Blunt Dissection: The best minds in veterinary medicine, academia & business profiled so you can learn from their experience.

On today's show, I'm joined by vet, author, social media personality and potentially the biggest Doxie & Disney cheerleader in the world, Dr. Adam Christman. Adam gained his Bachelors in Animal science from Rutger University in 2000 before going on to study veterinary medicine at Iowa State where he graduated in 2004. He is also a rare breed vet holding an M.B.A from Aspen University. Adam's career kicked off at lightning pace, initially working in his hometown practice where he ended up the chief of staff (while also working ER and relief shifts). He's scratched his altruistic itch working both in shelter medicine and in education teaching on the veterinary assistant program at his local community college. In 2010 his personal brand took off with the launch of his Dr Christman Show on youtube, and most recently the explosion of his tik tok profile where nearly a million followers consume his content designed to help pet owners and vets connect. Although I admit at least 500,000 of them are me watching his version of Doxie Vs Soft-toy Roulette videos. If you're confused, don't worry, just google Adam. In 2017 he faced a triple tragedy that would put anyone in a tailspin and after much soul searching he pivoted again into his current role as CVO of the much loved Fetch DVM360 media group. Oh, and did I mention he also wrote and published a book called ‘Honey, Have You Squeezed the Dachshund? A Guide for Dachshund Owners Who Are Terrified of IVDD'? Now, whilst you catch your breath, I'd like to invite you to join something that can help you get ahead in your career as a vet. We all know that imposter syndrome, angry clients and burnout are real, and cause many vets to leave their jobs and careers. But what you might not know is that there is a community where you can learn the essential street skills for how to be a great GP vet upon which you can build a sustainable, fulfilling career. A place where you can access mentors, view jobs from practices that care about culture and access new weekly articles and podcasts dedicated to your wellbeing. That place is called VetX and you can access all of the resources including a career planning tool, 14 hours of accredited education, hundreds of articles and live mentor Q&A sessions, plus earn swag and more. To join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better go to www.vetxinternational.com today. Registration is free so go to vetxinternational.com now. Now back to the show, In this episode, Adam offers us an honest and open conversation about his life and journey through veterinary medicine. This is a high octane glimpse into the world of a high achiever with a big personality, and an even bigger heart. If you've ever dared to dream big, had to deal with hate, or just love Disney or Doxies, then this episode is for you. So without further ado, I give you this my conversation with the wonderful human whirlwind, Dr Adam Christman.

My first Blunt Dissection episode of the year kicks off with veterinarian, podcaster, international speaker, author, media personality, founder of the Uncharted Veterinary Conference, and of course good friend, Dr. Andy Roark. Dr. Andy graduated as a veterinarian from the University of Florida in 2008 and since then has been changing the pathway of veterinary medicine through his many outlets and talents. Over the past 10 years, Andy has poured himself into life as a veterinarian, as well as being an award-winning columnist for DVM360, a veterinary speaker for Dr. AndyRoark.com ‘a veterinary social hub', and most recently he founded Uncharted Veterinary Conference - a veterinary medicine's premier business and career development community - with the goal to help veterinarians thrive and avoid practice drama and burnout. Now, before we jump into the episode, I'd like to invite you to join something that can help you get ahead in your career as a vet. We all know that imposter syndrome, burnout, angry clients and burnout are real and cause many vets to leave their jobs and careers. But what you might not know is that there is a community where you can learn the essential street skills for how to be a great GP vet upon which you can build a sustainable, fulfilling career. A place where you can access mentors, view jobs from practices that care about culture and access new weekly articles and podcasts dedicated to your career. That place is called VetX and you can access all of the resources including a career planning tool, 14 hours of accredited education, hundreds of articles and live mentor Q&A sessions, plus earn swag and more. To join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better go to www.vetxinternational.com today. Registration is free so get on that as soon as the show is done! Now back to the show, I first interviewed Dr. Andy for the Blunt Dissection four years ago, but couldn't resist having him back on and quizzing his strategic brain. This episode was slightly different from the usual Blunt Dissection episodes, rather than diving into Andy's pathway into veterinary medicine and his life (as I normally do in Blunt Dissection), this episode offered an insight into the issues we face in veterinary medicine and Dr. Andy's viewpoint on them. We tackle a range of hugely important issues through a strategic framework where we asked four questions. What should we stop doing. What should we start doing? What should we do more of? And what should we do less of? There's a lot of insight that arose. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Let's get stuck in…

If 2020 was the year that got away, 2021 was the year where we bounced back. It too came with huge uncertainty and challenges and life in practice was played out against a depressing narrative of burnout and talent loss. With uncertainty still rife, and vet med at what feels like a dangerous tipping point, what can, indeed, what must we do to move forward? One of the answers I suspect is already in play - hiding in plain sight. Resilience, that of talked about but seemingly elusive quality is borne out of adversity and in the past 2 years you've been building yours, perhaps without even realising it. So as we reflect on another journey around the sun, I thought it would be nice to shine some light on how each of my guests refused to let adversity crush them, instead harnessing its painful energy to sling shot out the other side scarred, but stronger. Let's dive in. Guests included: Dr. Molly McAllister Dr. Lisa Lippman Dr. Peter Dommett Dr. Fabian Rivers Megan Brashear Dr. Sharon Grossman Dr. Marty Becker Dr. Robin Downing Dr. Mandisa Greene Prof Liz Mossop The Street Vet - Dr Jade Statt We see further and feel so much bigger, when we stand on the shoulders of giants. And that friends, is as positive a message as I can leave you with. All that remains is to thank all of my guests this year for giving up their precious time to talk. I've made some new friends, deepened some relationships and I hope has helped you work through another year in this special world we pet professionals call home. Thank you for listening and supporting the show. I hope you get some downtime with your friends and family over the festive season. For the last time this year, from all of us here at VetX….. Be safe, be well and be happy. Today's show was made possible by the VetX Thrive Community. To join this growing band of vets dedicated to building a successful and sustainable career in veterinary medicine visit www.vetxinternational.com today.

On today's show, I'm joined by Dr. Jade Statt, cofounder of Street Vet a charity caring for the pets of homeless people. Jade graduated from Glasgow University Vet School with honors in 2002 and initially worked as an assistant in a small animal practice where her innate desire to help others spurred her on to compile and write The Pocket Book of Small Animal Tips For Vets. A book she donated to raise funds for vet mental health and wellbeing charity, Vetlife. Her own struggles with depression led to her serving on the board of VetLife for three years, before finding her true calling one evening on the way back from a night out in London in 2016. Stopping to speak with a homeless man, Jade came to realize the importance of pets to homeless people. But it was also apparent that the vet care and support we might take for granted was non-existent for those living on the street with pets. An idea was born and soon after she took to the streets of London with a backpack stuffed with medicines, food, toys, collars, and leads, and the desire to help. Not long after she met her co-founder Sam Joseph who by happy coincidence was doing something similar and Street Vet was born. Since then, Street Vet has grown rapidly with teams active in 17 locations and a volunteer army of more than 700 dedicated vets, nurses, and support roles nationally in the UK. Jade, in her role as founder and ambassador for the charity, is a tireless advocate taking on many of the other issues that result in increased homelessness such as the lack of available pet-friendly temporary accommodation and has successfully launched a service of accreditation and training for hostels who wish to change. In 2019, her incredible work was duly recognized as she was announced as the Animal Star Awards Vet of The Year. Now, oftentimes we'll have an advert here…. But today our only ask is that you take a second to visit www.streetvet.org.uk and see what you can do to help. If you are a vet or nurse in the UK then you can volunteer your time. If you are a practice owner you might like to work as a partner practice for operations. And wherever you are, if you can find your way to donate ten bucks to support Street Vet then you'd be putting some spare cash to good use. For all opportunities head to www.streetvet.org.uk and get involved. You won't just be helping others though, because the act of support is great for your own mental wellbeing too. Now back to the show... Jade is incredibly passionate about veterinary mental health and the benefits of volunteering. And her work is a testament to the power of purpose and collaboration. The tireless dedication that both she and her army of volunteers put into protecting the bond between humans and animals in the most vulnerable of people is incredibly inspiring. A timely reminder when many things seem hopeless that the power of caring for others really is a gift that gives in both directions. So now, without further ado, I present this, my conversation with the pretty darn awesome, Dr. Jade Statt.

On today's show it is my pleasure to be joined by one of the most influential and innovative people in steering global veterinary education, Professor Liz Mossop. Liz graduated from the Edinburgh Vet School in 2000, and following several years in mixed practice jumped, and I do mean jumped, headlong into academia, taking up a new post as lecturer in Clinical Veterinary Education at the University of Nottingham in 2006, the same day as her students arrived! She was part of the team that created a new model for educating vets and delivered a de novo curriculum based on applied learning with hands-on clinical work from day one. The school has been consistently ranked as outstanding by its students who have gone on to win much admiration from employers across the country since. On her own journey into academia, Liz has racked up an impressive list of achievements including completing a masters and PhD in clinical education. She has consistently published on topics of interest to anyone who values a happy career in practice and is one of the most cited authors in her field. In 2016 she was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy and gained a fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for Meritorious Contributions to the Profession. She became professor of clinical studies at Nottingham University in 2017. Since then, Liz's career has continued to soar and has taken her away from veterinary medicine altogether. She currently works at the University of Lincoln as Deputy Vice Chancellor for student development and engagement. A role in which she helps 17,000 students studying everything from medicine to music. Now, just before we jump into the episode, a quick word from today's show sponsor which today is the Thrive community. If you are struggling with managing time, feeling like an imposter or burnout then you need to make a change. The good news is that you are not broken or a bad fit for the profession, you are simply missing some super-important skills no-one teaches at university. Skills you will learn as part of the VetX community. Thrive is a RACE accredited professional skills course where members receive training, toolkits and one-to-one coaching to develop these skills. Join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better as a Thrive member. To learn more and find out if the class is a good fit for you visit www.vetxinternational.com today. Now back to the show, This interview was on my radar, literally for years, a first attempt several years ago was aborted as my car broke down en route! After listening in, I hope you'll see why I was so happy to finally get the chance to talk with Professor Mossop. As we see more and more professionals falling out of love with veterinary medicine, and graduates feeling disenchanted with and overwhelmed by their vocation, her message and experience couldn't be more important. Because as impressive as her contributions to education are, it's perhaps her persistent refusal to stay in one career lane that highlights most brilliantly why having a veterinary degree is worth striving for. If you hold this qualification, the world absolutely is your oyster. So sit back and enjoy this, my conversation with inspiring educator, and career lane-hopper Professor Liz Mossop.

