July 24, 2020

What does life as a vet look like, and other questions.

What does life as a vet look like, and other questions.
Apple Podcasts podcast player icon Spotify podcast player icon RSS Feed podcast player icon
Apple Podcasts podcast player icon Spotify podcast player icon RSS Feed podcast player icon
Season 1

In this bonus episode we answer some listener questions. One of our listeners brought it to our attention that, because of Covid, many people who are considering studying veterinary science are not allowed to see practice. How are they supposed to know what life as a vet is like?! They have some questions: What does the day to day life of a vet look like? What do you look for in a veterinary student that makes you think they will become great vets? What do you wish you'd known when you entered the profession? 

So we've teamed up with Dr Louisa Graham to answer some of those questions for our pre-vet listeners. We hope it helps! 

We love to hear from you. If you have a question that you’d like us to answer with the help of our guests, leave us a voice message by going to our episode page on the anchor app (https://anchor.fm) and hitting the record button, via email at thevetvaultpodcast@gmail.com, or just catch up with us on Instagram. (https://www.instagram.com/thevetvault/) 

If you like what you heard please share the love by telling your friends and colleagues to check us out.

Just a quick reminder.Before we kick off to send us your questions and comments, we love hearing from you.This episode was made in response to some questions sent To Us by Jocasta Cox from the UK.Jocasta sent us an email at V12 broadcast at gmail.com asking for some help Jocasta.
If you listening we hope this answers some of your questions.So if there's something that you'd like some input on all that you'd like to get off your chest, give us a shout and we'll see if we Can help.You can also leave us a voice message.If you go to a show at anchor dot, f m or look us up on the socials.
Now, back to our episode.Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.This is Gerardo Poli.And this, sorry.
I'm Gerardo Poli, I'm you bottom strap and this is The Vape vault.Hi everybody, and welcome back to another episode of the vent valve.We are doing a special episode this time.
We thought we'd do a bit of a Q&A.We've had some great questions from our listeners and one of them particular stood out, it's a question from a scholar, a high school student in the United Kingdom and she is a bit of a conundrum early classmates deciding whether they want to become Visionaries whether they want to study with science, but they can't go and see Practice because of covid.
And she asked if we can help out with some information about what life as a weight is about.So we thought we'd get in touch with some of our great friends and X guest on the show and innovate.We know to see if we can get some insights and I thought the best one to start with would be the very popular and lovely doctor Louisa Louisa, welcome back on the red.
Well, thank you very much for having me.Write your number, you would never want.You know what, what?I know that people.Isn't it more?So I'm going to give you a questions.Okay, first we got it all started with the first one.
The first question is, what is the daily routine of a vet in different practices involved.So all three of us are small is vets.Let's go Louisa what does the daily routine of a small and Rural GP vid look like?So I think this is always practice dependent but I've worked in quite a few small and or GP practices and really daily routine would be you will consult in the morning.
I'm so let's say from 8:30 to 11:30 and that will be.You, you boosted your health?Checks your vomiting diarrhea, dog.See, if you see anything sick.You could admit them and this also just depends whether you working practices that I have like, satellite branches or main hospital.
So if you saw something poorly in might send it to you, make Hospital, whatever.And then and you tend to break off and do afternoon Ops seed operate, let's say 12 pill, three 3:48.And then you'd finish up some then you'd have evening consult.
But like that, that can vary other practices I've done and solely Consulting, three days a week and then Ops 2 full days a week.It really does depend.But most GP practices you'll have a mixture of your consoles and you're up to procedures and you split those into dirty optically, not well.
So then for procedures, horrible like removals and then space and ABDO procedures.Sarah part is, it's pretty.It's a pretty variable day isn't it?There's a, there's a lot of different stuff happening all day.Yeah, so I've always had this, there's not one day that you could say is the same at all, every day will surprise you.
With something, you can prepare a little bit supposed to be day by.Looking ahead at what consults, you've got our sort of procedures but every day will be very because you don't know what's coming in through the door.So your whole day could be ruined by one procedure that comes in.You've got to rearrange all of your consultation.
In particular, if you're the only with that or this to and you don't straight to UPS, they just got to be prepared to adapt to whatever the day throws at.You really Yeah, I'd like upon reflection.I remember general practice been like that.So I like when I first graduated from uni I was in general practice for two and a half years and the first year was kind of like that.
Yeah.Morning consults 832 about 11:00 when you have morning tea.If you had time to have morning tea, whatever that was right scoffs and food as your pre-meeting, your patients, but hopefully you've planned ahead and your nurse.Has a plan to head in your pre many patients already.
So that by the time you come out of consult, wham bam, induce anesthesia ma'am.And then your first procedure, surgical procedure, or dental, or whatever, maybe for the day.And then roll through, try to get wall, squeezed out.And then straighten out the new consults, then try to get home, tried tried it.
