Attending an in-person veterinary conference is still one of my favourite forms of continued education (and it’s not just for the free pens).
But without a strategic approach, a very real risk exists of walking away at the end of an expensive week with nothing more than a head crammed full of random facts and a bad hangover.
So, how can you make the most of your next veterinary conference?
Pick a topic…
Most conferences will have a few set themes for the week, in addition to a plethora of other topics. Pick one of the themes and make an effort to attend all of the talks on this topic.
Saturating yourself with a variety of different viewpoints and opinions on one theme will ensure you walk away with a deeper level of understanding on at least one topic.
…but be sure to mix it up
Try to attend as many non-clinical talks as possible. Learning about themes like management, leadership, communication and well-being are likely to inspire some of the biggest positive long-term changes in your career. Some of my favourite talks have been plenary sessions by people who have nothing to do with veterinary science.
Make a point of attending a few lectures on topics outside your normal sphere of interest, and even on some you dislike. It’s quite possible you’ll discover your “next big thing” in a field you had no interest in up to that point, or that a little bit of extra knowledge can make one of those things you dislike seem a bit more appealing.
Take notes, but not too many
Don’t try to rewrite the conference proceedings. Rather, listen carefully for – and note – those little gems of wisdom that are casually dropped during lectures:
“This is the way I approach this…”
“A trick I find works well here is…”
“I love this little bit of equipment…”
Make sure to note anything that is completely new to you and all the things you’ve struggled with in the past.
“Take notes” and “use technology” are two of Hubert’s hints for a successful conference.
Use technology
I take an iPad into lectures and use the Notes app that comes as standard with it.
I create a folder for that conference in “All iCloud” and make a new note in that folder for each talk I attend. You can use a combination of typed notes, photos of the lecture slides, sketches and audio to record all the information you want to refer back to.
With this technique, your notes are instantly available and easy to find on all your devices via iCloud – so, if you need to refer back to that little trick at 3am, you can simply access it from your phone.
Create an action list
I make a separate note for each conference called “Actions”. If I hear anything that makes me think “we should be doing that”, it goes on this list.
Get yourself out there
It can be tempting to just hang out with old friends at conference, or to just sneak off for an early night after a long day of lectures. This would be a huge mistake.
During a conference, you’ll be spending time mingling with a large chunk of people from your profession – many of whom are leaders in their field and all of them with something to teach you (and quite a few of them slightly drunk). Get out of your comfort zone and engage with them.
Some of the best things to happen in your career will come from interesting conversations with interesting people.
Review
All the amazing things you’ve heard at conference are useless if you don’t internalise them and apply what you’ve learned. It’s likely your lovely notes will languish on that iPad never to be looked at again if you don’t make a concerted effort to review them periodically.
I set a fortnightly reminder on my phone that says: “One thing from conference”. I’ll go through my actions list and pick one thing I’d like to work on – and I won’t tackle the next item until that thing is done.
This approach removes the risk that I’ll get back to the practice with 101 new ideas flailing around in my skull, but never actually get around to instituting a single one of them.
As the new academic year begins, veterinary schools across the UK are welcoming student vets on their journey to their chosen careers. While we all hope this year will be less eventful than last year, there’s little doubt that many large lectures will continue to be recorded or put online to minimise the spread of COVID-19.
Learning with technology is fast becoming standard practice for vets. There are eye-catching new tools, like simulation models that mimic arrhythmic heartbeats and augmented reality videos to demonstrate catheterisation, but there are also more subtle technologies many students may not think about. Lecture recording – the practice of capturing audio and visual representations of the lecture – is now common in many universities across the world.
There is a temptation to think about lectures as they were in James Herriot’s day, with a lecturer standing in front of a chalkboard drawing complicated anatomy diagrams while students squint and try to capture as much as they can on paper. Now – with smart boards, PowerPoints and recordings – students can have a much more complete record of the material covered – and fewer hand cramps.
While some lecturers have been concerned that recordings will stop students learning how to take notes, research at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies has found many students use recordings very effectively in their study strategies.
