Zhu, a Small Animal Medicine Specialist from SASH, who’s had these conversations more times than she can count, and she shares her hard-earned wisdom on how to approach these conversations with empathy, clarity, and confidence.
Here’s what we unpack:
Dr. Zhu shares transformative personal stories, communication strategies, and mindset shifts that will help you communicate more clearly, protect your mental health, and better serve your clients and their pets.
Whether you’re still at uni, starting out, or have been in practice for decades, this episode will change the way you handle financial conversations—forever.
Ready to rethink “the money talk”? Hit play now.
Upcoming conferences that I’m excited to attend:
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
01:45 Presenting the Large Estimate: How Does it Make You Feel?
06:04 The Turning Point: It's Not Your Fault
10:46 Practical Advice For Handling High Cost Estimates
31:04 Stop Avoiding Referral Because You Think You're Saving Your Client Money
36:25 Why Competence Makes Talking Money Easier
38:16 The Cultural Shift Vets Should Make
44:55 Setting Boundaries and Work-Life Balance
55:39 Dr Bing's Podcast Recommendations
56:19 The Pass Along Question
Telemedicine.
What’s your gut reaction when you hear that term?Maybe you think it was just a clever COVID workaround, or second-rate substitute for a “real” vet visit.
Or maybe you’re a bit curious about what it’s like to work in telemedicine— but you’re worried it’ll be boring. Or worse: that you’ll spend your days diagnosing lizards over Zoom.
Whatever you think— chances are, you’re wrong. But don’t worry. This episode will change that. We go deep on the real-world pros and cons of telemedicine, from two key angles:
For curious vets:
For clinic owners:
Our guest is Dr. Shadi Ireifej, a board-certified surgeon, tech entrepreneur, and co-founder of VetTriage, a global teletriage platform.
This one made me rethink what “good vet work” really means. I think it’ll do the same for you.
Join us on the slopes of New Zealand for our winter CPD adventure with Vets On Tour Wānaka 25.
Lift your clinical game with our RACE approved clinical podcasts at vvn.supercast.com for more clinical confidence and better patient outcomes, or check out our Advanced Surgery Podcast at cutabove.supercast.com.
Get case support from our team of specialists in our Specialist Support Space.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.
Topics and Time Stamps
01:43 So you think you want to work in telemedicine?
04:20 Common concerns about telehealth work
06:11 Will I get sued for giving the wrong advice?
10:37 Vets on Tour: Upcoming Events
15:55 Income and Work Hours in Telemedicine
18:35 Will I have to give advice for all sorts of weird animals?21:29 Unexpected Joys of Telehealth
23:44 Future of Telehealth and Technology
29:21 Challenges and Lessons in Telehealth for Practice Owners
36:33 What about the technology?
We love to hear from you. If you have a question for us or you’d like to give us some feedback please get in touch via our contact form at thevetvault.com, or catch up with us on Instagram. And if you like what you hear, please share the love by clicking on the share button wherever you’re listening and sending a link to someone who you think should hear this.
In this solo episode Hugh tackles a bold idea: if you're not currently using AI in your clinical veterinary work, you may be falling behind. And if/when artificial intelligence gets to the point where it reliably has access to all the most up to date information for managing your patients, will you be negligent if you DON’T use it?
Hubert shares how artificial intelligence is quietly but powerfully reshaping veterinary practice. He paints a vivid picture of an AI-powered clinic, shows you practical tools you can start using immediately, and challenges you to rethink the future of your role as a vet.
What you'll discover:
Hubert doesn’t just speculate — he shows you how AI can work in clinics today, and how you can lead instead of lagging behind.
Tune in if you're ready to future-proof your practice, sharpen your skills, and unlock a better way to be a vet.
Try out our AI Blood Gas Assistant
Join us at Vets on Tour Wānaka, NZ, for the most fun CE event you’ll attend this year.
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.
Topics and time stamps
03:08 What could the future of clinical practice look like with AI?