On today's show, I'm joined by Dr Mandisa Greene, the first black president of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, here in the UK. Raised in Trinidad, Mandisa grew up surrounded by animals and aspired to become a vet from an early age. However, her path into veterinary medicine wasn't easy. Mandisa faced rejections from all her university applications on her first attempt. But luckily for us, she didn't let rejection get in her way and, after first completing a degree in Biological and Medicinal Chemistry, Mandisa was accepted to study veterinary medicine at Edinburgh's Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies graduating in 2008. Following four years in general practice, Mandisa then worked in a dedicated emergency clinic covering Birmingham before transitioning to relief vet work to enable her to have a better work/life balance as she raised her family. Mandisa is a published author, and along with being passionate about her own development, is also a strong advocate for veterinary nurses achieving and being used to their full potential. To this end she has lectured at Harper Adams University educating both student and qualified veterinary nurses. In 2020 Mandisa was historically appointed as the first black president of Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and having completed her year of office is now serving as senior vice president. Now, just before we jump into the episode, a quick word from today's show sponsor which today is the Thrive community. If you are struggling with managing time, feeling like an imposter or burnout then you need to make a change. The good news is that you are not broken or a bad fit for the profession, you are simply missing some super-important skills no-one teaches at university. Skills you will learn as part of the VetX community. Thrive is a RACE accredited professional skills course where members receive training, toolkits and one-to-one coaching to develop these skills. Join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better as a Thrive member. To learn more and find out if the class is a good fit for you visit vetxinternational.com today. While this episode was fun to record it was also at times difficult to hear and imagine the obstacles that I, as a white guy, did not face. Mandisa, as you are about to learn, is not someone who allows setbacks or ignorance get in the way of her goals. Whether rejection and racism or mixing up both career and family, Mandisa has found a way to overcome the odds and make it work. She's a role model shining a bright light on a pathway that remains hidden to many - one that leads to the very top of this profession. Mandisa is many other things: vet, teacher, leader, mother and an outstanding example of how dreams can come true. But her story is also a reminder of how much more work there remains to do to attract talent from all walks of life. And make sure our systems are set up so that anyone with the skills and desire to do so has a fair chance of calling veterinary medicine home. Listen in to learn, laugh and be inspired by the trailblazing Dr Mandisa Greene.

On today's show I'm joined by the woman with potentially the new Blunt Dissection record (Sorry Sheilah) for the number of letters after a name, Dr. Robin Downing, DVM, DAAPM, DACVSMR, CVPP, CCRP, CVA, MS in Clinical Bioethics. Robin, who will be familiar to many of you, graduated from Loyola University of Chicago, (where she obtained a degree in English) in 1981 and later from the University of Illinois: College of Veterinary Medicine in 1986. Growing up, Dr. Robin had a natural rapport with animals, thanks to her Grandad; and was later pushed towards pursuing her career in veterinary medicine by her partner and now wife. Utilising her degree in English, Robin wrote a weekly column in The Denver Post, as well as multiple magazine articles, short stories, and two books. Meanwhile, using her veterinary degree to transform Windsor Veterinary Clinic into a Practice of Excellence and create The Downing Center for Animal Pain Management. Alongside, this Robin serves as a Trustee for the Morris Animal Foundation and is an affiliate faculty member at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine. It is no wonder that in 2001, she was presented the prestigious Excellence in Veterinary Healthcare Award by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association in Vancouver, and the winner of the 2020 Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award. Now, just before we jump into the episode, a quick word from today's show sponsor which today is the Thrive community. If you are struggling with managing time, feeling like an imposter or burnout then you need to make a change. The good news is that you are not broken or a bad fit for the profession, you are simply missing some super-important skills no-one teaches at university. Skills you will learn as part of the VetX community. Thrive is a RACE accredited professional skills course where members receive training, toolkits and one-to-one coaching to develop these skills. Join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better as a Thrive member. To learn more and find out if the class is a good fit for you visit www.vetxinternational.com today. Now back to the show... This episode is both a heartwarming and heart-wrenching story of Robin's life, (she now holds a second record for the first guest to make me cry) as she recalls her struggles of being both gay and a woman in the 1980s veterinary industry, how her dog stopped her from taking her own life, discusses how every vet should use a bioethical framework, and outlines her hopes to influence human medicine. Expect to laugh, cry, and be truly amazed by the remarkable Dr. Robin Downing.

On today's show, I'm joining by Dr. Marty Becker. Also known to the public as “America's Veterinarian,” Marty is a genuine titan of vet medicine with an incredibly successful career spanning not just the decades, but also the categories. He was born and raised in potato country on a small family farm in Southern Idaho. Where his family had dairy and beef cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, chickens, and, of course, dogs and cats. Back then the cats were mostly feral and lived in the shadows of the haystacks and farm buildings, and the dogs were outdoor-only. Becker went to veterinary school to become a dairy practitioner, but after listening to Dean Leo Bustad's introductory talk about the human-animal bond, he switched his attention to companion animals on the spot. Today, our pets occupy more of our beds than we do, which is part of the reason he founded the juggernaut “Fear Free” practice movement which aims to prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety, and stress in pets by inspiring and educating the people who care for them. Over his career, Marty has owned multiple practices and built a national media profile through his TV appearances, national newspaper column, and book publishing deals. To date, he has written 23 books that have sold almost 8 million copies, including three New York Times best-sellers. Dr. Becker is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and also at the Colleges of Veterinary Medicine at both Colorado State University and the University of Missouri. Additionally, he has lectured at every veterinary school in the United States, and is on the advisory board of World Vets, an international veterinary and disaster relief program to help animals. Now, just before we jump into the episode, a quick word from today's show sponsor which today is the Thrive community. If you are struggling with managing time, imposter syndrome, or burnout then you need to make a change. The good news is that you are not broken or a bad fit for the profession, you are simply missing some important skills no one teaches at university. Skills you will learn as part of the VetX community. Thrive is a RACE accredited professional skills course where members receive training, toolkits, and one-to-one coaching to develop these skills. To learn more and find out if the class is a good fit for you visit www.vetxinternational.com today. Now back to the show... I've wanted to sit with Marty and ask questions since long before podcasts were a twinkle in Ben Hammersley's eye! Safe to say, he did not disappoint. This episode is going to blow your mind - by the end of this show, you'll know Dr Marty Becker like never before. So sit back and enjoy this conversation with one of the most influential people, and perhaps the greatest cheerleader our profession has ever had.

On today's show I'm joined by Dr Sharon Grossman. Dr. Grossman is a Psychologist, Life Coach, and Speaker, who is an expert in Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and managing burnout in high achieving professionals. She graduated more than two decades ago with a Bachelors in Psychology and since has completed a double Masters and a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology from Fordham University. For the past two decades, Dr Grossman has worked with lawyers, doctors and other high-achieving professionals to help improve mental health and well-being, as all are prone to sacrificing their self-care as a result of work demands. Individuals she describes as having “too much on their mind, no direction, and end up focussing on unimportant items while forgetting about more important ones”. Thus entering a paradoxical downward spiral of perceived-underachievement, and eventually exhaustion. If you're thinking this sounds eerily familiar, then you perhaps get why I was so keen to have Dr Grossman on the show! In addition to her work as a psychologist and coach, Dr. Grossman published her best selling book ‘The 7E Solution to Burnout' in 2020. A book she hopes will help more high achievers transform their lives from exhausted to extraordinary - a book I strongly recommend you check out. Now, just before we jump into the episode, a quick word from today's show sponsor which today is the Thrive community. If you are struggling with managing time, feeling like an imposter or burnout then you need to make a change. The good news is that you are not broken or a bad fit for the profession, you are simply missing some super-important skills no-one teaches at university. Skills you will learn as part of the VetX community. Thrive is a RACE accredited professional skills course where members receive training, toolkits and one-to-one coaching to develop these skills. Join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better as a Thrive member. To learn more and find out if the class is a good fit for you visit www.vetxinternational.com today. Now back to the show... Veterinarians are no strangers to the subjects of exhaustion, burnout, compassion fatigue and worse. We're smart, we get that these things are risks. But despite this, too many seem to default to one of two options, collapse and leave a profession altogether, further exacerbating the effects for those that remain. Or grimly struggle on becoming ever more disillusioned with a career they once loved. What excited me about having this conversation with Dr Grossman was the opportunity to shine a light on a different pathway. To take a deeper dive into what burnout is and how we deal with work pressures. To explore some of the tools available to take control and manage our own experience, so we all have the chance to thrive in our career. One that, if more of us were willing to take, might reduce burnout, resurrect careers, and literally save lives. Vet med is after all for many of us, not just a job, it's a vocation. This interview is a bit different from our normal format as it's more about a subject than person - during the show I share a few of my own struggles in the hope that by doing so, you can find context and courage to get to work on you. So without further ado, find a couch, lay back, and enjoy this part conversation, part therapy session with the empowering Dr Sharon Grossman.

On today’s show, I’m joined by Megan Brashear. Megan initially went to college as a History major, with the objective of teaching high school students. But quickly realising that, for her, such a career was potentially an act of gross masochism she quickly pivoted. Instead, she found biology, and shortly after, veterinary technology. Fast forward several years and Megan gained a BS in animal science from Brigham Young University, her CVT at Oregon in 2000, and became a VTS in ECC in 2004. During her career she has amassed more than 20 years of ER/ICU nursing, along the way working as a senior leader in both private and corporate practice. Following a period of ‘never-say-no’ induced burnout, Megan took a sideways adventure into online training which was part of her seemingly inevitable 360 back into education, but this time with the right group of students - her beloved vet techs. And so it is that Megan now works as a member of faculty at Purdue University, a place where she has found her ‘home’ combining her skill and passion as a mentor, trainer, and leader - helping to develop the vet technician talent of tomorrow. And if you were looking for any evidence that she’s in her element as an educator, the fact she’s won the coveted VMX speaker of the year award, not just once, but twice is probably as good a sign as any! Now, just before we jump into the episode, a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is the Thrive community. If you are struggling with managing time, feeling like an imposter, or burnout then you need to make a change. The good news is that you are not broken or a bad fit for the profession, you are simply missing some super-important skills no-one teaches at university. Skills you will learn as part of the VetX community. Thrive is a RACE accredited professional skills course where members receive training, toolkits, and one-to-one coaching to develop these skills. Join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better as a Thrive member. To learn more and find out if the class is a good fit for you visit vetxinternational.com today. Now back to the show, I loved this conversation with Megan, from the outside she might seem understated and quiet. But make no mistake, this double VMX speaker of the year has seen and done plenty. She’s never shied from opportunity, rebounded from her fair share of knockdown blows and now, in her latest role sounds a lot like she’s finally found her happy place. There are a lot of important subjects covered in this show and I know that wherever you are on your journey in vet med you are going to find Megan’s story helpful. So sit back and enjoy this, my conversation with the much funnier than she thinks she is (occasional sofa-hoarding) and entirely wonderful Megan Brashear.