In this work, some of which was funded by Echo360, a video-based teaching and learning platform, we have identified five top tips for students who want to make the most of studying with lecture recordings.
Whether your lecture is on campus in a bustling lecture hall or on a screen from the comfort of your bedroom, these tips will help you to get the most of your time at vet school (and we won’t lie, they are good for online CPD, too, for those qualified vets among you).
TIP #1: Know what the lecture is for
Most lectures will have “learning outcomes” or “instructional objectives”, either clearly detailed at the start of the lecture or highlighted as part of your course material (such as the course handbook).
Learning outcomes are a great way of making sure you have understood the purpose of the lecture and met its aims1. Learning outcomes usually begin with a statement like “at the end of this lecture, you should be able to…”. Unsurprisingly, these are the skills you should be able to do after you’ve finished the lecture!
Imagine a lecture designed to teach you how to make the perfect cup of tea. The learning outcomes might be:
Identify the sugar caddy, tea caddy and milk jug in the kitchen.
Describe how you would assess a person’s tea preference.
After the lecture, you should be able to go into your kitchen and point to the relevant equipment, and ask your guest how they like their tea to be made.
If you haven’t been able to achieve these things after the lecture, you might want to revise the topic again, review the recording, or ask the lecturer clarifying questions (“can you describe the sugar caddy again, Doctor?”). If you’re not sure what the learning outcomes are, be sure to look in your course handbook, but also don’t be afraid to ask your course organiser or lecturer.
TIP #2: Lectures as the diving board
Although it can seem as though you’ve just had an ocean’s worth of material dumped on your head in a lecture, your lecturer will be thinking you’ve barely dipped your toe in the water.
Often, the lecture is an introduction to the subject, a diving board that helps you find the right materials to study further. We’ve seen in our studies that students can use lecture recordings in all sorts of inventive and useful ways to support their learning.
Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels
It might be tempting to put lecture recordings on while doing the dishes, like your favourite Netflix series, but studying should be a dynamic activity. In one study2 we found vet students would watch recordings, pausing often to look up references or clarify concepts from their own notes.
We’ve also seen that students like to revisit their lectures on EMS3 – particularly to reconsider tricky topics that may have come up on placement, or just as a reminder that they do know this material really.
TIP #3: Make good notes
While it’s easy to say “make sure you study actively with recordings”, it can be a bit harder to imagine what that looks like. Here are some of our recommendations for making the best of your notes.
Remember that your notes can (and maybe should) begin before the lecture. You will most likely know the topics in advance, so outline what you think you’re going to learn, and even some potential questions before you review a lecture recording or go to class.
Leave gaps in your notes where you might want to revisit important phases or concepts. This is particularly useful in recorded sessions, because you can concentrate on listening to the lecture, knowing you can revisit the recording and look up the spelling of “blepharorrhaphy” later. We all know that’s suturing eyelids, of course, but if you weren’t sure, you could test yourself when you’re filling in your notes after class by researching the answer after you’ve made a guess.
It’s important to remember that the best notes aren’t just a transcript of the lecture. The recording is there to help make sure you don’t miss the details, but you need to return to your notes and expand on them. There should be more in your lecture notes than what was said by the lecturer.
The notes you have at the start of class won’t be the same notes you have before the exam. The notes should evolve with you and your understanding of the subject. You may find it useful to reorganise your notes as you study. It might not be logical to you to have them in the order of your lectures. Most importantly, your notes are for you and don’t need to be pretty, or make sense to anyone else.
One of the great things about recordings is that they give you the freedom to experiment.
Let’s say you wanted to try a new way of taking notes, like the Cornell system4, you can pick a recorded lecture to experiment in. If you hate it, you can use the recording to fill your notes in again. Perhaps you feel you might concentrate more if you take notes on pen and paper instead of on a laptop – why not try it out?
You may also find it useful to take and store your own notes online alongside recorded lectures or, if your institution has one, use a dedicated chat thread to discuss them with your lecturer or fellow students. It can be helpful to supplement your own understanding of the topics being covered by drawing from different perspectives.