12:48 Can I trust it? What does the data say?
18:22 Where does Ai get its information from?
25:20 How I use it: Using 'general' models for clinical decision making
33:29 Building your own Ai tools
34:06 Google Notebook LM
40:58 MyGPT - your own assistant
54:49 What might the role of the future veterinarian look like?
Join us for the Vet Vault's own conference in the snow: Vets On Tour Wānaka, New Zealand, 10-15 August 2025!
Have you ever felt pressured, as a vet, to do more 'stuff' - diagnostics, procedures, and sell more, even when you can’t quite see the clinical justification for it?
In this episode we welcome Dr. Brennen McKenzie-veterinarian, researcher, creator of the SkeptVet blog, author of Placebos for Pets? The Truth About Alternative Medicine in Animals, and all-round lover of science-based thinking. And who better to help us draw the line between solid science and revenue-driven decision making than someone who is known for their scepticism? Dr. McKenzie brings real-world wisdom and refreshing honesty to the debate. Together we explore the often-unspoken pressures of profit-driven care, commission-based pay, and what happens when business incentives conflict with good science. Brennen shares lessons from two decades in practice on how to use Spectrum of care reasoning to make clinical decisions that respect science, client resources, and the needs of your employer.
A must-listen for any vet who’s ever questioned the system—and their place in it.
Find out more about Brennen's current work in longevity at loyal.com.
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
08:11 The Shift to Profit Driven Veterinary Practice
09:46 A Guide to Evidence-Based Decision Making
12:00 Client Communication and Financial Constraints
17:31 Spectrum of Care: A New Approach
32:15 Overdiagnosis and Screening: A Critical Look
39:09 Cognitive Psychology in Veterinary Decision Making
42:45 The Power of Checklists in Medical Practice
43:18 Balancing Autonomy and Systematic Decision Making
45:52 Clinical Audits: Improving Practice Through Data
48:36 Intuitive vs. Algorithmic Thinking in Veterinary Medicine
51:37 The Pitfalls of Anecdotal Evidence in Veterinary Practice
01:07:40 Communicating with Clients About Unproven Therapies
01:18:17 Pass Along Question and The One Bit of Advice
Veterinary practice can be unpredictable, exhausting, and full of interruptions - not that conducive to getting things done, right? But what if you could handle it all with mind-like-water calm?
In this episode I pick the brain of productivity legend David Allen, creator of Getting Things Done (GTD), to show you exactly how. This isn’t about squeezing more into your day — it’s about cutting mental clutter, regaining focus, and feeling in control, even when it all hits the fan.You'll learn simple, actionable GTD strategies that busy vets can use today:
Master the 5 GTD steps for veterinary practice:
Beat interruptions without losing your mind
Transform team rounds and communication
Join us for Vets On Tour Wānaka, New Zealand, 10-15 August 2025. Limited Early Bird Tickets on sale now.
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.
Topics and Timestamps
03:09 Mind Like Water: The Key to Clarity
05:15 Challenges in Veterinary Productivity
20:33 Practical Tips for Capturing Tasks
28:58 Managing Multiple Projects and Tasks
29:26 The Importance of Knowing the Next Step
30:14 Dealing with Task Shifting and Interruptions
32:25 Organizing Physical and Mental Spaces
35:43 Team Dynamics and Productivity
38:02 Effective Rounds42:20 Balancing Defined Roles and Flexibility
47:35 Book recommendations
48:49 Pass along question
“Did you know the AVMA doesn’t actually require a residency to become a specialist?”
Yeah, neither did we—until Dr. Matt Booth dropped that fact-bomb.
And it’s bigger than just an interesting fact - it’s a mindset shift that cracks the door wide open to alternative routes to specialisation—for veterinarrians who want to grow their careers, but can’t jump through the hoops of the traditional residency pathway.