Try to get out by 6:00.So long long days where how, what time does your it starts a bit later in the UK, actually, what time does work started in the UK and what time do you finish normal?Again, it's practice dependence.So I do 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. moment and then I account for travel time to half an hour there, half an hour back so they are, they are long days.
But my current week is a four-day week with like a one-in-four Saturday for Saturday until 5:00.So other practices do like shorter ones, make don't know 4:51 other five days but I prefer to have a day off and So while they are quite varied, and if you're lucky some practices, you do have a set lunch but ultimately we all know that great be great or when you can and that's a suppose something you do get used to, unfortunately.
So to our next question, we'll do our listeners.Nice question.What would you say is the most important factor in deciding to become a bit?Now, this is interesting because we just had the conversation about, when Gerardo decided to become events very different to mine.
So, I think that most of us have like, I don't know, you have a driving passion to one clear.Safeguard the Health and Welfare of the pets.And I think that's what ultimately drives, you drives you to it.
You most often a lot of us have grown up with pets and we know that Manimal bummed.And I know for me, all I wanted to do was protect them and look after them, and make sure that we kept going to be, you know, prevent disease, and treat disease and make sure that we can keep our love our pets healthy.
So that's them.That's what, that's what I think.What do you think Dorado yet to?Like, to be honest.Actually my my career pathway my my my decision making into heading to veterinary.Science was a little bit different.
Yeah.So, I didn't have pets when I grew up, and, but what intrigued me was science.Science intrigued me, like, Anatomy physiology.That's the things that I excelled at school.And when I can refresh with uni was he was, he was human anatomy physiology, biology and then I went to I was at a party and I met someone and and she said, like she she was doing bad science and I was like, wow, like why are you doing that?
And You guys odds because I get to do this, I get to be again, do the surgery, get you medicine.I get to learn Anatomy physiology.Like I get to learn about everything and that was the thing that actually intrigued me.And here I am a veterinarian now and I've no regrets hundred percent.No regrets.I Echo that as well.
Like the fact that you you can do so many aspects in this career of being from a dentist to a medic to a surgeon to get preventative health.Like it's the efforts that you can do towards it.Is endless.I think, yeah, I really enjoyed science as well, although actually interestingly failed chemistry at college and was told, I wouldn't get into vet school, which I think I mentioned in the first podcast.
So this is something that I didn't consider at the time, but if you talk about an important factor in deciding to become a bit.So I think most people will become with are like you Louisa who it's born from a love of animals and that's it.Let me mine was nature and animals and science combination of that but it really helps.
If you'd like people, if you say they, if I had to say the most important factor, the what's it's not to say that you can't do it.If you don't like people, but you'll enjoy it a hell of a lot more.If you do actually, enjoy, working with people and talking with people to people and building relationships, if you really don't like people, you might actually really struggle unless you go into a different kind of role, it's not that people facing, but for the average fit, you deal with humans a lot and you may as well enjoy it.
Yeah, and I think they a lot of people would ask is that, why don't you become a doctor?And I think it's easy to say I don't like dealing with people but you're absolutely right.So most of our job and most of the challenges are dealing with people.So you have to have a capacity to be able to communicate and manage people.
Otherwise, you're going to come stuck particularly particularly in like GP or when you are face-to-face with clients as well.So I do think you have to yeah, be able to build relationships Chips and make bombs with people that you don't know.Definitely, I remember when someone asked me, why wouldn't you be a doctor?
That's because I never under my answer with 100% it's because I never did with people, like like honest, that's what it was.It was like, I never do with people and before I was a bit near Ian and through vet school, I was a librarian.
I was librarian and I spend a lot of time talking with people helping people and connecting with people and as much as I went at the bedside thinking, I couldn't be a doctor because you might have to do with people's illnesses and so forth.
Be librarian prepared.Me prepared me to connect with people.So inherently, I actually really liked the engagement that came with being a veterinarian through the connection with people with people.And the fact that I understood pretty quickly for early on that if I was better able to connect with people and understand and communicate with them, then I was better able to care for that pad and if you if you if you don't let go of that if you walk into that science feeling like as if you just want to be the best for the pet but then don't care about humans.
Do not go into vet science.Yeah yeah.And Louise did you tell them?It's 100%.You can't do what you need to do for the pet, if you do not want to connect with people.Yeah, like communication skills, I can't stress enough.
I remember thinking really boring because you think, well, I'm dealing with the pet.But actually in hindsight and when you reflect the most challenging cases than the most success, I've been able to sort of achieve further further pets.
It's always been if I can communicate with that client, get them on board.They They believed in me, and then then I can do what I need to do for their pet.If they don't believe in your trustee will value your opinion, by which, you wouldn't have got back or communication, or, or personal skills, and you're not going to get anywhere in that, that pet will ultimately not receive the treatment of you recommend, right stuff.