Vet school can feel very pressured, but experimenting is a really important part of learning. Taking the step from school to university can be a great time to figure out what works for you, and what you might want to change.
This tip is also especially useful for graduated vets who are working on CPD recordings – what worked for you before you graduated might not work when you’re also running a practice and dodging children underfoot.
We’ve heard that our students like to use recordings in group study sessions. Think about sharing your notes in sessions like these, be they in person or over an e-conferencing platform. Can you get any tips on organisation from others, or help each other to get a better understanding of the topic? These kinds of group discussions are so important, both for learning the topic, but also learning how to become collegiate vets.
My final tip is to try to relax. The last 18 months have been tough on everyone, and you might be worrying about sitting formal exams again, anxious about leaving your family dog behind or simply concerned about how you’ll balance all the clubs you’re trying to join.
Everyone needs a sick day occasionally, and one of the big things we’ve heard from our students is that having recordings and virtual learning environments can help take some of the pressure off.
Ultimately, the way you study will be very personal to you. The tools and technologies are there to help, and they are worth exploring and experimenting with. Most of all, take the time to enjoy these lectures. They are the first step on the path to becoming the vet you’re going to be.
Technology has changed how we practice veterinary medicine. Gone are the days of the paternalistic relationship between vet and client, where the client will simply go along with whatever the vet deems necessary for the pet.
Clients are becoming more knowledgeable and, as vets, we’re often faced with a situation where a client comes in armed with a “Dr Google” diagnosis.
As practitioners, this can be challenging and confronting – maybe because our egos tell us it is an insult to our hard-earned years of training and experience. If this is the case, I think our perspective needs to change.
Changing perspectives
Working in an emergency clinic, we regularly talk to clients with questions about something they have read on the internet. I confess I used to feel threatened by this. However, I wasn’t comfortable feeling this way, so I decided to change my perspective on the matter.
Is it time to call a truce with Dr Google?
Here are some ways to turn the old nemesis, Dr Google, into a friend – or, at the very least, call a truce:
Make it a point to acknowledge your clients for their initiative and interest in their pet’s health. You are not simply paying lip service, here – the reason these clients have searched for information about their pet’s health is because they care.
These clients are generally dedicated to their pet’s health and welfare; they are the ones who are often committed to doing what needs to be done, as long as they understand why and how – and that’s where you come in. Client education is a big part of our jobs.
They are pre-armed with knowledge, therefore saving time in the consult room, so you can spend less time describing what the adrenal glands do, for example, and more about why and how they can malfunction.
If what they have read is inaccurate, take the opportunity to gain rapport by giving them the correct information or directing them to reputable sites, such as VeterinaryPartner.com – this demonstrates to clients you are still the most reliable source for information about their pet’s health.
Genuine concern
Due to the ubiquity of information (and misinformation) about veterinary medicine available on the internet, there is an even stronger reason for us, as vets, to keep up with the latest advancements in veterinary medicine.
Always try to remember, ultimately, the reason your clients have come to see you having already done some research on the internet is because they are genuinely concerned about their pet – so try to see this as something positive, rather than negative.
By changing your perspective, you’ll soon find you no longer dread a consult with clients who have brought Dr Google along.
All great leadership begins with self-leadership – and now is a prime time for leaders at every level to elevate their thinking and ground themselves in the values that define the leader they aspire to be.
This could be compassionate, calm, courageous… what words embody your ideal leader?
Reflection
First, stop and reflect. It is something we rarely do, but it is exactly what is needed right now. Look back and acknowledge the struggles you have faced in the past – with yourself, your business, or with your family or team.
Maybe it was the loss of a family member, a failed business venture, not getting to vet school, losing your job… Look where you are now – you may have survived and moved forward, or are in the process of bouncing back.
Perhaps at that time, like we face now, it felt like you would never come through it. But you did – and you will.
This, too, will pass.
Competence and confidence
You have demonstrated greatness in the past, so acknowledge those moments of courage in your life and remember how you overcame those situations, as well as the exact steps you took along the way.