On today’s show I’m joined by Dr Fabian Rivers. Fabian is an exotics vet, TV personality, social activist, and philosopher. Hailing from Birmingham in the United Kingdom, Fabian, also known as Dready Vet, took a path less travelled to becoming a vet by undertaking his training in the Czech Republic. So why did he go overseas to study? The answer perhaps sheds some light on why there is such a glaring mismatch between the ethnic diversity of our general population and the ethnic diversity of our profession. As an applicant from the black community Fabian found, time and again, doors in the UK closed to him that in all probability would have been wide open to others. Thankfully for us all, he was not to be denied, and his perseverance and courage saw him graduate in 2018. Since then he has made an impressive impact. Fabian works in exotics medicine and is a tireless campaigner on his favoured topics of mental health, racism, plus new graduate and student welfare. 2020, a year of hell for many, saw his star rise further, first winning the BVA Young Vet of the Year award (for exemplary contribution to the vet community) and also landing a presenter role on the hugely popular Pets Factor children’s TV show. Now, just before we jump into the episode, a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is the Thrive community. If you are struggling with managing your time, feeling like an imposter or burnout then you need to make a change. The good news is that you are not broken or a bad fit for the profession, you are simply missing some super-important skills no one teaches at university. Skills you will learn as part of the VetX community. Thrive is a RACE accredited professional skills course where members receive training, toolkits, and one-to-one coaching to develop these skills. Join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better as a Thrive member. To learn more and find out if the class is a good fit for you visit www.vetxinternational.com today. Now back to the show, We see the violent and sickening side of racism plastered across our news feeds. But what perhaps escapes our attention is the missed opportunity to create a genuinely inclusive profession. Fabian is a shining example of what we might have lost were it not for his determination. The question is how many other talented people have been denied this chance? How much brilliance have we missed out on as a result? And what work must we do now to make things fair and inclusive? Because if you believe that opening up opportunities for all today is a key part of creating a better society tomorrow, then doing nothing is not an option. This episode was an education, it gave me a lot to consider, I hope it does the same for you too. So sit back and let the awesome Dr. Fabian Rivers take us on a journey with a frequently light-hearted touch about a deadly serious topic.

On today’s show, I’m joined by Dr Pete Dommett. Pete graduated from the Onderstepoort school of veterinary medicine in South Africa. A born adventurer with a lust for life, he now lives in Scotland managing an organic farm, literally ploughing a new furrow for ethical food production, and a move away from unsustainable monoculture farm practice. Something he firmly believes is detrimental to animal welfare, the planet and even the survival of the human race. Peter’s convictions derive in no small way from a life lived to the full. Highlights include an entirely harrowing and tragic yachting trip in the wild southern ocean, the rehabilitation and transformation of Waterford Farm a beautiful, non-mechanised cattle farm. Located high in the Drakensberg mountains, his efforts were initially written off as impossible, yet he grafted, innovated and ultimately proved his values-led model of farming worked. One where animals, people and the ecosystems work in harmony. Each remarkable step of these chapters of his life proceeding with a captivating mix of blood, sweat, laughter and tears. His is a story of one man's journey into the unknown which I'll warn you now, will frequently leave your jaw on the floor. Now, just before we jump into the episode, a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is the Leaders program for practice managers. If you are responsible for the management of a vet practice and people more accurately staff dramas are your biggest challenge then Leaders was designed for you. The program is the only complete leadership system developed specifically for veterinary practice that will help you transform your practice from 'Hot Mess', to 'Hot Rod'! During the course, you'll learn how to create a compelling vision, choose the right strategy, hire effectively and lead your team so you create a positive culture that brings results. Leaders is a unique deep dive into the world of high performance and I will be your personal mentor throughout. This a four-module VHMA accredited training course supported by weekly live coaching sessions and detailed toolkits to ensure you bring your plans to life and take back control of your practice. To learn more and apply to join, then head to www.vetxinternational.com/leaders. Membership is available for a small monthly fee where you can join and learn with other practice managers who have changed their practices for the better. To learn more and apply visit vetxinternational.com/leaders today. Now back to the show, Unlike many of my guests, Pete is not well known, he does not have a CV crammed full of diplomas and he’s not yet published any books, nor, to my knowledge, won any glittering prizes. But his lfe experience inventory column is stacked in a way that few can rival and that, combined with his willingness to take on the issues many avoid make him one of my favourite guests ever. Sit back and strap in, no seriously STRAP IN and enjoy this conversation with Dr Peter Dommett.

On today’s show, I’m joined by the socially savvy Dr Lisa Lippman. Lisa is one of the most followed and socially influential veterinarians in the United States. She is a regular fixture on media outlets such as Dr Oz, Inside Edition, and People Magazine as a go-to source for expertise in pet health and safety. Whilst growing up in New Jersey Lisa developed a passion for animal care. After initially majoring in Public Relations, she was accepted into vet school and graduated from Western University. After graduation, she completed an internship in New York, the city where she currently resides. Keen to offer a ‘gentler’ veterinary service to her clients, Lisa soon embarked on creating her own house call business ‘vets in the city’. When not treating some of the most influential pets in the world she sits on the board of Animal Lighthouse Rescue, whose mission is to help the homeless dogs of Puerto Rico, and is the co-host of a hugely popular podcast Pets & Punchlines with her partner, comedian Richie Redding. Now, just before we jump into the episode, a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is the Thrive professional skills course from VetX International. If you are working in practice and clients or colleagues are making you miserable then I have good news and bad news. The bad news is you are probably the source of your problems. The good news is that you are also 100% in control of changing things and having a great career. You are missing some skills and they are NOT clinical. Enter THRIVE. Thrive is a RACE accredited professional skills training course where members receive training, toolkits and mentoring support to support development of these skills. Paul, one of the community members says joining was the best decision of his life and went from being miserable to being energised and happy in his work. Membership is available for a small monthly fee where you can join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better. To learn more and enrol visit vetxinternational.com/thrive today. Now back to the show, There is much to enjoy in this conversation, Lisa shares her insight into navigating a career less ordinary, how to do social media well, life in lockdown and much more. She is in many ways a bit of a renaissance women. She’s talented, optimistic and despite having her fair share of set-backs clearly sees life as a glass half full. A great example of what can be done when you mix a positive mindset, with a curious spirit and a sprinkle of self-belief. She’s also a barrel of laughs. My only sadness was that we didn’t get to record this conversation on a park bench in Central Park Manhattan. Maybe next time. And now, without further delay enjoy this conversation with the rather ebullient Dr Lisa Lippman.

On today’s show, I’m joined by one of the most senior vets in the United States, Dr. Molly McAllister. Molly graduated from Oregon State Vet School in 2004, holds a BA in biology, and a Masters in Public health. After a brief stint in equine practice, she worked as a GP vet in Portland before life got tough and circumstances took her in an entirely different, but retrospectively serendipitous, direction. It was 2009 when she began work within the Mars Petcare family, joining as Scientific Services Vet until her move to Banfield in 2014. Molly was initially appointed as director of research, a role where among other things she was responsible for producing the Banfield State of Pet Health Report, a fascinating insight into the disease incidence derived from analysis of more than 3 million health visits to Banfield practices each year. Various other roles followed where Molly’s triple love of people, data, and medicine became evident, allowing her to contribute to, or drive many important initiatives within Banfield and beyond. In 2019 she was appointed the Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, a role where she drives strategy and organisation of the veterinary teams while being accountable for the medical quality standard across the company. Now, just before we jump into the episode, a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is the Thrive professional skills course for vets. If you are working in practice and clients or colleagues are making you miserable then I have good news and bad news. The bad news is you are likely contributing to many of your problems. The good news is that you are also 100% in control of changing things and having a great career. You are missing some skills and they are NOT clinical. Enter THRIVE. Thrive is a RACE accredited, professional skills training course where members receive instruction, toolkits, and mentoring support to ensure success. Membership is available for a super-small monthly fee where you can join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better. Learn more and enroll at www.vetxinternational.com/thrive today and receive 10% off by using the promo code ‘PODCAST’. Now back to the show, If all you knew about Molly was her title, you might feel quite intimidated - surely someone who climbs to the top of the corporate ladder will be a fearsome beast indeed? Well, you’d be wrong. Molly is certainly driven and ambitious, but she’s also compassionate, humble, and utterly determined to leave her bit of the world better than she found it. She has carved out her career, driven by a sense of purpose and profound awareness that there is only one life, and the journey we take as we live it matters every bit as much as the destination. Ready to hear more? I thought so, without further ado let’s get into the conversation with one of my new favourite people in vet med, Dr. Molly McAllister.