So that, that I think leads quite nicely into the next question.What do you look for in a Veterinary student?That makes you think they will become great vets.So, I get asked this quite a lot.I think a lot of that students worried, but we put a lot of emphasis on clinical skills and that's absolutely, not the case.
And I do think that it depends on what practice is to go into as well and what role that you're going to apply for, and whether you go into, you know, working with Branch cracks or Hospital practice.But for me, I think, If I'm looking at a student, then I want them to be able to fit in with my team because my team is solid and they're very, very welcoming and I have to know that they will mix with them.
I think as well.I like students that I know can be taught and then they welcomed being taught as well.I think I don't mind element of confidence when you come in, but I think there's a fine line between that and being arrogant and wanted to like be in I do whatever, I think think it's very, very humbling when somebody asks for help and wants to wants you to guide them and rather than going off on their own and then you can watch, you can watch them progress but it.
Well I think I also like somebody with.He's always the cliche like in me as adverts.I can feed you as important.Please on them is so important, like particularly for the likes of.I mean, I know you guys have been best little bit longer than me, but, you know, sometimes we're not as enthusiastic.As how do we want, where and I do think bringing some enthusiasm into it.
It's so it's so just inspiring as well.And just somebody who wants to learn and wants to build character and progress, they're the most important, most important things to me, rather than critical necessarily clinical skills.Absolutely that that enthusiasm enthusiasm in curiosity.
If we, if we have students, you see practice with us and they just and I understand and I appreciate that it's often a shyness thing but they Back in the corner and done, say a word.And I did why even here but zero interest in what's going on going should you look over my shoulder and see what I'm doing?
And ask me questions and and get excited about what we're doing and I can see that you that you want to get stuck in and do the same thing.Gerardo 100%, man.Having done dozens of interviews.You have a feeling and the feeling is, you want someone who's curious, you said the right word curious, right?
They want to learn more, they want to understand more, they want to see what happens, they want to know, right?The curious to learn I would take a new grad over a experienced general practitioner provided that they had the want to learn that their the Curiosity to see some new things.
And in the last thing which is the want to be coached and mentored the I would not hire some 100% will not hire someone.If I get the feeling from them, that they had everything what it needed.
You know.Like, I'm the finished item that finished product.I'm ready to roll out and I'm going to come here and I'm going to G.I'll show you what is going on.Yeah, I think that's exactly it.You think you like you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover book?
You, I can work out of somebody's right further, practice on me in one literally within the first few minutes and I think as well.I think I mean, I don't know whether the question was specifically down to like being in the interview, but I think we is about that character of that person.
I just think someone who really wants to self-improve and unlearn is categorically the most important thing for me because clinical skills can be learned.I mean, don't get me wrong if they happen to have gone on a nutrient thing and then they had all of these other things and then that's great.
But equally someone that you can work with and that can develop with you will be far better to work with than someone who is arrogant and already fell for me.Made and you just think I do also like to see.I know we talked about love for people and not just love for animals, but I do like to see that you actually like animals.
If somebody's there is in practice and I don't see them at least cuddle and animal once or twice a day times.I do worry about, you might lose motivation because they are some animals involved in this job as well.We always have pets in our interview rooms anyway.
Now, you do your patent interference.Yeah, because we are, we bring our dogs to work.Well, I bring the dogs to work.So if there's a pet, it's all we have.And when I say, interview room, it's probable kitchen.So, yeah, when I remember my vet school, interviews always had dogs in there and it was a brown, Labrador, and nothing him.
And I felt completely engaged the.I just think it relaxes people as well, and then you can get a Vibe for them.I like that.Hmm, I love it.I love it.If your dog is in there and it's growling out the, the candidate, the candidate This is weird, he will will.
That's a side, right, right?It will wrap it up with the last one.What do you wish that you'd known When you entered the when you first entered the profession?Oh well, I think, again, it comes back down to people that you want to do for the majority of time, the most challenging aspect of this job.
I do feel involve your the clients and the people and I think if I could go back and tell my baby selfie They have realistic expectations about what this job has to offer except that there are going to be some absolute winning times and you should, you should treasure them and remember them.
So I write down my wins and I keep all the letters and thank you cards, and things are in a box down there but also just accept that we are going to have some quite difficult times.And I think how you approach and get through that is more of a reflection.
Every character than how you are otherwise, really?And even the likes of, you know, or was who might demonstrate that everything's perfect at work is categorically not I have some horrendous time to cry that work.