So, if you are:
- Ambitious, but feeling a bit stuck
- Limited by the realities of life outside the clinic
- Or just curious about your options in veterinary medicine
This one’s for you.
Join us for part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Matt Booth—former ER practice owner and ER practice development lead at Ethos Veterinary Health—as we rethink what’s possible in the future of specialisation.
Topics and Time Stamps
02:04 Alternative Specialisation Routes
03:17 Challenges and Benefits of Non-Traditional Paths
09:17 Exploring the Hybrid Credentialing Path
19:31 Podcast Recommendations
21:54 Pass along question
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.
Most vets believe it’s inevitable—on average, they leave Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) after just 3-5 years. The obvious culprit? Shift work, right?
But what if that’s just scratching the surface?
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Matt Booth, ER Practice Development Lead at Ethos Veterinary Health, to break down surprising findings from his survey of 3,500 emergency veterinarians. Together, we explore the Five Buckets of Retention—the REAL factors that determine whether your career in emergency medicine thrives or fizzles out. Spoiler: It’s not all about night shifts and burnout.
We dig into leadership challenges, the keys to professional growth, and how these insights apply beyond ECC to every role in veterinary medicine.
You’ll also catch highlights from my previous chat with Dr. Matt at IVECCS 2023, where we shared actionable strategies for improving recruitment and building sustainable veterinary careers.
Whether you’re an ER vet looking for longevity or a practice leader aiming to attract and retain top talent, this episode is your guide to rethinking retention and career sustainability in veterinary medicine.
Topics and Timestamps:
00:40 Meet Dr. Matt Booth and the Five Buckets03:47 Recruitment Insights from 202307:36 Survey Findings and Retention Strategies12:07 The Five Buckets of Retention27:07 The Burden of Being a Giver28:23 Creative Solutions for Employee Retention29:04 Leadership and Gender Representation39:59 The Role of paid time off in Retention43:40 Creating a Positive Work Environment46:37 Professional Educational Growth
Join me at JAVECCS Tokyo on 15 and 16 March, and at IVECCS 2025 in San Diego on 4-8 Septembet.
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, library of show notes and access to our veterinary practice AI Toolbox 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.
Try our AI Blood Gas Assistant here
Are you wasting hours on outdated study methods like cramming and re-reading—only to forget everything by exam day? You might be studying wrong—and Dr. Matt Hollindale is here to help you fix that so you can learn smarter, not harder.
When preparing for his ECC Membership exams, Dr. Matt became obsessed with the science of study. The result? He achieved the top marks of the 2023 cohort. Now, he’s applying the same methods to his residency training and sharing them with you.
In this episode, we dive into science-backed strategies that transform how you study. Say goodbye to endless highlighting, reading and re-reading, and hello to techniques that actually makes things stick.
Whether you’re a veterinary student building good habits early or preparing for specialist exams, this episode will save you many hours. (And possibly even some tears!)
Here’s what we cover:
Links & Resources
Lift your clinical game with our RACE-approved clinical podcasts at vvn.supercast.com for more clinical confidence and better patient outcomes, or check out our Advanced Surgery Podcast at cutabove.supercast.com.
Get case support from our team of specialists in our Specialist Support Space.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.
Topics and Time Stamps
04:33 Common Study Mistakes
08:58 Study Techniques That Actually Work
18:11 Making It Practical
20:56 Using Spaced Repetition for Better Long-Term Memory
29:08 Tech and AI Study Tools
31:39 Google Notebook LMS
34:38 Advanced Strategies
38:54 The Importance of Self-Care in Studying
We’d love to hear from you! Email us at info@thevetvault.com or reach out via our contact form.
If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who you think could benefit from these game-changing study strategies!
Lift your clinical game with our RACE-approved clinical podcasts at vvn.supercast.com for more clinical confidence and better patient outcomes, or check out our Advanced Surgery Podcast at cutabove.supercast.com.
Get case support from our team of specialists in our Specialist Support Space.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.