Today’s show is the 2020 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 our traditional end of year review episode, I take the time to reflect on some of my favourite clips from my 2020 interviews and consolidate the wisdom. In this year, it was very poignant to reflect on how easy it was to meet our friends and families, and to a certain extent how for-granted we all took many elements of life before COVID. So our theme for this episode is finding strength in the work and words of others, because although our sense of connection has been reduced it’s the fortitude and wisdom that can be found in the words and deeds of others that might inspire the strength within to endure and come through this toughest of years. I loved listening again and want to thank my guests who were exceptional in both their talents and generosity in allowing us to peek through the window to their life. The clips I chose are a variety of insights that seemed to have relevance in today’s world and certainly gave me plenty to ponder. I hope you derive a similar pleasure. If this is your first experience of the show then consider it a tapas plate of audio joy, and as such, I invite you to dip in and let the journey take you deeper into the minds of my guests as you see fit. Feel free to explore the 46 other episodes that currently exist! All that remains is for me to wish you a wonderful festive season. Be sure to get some well-deserved rest whether with friends and family or in self-isolation. Thank you for listening and we’ll see you next year. From all of us at VetX International to you, wherever you are… Be safe. Be well. And be happy. Dr D. x

On today’s show, I’m joined by Dr Caroline Murray aka the Wilderness Vet. Caroline graduated from Liverpool University Vet School in 1997 and, in addition to her veterinary degree, holds a bachelor's degree in Zoology and a Master's in Conservation & Wildlife Medicine. After spending the first few years of her career working in the UK, she took the opportunity to spread her wings and taste the combination of remoteness, veterinary medicine, and conservation (that became the hallmarks of her career) with a trip to West Africa to care for orphaned primates. Wild adventures ensued, a pattern was set, and the Wilderness Vet was born. This spirit of adventure has since led her all over the globe caring for horses in the Mongol Derby - a 1000km horse race across the Mongolian Desert. Near-death experiences with injured Sled dogs in light aircraft above the frozen Alaskan tundra, as part of the Iditarod vet team. And more recently to New Zealand where she currently resides. Now, just before we jump into the episode, a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is the Thrive professional skills course from VetX International. If you are working in practice and clients or colleagues are making you miserable then I have good news and bad news. The bad news is you are probably the source of your problems. The good news is that you are also 100% in control of changing things and having a great career. You are missing some skills and they are NOT clinical. Enter THRIVE. Thrive is a RACE accredited professional skills training course where members receive training, toolkits, and mentoring support to support the development of these skills. Paul, one of the community members says joining was the best decision of his life, and went from being miserable to being energised and happy in his work. Membership is available for a small monthly fee where you can join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better. To learn more and enroll visit www.vetxinternational.com/thrive today. Now back to the show. There are many things to admire about Caroline. Maybe for you, it will be the opportunity her stories provide to recall or experience the thrill of travel and the excitement that exploration of this vast world offers. Or maybe it’s her spirit of fearless adventure combined with affable nature that meld together to inspire us all to take a few more risks in pursuit of our goals. Whatever, one thing is for sure, at a time of great uncertainty, Caroline reminds us all that those lucky enough to be in possession of a veterinary degree really do have the world at their fingertips and a passport to the front row of life. So enjoy this lockdown conversation with the intrepid Dr Caroline Murray.

On today’s show, I’m joined by double European record holder, gold medalist, and Olympic athlete, Laura Muir. Laura made her debut in senior athletics representing Great Britain at the 2013 World Championships and is the current British record holder over 1500m. In 2017 she had an incredible year becoming the fastest woman in the world over this distance, taking her first diamond league world title and winning two gold medals at the European Indoor Athletics Championships, breaking a 32-year old championship record along the way. So what does any of this have to do with veterinary medicine? Well not content with taking the athletics world by storm, Laura achieved many of these feats while completing her veterinary degree at the equally world-beating Glasgow University Veterinary School! In fact, Muir missed the chance of gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, opting instead to focus on passing her veterinary medicine finals. But in August that year, she was back and achieved her greatest honour to date winning gold in the 1500 metres European Championships in Berlin, the first British woman ever to win this title. And you thought it was hard to go for that early morning run twice a week! Now a quick word from today's show sponsor. If you are working in practice and clients or colleagues are making you miserable then I have good news and bad news. The bad news is you are probably the source of your problems. The good news is that you are also 100% in control of changing things and having a great career. You are missing some skills and they are NOT clinical. Enter Thrive. Thrive is a course and support community where you will learn the professional skills needed to build a sustained and successful career. With RACE accredited webinars, workbooks, and live monthly mentoring events you have all the tools to set you up for success. Membership is available for a small monthly fee where you can join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better. To join visit www.vetxinternational.com today and if you use the promoted 'podcast' then you’ll receive 10% off your monthly membership fee. Now back to Laura, For many, rising to the very top of their field, ego can be a problem. In Laura’s case, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, you get the sense that she is the same person today, as she was when she first went cross-country running as a child, through the frozen fields around her school in Kinross. The interview with Laura was an incredible pleasure and rare insight into the mind of someone who knows what it takes to suffer for her art. Doing a veterinary degree is hard enough, but doing so while performing at the highest level as an international athlete boggles the mind. So sit back, or maybe go for a run, and enjoy this my conversation with the record-breaking Flying Scot, Laura Muir.

On today’s show, I’m joined by Dr BJ Miller. BJ is a practising hospice and palliative medicine physician in San Fransico, an author and speaker, best known for his TED Talk, "What Really Matters at the End of Life”. He has been on the teaching faculty at UCSF School of Medicine since 2007 and sees patients and caregivers through his online palliative care service, Mettle Health. He is the subject of Netflix's Academy Award-nominated short documentary, End Game and his book for approaching the end of life, A Beginner’s Guide to the End, was co-authored with Shoshana Berger and published in 2019. He’s also a triple amputee who suffered a horrific injury resulting in the loss of both legs and his left arm when he was an undergrad at Princeton. To many, this would have been calamitous. To BJ, it became a transformative moment of deep pain he harnessed to find purpose. Now, before we get into the show, a quick word from today’s sponsor... When it comes to end of life care, most pets are still euthanised in the sterile and sometimes harsh clinical environment of the veterinary practice which, while convenient for practitioners, is not ideal for pets and can result in as many as 20% of clients never returning to the clinic again due to the psychological trauma. Enter Lap of Love, a veterinary service working in partnership with veterinarians across America to offer an incomparably compassionate end of life care experience for pets in their own homes. In one memorable example, CEO Dr Dani McVety was asked to euthanize a family pet in his beloved swimming pool…. The result was a pet passing in his favorite place, a family grieving but grateful, and a sad moment made infinitely better by an act of amazing kindness. So, if want your clients to experience a beautiful end to their pet’s life or learn more about how you can make the euthanasia experience better for your patients then visit www.lapoflove.com. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll end up doing house calls in swimming pools too! …back to the show. This interview ranks as a huge personal highlight, and it could be so for all manner of reasons. BJs inspirational story of overcoming incredible adversity. His dedication to a career; making a massive difference. Or his utterly genuine and radiant personality. But in my case, it’s because of a single line he shared in his interview with Tim Ferriss. One that shaped my view of patient and client care forever…. to learn more, listen on. In the interview, we cover a great many topics, but in particular death, mortality and by unbreakable association, life itself. While some of the topics were confronting, it was both a comfort and pleasure to have BJ as my guide. I hope you enjoy this uplifting conversation with the wonderful BJ Miller as he illuminates some of the darker places we fear to tread. BJ's Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/A-Beginners-Guide-to-the-End/BJ-Miller/9781501157219 BJs Ted Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/bj_miller_what_really_matters_at_the_end_of_life BJs Endwell Project: https://endwellproject.org/

On today’s show I’m joined by not one, but two awesome guests as we take on the towering elephant in the room of veterinary medicine - MONEY! More specifically, DEBT! To dissect this huge issue we have a two for one deal where I’m joined by vets and financial experts Dr. Meredith Jones and Dr. Phil Zeltzman. Meredith is an ER doctor from Virginia, host of the Debt Free Vets Facebook group, and was able to pay off her entire student debt in less than five years post-graduation. She now uses the knowledge she acquired in the process, plus the huge amount of financial training she has undertaken since to help other vets follow the same path. Phil is a multi-time business owner, investor and board certified traveling surgeon, supporting clinics in his home state offer advanced surgical care without the need for referral. He is also a published author with two books available on Amazon and happens to be one of the best storytellers in the business. Now, rather wonderfully both of these amazing people have teamed up and are on a mission to teach vets how to escape from the burden of the amassed student debt they carry and have created the Veterinary Financial Summit which will hold its inaugural event in September 2020. Check is out at https://vetfinancialsummit.com/ --------------- Today's episode is sponsored by the VetX:Thrive community. If you are working in practice and clients or colleagues are making you miserable then I have mixed news. The bad news is you are probably the source of your problems. The good news is that you are also 100% in control of changing things and having a great career. You are missing some skills and they are NOT clinical. Enter VetX:Thrive - a RACE accredited, non-clinical skills course/community where members receive training, toolkits, and mentoring support to support the development of these skills. Paul, one of the community members says joining was the best decision of his life and went from being miserable to be energized and happy in his work. Membership is available for a small monthly fee where you can join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better. To learn more and find out if the class is a good fit for you visit www.vetxinternational.com/thrive today. ----------------- Debt is one of the biggest causes of stress and it’s hard to imagine how the added pressure this has placed onto the shoulders of the next generation of vets is helping anyone to cope. Which is why I was so happy to make this interview happen. Phil and Meredith both have great career stories yet different perspectives to share on the issue. If money is on your mind, you are going to get huge value from this episode. So, I invite you to put your feet up and invest some time and enjoy this my oceanically-distanced conversation with the exceptional Drs Meredith Jones and Phil Zeltzman.

On today’s show, we go on a dive into the dark side of humanity as I am joined by veterinary forensics expert, Dr Melinda Merck. Dr Merck is the owner of Veterinary Forensics Consulting in Austin, which supports law enforcement by tackling crime scene investigation as well as the examination of live and deceased victims. She helps with large scale operations including exhumations of burial sites and examination of skeletal animal remains. She frequently testifies as a veterinary forensic expert for animal cruelty cases around the country including the high profile and successful conviction of NFL player Michael Vick. The fearless Dr. Merck, a Michigan State University veterinary graduate, also trains veterinarians, attorneys, and police officers around the world on the use of veterinary forensics in the investigation and prosecution of animal cruelty cases, and the important link between this and domestic violence. She serves on the WSAVA Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee, is the Past President of the Board of Directors for North American Veterinary Community, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Plus, my favourite to last she is a member of the International Association of Blood Stain Analysts - if you’re thinking Dexter right now, I suspect you are not alone! In addition to her incredible list of accolades, Dr Merck is the author of “Veterinary Forensics: Animal Cruelty Investigation, the co-author of “Veterinary Forensic Investigation of Animal Cruelty: A Guide for Veterinarians and Law Enforcement,”. 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 in, or owner of, a vet practice and people are your biggest challenge then VetX:Leaders was designed for you. The program is a complete personnel management system where you will learn how to create vision & strategy, hire effectively, and lead your team so you create a positive culture that brings results. This is a unique deep dive into the world of high performance and I will be your personal mentor throughout. There is a four-module training course supported by with weekly live coaching sessions and toolkits to ensure you bring your plans to life and take back control of your practice. To learn more and apply to join, then head to vetxinternational.com/leaders. Now back to the show... This interview ranks as one of my favourite interviews on so many levels. If you are not drooling with excitement at what is in store in this episode then I recommend you immediately check your pulse. So sit back and enjoy this conversation with the brilliant Dr Melinda Merck and the fascinating, but quite creepy, world of veterinary forensics.