How can you use what you did then to help you now? How can you pull confidence and competence from those situations?
Take courageous actions every day. Confidence grows from developing competence – for some, it takes an act of courage to take action, to then help you build competence. This act of courage could be:
enrolling on a course
sitting an assessment
learning something or trying something new
forgiving someone
pushing harder with your fitness
reaching out and asking for help
volunteering
In this together
Rally your team or family around a common purpose. We are all facing a common threat right now – and while we may not be coming together physically, let people around you know we are in this together and will get through this together.
This can build trust and strengthen relationships in ways that can never be done in calmer times.
Think of new ways to connect – a virtual dinner party, an online pub quiz, an internet fitness class, a virtual gallery tour – but use this incredible technology to still connect and collaborate.
Earlier this year, I went to Indonesia with my family. On arrival in the airport on Lombok, I turned my mobile phone on and received the reassuring message from my provider to tell me I could use it as usual for an extra A$5 (£2.66) per day.
Then, as our taxi drove out of the airport gates, my phone inexplicably lost signal and did not reconnect until we arrived back at the airport two weeks later.
For a few days, I traipsed up any elevated place I could find – arm outstretched, offering my phone up to the heavens – but to no avail.
I eventually gave up and resigned myself to a state of disconnection. Urgent business was attended to via telephone calls from borrowed phones and during frustratingly slow WiFi sessions in cafes, or relegated to non-urgent.
This is where I tell you how gloriously refreshing it was to be forced to disconnect for two weeks, and how you should all shun your phones, right?
Wrong. It was highly frustrating. I had stuff to organise and plans to make, and a functional phone would have been very useful.
However, despite my frustration, I found my anxiety levels were noticeably lower. That gnawing feeling I should be productive – and quickly check everything was okay – dissipated.
I couldn’t upload photos on social media, so didn’t. Many moments were experienced, but not documented. I had time. Time to play with my children, for naps, to read (yes, on my iPad), and not be distracted.
No surprises there.
Compulsive
Two weeks after getting home and I’m fully hooked up, mainlining the world though the multiple devices more or less implanted in my brain.
I’m anxious and irritable, which makes me pick up my phone looking for some relaxation and distraction. Like a Staffordshire bull terrier chasing its tail – not because it needs the tail for anything, but simply for the little dopamine hits that provide momentary relief from its “staffie-ness”.
Striking balance
This experience has confirmed to me what I already suspected and has made me take a long, hard look my relationship with technology. As a member of that weird in-between generation that grew up blissfully tech-free for the first half of our childhoods, only to fall deeply in love with technology as it blasted us with its fire hose of innovation in our adolescent years, I am ambivalent.
I am no Luddite. I appreciate the extreme usefulness and fun to be had through a nifty combination of zeros and ones, and screens; but I also remember the joy of a day spent in reality.
So where is the balance?
Amplifying brainpower
Steve Jobs famously described technology as “a bicycle for our minds”. It was not meant to be the mind, but, rather, a means to make use of our minds more efficiently. Like how a bicycle allows your body to propel itself at speeds far beyond those you could achieve using just the tools that evolution had provided for us.
I love this idea, and I’m trying to figure out how to use technology to allow me to fly down the road of life with the wind in my face, rather than sweating pointlessly on a stationary bicycle at the gym.
To help with this, I ask myself two simple questions every time I’m tempted to reach for a screen:
Am I about to use this as a tool or as a distraction?
In other words, is my phone aiding me in achieving something, or is it getting in the way of achieving something?
Let’s be clear – using technology for entertainment or leisure has its place, but using it for this purpose has to lead to the next question:
Is the thing I am doing with my tech for leisure helping me to relax, or adding to my anxiety?
Is scrolling through Instagram proving me with inspiration and ideas, or is it making me feel jealous and frustrated?
Are there better things on my phone that I can use to relax – like a book or some music? Or should I put the screen down and go for a walk or talk to someone?