Do you ever feel just... flat? Not inspired, not excited, and certainly not energised. It might feel like burnout. Or is it compassion fatigue? Maybe it's neither.
You know those moments in veterinary medicine when you know the right thing to do, but external circumstances prevent you from doing it? That dissonance, that discomfort deep in your core: that’s moral injury.
In this episode, we unravel the complexities of moral injury with Dr. Shannon Bass, a leader in veterinary medicine and a passionate advocate for supporting veterinarians through the psychological challenges they face. Moral injury, often confused with burnout or compassion fatigue, is an under-discussed but critical issue in our profession. Together with Dr. Bass, we explore the distinctions between these terms, their impact on veterinary professionals, and how to address them effectively.
Dr. Bass brings over 20 years of experience in general practice, emergency veterinary medicine, and leadership to this conversation, where you’ll learn
Topics and Time Stamps
Defining Moral Injury - 02:58
Differentiating Trauma, Moral Injury, and Burnout - 07:04
Moral Injury in Veterinary Practice: Subtle and Irresolvable Cases - 10:03
What’s New for the Vet Vault in 2025 - 16:33
Moral Injury vs Moral Distress - 21:18
Moral Injury vs Compassion Fatigue - 24:01
How Does Moral Injury Manifest? - 27:01
How to Address Moral Injury: Recognising and Implementing Solutions - 29:44
The Role of Vulnerability and Shared Experiences - 33:25
Communication, Community, and Support - 38:59
Shannon’s Podcast Choices - 46:29
Pass-Along Question - 49:30
Get in Touch
Email us at info@thevetvault.com if you want to find out more about Vet Vault/Vets on Tour 2025 in Wanaka, NZ, or about the Essential Consequence Management series for practice leaders with Rhonda Andrews.
We love to hear from you! If you have a question for us or you’d like to give us some feedback, please get in touch via our contact form, or catch up with us on Instagram.
If you like what you hear, please share the love by clicking on the share button wherever you’re listening and sending a link to someone who you think should hear this.
Hands up if you feel truly valued and respected at work.
In this episode, we dig deep into what truly makes employees feel valued and how leaders can create workplaces that people never want to leave. Spoiler: It’s not just about pay, pizza parties, or avoiding toxic behaviour. We’re aiming much higher!
Why You Should Listen
Workplaces that crack the code of real team respect and value don’t just retain their talent — they thrive. Whether you’re a team leader or an employed vet, this episode is packed with actionable insights on creating meaningful change, improving communication, and unlocking your unique “zone of genius.”
What Team Leaders Will Learn
• How to spot and fix the subtle cues that make employees feel unheard and replaceable.
•.The counter-intuitive financial upside of investing in team development.
“I think that organisations are sometimes coming in backwards, where it’s like: ‘Let’s just focus on the numbers and the metrics.’ If you develop amazing talent and build a strong team, you will make so much money. It is not the other way around.”
•.Practical tips to tackle team disengagement and avoid the high cost of turnover.
• Strategies for better communication and feedback without burning out as a leader.
“Because our brains are pre-programmed to attune to the negative, it’s going to be a negative story. So when people don’t understand what’s happening, they’re going to jump to the worst-case scenario, spread rumours, and act accordingly.”
What Employed Vets Will Learn
• How to advocate for yourself without feeling ‘pushy’ or ‘needy’.
• Why you might be feeling stuck in your role, and what to do about it.
• How to discover and step into your ‘zone of genius.’
“If I can maximise my time and attention there, I will be of most use to my company, my team, myself, my patients — everybody.”
Our guests are:
• Dr. Natalie Fayman: A veterinarian with 30+ years of clinical experience turned certified Positive Intelligence coach, and champion for less workplace dread and more veterinary dream teams
• Crystal Stokes: A former ER vet tech turned licensed psychotherapist and leadership coach. As the founder of Full Circle Lab, she’s on a mission to bridge the gap between veterinary leadership and teams.
