November 2018

The subtle power of saying no

Saying no often feels like a hard thing to do; however, Ami Sawran suggests it shouldn't be about letting people down, but protecting your well-being, both physically and mentally.

12 mins
Rest, relax and recharge

Jordan Sinclair argues that dictating when vets, especially new grads, can take holidays is part of the profession's widespread recruitment and retention problem – and how important having time out is on your well-being.

18 mins
ICU later

Nick Marsh weighs up the pros and cons of out-of-hours work, stating while its decline is great for vet well-being is that a good thing for owners and pets?

23 mins
How I finally fell in love with my job

Ami Sawran describes her early career as a vet and why it took six years for her to actually start enjoying her job.

12 mins

October 2018

Remember, remember, the 5th of November… in June?

Jordan Sinclair suggests practices should adopt early firework awareness and desensitisation campaigns to avoid a last minute rush in the run-up to Bonfire Night.

13 mins
Retention prevention: stop blaming students

The veterinary industry is facing a retention issue, but Nick Marsh argues instead of blaming a very large group of people for the failings of the profession maybe it should get its own house in order first.

25 mins
CPD as a new grad

As CPD is mandatory for all vets, some new grads might find the concept overwhelming, especially when deciding which courses to complete. Thankfully, Jordan Sinclair has a few hints for those struggling to find their way.

15 mins
Extracurricular activities

Whether its Morris dancing or slaying dragons, Nick Marsh highlights the importance of finding a hobby in your precious downtime instead of being slumped in front of the TV.

14 mins

September 2018

Lexicus veterinaris

Whether you're still getting your head around cranial and caudal or you know your idiopathics from your iatrogenics, Nick Marsh is here to regale you with some of his favourite medical terms that are beautifully precise, concise and evocative.

12 mins
Millennium baby

Nick Marsh takes a trip down memory lane to the long lost land of 1999 to discover if his contemporaries were indeed the “cheated generation”.

20 mins
The farm vet graduate’s guide to being on call

Being an on call farm vet shouldn't all be stressful, there's many ways to make it much more manageable by finding a good place for your mobile telephone, having a sympathetic friend and conditioning your hair.

17 mins
Importance of pet MOTs

Jordan Sinclair discusses the scope of significance vaccination appointments have for pets – annual events in every pet owner’s calendar that constitute so much more than a quick visit to the vets.

14 mins

August 2018

Holistic OA management: getting clients on board

Kathryn Cowley's series about this condition continues with a focus on conveying the seriousness of OA to the client and ways to provide helpful information.

11 mins
Mr Management

Nick Marsh reflects on his time as a clinical director and, inspired by a scene from one of his favourite TV shows, ponders on whether the hassle is really worth it.

17 mins
Working relationships

Nick Marsh challenges comedian Jerry Seinfeld's observation that you can't make friends when you're older by revealing how a change of job improved his social circle.

16 mins

July 2018

Practicing practising

Despite building up a “reputation for muppetry” during his university days, Nick Marsh recalls the hours spent finding ways to overcome his self-confessed lack of physical dexterity.

11 mins
Two things you probably already knew about pathologists (but I didn’t)

Nick Marsh discusses what he learned after sampling pathology for a few years and how his ignorance of this side of veterinary life, plus a dose of Quincy, M.E., inspired him to find out more.

14 mins

June 2018

The only way is ethics part 4: zoos

In this, the final post in his series on ethics, Nick Marsh asks if zoos really are the best way to educate on species conservation or if they are, when all said and done, more about money and entertainment.

24 mins
Regaining surgical confidence

Three months into her latest veterinary job, Jordan Sinclair reflects on the differences between her first and second employer to explain just how important environment is for being able to excel and build in confidence as a new grad.

16 mins
The only way is ethics part 3: pets

Nick Marsh discusses the thorny issue of consent, and the lottery of being a pet and not being able to choose their human carer, especially as owners have different approaches to looking after animals – some less positive than others.

18 mins