On today’s show, I’m joined by Dr Lisa Radosta. Dr Radosta graduated in 2000 from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. After completing an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Coral Springs Animal Hospital, she worked as a primary care veterinarian for 2 1/2 years. She then completed a 3-year residency in Behavioral Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. During her residency, she was awarded the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists Resident research award two years in a row. Dr Radosta is contributing author for chapters of many well-known textbooks including The Handbook of Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat; Blackwell’s Five Minute Veterinary Consult and Small Animal Pediatrics. She has published research articles in Journal of Applied Animal Behavior Science, The Veterinary Journal and the Journal of Veterinary Behavior and written review articles for Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, Compendium, Clinician’s Brief and AAHA Newstat. Plus she is the section editor for Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery. Dr Radosta also serves on the Fear Free Advisory Board and the AAHA Behavior Management Task Force. Now, just before we jump into the episode, a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is the VetX:Thrive community. If you are working in practice and clients or colleagues are making you miserable then I have good news and bad news. The bad news is you are probably the source of your problems. The good news is that you are also 100% in control of changing things and having a great career. You are missing some skills and they are NOT clinical. Enter VetX:Thrive. VetX is a RACE accredited, non-clinical skills training course/community where members receive training, toolkits and mentoring support to support the development of these skills. Paul, one of the community members says joining was the best decision of his life and went from being miserable to being energised and happy in his work. Membership is available for a small monthly fee where you can join hundreds of other vets who have changed they careers for the better. To learn more and find out if the class is a good fit for you visit www.drdavenicol.com/vetxthrive today. And is yuou use the promocode podcast when you sign up you'll get a further 10% off your monthly membership. Now back to the show, I thoroughly enjoyed this interview and we dived deep into many subjects including from how Dr Radosta developed an unbreakable attitude and considers herself a rule-breaker, to busting wide open a few of her favourite behaviour myths with much to ponder and learn in between. So without further ado, I give you this my conversation with the unbreakable, Dr Lisa Radosta.

On today’s show, I’m joined by Dr Sara Pizano. Sara is a Cornell Graduate and leading light in shelter medicine who has brought about enormous positive change to shelters across America. After university, she completed an internship at the Animal Medical Center in New York in 1995 and was subsequently hired by North Shore Animal League in Port Washington, New York where her shelter medicine adventure began. In 1998 Sarah was recruited as director of the Humane Society of Broward County in Fort Lauderdale and in 2005 she was appointed the Director of Miami-Dade Animal Services in Miami, Florida. During her tenure, she attracted hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding, nearly tripled the adoption rate and pretty much rewrote the Animal Services County Code! In 2013 she joined 'Target Zero' as program director and was instrumental in creating and developing a new model to transform high euthanasia public shelters. In the course of her work, she visited and mentored multiple shelters around the country resulting in a drop of nearly 50,000 animal euthanasias in just 18 of those shelters alone. In an effort to offer a wider scope of services to help shelters of all types and sizes she created Team Shelter USA in 2017, where her goal is for all animal welfare organizations to have access to her life saving practices. Dr. Pizano is the author of The Best Practice Playbook for Animal Shelters and leads the assessment and mentorship program at Maddie’s Shelter Medicine, University of Florida. She has received multiple awards and is a board member of the Companion Animal Advisory Council and the Humane Society of the United States. Now, just before we jump into the episode, a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is the VetX:Thrive. If you are working in practice and clients or colleagues are making you miserable then I have good news and bad news. The bad news is you are probably the source of your problems. The good news is that you are also 100% in control of changing things and having a great career. You are missing some skills and they are NOT clinical. Enter VetX:THRIVE. VetX is a RACE accredited non-clinical skills training course where members receive training, toolkits and mentoring support to support development of these skills. Paul, one of the community members says joining was the best decision of his life and went from being miserable to being energised and happy in his work. Membership is available for a small monthly fee where you can join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better. To learn more and find out if the class is a good fit for you visit www.drdavenicol.com/vetxthrive today. Now back to the show, In a sector of veterinary medicine which can seem bleak, Dr Pizano’s work offers not just a glimmer of hope, but a well-lit path to a future where animals that can find homes, do find homes. I was engrossed and I learned so much about the incredible and often unsung work Sara and all the heroes in shelter medicine undertake each day. I hope you also enjoy this eye-opening conversation with the inspirational Dr Sara Pizano.

On today’s show, I’m joined by Dr Saye Clement. Saye graduated from Ontario Veterinary College, Guelph in 1993. During her career she has worked in emergency medicine and since 2003 has been a co-owner of Carling Animal Hospital in Ottawa, where, on top of her clinical caseload, she leads the team and manages the hospital standards of care in her hospital. Away from her practice, Saye is extremely active within the veterinary community serving on multiple advisory boards including the Lecture Advisory Board of the Uncharted Veterinary Conference, and the Owners Advisory Council for Vet Alliance. She has more recently begun lecturing on the subjects of team empowerment, culture and the art of communication. While all of these things are fine accomplishments on their own, they are not why I was so interested to have Saye as my guest. What I haven't told you is that she is a keen musician and board member of a small chamber orchestra in Ottowa called ‘The 13 Strings’. And it was as I watched her giving a talk titled “why I only hire artists” that my suspicions were aroused that Saye not only holds within her two seemingly opposed personas - the scientist and the artist - but she has found a way to blend both to become something better. In my dealings with her over the years, I’ve seen many examples of how the awareness of the practice and precision required to be an accomplished musician has been applied with equal care to the building of her career and practice - with great results to show, her practice is a stand out for many reasons. Now, just before we jump into the episode, a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is VetX:Thrive. If you are working in practice and clients or colleagues are making you miserable then I have mixed news. The bad news is you are probably the source your problems. The good news is that you are also 100% in control of changing things and having a great career. You are missing some skills and they are NOT clinical. Enter VetX:Thrive. VetX is a non-clinical skills training course where members receive training, toolkits and mentoring support to support development of these skills. Paul, one of the community members says joining was “the best decision of my life” and went from being miserable to being energised and happy in his work. Membership is available for a small monthly fee where you can join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better. To learn more and get a 10% off your subscription visit www.vetxthrive.com and use the promocode ‘podcast’ in the checkout. Now back to the show, This show was a favourite for me, I’ve known Saye for many years. She is quiet and humble but extremely effective at getting important things done. As I have gotten to know her, it becomes clear just how much more there is to come. I hope you have as much fun listening to this episode and my conversation with the quietly extraordinary, Dr Saye Clement.

My guest today is a genuine global superstar in the world of animal health, Dr Temple Grandin. The word ‘legend’ is often overused, but when you’re talking about one of the most respected animal behaviourists in the world – and the most famous person with autism – the word feels pretty accurate. Labelled unfairly as mentally 'retarded' because she didn’t talk until she was three and a half years old, Dr Grandin rose to become a prominent author, speaker and consultant on autism, animal behaviour and livestock handling equipment. She is also a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. But her journey to the top was not easy as she was teased and bullied in high school and workplace for being the “weird, nerd girl”. It was thanks to her science teacher Mr Carlock, who recognised her potential, that she became a scientist and went on to design the revolutionary livestock facilities that are now used by half the cattle production units in the United States. Dr Grandin’s unique talent is her ability to think and see like an animal, because she sees in pictures, rather than words. The late Oliver Sacks, physician, best-selling author, and professor of neurology, described her first book, Emergence: Labeled Autistic, as “unprecedented, because there had never before been an inside narrative of autism”. Dr Grandin went on to write in excess of 15 other books, has a TED talk with over five million views and is the subject of an Emmy-winning movie made about her life. 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 vet med, grow your confidence, avoid burnout and beat you inner imposter, then VetX:Thrive is for you. As a community member you’ll have access to RACE accredited training modules, monthly meetings with experienced mentors, incredible toolkits and a supportive online community to help you thrive in your career. Membership of VetX:Thrive is available for just $25/month 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. It was both an honour to sit with Dr Grandin, and find out more about the way her incredible brain works. What seems so obvious to her has revolutionised the way we handle livestock. It’s arguable that her insight has improved the lives of more animals than just about anyone else on the planet. Though this is a shorter episode than others, it is packed with insight that I know you will enjoy and find valuable. So, sit back and enjoy this, my conversation with the esteemed Dr Temple Grandin.

On today’s show, I’m joined by one of the most respected thought leaders on the planet when it comes to veterinary economics, Dr Karen Felsted. Karen graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in marketing and spent 12 years in accounting and business management, six of those with Ernst & Young. She then made a radical career change to studying Veterinary Medicine at Texas A & M University graduating in 1996. Returning to Dallas, she practiced both small animal and emergency medicine on a full-time basis while maintaining a veterinary accounting and consulting practice. In 1999 she joined Owen E. McCafferty, CPA, Inc., a national public accounting firm specializing in tax, accounting, and practice management services for veterinarians. During this time she also received her Certified Veterinary Practice Manager designation. In June of 2001, Karen opened her own accounting firm and also joined the prestigious Brakke Consulting group. In 2008 she joined the National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues as CEO and spent over three years there before returning to business consulting. Karen is currently a member of the Veterinary Economics’ Editorial Advisory Board and in 2011, she received the Western Veterinary Conference Practice Management Speaker of the Year award and in 2014, the VetPartners Distinguished Life Member Award. But before you get utterly intimidated by her glittering professional roll call a quick word from today’s show sponsor… Your employees are the backbone of your practice, and if they’re injured on the job, it’s vital to get them back on their feet as soon as possible. And with the average claim costing practices nearly $4000, having workers’ compensation coverage is a must. One Midwest small animal clinic team member was handling a stressed dog during an x-ray. The dog bit the employee in the arm and later became infected, requiring surgery and a hospital stay. Without the proper insurance coverage, this would have been a disaster, but thanks to the practices workers’ comp policy through AVMA PLIT, the $190,000 injury was completely covered. The most effective way to reduce accidents and avoid claims is to have effective safety protocols. Our friends at AVMA PLIT offer a free digital safety manual now available to Blunt Dissection listeners. Download yours today at www.avmaplit.com/drdave. Now back to the show… Karen was on my very first list of guests to interview when I began the podcast because she is one of the speakers I have learned the most from and I can think of few others who have their finger firmly over the pulse of veterinary business. So, it was a real honour to welcome her to the show. I hope you enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with the multi-talented, articulate and economically brilliant, Dr Karen Felsted.