Say not to settling for a ‘meh’ workplace by hitting play on this episode in to learn how to create (or find!) a role where you’re truly respected, valued, and thriving. Your veterinary dream team starts here!
Topics and Time Stamps:
06:23: Recognising the subtle things that make people feel undervalued
08:50: The counter-intuitive truth about investing time and money in team development
12:36: The repercussions of getting this wrong
18:13: Leveraging the team to get this right
21:25: Why it’s important to know the limits of your skills
25:23: Upcoming events and conferences
28:41: Pushing for change as someone who is not in a leadership role
35:05: Better systems for better feedback
37:32: Discovering your ‘zone of genius’
45:59: Addressing team disengagement
52:21: Effective communication and feedback
58:12: Podcast recommendations
58:52: The pass-along question
Lift your clinical game with our RACE approved clinical podcasts at vvn.supercast.com for more clinical confidence and better patient outcomes, or check out our Advanced Surgery Podcast at cutabove.supercast.com.
Get case support from our team of specialists in our Specialist Support Space.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.
Join me at the JAVECCS ECC conference in Tokyo on 15 and 16 March.
Get the show notes for this episode, plus a very neat treatment guide for hyperkalaemia, here.
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.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.
You may have heard about a condition where greyhounds can become dangerously hyperkalaemic under anaesthesia, but did you know that this isn’t something that happens exclusively in greyhounds? And do you know what the risk factors are for this happening, what you can do to try and prevent it, or how to preempt it? If the answer to any of these is no, and you ever anaesthetise non-human species, then this is one of those “will probably save a patient’s life one day” episodes.
Our guest is Dr Stacey Jones, who was involved in publishing the first paper on anaesthesia-associated hyperkalaemia in greyhounds that brought this condition to the veterinary world’s attention. She joins the podcast to share what she learnt while conducting the research for this paper, as well as to provide an update on the work that has been done since that first publication. This update fleshes out our understanding of the condition, focusing on what you need to know about it in practice.
Episode Topics and Timestamps
04:06 Symptoms and Detection
07:27 The Greyhound Project: A Case Study
19:15 Hyperkalemia Beyond Greyhounds
22:05 Practical Takeaways
27:53 Conclusion and Additional Resources
Lift your clinical game with our RACE approved clinical podcasts at vvn.supercast.com for more clinical confidence and better patient outcomes, or check out our Advanced Surgery Podcast at cutabove.supercast.com.
Get case support from our team of specialists in our Specialist Support Space.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.
“This is not a women's issue: this is a societal issue. We all have women in our lives that we love, that we work with, that we care for, and we MUST be putting these conversations on the table.”
If you’re listening to THIS podcast, chances are you’re a veterinarian. That means that statistically, there’s about a 70% chance you’re a woman. That makes an honest, in-depth conversation about menopause not just relevant, but essential. This is that conversation.
And even if you’re not a woman, or menopause is still decades away for you, you almost certainly work with or live with someone for whom this topic is, or will be, very significant. You should absolutely care about it- and know about it.
In this question-and-answer conversation, recorded live at the Greencross Symposium 2024, we unpack the science, symptoms, and solutions with Dr. Nicole Avard, menopause specialist, and Georgie Drury, founder of Metluma, a digital health initiative that supports women through menopause.
From understanding the biology of menopause to tackling its impact on mental health, career, and workplace culture, this is the conversation you didn’t know you needed—but one that will make a difference in your life and practice.
Topics and Timestamps
[00:04:00] Menopause 101
[00:06:00] Biological Changes During Menopause
[00:08:00] Symptoms of Menopause
[00:12:00] Mental Health and Menopause
[00:15:00] Challenges in Diagnosis and Treatment
[00:17:00] HRT Safety and Benefits
[00:22:00] Myths and Misinformation
[00:32:00] Organisational Responses to Menopause
[00:40:00] Menopause Q&A
[00:45:00] Advanced Questions on Treatment
Speaker bios:
Nicole Avard
Dr Nicole Avard is a dedicated Menopause Specialist GP with 18 years of experience as an Integrative GP. As the Medical Director and Co-founder of Metluma, she is passionate about guiding women through the complexities of menopause. Dr Nic has supported thousands of women on their menopausal journey, offering compassionate and individualized care.
