Blunt Dissection: The Best Minds In Veterinary Medicine, Academia & Business Profiled So You Can Learn From Their Experience.

Can Vet Heroes Get To Net Zeros? Sustainable Futures, with Dr. Jeremy WatsonAbout the GuestDr. Jeremy Watson completed his Bachelor of Veterinary Science with honours at the University of Melbourne in 1986. He established the Brimbank Vet Clinic in 1998, a small animal practice in suburban Melbourne. During 2011, the clinic was rebuilt incorporating the latest environmental design features, facilitating a pathway to make the practice carbon neutral.In 2013, Dr. Watson achieved membership by examination to the Australian & New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in the discipline of small animal surgery.Dr. Watson joined Vets for Climate Action in 2020 to help amplify the role that veterinary teams can play in motivating our community to take urgent action on climate change. Within this organisation, he has been working specifically on the Climate Care Program for Veterinary Practices.LinksBrimbank Veterinary Practice: https://www.brimbankvet.com.au/ Connect on LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/i

Episode DescriptionIn this episode of Blunt Dissection, we peel back the layers of veterinary medicine's current landscape, under the guidance of two of the industry's most influential figures, Dr. Matt Salois and Martin Traub-Werner. Matt, the president of VMG, a leading veterinary group purchasing organization, and former Chief Economist for the AVMA, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the economic facets of veterinary practice. His insights into financial trends and strategic planning are invaluable to understanding the broader economic environment in which veterinary practices operate. Martin Traub-Werner, the pioneering former CEO of Vet Success and the current CEO and founder of VetBooks, a cloud-based veterinary accounting software, is a titan of data analysis and entrepreneurial innovation in veterinary medicine. His expertise not only lies in harnessing the power of data to drive business success but also in creating tools that empower veterinary practices to navigate their financial land

Tune in to the latest episode of the Blunt Dissection Podcast, where we are honored to have the remarkable Dr. Chloe Buiting, an Australian wildlife veterinarian, conservationist, published author, and consultant for Fauna & Flora International, join us. With an impressive background as an Official Advocate for Kensington Palace's Earthshot Prize and a member of the Science Advisory Committee at Zoos Victoria, the world's first carbon-neutral zoological facility, Dr. Chloe brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to our conversation.Join us as we delve into Dr. Chloe's deep-rooted love for our natural world, cultivated during her childhood on the breathtaking Lord Howe Island. In this episode, she generously shares her early influences, veterinary heroes, and the transformative path that led her to become a dedicated conservation vet. Prepare to be inspired as she opens up about her book, 'The Jungle Doctor,' revealing the motivations, challenges, and profound insights behind its creation. Together, we ex

In this thought-provoking episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with veterinarians Matt Flann and Caroline Collins, the inspiring owners of Pennard Vet Group in the UK. They have challenged the status quo of selling their practice to corporations for large sums and instead forged an ethical path towards a brighter future for pets, their team, and the local community. By creating an employee-owned model and achieving B-Corporation certification, Matt and Caroline have become beacons of change in the veterinary industry.If you're curious about alternatives to selling out to private equity, passionate about leaving a positive impact on the planet, and interested in exploring new ways of engaging and caring for your people, this episode is for you. Matt and Caroline's leadership journey will open your mind to a different perspective on veterinary practice ownership and inspire you to consider the profound impact ethical choices can have on your team and local community.Join us as we delve into the story of Ma

On today’s show, I’m joined by Dr Robert Hilsenroth. Dr. Hilsenroth was born and raised in the Washington, D.C. area and graduated from the University of Georgia in 1971! After a year in practice, he took the bold step of moving to Colorado and opening a small animal practice as a relatively inexperienced vet and businessman. Things clearly worked out, as he owned the practice for the next 19 years.There were highs and lows, including frustration with how the media handled veterinary issues. As such, Dr Hilsenroth was drawn to develop his media skills to better contribute to and improve the quality of reporting on important local and national veterinary issues. This investment paid off, and for a decade, he was employed by the ABC television affiliate KUSA as their “pet health expert,” producing weekly reports on pet and animal issues.  In addition, he hosted radio talk shows and wrote weekly newspaper columns.In 1991, his career changed course quite dramatically and sold his practice and began a 13-year

On today’s show, we have the pleasure of being in the company of Dr Ben Howitt.Ben is the Founder & Managing Director of Pan Animalia Galápagos and is an International Veterinary Manager with Worldwide Veterinary Service. He was brought up in Singapore and studied at the University of Bristol Vet School in the UK. Following graduation, Ben spent three years of mixed clinical practice on the Channel Island of Guernsey before moving to the Galápagos Islands to manage a volunteer and charitable veterinary clinic run by a US charity. He completed this work in 2019, returning to the UK to start his own foundation called Pan Animalia and subsequently teamed up with Worldwide Vet Services as one of their project managers.Pan Animalia’s mission is to conserve endemic wildlife populations in the Galapagos islands by preventing competition, predation, and infectious disease transmission from the domestic animal population. This, in part, means working to educate local communities but also setting up local populatio

On today's episode of Blunt Dissection, we are doing something a little bit different. For the last six years, I have been interviewing people who are doing remarkable things in veterinary medicine. But this year I feel like getting curious about what different models and thinking is out there. Why?  - The reason is pretty simple. We are in what seems like an unsustainable moment where we are haemorrhaging talent of all kinds out of the veterinary profession. This comes at a time when there is increased demand in terms of quantity and availability of service but also in terms of quality of service. We are haemorrhaging talent in the face of increased stress, which starts at university, driven by the soaring costs of education. A stress that previous generations did not have.And yet acting as a counter-balance  we see huge improvements to the quality of life. Working hours per week have never been lower. And we now speak openly, freely and widely about the mental health issues that have con