On today’s show, which was performed and recorded in front of a live audience at Fetch Kansas City 2019, I am joined by an incredible woman, who is genuinely making a difference in veterinary medicine, Dr Betsy Charles. Betsy is the executive director of the Veterinary Leadership Institute (VLI), which allows her to combine her passion for veterinary medicine, leadership development, teaching, and communication. After graduating from Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2003 and completing an internship with an equine referral hospital, Betsy joined a performance horse practice as an associate vet. She went on to become the Imaging Centre Director and also developed the practice’s extern program. In 2009 she completed a master’s degree in Organisational Leadership, where her thesis dealt with the implementation of change efforts within organisations, specifically veterinary practice. She is also an adjunct professor at Washington State University and a member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners Leadership Development Committee and Student Programs Task Force. Now before we get into the interview instead of a sponsor, I’d like to dedicate this episode to all of those brave souls fighting to save animal and human lives in Australia as the worst bush fires in recent memory rage. And in particular highlight, the plight of many of our veterinary friends whose business and livelihoods are under threat as the have either lost their client base or are expending precious resources helping to care for injured wildlife. And let’s not forget the horror of having to see and deal with so many injured or dead animals. This fire is not like the rest and our friends down under need our help, so if you want to specifically help your colleagues then please go to www.ava.com.au/donate and give what you can to the benevolent fund. Thank you. Now back to the show… Besty is passionate, honest and authentic which really comes across in this podcast. We cover an incredible range of important topics from the “bullying culture” of education in medicine to why fear of failure is crippling the industry. But most movingly she shares her story of love with her husband Drake, an incredible figure of light, who she lost to ALS (Motor Neurone Disease) in January 2019. For many reasons, this podcast will move you. To call it one of my favourites would be crass, the subject matter is heavy and I’ll warn you in advance, you are going to need tissues. But if you need proof that even during the darkest of nights, there shines the light of hope. Then this episode is for your soul. So sit back and prepare for this, my conversation with the brave, inspiring, smart and funny Dr Betsy Charles. (The audio recording we received was sadly not up to our normal standard, so we've done everything we could in post-production to improve it. While it's not bad, it's not quite where we normally shoot for. But trust me, it's still well worth sticking with it. Betsy shares some incredible things.)

Today’s show is the 2019 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 the now traditional end of year review episode, I take the time to reflect on some of my favourite clips from my 2019 interviews and consolidate the wisdom. This year a strand that really stood out was how many people have overcome their battles to find some kind of equilibrium between their work-self and their personal self. Balance seems to be a crucial part of maintaining a happy mind and soul - not an easy task in the crazy world of veterinary care! It would be unwise to say that any single pathway might work for you, but it is clear that there are lots of options that we can all play with as we strive to find a place of stability that allows us to truly love both our work, and ourselves. In this episode take the time to digest the nuggets and reflect on how pertinent the individual wisdom might be to you. I certainly found as I listened back to my guests, new nuggets and thoughts blossoming in my mind. I hope you derive similar wisdom and enjoy my framing. All that remains is for me to wish you a wonderful holiday season. Be sure to get some well-deserved rest with friends and family. Reflect on what has gone before and take time to make a SMART plan for 2020. Until next year, from all of us at VetX International. Be safe. Be well. And be happy. Enjoy the show. Dr D.x

On today’s show I’m delighted to welcome back (back extremely popular demand) anaesthesia, feline and end of Life care guru Dr Sheliah Robertson for our very first ever “round two” interview. Sheilah is one of the insanely qualified, brilliant yet humble people in veterinary medicine so, if you missed round one then your homework is to go back to Episode 16 and catch up! Sheilah grew up in Scotland and graduated from Glasgow University which sort of means we are twins. And her career in veterinary medicine spans more than three decades and encompasses numerous roles and qualifications acquiring four diplomas and one PhD while teaching at schools in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. She has held many prestigious positions including work with AVMA, she's a two-time member of the American Animal Hospital Association and American Association of Feline Practitioners Pain Management Taskforce. And has served as the president of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia. That’s saying nothing of the massive list of publications she has written or contributed to. All of which means she’s out of sight at the good end of the dunning-kruger effect curve. In 2017, Sheilah joined Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice as the Senior Medical Director and helps the team deliver the best end of life care experience possible. 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 you inner imposter, then VetX:Thrive is for you. As a community member you’ll have access to 12 online core training modules, monthly coaching with experienced mentors and incredible toolkits to help you thrive in your career. Access to the community is available for just $25/month and if you use the promocode ‘podcast' then you will receive a further 10% discount. Head to vetxinternational.com/thrive to take advantage of this offer and take control of your career. Now, back to the show, I learned so much from my first conversation wit Sheliah that a round two was always on the cards and judging my how well the first episide was received, you felt the same way too. So it gives me huge pleasure to bring you this, my second conversation with the fantastic Dr Sheliah Robertson. In this episode we get into a lot more detail on Sheliah’s bckstory, including her Scottish history and how she fought and won against cancer not just once, but twice. We also get into some detail on some Scottish mythology, how the faculty at Glasgow University pranked the world and as you might expect from one of the best veterinary anaesthesiologists on the planet, some outstansing advice to help you improve your patient care. This is a very eclectic and wide-ranging conversation which I hope you enjoy for the content, and if not that, then the double dose of Scottish accents and folklore.

On today’s show I’m joined by former US Marine turned marketing guru Bill Schroeder. Bill has a fascinating career path and attended Western Illinois University where he gained his degree in Electrical, Electronic and Communications Engineering in 1991. Following graduation, he enlisted in the US Marine Corp. After surviving the legendary Marine Corp boot camp training at the USMC Depot in San Diego, he went on to serve as a helicopter mechanic, plane captain, and then as a reservist, training NCO and section leader. Following his years of service, Bill started his first business and spent time working in field surveillance and private investigations. But in 1998 he and his wife Katie decided to move in a new direction and began what would turn out to be the start of a two-decade (and counting) love affair with veterinary medicine by founding Intouch Practice Communications Inc., which has grown phenomenally since inception and has helped thousands of veterinarians and dentists step successfully into the digital age. Bill has completed the Veterinary Management Institute’s Practice Management Program at Purdue University's Krannert School of Management graduating in 2010. He has returned to help teach the Marketing Segment to VMI students ever since. 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:Leaders community. If you are a manager, owner or a team leader in 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 the 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 this sort of training would improve your practice performance then go to www.vetxleaders.com to learn more. Now back to the show… Bill’s passion for helping his veterinary colleagues succeed is incredible and his ability to see a glass half full make him a great person to listen to and spend time with. These traits coupled to his mischievous sense of humour, storytelling gifts and infectious laugh make him a joy on the ear. So, without further ado, sit back and enjoy this conversation with one of my favourite humans, Mr Bill Schroeder.

On today’s show, I am joined by Dr Steve Noonan. Steve graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1983 and by 1986 (at the tender age of 27) he owned three veterinary clinics. Though business grew fast, life got tough and with interest rates exceeding 20% per annum Steve very quickly learned how little he knew about business. Thus began an almost 30-year practice management learning odyssey which culminated in the formation of a 12 hospital partnership and the directorship of an ultramodern 15,000 square foot hospital. He also started the Metro Halifax Emergency Hospital, one of the first emergency clinics in Canada. More recently, Steve has explored new areas and has dramatically diversified his attention which is now split between part-time clinical work (which he still loves), coaching and mentoring his younger peers and building an entirely new venture, Lochland Botanicals, a herb farm and wellness retreat near Toronto, serving up remedies, teas, flowers, yoga, mindfulness classes and some of the best photos on Instagram! Now, speaking of wellness 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. Access to the community is available for just $25/month and if you use the promocode ‘podcast' then you will receive a further 10% discount. Head to www.vetxthrive.com to take advantage of this offer and take control of your career. Back to the show, Steve has felt both the highs and lows that life in practice can offer and he bears the scars on the outside and within. But from the moment I met him, one thing struck me more than anything else. Steve, has a heart the size of a house and wants to do good. His calm and steady demeanour is reflective of his thoughtful inner-self. And if you are looking for someone who has worked hard to become the best version of themselves. Or someone to pick you up when you are feeling down. Or help you find a path when you are lost. Then you’d do a lot worse than have this guy on speed dial. Today's episode was a long time in the making and I loved every second creating it. I hope you enjoy it too. So without further ado, I offer you this conversation with my friend, colleague and mentor, Dr Steve Noonan.