Georgia Drury
Georgie is an experienced entrepreneur and CEO, with a passion for health and technology. As founder and CEO of Springday, she built the business into a multi-million-dollar global organisation, operating across 13 countries in ASPAC before exiting and moving onto her next venture. With Hummingbird Innovations, Georgie advises, invests, and collaborates with boards and organisations. She is currently Co-founder and CEO of Metluma, an exciting and innovative digital health initiative aiming to support women by taking a proactive approach to menopause.
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Lift your clinical game with our RACE approved clinical podcasts. Get your first two weeks free at vvn.supercast.com for more clinical confidence and better patient outcomes, or check out our Advanced Surgery Podcast at cutabove.supercast.com. Get case support from our team of specialists in our Specialist Support Space.
What if you asked the head of a famous business school for some veterinary business advice, but instead of telling you about a new system to increase productivity or some new marketing hack, he tells you to ‘focus less on the business side of veterinary practice’?
"You have to stop imposing a managerial mindset on these types of businesses - a 'business mindset.' Managerialism has seeped into everything - into industries where it shouldn't be. "
An interview that started with the goal of helping vets get better at having difficult finance conversations quickly detoured into a discussion about:
- The philosophy of veterinary business,
- Why the managerialism that works in some industries doesn’t always translate well into ours, and
- What true success could look like.
(Don’t worry - we do also get insights on how to make those money conversations less stressful!)
Dr Paul Harrison is the Director of the MBA program and Co-Director of the Better Consumption Lab at Deakin University's School of Business, and Adjunct Professor at Sacred Heart University in Milan.The MBA program that Paul designed for Deakin ranks 1st in the world for class experience. Paul is a renowned international speaker on issues related to consumer behaviour, public health and well-being, governance, and marketing.
Topics and Timestamps
Money Conversations: Challenges and Strategies 04:50
Balancing Business and Values in Veterinary Practice 07:29
Rethinking Success: Beyond Financial Growth 12:17
Exciting News: Clinical Podcast Updates 17:24
Embracing Uncertainty and Value 19:32
Controlling the Customer Experience 24:08
Philosophical Approaches in Business 24:29
Understanding Customer Needs 25:45
Money Conversations in Veterinary Practice 27:15
Human Decision-Making in Emergencies 34:05
Emotional Management in Emergencies 40:30
We love to hear from you. If you have a question for us or you’d like to give us some feedback please get in touch via our contact form at thevetvault.com, or catch up with us on Instagram.
And if you like what you hear, please share the love by clicking on the share button wherever you’re listening and sending a link to someone who you think should hear this.
Lift your clinical game with our RACE approved clinical podcasts. Get your first two weeks free at vvn.supercast.com for more clinical confidence and better patient outcomes, or check out our Advanced Surgery Podcast at cutabove.supercast.com.
Get case support from our team of specialists in our Specialist Support Space.
If you scroll through any veterinary chat group you won’t have to scroll for long before you see a conversation along the lines of: “My career as it is now isn’t really working for me, but I don’t know what my other options are. I feel… stuck.”
So how do you become unstuck?
Dr Jess Moore Jones is a bit obsessed with what keeps vets engaged and fulfilled, and she helps individuals and teams figure out how to create resilient and thriving cultures and careers through her business, Unleashed Coaching and Consulting, and in this episode we unpack a few of the talks she presented at WVAC 2024:
Jess shares her thoughts on where the line is between being a good team member and having healthy boundaries, why being selfish in the short term can be generous in the long run, and we talk about the ‘four doors’ available to you with every challenging situation. We discuss Jess' first steps to becoming ‘unstuck’ from your career rut, and we ask the big question: are the new generations of vets ‘soft’, or just wise?!