On today’s show I’m joined by Martin Traub-Werner. Martin is the founder and former CEO of Vet Success, a business helping practice owners improve their decisions by taking objective data, sucked from their practice management software, and turning it into meaningful insight.He holds a BA in Economics and Spanish from York, and a Masters in Industrial and Labour Relations from Cornell. His early career was spent cutting his teeth in the HR department of a global manufacturing organization. He then took a “tour of duty” through the various business departments of both fortune 500 companies and small businesses - gradually learning his craft. Having served a very handy apprenticeship, Martin began his entrepreneurial journey for real setting up a marketing automation business. A complete fluke conversation caused a pivot into data intelligence and Vet Success was born.The business grew to a market leading position in data analytics for practices and in January 2021, was acquired by Vetsource. After a year

On today’s show, I’m joined by David McCormick. David is a veterinary valuation appraiser and transaction specialist, working with veterinarians throughout their ownership journey to help evaluate financial health so owners can make better decisions.  To give that a better outline David, in the same way, that veterinarians look at lab tests and x-rays to diagnose disease in animals, uses financial reporting tools to diagnose and treat unhealthy practices, or helps new owners understand their numbers from the beginning. In short, he’s a veterinary business health wizard who can read the tea leaves of your accounts and accurately predict much about your practice without ever walking in the door. A skill that every practice owner or manager would do very well to master too. His career pathway to veterinary medicine was not direct and frankly is worth an interview on its own merits,  with animal encounters in exciting, remote places and a near miss as a musician featuring highly.  But it was his fa

When I sat down for this episode of Blunt Dissection I thought it would be like any normal interview. Very quickly however I found myself in the Blunt Dissection hot seat! Being interviewed by the returning Dr Peter Weinstein. Peter takes to the mic to ask me some of veterinary medicines' most burning questions and I must say I’m a bit worried he’s trying to take over as the host of Blunt Dissection as a whole!  Peter and I have a fantastic discussion on a range of subjects from avoiding mentoring meltdowns, to the importance of culture, to reimagining the whole veterinary model around new technology. There's a lot to cover in this one so we’ll jump right on in but first a short message from our show sponsor... 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 place where you can learn and master the essential street skills for how to be a great GP vet upon which you can build a

In today's show, we visit rural Michigan and find ourselves on a horse farm… Home to none other than veterinary pain management guru Dr. Mike Petty. Mike is a graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University. He has been the owner of Arbor Pointe Veterinary Hospital since 1985. And it was here that he dedicated himself to becoming a pet pain management specialist, developing his practice to include the Animal Pain Center, a hugely popular service drawing pet owners from far and wide.  Within this particular niche, Dr Petty expanded his knowledge and skills to encompass the most up-to-date and compassionate treatments available. He is certified as … and wait for it… a Veterinary Pain Practitioner, a Medical Veterinary Acupuncturist, a Canine Rehabilitation Therapist, and he’s a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management. In 2016 he published his first book Dr. Petty's Pain Relief for Dogs: The Complete Medical and Integrative Guide to Treating Pain.  Mike is the p

On today’s show I am joined by uber-technician and Anesthesia Nerds founder Tasha McNerney. Tasha is a certified veterinary technician and pain practitioner specialising in anaesthesia as well as having the distinguished diploma in utterly nerdy vet tattoos!   Her veterinary journey bagan back in 1997 when she first started working in practice and has seen her rise to become one of the most inspiring advocates for animals in our profession.  Tasha graduated from Michigan State University in 2003 with a degree in wildlife Biology, gained her LVT in 2006 after studying Veterinary Technology at Manor college, and in 2015 qualified as a Veterinary Technician Specialist in anaesthesia.  She also works to educate the public on animal pain awareness, founding  Animal Pain Awareness Month alongside the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management.  She is a regular on the vet speaking circuit, and in 2020 she was recognised for her contributions by being voted VMX Speaker of the Y

In today’s episode of Blunt Dissection, we’re joined by the real-life Forrest Gump, Rob Pope.  Rob is best known for being the first person to complete the famous Forrest Gump run: 15,621 miles, five times across the United States. Rob is a graduate of the London Royal Veterinary College, an ER vet, winner of the Liverpool marathon, a qualifier for the Australian Olympic marathon team, ultra-athlete, and the first man to complete the Forrest Gump Run across America.  Averaging nearly 40 miles each day, Rob embarked on this mind-boggling journey across the United States to raise both funds and awareness for causes he really believes in - Peace Direct and the World Wildlife Fund.  His journey took him across the US 4.77 times, covering over 15,700 miles and earning a Guinness World Record.  In 2021 he released his book documenting the journey, “Becoming Forrest”. He has also finished as top Northern European on the six-day, self-sufficient Marathon des Sables in the Sahara desert, bil

Now after a short intermission, on today’s show, we’re back. And I’m joined by Canadian veterinarian, comedian, author, and cancer survivor Dr. Sarah Boston. Sarah graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada in 1996.  She completed a rotating internship at the University of Guelph the following year. She then returned to Western Canada for three years of general practice before going to the University of Guelph for a residency in small animal surgery - becoming board-certified with the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2004.  Sarah followed this up with a Fellowship in Surgical Oncology in 2005 and is an ACVS Founding Fellow of both Surgical Oncology and Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. She was on faculty at the University of Guelph for 5 years before moving south to the University of Florida where she was an Associate Professor of Surgical Oncology. Having achieved tenure at both institutions she took the less beaten path and moved back to

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 h

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 cli

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 Beck

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, c

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 ca

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 an