On today’s show, I’m joined by Dr Robert M Miller. Dr Miller is an equine behaviourist, veterinarian, and author. He was born in New York on March 4, 1927, and raised in Tucson, Arizona. After serving in the infantry in World War II, he attended and graduated from the veterinary school at Colorado State University in 1956. He established the Conejo Valley Veterinary Clinic in Thousand Oaks, California in 1959 and was the pioneer of the larger multi-doctor practice - a rarity at the time. Thirty-one years later, he retired as a renowned veterinarian and expert in ethology and began a speaking career. Dr Miller has visited every continent giving lectures to colleges, conventions for animal groups, horse organizations, breed associations and other clients. He has published many books on horsemanship, but what you might not know is that his list of credits also includes seven books of comedic cartoons. His acute sense of humour and love of drawing spilling out onto the pages of magazines and books as fast as the insights came to his quick-witted and creative mind. To date, Dr Miller has published a staggering total of over 20 books. On top of this he has authored 50 scientific papers and hundreds of magazine articles for both veterinary journals and equine publications and has served on the editorial staff of Veterinary Medicine, for which he is best known for his long-running “Mind Over Miller” column, as well as Modern Veterinary Practice, Veterinary Forum, and Western Horseman magazines. Dr Miller has received multiple professional awards for his achievements in both veterinary medicine and equine behavior. In 2004, Miller was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Western States Horse Expo, and is a recipient of the Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award in 1995. Plus numerous other accolades. Now, before I get into this episode, I wanted to let you guys know that we have brand new, limited-edition Blunt Dissection Podcast T-shirts available. If you would like to show your appreciation and support the work I do in creating these podcasts then jump across to my website www.drdavenicol.com/shop and you’ll find pictures of the merch there. Every T-shirt purchaser gets a free podcast laptop sticker too! And of course, my enormous gratitude. The t-shirts and hand-printed here in Brighton, use organic fair trade cotton and environmentally safe inks. But most importantly, they make the wearer look smoking hot. Get yours while stocks last today. Now back to the show, as I listen back to this episode it struck me how much I was smiling and felt joy in my heart. Partly this is due to a level of nostalgia from the insight into a time and world veterinary medicine is in danger of forgetting, it’s also because Dr Miller is such a funny, warm and engaging person to spend time with. The insights, story telling and humour that Dr Miller shares make this one of my all time favourite episodes, and I rather suspect that by the end, you’ll feel the same way too. So sit back and enjoy this episode with a man for whom legend seems to small a word. I give you my conversation with the wonderful Dr Robert M Miller.

On today’s show, I super-excited to be joined by the Chief Executive of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Lizzie Lockett. Lizzie, originally from a farming background in the North of England, is an Accredited PR Practitioner with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and holds a degree in English Language and Literature from St John’s College, Oxford, a postgraduate qualification in journalism, and diplomas in the History of Art, also from Oxford. She joined the Royal College in February 2005 as Head of Communications, and later Director of Strategic Communications, she was responsible for all of the College’s communications and public affairs functions. She was also responsible for jointly managing the innovative Vet Futures – an initiative that has been instrumental in shaping the recent direction of veterinary medicine in the UK. In autumn 2014, Lizzie helped set up the Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) which aims to make a difference to the mental health and wellbeing of members of the veterinary team. Following success in these roles, she was appointed CEO in November 2017 a challenging role for which she has performed admirably, winning plaudits from many quarters for helping to steer and modernise the executive branch of this old British institution at a time when multiple wrecking balls of change sweep through the industry. 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. For someone in such a prominent position, it was refreshing to hear that she was open, frank and, as is typical for someone hailing from the proud English county of Yorkshire, direct with her opinions and knowledge. She's smart, sharp as a knife, and most importantly clearly cares as much about the people in veterinary medicine as much as she does the animals we swore our oath to protect. This is a conversation I know you are going to enjoy. So, without further ado, I give you, my conversation with Lizzie Lockett.

On today’s show, I am joined by the multi-talented Jolle Kirpensteijn. Jolle graduated from the Utrecht Veterinary School in Holland and promptly moved to the US where he completed his residency training in small animal surgery and Masters degree at Kansas State University. He followed this with a fellowship in surgical oncology at the Colorado State. In ‘93, Jolle returned to Europe as a surgical-oncology and soft tissue surgeon at Utrecht University. In February of 2005, he was appointed Professor in Surgery at the University of Copenhagen and in August 2008 Professor in Soft Tissue Surgery at Utrecht University. He is a Diplomate of the American and European College of Veterinary Surgeons and received the titles of Founding Fellow in Surgical Oncology and Minimally Invasive Surgery, both from the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS). A former president of WSAVA, Jolle has been recognised with many awards including the prestigious BSAVA Simon Award, WSAVA President’s Award. Jolle currently works for Hill’s Pet Nutrition as the Chief Professional Veterinary Officer, where he leads all professional activities in the United States. Now, just before we jump into the episode, let me drop a quick word from today's show sponsor 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 not only should you listen to Jolle, but you should also join the VetX community. As a community member, you’ll receive success-skill training modules, live mentoring session and actionable 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. Jolle is one of a handful of people who truly meet the criteria of being a global citizen with a career that stands out for its life experience as much as it’s academic brilliance. He is probably best (if somewhat confusingly) described as two parts surgeon, one part oncologist, two parts business-man, one part unashamed tech-geek, one part ninja-level networker and three parts fearless adventurer. If your head is spinning then relax, because being Dutch, he is also pretty chill on life. So, sit back and enjoy my conversation with the outstanding, Jolle Kirpensteijn

On today’s show I super excited to be joined by one of my writing and business idols, Chris Brogan. Chris is one of the original group of people who, in the late nineties, decided this new-fangled-interwebs thing might just be useful and went all in. A risk that has paid off handsomely as he became known as one of the leading marketing gurus of the internet age. He is also one of the most published authors on the internet and has been described as a “content production cyborg” due to the volume and frequency of his publishing. But this description would be unfair because there is nothing robotic about the way Chris thinks or writes. His thoughtful, ground-breaking, and inspiring style have made him one of the most popular bloggers on the planet and his blog, CHRISBROGAN.COM is one of the most read in history. But his writing credits do not stop there. Chris became a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author when he published “Trust Agents” and has gone on to write or co-author another seven books. With work published in Entrepreneur magazine for good measure. All of which means for the next hour or so, you are going to be listening to genuine marketing royalty dipping his toes into the world of veterinary medicine. 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 success-skill training modules, coaching from experienced mentors and practical toolkits to help you thrive in your career. A year-long membership of the community is available for only $275 and if you use the promo code ‘podcast' then you will receive a further 10% discount. Head to vetxthrive.com to redeem this offer and take control of your career. Now, back to the show. Chris may be a huge name in business but he is no ego. In fact, I’ve rarely met a warmer, more humble person. In our interview, we covered a lot of ground from marketing to mindfulness. And we dive deep into his most recent project, Dented - an exploration of the vulnerable human condition and how we might better embrace all aspect of the digital lives we all now lead. A particular highlight is a very unexpected use for ketamine. It’s a scary thing to meet your heroes, but Chris was every bit as awesome as I hoped, this is a conversation I know you are going to take a huge amount from. So, whether you are in the business of helping pet owners by marketing better, or the business of keeping yourself sane, this is a conversation you do not want to miss. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the legend that is Chris Brogan.

On today’s show, I’m joined by Veterinary Technician, campaigner and veterinary Instagram celeb Nicole LaForest. Nicole is a co-owner, manager and Licensed Veterinary Technician for Mayo Veterinary Services - a large mobile surgery practice in Seattle. She graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Veterinary Technology from Penn Foster College, is licensed in both California and Washington State and spent several years working in emergency medicine as a lead technician. Her clinical work at the mayo is focussed primarily in the fields of orthopaedics and regenerative medicine. Away from her practice, Nicole is very active in the wider veterinary community serving as the president of the Washington State Association of Veterinary Technicians, and also campaigning personally to raise awareness, standards and opportunities for vet technicians around the planet. Her passion in doing so has attracted a large social media following where she chronicles her life in practice and courageously discusses her issues with mental health in the hope that others may battle their own demons. Now, just before we jump into the episode here’s a quick word from today's show sponsor 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 success-skill training modules, monthly 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. A conversation with a veterinary technician on Blunt Dissection is long overdue so it was great to bring a different perspective to the show. In a virtual world where filters and selfies are the norm, Nicole’s brand of visceral story-telling stands out and has won her a 20,000+ fan base. Her frequently edgy posts chronical a journey off the beaten path, they are educational, engaging and gritty – displaying an authenticity and a rawness that scream’s “take me as I am, warts ‘n’ all”. Nicole, it’s safe to say, is not afraid to call a spade a spade. But she is also a warm-hearted and incredibly bubbly person to spend time with. And so it was in our conversation where she left nothing on the field. We covered a lot of ground, with subjects as diverse as managing burnout, drug addiction, crazy clients, how she keeps a life working with her husband fun. So without further ado, it gives me huge pleasure to bring to you, my conversation with Nicole LaForest.

On today’s show, I am joined by Dr Jessica Wilson. Jessica is a veterinarian and professional athlete. In fact, as of now, she holds a new record - being the first pro-athlete to appear on Blunt Dissection. Jessica’s journey into veterinary medicine began early when she decided (age four) to become a vet. But from that moment the odds seemed stacked against her and she had to overcome many obstacles. Growing up, the daughter of a single mum who migrated to in New York from the Dominican Republic, money, nor culture was not on her side. And she had to find a way to cope with the double rejection from vet school that nearly stopped her career before it even got started. Jessica’s resilience was further put to the test in her early career as stress began to cause some major health problems. But while she may be small in stature, Jessica possesses a drive and determination to overcome obstacles that are formidable and have helped her to achieve success not only as a veterinary dentist but also as a professional athlete in the world of bodybuilding. Initially, Jessica took up bodybuilding as a way to manage her stress level as a vet, but quickly fell in love with the sport and started to move up through the ranks to her current level competing as an athlete on the IBB professional circuit. 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. Access to the community is available for just $275 and if you use the promocode ‘podcast' then you will receive a further 10% discount. Head to vetxthrive.com to take advantage of this offer and take control of your career. Back to Jessica. This native New Yorker has crammed a lot of living into her years on this earth and she shares openly both her struggles and triumphs in equal measure. Her’s is a tale of building not just her body, but also her mind as life kept on dishing out challenges. There’s a lot in this episode for anyone who wants to gain insight into finding balance in life through sport, getting clear on what matters and being laser focussed on your why. I hope you find some wisdom and inspiration in her message. So, without further ado, I present to you, my conversation with Dr Jessica Wilson.

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.

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.