I've had clients where and be foul and Rural College complaints, which was stupid.They are going to be there going to be some really difficult times and we all have them.We all get through them doesn't Define you and And you've just got to roll with it and how you deal with it.
I think it's easy when it comes with time, and if you've got a lovely supportive group of people that can help you, but just know that you're going to have the bumps and it's going to happen, just get through them and don't dwell on them.That's what I would tell myself.I love that Trotter.
What is it was the anything that younger?I didn't know was the actual out of the finished product apart for the fact that I forgot my ID realize how much money we heard you didn't know.I had no idea.I'm going to the third year.
That someone said I'll look dry to you, probably like to go there and about 50,000 Australian dollars.In the first year, I was like Hey really.I have to be resourceful.I have to be like I have to I've no idea what I need to learn.
I'm fairly certain.It's beyond veterinary medicine, which is fun but you know I know that's why I went down there.The pathway of business ownership so let me rephrase them.Yeah yeah Kevin that was honestly actually that's the question the question I didn't know was how much weird and and and the perspective it comes from his.
I don't I don't want to stereotype it, right?But but I I still felt like as if I would have to be the person who supported my partner, my wife child family income and I couldn't do that on fifty thousand dollars a year.
And when I got the third year, I seriously considered leaving it doing medicine human medicine.Because that would then offer me the financial abundance to provide for a, the lifestyle and family and my partner.
And I remember when I when I graduated and I was in second year, second year, graduate veterinarian, my partner, I split up.Up and I had modest house but the mortgage and then we separated, I could not afford my own house on my veterinarian.
Come I filled my house with tenants so was me with like four other tenants and I had a surplus of $50 per week after my wage that's what you know.Like that was a major contributing factor for the transition to emergency.
The impetus was actually a lack of income, but what it did was drive me to the next level and push and train myself.So the thing that I wish I would tell myself in the past would be like hey dude you're stepping into this you're probably not going to earn enough income as a veterinarian to do the things you want to do.
You have to be creative, you have to be resourceful.It's if I knew that at the start and may not have done Veterinary.But that gels quite nicely with what I wish I had known at the start of my career and it is it's to do with money but also a lot of the other negative things that people tend to complain about veterinary science as a career.
I was definitely a bit of a victim.I love doing about it hard, we work and how crappy the pay is and all of this.And and and I suffered for for that mentality and what I'd realized 10-15 years into my career is that it's really up to me It is, it's generally up to be how much enjoyment and fulfillment.
I'm going to get out of my way.Teaching career is up here between my ears and maybe in my heart somewhere, I want to get philosophical, but it's it's up to your own attitude.How much money?If, if you walk into a job and you just want to do the job and nothing more, you're in the wrong career, if you think, you are going to earn a lot of money as a bit, but there are ways if you come up with ideas, if you play with About it.
They are ways to achieve anything in this profession.Like in any other profession, every profession has challenges.I think my issue is I felt like my boss or veterinary science or my clients or somebody owed me.Something because I was clever and I studied really hard and somebody reward me and it took me 10 years to realize that's not going to happen.
I'm going to have to make it happen for myself, and once that clicked in my head, I started started enjoying it.Yeah night, I completely agree with that.So I have a lot of conversations with friends who are unhappy in their jobs and whatever and I, but the theme is weird.
That I didn't think we need to take responsibility for our own happiness in this career, as well.Particularly, if you're going to have longevity in it and obviously for Gerardo, it was you going into emergency?I knew that I get happiness from doing actual qualifications and then going into some management things and who knows what the future holds.
And I think you know that there is so many ways that you can diversify in this job by still being a vet as well.There are different avenues that you can take.You just have to find it but I think you always have to find your feet first and then eventually just there are so many opportunities if you just look and I think, yeah the number I mean, go client all the time.
Think they get paid a fortune.It's ridiculous.We don't but if you are happy with the your income and you're comfortable with your laughing, that's great but equally, you know, looking at, you know, You guys, there are different ways are branching out and having different Revenue coming in that, you know, keeps you motivated to go to work as well as it should?
We wrap it up there, like, I think this is hopefully going to be really valuable, tell us if you love it and if you want more, because we received a lot more questions so we can do some more of these episodes.Louisa, who should we get next?I'm trying to think if I thought it kind of depends.
I would, you know what, I would go for a farmer or something.So, I really like I really like hazel Mullins.I actually did go to med school with us, it's fabulous because she's and a cow best.So I think mixing it up a little bit because we're all small, but I think maybe looking into the farming side and F wine and, and all the opportunities without that, I think might be quite good.
Cool.Thanks so much.