Join Dr Jess on 28 November 2024 for her online Women in Veterinary Leadership Summit.
Topics and Time Stamps
02:21 The Generational Debate: Are Younger Vets Soft?
03:43 Resilience in Veterinary Medicine: Good vs. Toxic
10:30 Balancing Boundaries: Soft vs. Hard
15:15 Long-term Resilience vs Short-Term People-Pleasing
20:02 Career Coaching: Moving from Stuck to Fulfilled
22:55 Challenging Traditional Work Structures
23:34 Discovering Your True Self
25:06 Overcoming Fear and Taking Action
26:22 Exploring New Opportunities
29:05 The Power of Choice in Your Career
34:27 Mindfulness and Self-Awareness
36:01 Choosing Your Perspective
40:31 Embracing Negative Emotions
We love to hear from you. If you have a question for us or you’d like to give us some feedback please get in touch via our contact form at thevetvault.com, or catch up with us on Instagram.
And if you like what you hear, please share the love by clicking on the share button wherever you’re listening and sending a link to someone who you think should hear this.
If you work in emergency practice, or you're considering it, then this episode is for you. Dr Brooke Schampers and Dr Taleta Hompas are ECC veterinarians with more than two decades experience between them who create resources and coach others on how to thrive as an ECC shift worker through there EMV4Life program. In this episode they will tell you:
We discuss what there is to love about emergency vetting, what to consider if you are thinking of a career as an ECC vet, and what other challenges there are beyond sleep and shift work.
Contact us to find out about our Vet Vault/EMV4Life resource bundles to help you up skill and navigate life as an emergency vet.
Lift your clinical game with our RACE approved clinical podcasts. Get your first two weeks free at vvn.supercast.com for more clinical confidence and better patient outcomes, or check out our Advanced Surgery Podcast at cutabove.supercast.com.
Get case support from our team at specialists in our Specialist Support Space.
Topics, Time Stamps and Chapters
00:00 Intro
03:22 Why ECC? What’s to love about it?
06:38 Are Certain Personalities Better Suited for ECC
15:39 The Impact of Shift Work on Health
22:21 Brooke’s Routine for Sustainable Night Shifts
32:51 Balancing ECC Work with Family Life
46:18 Setting Yourself Up for Long-Term ECC Careers
50:32 Rostering
54:17 Increased Productivity On Shift
01:06:17 Finding Your Joy in Veterinary Work
We love to hear from you. If you have a question for us or you’d like to give us some feedback please get in touch via our contact from at thevetvault.com, or catch up with us on Instagram.
And if you like what you hear, please share the love by clicking on the share button wherever you’re listening and sending a link to someone who you think should hear this.
Lift your clinical game with our RACE approved clinical podcasts. Get your first two weeks free at vvn.supercast.com for more clinical confidence and better patient outcomes, or check out our Advanced Surgery Podcast at cutabove.supercast.com.
Get case support from our team at specialists in our Specialist Support Space.
Topics and Time Stamps
We love to hear from you. If you have a question for us or you’d like to give us some feedback please get in touch via our contact from at thevetvault.com, or catch up with us on Instagram.
And if you like what you hear, please share the love by clicking on the share button wherever you’re listening and sending a link to someone who you think should hear this.
07:35 The Role of Compassion and Innovation12:08 Leadership and Management in Veterinary Practices17:55 Addressing Risks and Governance24:51 The Importance of Communication and Training43:23 Implementing Change in Veterinary Practices44:04 The Role of Coaching and Mentoring44:56 Different Models of External Support46:27 Cross-Industry Learning and Its Benefits56:06 Delegation and Managing Multiple Roles01:00:31 The Importance of Trusted Networks01:09:15 Balancing Client Relationships and Clinical Work01:17:13 Innovative Solutions for Veterinary Practices01:23:55 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