Being sensible about technology is something our generation – and a few after us – will take a while to figure out. A good place to start may be by simply being intentional about how we use it.
A service is being launched to help practices across the UK fill their locum job vacancies in minutes.
Locum Vet Finder (LVF) has been designed to help solve some of the problems created by a recruitment crisis that has left hundreds of practices struggling with unfilled locum vacancies.
Based on an innovative technology platform that matches locums’ professional profiles to practice vacancies immediately, LVF promises to reduce the amount of time spent sourcing locums.
Transformational
”We believe Locum Vet Finder can make a real difference,” said Jo Woods, managing director of Veterinary Business Development, the company behind LVF.
”As a company, we thought long and hard about our audience, and how we might develop something that would really transform this process for them.
”We know it is tough, but we genuinely believe it’s the right time to put this technology into the hands of practices.”
A central hub for both locums and practices to advertise their availability or requirements – by species, working hours and salary – LVF allows locums to apply for roles in minutes, while market-leading smart matching technology ensures practices get the locum that best matches their need, alerting practices and locums to their matches instantly.
Features
LVF features include:
Smart matching aligns skills to the needs of practices.
Complete control – instant notification of matched vacancies.
Bookings can be made directly via the platform, with no third-party involvement.
Practice and locum profiles for practices and locums to build their LVF brand.
Star rating reviews.
A 24-hour service.
Free for all locums and cost effective for practices.
It’s surprising how much we rely on the internet and associated technologies. In fact, you don’t quite realise how much it helps until you find yourself without it.
I experienced a weird widespread internet fault. I’m not sure if it was localised to to my geographical area, but, for a few hours, neither my mobile data would work on my phone or the internet on the practice computers (although I’m not sure if they were just being their usual painstakingly slow dinosaur selves) – even the clients were commenting there seemed to be a data blackout.
Regardless, it made my consulting morning surprisingly more challenging.
First appointment
Repeat aglepristone injection for mismating
I go to check the protocol as I know the timings are different to when given for pyometra. The BSAVA app crashes four times on opening before I accept defeat and find a bound copy of the formulary.
I then realise things are listed by drug name rather than brand name and draw a blank. I try to open the NOAH website on the consult room PC, but this inevitably crashes the internet browser. Of course it does.
Suddenly the name aglepristone is dragged from the depths of my brain and I leaf through the formulary once more. That wastes nearly the whole appointment time before I even manage to find the drug, draw it up and give it.
The computer freezes while trying to print consent forms. Luckily it’s a fairly straightforward admit for fluids/treatment and the client knows the drill. I hand over to the ops vet and leave her to work out doses.
Third appointment
A transfer from the out-of-hours provider
After skim reading the long history (that consists mainly of numerous phone calls back and forward as to whether the owner could get the collapsed dog in the car), I finally get to the point and call the client in.
The dog is bouncing and back to normal, apart from a stonker of a heart murmur. Cardiology is not my strong point and after a lengthy discussion about starting medication, and much faff flicking through the compendium trying to remember various side effects, I manage to convince them to trial medication.
Fourth appointment
Vaccination
Yay, no formulary needed.
Fifth appointment
Medicine check
One client thinks her dog has gained weight since being prescribed a particular medication. I highly doubt this is the cause of weight gain, but say I will quickly (or not so) check the data sheet.
I reach for the NOAH Compendium (when I manage to locate a paper copy) rather than the formulary, because I can’t for the life of me spell the active ingredient. On skim reading the page, can’t find anything about weight gain or appetite, but it’s not as clear cut as the lovely “clinical particulars” or “contra-indications and adverse reactions” tabs on the website. I close the book.
The client seems to be in a rush, but wants to discuss lowering the dose (are you serious? Could you have not said that while I had the page open?). I flick through and eventually find the page again, and work out the dose as they’re practically running out of the door.
Sixth appointment
Pregnant bitch
The owner asks about worming and once again I leaf through the compendium to find the protocol, only to realise we don’t have that formulation in stock.
