“Now, many students have a career path mapped out by final year”18 Sep 2018Twenty years is a long time to be a vet. My cohort of graduates has just reached that anniversary. It is approaching half a lifetime for us. If you take the number of years it took you to learn to pot…
“Pet labelling is required and needs to be entirely independently and objectively formulated”11 Sep 2018The term “exotic” can mean several things. Setting aside “unusual” or “strange”, exotic might be interpreted as something that isn’t where it should be. For most, if not all, exotic pets (ie pet wildl…
“The profession needs to stop losing vets from its ranks of two-years-plus qualified vets”29 Jul 2018Writing this month’s column, I am not my usual upbeat veterinary self. A succession of client issues and generally being over-stretched at work has, for the first time I can remember, made me start to…
“Maybe actively planning relaxation sessions is just the thing to keep us all going” 29 Jul 2018Last month we dealt with those annoying exams that spoil the start of summer for so many. But talking to undergraduates, there seems to be quite a variation between students. Many are stressed with th…
“The important thing to remember about success is that it’s not all about the future”28 Jul 2018What is success? It’s an interesting question, isn’t it? Success can mean different things to different people. The dictionary definition says it’s the accomplishment of an aim or a purpose. But how m…
“Should insurers insist on a minimum of a case controlled study before paying out?” 26 Jun 2018As vets, we are always trying to find the best treatments for our patients. This often leads to us trying something relatively new. When considering new treatments, we need to think about what evidenc…
“All too often we test students as individuals”24 Jun 2018Summertime, and the living is… well, pretty stressful if you’re a student and it is exam time! We’ve all been through them, haven’t we? GCSEs, A levels, innumerable tests at vet school. What are all t…
“I was reminded in no uncertain terms that yes, what us vets do does matter”8 May 2018I am fortunate to be blessed with relatively few emotional ups and downs in life. I can identify with that sage of our times, Homer Simpson, when he was asked “Are you always this shallow or do you ha…
“Gentle care is as important for students as it is for cows” 6 May 2018“Gilbert and Sullivan is in our DNA as Englishmen” said the light opera enthusiast, and most in the discussion group agreed with him. It’s amazing what can be taken as fact, especially if it’s said on…
“We began with a sixth-former at the start of the series and this month, we hear from a semi-retired vet”19 Apr 2018This month’s article marks the last in our series looking at what we expected being a vet to be like and whether the career lives up to expectations. We began with a sixth-former at the start of the s…
“We examined the welfare of the ornamental fish, reptiles and even puppies and kittens sold in the market”19 Apr 2018A friend of mine made it his new year’s resolution to learn a new word every day. That seemed rather taxing to me, so I’ve gone for one a week. My first word was maieutics. The dictionary defines this…
“This month, it’s the turn of someone at the peak of their career”17 Apr 2018In our series on the hopes and expectations of aspiring and qualified vets, we have heard from school leavers, vet students and recent graduates. This month, it’s the turn of someone at the peak of th…
“Understanding it too well can make me reel off words and phrases that owners are not likely to grasp”17 Apr 2018Sitting at a dinner a few nights ago in college, I attempted a conversation with my neighbour, a professor of mathematics. “What does the next term hold in store for you?” I asked. “Two new PhD studen…
“Have the new jobs of 2016 graduates lived up to expectations?”16 Apr 2018This month it’s the new graduate’s turn in our vertical cross-section veterinary satisfaction Q&A, where I put similar questions to vets at various stages in their careers. Have the new jobs of 20…
“Care is provided by people, not machines or lights”16 Apr 2018On a recent perambulation, I happened to chance upon three quarrymen. “What are you up to?” I asked. “I have to cut out these blocks,” said the first. “It’s backbreaking work – I can’t wait for the da…
Opinion: “Is there a scientific reason for wearing a bow tie? Of course”20 Dec 2017Working out what Christmas present to buy me at this time of year is not difficult. Anyone who’s been on my website or seen the picture always attached to this offering will know that bow ties are, on…
Opinion: “A comparative view of ophthalmology is, to me at least, at the same time awe-inspiring and humbling. Casey Wood found it just the same”18 Dec 2017I left you last month with a hint that I might tell you more about one of my heroes, Casey Wood (Figure 1). 2017 marks a century since the publication of his key work on the avian eye, of which more l…
Opinion: “It is clear that becoming a vet takes as much commitment and dedication as it ever did”6 Dec 2017Hopes, dreams and aspirations... Have yours been dashed upon the rocks of working life as a vet or are you still on the up?
Is the 'fluffy ears' brigade holding animal welfare back?1 Aug 2017PERISCOPE continues the series of reflections on issues of current concern
The veterinary swap shop1 Aug 2017GARETH CROSS has itchy feet and, having happened upon a company – VetSwap – which offers vets and nurses opportunities to practise abroad, finds out how it all works