On today’s show, I’m delighted to welcome one of the most well-read, insanely qualified and awesome people in veterinary medicine you’ve most likely never heard of, Dr Sheilah Robertson. Sheilah grew up in Scotland and graduated from Glasgow University. Her career in veterinary medicine spans more than three decades and encompasses numerous roles and qualifications acquiring four diplomas and one PhD while teaching at schools in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. Sheilah has held many prestigious positions including work with AVMA, she's a two-time member of the American Animal Hospital Association and American Association of Feline Practitioners Pain Management Taskforce. And has served as the president of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia. That’s saying nothing of the massive list of publications she has written or contributed two including two books. It’s safe to say she’s a titan in the world of anaesthesia and pain management. In 2017, Sheilah joined Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice as the Senior Medical Director. Where the rumour has it that the company had to reduce their font by two points to come anywhere near getting all of the alphabet of letters onto her business card! I’m not going to read it out here but in the show notes you can see for yourself, she has so many letters after her name it’s like someone got very loose with a can of alphabet spaghetti. 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 episode ranks as one of my favourites (I know I say that a lot and I genuinely mean it each time). The reason being that Sheilah is such a warm, friendly and humble person with a great sense of humour. It really was a joy to listen and learn from her. The time just flew past I could have talked for hours more. So without further ado, I present to you, my interview with the amazing Dr Sheilah Robertson. In the course of our talk, we cover many topics including: 1. Anaesthesia safety tips and risk you probably didn’t know before - my eyes were certainly opened. 2. Why and anaesthesiologist would move to work with an end of life care business. 3. What we can be doing to improve care for geriatric patients. 4. She spells out a great anaesthetic protocol for older pets for dental work. 5. How to improve anaesthesia and mortality in cats. 6. What the big ethical dilemmas are in veterinary medicine.

On today’s episode, it’s a pleasure to be joined by Dr Mia Cary. When I ask for guest recommendations from you guys, Mia’s is a name that comes up frequently, and here’s why. She has seen animal care from multiple different and interesting vantage points. And she’s excelled in them all. She began her career as a marine biologist before trading dolphins for dogs and completed her veterinary degree at the University of Florida. After graduation, she had a short spell in general practice before moving into her first industry role with Novartis where she spent many years rising to the level of national sales trainer and brand manager. She then moved to the snappily titled Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica where she held the roles of Marketing Manager for the Companion Animal Section and Director of Professional Services for the mid-Atlantic area. Her career then took a new direction when she traded a life in pharma for a role as the head of training and innovation for the North American Veterinary Community. A role she last year somewhat controversially traded in to move over to the American Veterinary Medical Association where she is now Chief of Professional Development and Strategic Alliances. Alongside her day jobs, Mia has also served as the 2017 President for the American Association of Industry Veterinarians and is on the Board of Directors for Pet Peace of Mind. And if all of that left you a little overwhelmed then just know this, Mia is an amazing example of leadership done right and she knows this industry, at least the North American bit of it, inside and out. Now, just before we jump into the episode, I just wanted to drop a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is the VetX Graduate 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 enabling practices to recruit and retain talent by helping young vets across the world thrive in clinics just like yours. And with that said and done let’s get into the show. Mia is about as positive a person as you might meet and despite her success, she remains a humble, fun person to spend time with. She is truly a cheerleader for our profession. And I challenge anyone to find a picture on social media where she is not grinning from ear to ear like the proverbial Cheshire Cat. So, without further ado, and with great pleasure, I give you my interview with the human dynamo that is Dr Mia Cary. In this episode we cover: What’s going on at the University of Florida Vet School (they seem to be putting something special in the water there). Why she traded in NAVC for AVMA and what she’s working to achieve. What changes are going to be most likely to shape the profession in the coming 5-10 years. Why her mum is such a rock in her life and how that helped to form her character. Imposter syndrome. Why farting is not only human, but one of life’s great ice breakers! (Seriously).

On today’s show, I am delighted to be joined by Squadron Leader Tim Davies, a qualified fast jet instructor for the Royal Air Force. Over his 20 year career, Tim has been a frontline Tornado GR4 low-level strike attack pilot, before becoming a fast jet flying instructor. He served all over the world and clocked up over 2,500 flight hours. As an instructor he flew the Hawk T2 in an advanced flying training role teaching students and instructors how to use the aircraft as a weapons system. If that doesn't mean a lot then think Jester or Viper in the film Top Gun. Tim has been responsible for training every frontline pilot in the RAF since 2007. At the last count that’s over 350 highly skilled operators. So, I hope you’re starting to get a sense of why I am so thrilled to have him on the podcast. Anyone who has successfully flown military aircraft for 20 years and says "I'm just into studying failure, that's kinda my thing” certainly gets my attention. Though at first glance war and healthcare seem unlikely bed friends, there are, on closer inspection, many parallels between our industries in the shape of operational risk management, safety, recruitment and training/development. This episode is very granular, there are so many learnings woven throughout that I ended up listening to it no fewer than three times and found myself picking up some new insight each time around. So, I strongly encourage you to do the same. 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 greater 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. And with that said and done let’s get into the show. Tim was a fantastic guest so it gives me great pleasure to bring you my conversation with one of the most experienced fighter pilots and fast jet instructors on the face of the planet. Squadron Leader Tim Davies. Topics covered in this episode include: 1. How the RAF deals with training in high-risk environments 2. Why all successful pilots are made to fail and the earlier the better so they can learn to build resilience. 3. How he deals with mental health, growth and development in high-pressure roles. 4. Deviant practice and how it can destroy lives and businesses. 5. What qualities he looks for in pilots (hint - they would be good to select for in veterinarians too). 6. An acronym that turns failure as an experience on its head.

On today’s show, we welcome Dr Gerardo Poli, author of the minivet guide, Emergency Veterinarian and Director at Animal Emergency Service, a business with four hospitals based in Queensland, Australia. He completed his Vet Degree at the University of Queensland, Australia in 2008 - graduating with first class honours. He was awarded the Australian Veterinary Association Student Award and Gerardo was also selected as valedictorian of his year. Following graduation, he spent almost three years in a busy small animal general practice finding his feet but in 2010 discovered his passion in the high octane field of emergency and critical care. Gerardo achieved his Membership with the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in the field of Emergency and Critical Care in 2012. Completing his decade-long education binge with his Masters of Veterinary Studies through Murdoch University two years later in 2014. When he straps on his Superman outfit at work, Gerardo gets most excited about snatching critically ill patients back from the jaws of death, especially when it involves ultrasound and radiology, surgery and CPR. But his talents do not end in the emergency room and many of you will know him as the author of the best selling MiniVetGuide, a diagnostic decision-making book which has sold more than 10,000 copies and is beloved of student and new graduate vets worldwide. All of which seems like a very long way of saying he’s a bit of a rock star. In this conversation we discussed: 1. Resilience and building esteem 2. Being OK with overwhelm 3. How to transfer skills (particularly challenging clinical ones) to the next generation of vets. 4. Principles vs protocols in medicine. 5. Why capability is a double-edged sword. 6. How he creates space for his team to grow. 7. And why he believes you have to invest in your people. Gerardo may move fast at work, but he is something of a deep thinker which made his insights during our conversation even more valuable. I hope you enjoy and learn as much from this conversation as I did. And without further fanfare, sit back and enjoy my conversation with the fantastic, Dr Gerardo Poli.

On the podcast today I’m joined by Dr Peter Weinstein. Peter has had a rich, varied and successful career based in Southern California. He is a graduate of Cornell University and got his veterinary degree from the University of Illinois. After graduation, he worked as an associate for three years before opening his own practice. While running his practice he, like many of us, learnt the hard way that it takes way more than just a love of animals to run a successful hospital and so undertook his MBA. This was a decision that made a major positive impact on his trajectory and his practice subsequently took off, resulting in its eventual sale to a corporate consolidator. At which point Peter "segway-ed" out of clinical practice and into the land of politics and business consulting. In part 2 of his career, he served as President and Executive Director of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association, President of the California Veterinary Medical Association and he is a Past-President for VetPartners in the US. Additionally, he acted as Medical Director in the Claims Department for a large US based pet insurer. In short, there are few people on the planet who have seen veterinary medicine from so many different angles. Peter now provides consulting services as PAW Consulting and perhaps most excitingly co-authored the E-myth veterinarian with global business legend Michael Gerber. (And I’ll tell you what it’s lucky this is a podcast as I’m going a quite sickening hue of green here such is my tragic combination of love and envy for this project. Peter is a fun guy with a massive amount of life and veterinary knowledge to share, so It was such a pleasure and honour to have him on the show - this episode will bring you value regardless of your role covering topics like how to deal with failure, his opinion on the state of the profession, his approach to self-development, and how to have success as a small business owner. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did and get massive value from it. So without further ado, I give you my conversation with the legend that is Dr Peter Weinstein.

This month’s episode is a mash up from all ten of my guests from around the world in 2017. I’ve cut five of the most powerful minutes from each interview into one episode so you can distill a huge amount of value. Also if you’ve never listened in to the Blunt Dissection Podcast before then this episode is a great starting point. Ep 1: Diederik Gelderman: Leadership - What is it and why we are all leaders? Ep 2: Garret Turley discusses dealing with your inner trash talk and making decisions. Ep 3: RVC Graduates of 2017 talk about the things graduates want to see from their future employers - this is dynamite if you are looking to hire a millennial vet. Ep 4: Dr Sue Ettinger busts some pet cancer myths that abound in the industry. Ep 5: Dr Karen Bradley & Kim Therrian discuss their own unique angles on women in veterinary leadership. Ep 6: John Sheridan paints a picture of what Future Vet Clinic Inc might look like. Ep 7: Dr John Dooley & Dr Nadine Hamilton open their hearts and share their stories of veterinary suicide and prevention. Ep 8: Professor Stuart Carmichael talks about how we train and develop the vets of tomorrow. Ep 9: Dr Dani McVety - On the loss of talent and how she successfully bonds vets to her Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice Care business. Ep 10: Dr Andy Roark - on using personal brand to improve relations with clients and how to manage your time on social media. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of my guests for appearing not he show and giving their time up freely. I’m so grateful to you all. And I’d like to also thank you the listeners for your support and ears. If you weren’t;t there then I wouldn’t;t be doing this. So thank you all from the bottom of my heart. As things stand we’re now close to 1200 downloads per month meaning in we’re reaching 14000 sets of ears per year. I figure I never dreamed could be possible. So what started as an experiment is now a central pillar of my work and already in 2018 I have some amazing guests lined up. But as always I’m keen for your feedback. Who do you mot want to hear from on the podcast? Let me know and I’ll do my best to make it happen. Have a very merry Christmas (or not depending on your religion, beliefs etc). A happy New Year and I look forward to bringing you more amazing people from the world of veterinary medicine in 2018. Peace, love and happiness. Dr D.