Of course I’ve shut the book – but, before I find the right page again, one of the fantastic receptionists has materialised a bottle from somewhere and is flashing the data sheet in front of me for reference.
Seventh appointment
As she had no internet, Jordan turned to the NOAH’s Compendium for guidance, with varying results.
Dog bitten by a ferret
Small wound, possibly infected, but the dog is very wriggly. I prescribe Amoxyclav – one of the few things I instinctively know the dose of – and meloxicam (definitely no books required to work out that dose).
Eighth appointment
Puppy diarrhoea
Can you give young puppies probiotic paste? Back to the book…
It’s not listed in the compendium, and the box doesn’t indicate a minimum age – normally I would check the product website… Sigh. I search for the other vet to ask what feels like the 100th stupid question today. So it went on…
No time to lose
The point is, I didn’t realise quite how much using the internet on my phone sped up my consults. A 10-second search on an app turns into a couple of minutes leafing through a book for a drug dose. When your consults are only 10 minutes, that extra couple of minutes in each one adds up and very quickly I found myself getting behind, and, therefore, more stressed.
I can’t retain numerous drug doses in my head – or at least don’t trust myself to rely on memory for many of them except the most common ones – so maybe this dependence on technology is more of an issue for new grads than more experienced vets who seem to be an encyclopaedia of drug doses.
I was thankful this hadn’t happened on a large animal day – as someone with a terrible sense of direction, I would definitely have been stuck in the middle of nowhere with no Google Maps to get me home.
An experienced vet warned me to stay off social media as a new graduate, because comparing yourself to others “drains your confidence”. I’m not sure I agree.
As with anything, there are pros and cons to the new age of communication, advertising and sharing information that is social media. Not just in veterinary, but in all walks of life, people are very good at publishing only the positive things, which gives others a very warped perception of their lives.
Bricking it
“Started a new job” or “excited for the future” have been common themes since graduation. But what you don’t see is “absolutely bricking my first day”, “maybe veterinary isn’t for me” or “I’ve moved to the middle of nowhere with no friends nearby and am seriously regretting my decision.”
Social media can fuel the feeling of isolation as a new grad because everything you see is through rose-tinted glasses – everyone else seems to be doing great and achieving so much. Now, the various platforms are not entirely to blame because it can be easy to feel that way just talking to other people in person as well.
While it is a lot easier to gather a more accurate idea of someone else’s experiences in person, you still get a certain level of one-upmanship, which does no one any favours. It’s great to meet up with uni friends to help you realise you’re not alone, provided you understand everyone progresses at different rates and in different environments.
Understanding what works for you
To begin with, I would envy the workplaces of my friends, thinking I’d somehow drawn the short straw, but having thought long and hard about it, would I want to be in their shoes? They may be thriving in their own respective environments, but I know I wouldn’t in some of their situations.
The key is understanding what works for someone else won’t necessarily work for you – and once you come to terms with that, you can use social media without having a sinking feeling every time someone posts about the latest great surgery they’ve done.
What about on a wider level? I have joined a couple of Facebook groups for qualified vets and been surprised by a number of aspects of these.
Can’t we all just get along?
Jordan has been “mortified” by the way some vets speak to their peers in certain online groups and forums. IMAGE: terovesalainen – adobe.stock.com
The motives behind these groups are genuine, offering a forum to share ideas and offer support to other members of the profession. And, on the whole, that’s what happens.
However, I have been mortified by the backlash some members have received for certain comments.
We, as a profession, are continually slated in the media for being money-grabbing insensitive con artists (which, of course, the vast majority of vets are absolutely not) and yet, in a private forum, vets are using very similar vindictive language against each other.
Some of it is barely short of cyber bullying, which is really quite sad. We get enough stick from the public, can we not try to be a little kinder to each other?
I know individual vets will disagree with others, but this can be expressed in a constructive way, not the emotive, anger infused rants we regularly encounter from the public. In this respect, I do think social media has gone sour.
Online awareness
For individual practices, it seems, at the moment, social media really can be make or break. Do not underestimate the power of social media – word travels fast: only too often do practices lose clients based on bad Facebook reviews.
But, equally, practices can try to maximise the interaction with clients through social media by posting facts, photos and offers to help educate and encourage responsible pet ownership, among other things.
While we don’t want to get too hung up on bad comments, which need to be addressed professionally and appropriately, it is important to be aware of our online presence – after all, we need to be proactive and advance with technology to keep in touch with our clients.
But how closely in touch with clients should you be?
Client friend requests
At some point in everyone’s career, the inevitable client Facebook friend request will happen. This can be tough and I have heard conflicting advice with how to respond. Some would recommend a blanket ban on client Facebook friends, which is all well and good unless you work in your home town, where a lot of your friends or family friends will be clients.
Others would recommend creating a bland profile to accept clients that doesn’t have any personal information or embarrassing photos. There’s also the option of changing your online name slightly to make it difficult for clients to find you in the first place – this is what I opted for.
Making sure your privacy settings are strict also helps non-friends see very little. I guess you just have to do what suits you without making a rod for your own back – if any client does try to message you out of hours, be strict and either ignore or refer them to the OOH number.
I think it’s safe to say social media is great in moderation, but too much of it could really get you down. We, as vets, should use it to our advantage, but try not to take it too seriously.
Two years ago, I received an email to confirm an EMS placement at a certain well-known veterinary practice in the south of England.
Fitzpatrick Referrals: arguably one of the most recognisable practice premises in the UK. Image taken from the VBJ Practice Profile.
In my head, the placement remained far off until – three days after one set of exams ended and four weeks before another set – it seemed to sneak up on me far quicker than expected.
Brain slightly frazzled from exams, but orthopaedics (hopefully) fresh in my mind, I found myself pulling into the car park of Fitzpatrick Referrals.
Making sense of things
Being such a large and busy hospital, the first few days were a bit manic, with lots of new faces and protocols to get used to. To be honest, just finding my way back to the staff room was quite a challenge.
As my first time in a referral hospital, there were notable differences from first opinion practice, and the sheer number of surgeries the vets would get through in one day was impressive.
I was able to see a lot of surgery, which helped make sense of the numerous abbreviations our orthopaedic lectures presented, for both the conditions and procedures – an FCP corrected by PUO or the options of TPLO or TTA for CrCLR meant very little until I was able to see the procedures and understand a little more why they helped correct the particular conditions.
Noel Fitzpatrick: veterinary visionary? You be the judge.
The above are among many other “standard” referral procedures carried out at other referral orthopaedic hospitals throughout the country. There are, of course (as seen on television), other surgeries Noel carries out. Whether these are considered groundbreaking, experimental or too much is open to interpretation, but they are certainly unique to the “Supervet”.
Noel himself is clearly very passionate and believes wholeheartedly his innovations provide the best options in the world for his patients.
Many other vets would disagree. Many believe he goes too far; that the prolonged recovery and rehabilitation time for heroic procedures are not justified in patients that live in the moment and cannot perceive the future advantages temporary discomfort may bring.
Having been “behind the scenes”, I’m still not sure where I stand on these heroic procedures, but am certain the ethics must be considered on an individual case basis, as is done at Fitzpatrick’s – for example, limb-sparing surgery was decided against in a case of osteosarcoma in which survey chest radiographs showed metastasis.
Camera shy
Undoubtedly, Noel is an extremely clever bloke who has dedicated his life to providing animals with the best orthopaedic technology possible, but his methods will always remain controversial.
The placement was certainly a worthwhile and very different experience. The stationary cameras around the practice were easy to ignore, but observing a surgery that was being filmed, with the surgeon re-explaining the procedure for the third time at a different angle, not so much.
A very definite highlight was scrubbing into a TPLO and being handed the bone drill, to my utter terror and delight at the same time. I’m not sure the novelty of putting a screw into a dog’s leg will ever wear off.
Technology has changed how we practice veterinary medicine. Gone are the days of the paternalistic relationship between vet and client, where the client will simply go along with whatever the vet deems necessary for the pet. 
