One question that pops up time and time again is some variation of: “I don’t feel like I can focus on my career, because I have young kids.” And I totally agree – I often feel torn apart in the tug of war between career and parenting. So here at the Vet Vault we’ve made it one of our missions to speak to vets who are finding ways to create fulfilling careers, while still being engaged parents and husbands or wives, and to ask them how the hell they do it. When we started asking around for some guest ideas of people who seem to have solved this problem, our guest for today was one the first names that popped up: Dr Abbie Elise Tipler BVSc, MANZCVS (Surgery) is a small animal surgeon. She graduated from Massey University in 2005 and soon after graduation discovered her passion for small animal surgery.

For this episode we’re trying something new. We’ve had so many valuable insights from our guests that we thought it would be well worth it to review some of our favourite bits. Join us as we dig deeper into the topics that we think can make a big impact on your career. In this episode we explore some important themes from Dr Oliver Liyou, our guest from episode 4. Oliver shared some hard-earned wisdom that can be career-, or even life-saving . If you missed Oliver the first time, or if you need a refresher, please join us as we review Oliver’s 7 rules for surviving veterinary science.

When we started organising this episode with our guest he was neck-deep, or shall we say shoulder-deep, into clinical cow practice. However, the last few weeks have seen some major changes in the life of Dr. Cody Creelman, Cow Vet. Up until about 3 weeks before we recorded this episode Cody Creelman was a veterinarian, multiple practice owner, and digital storyteller based in Alberta, Canada. Cody shares his story in real-time on social media by creating entertaining and educational videos of his daily adventures – with 20 million video views.

Dr. Justine Lee, the one and only VETgirl, is best known for the hugely popular on-line veterinary education resources that she produces through the vet girl on the run website, podcast, and pretty much anywhere where you find your continuing education. Currently, Dr. Lee is one of approximately 450 board certified veterinary specialists world wide in emergency and critical care, and is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. She is also board-certified in toxicology and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology. She’s been published in numerous veterinary journals and books, and has been aired on radio and television to promote preventative medicine, animal health, and the overall well-being of pets.

Nigel Marsh is a Management consultant, communications specialist, author and entrepreneur. He is best known for his creative pursuits. As well as the author of three books – Fat, Forty and Fired, Overworked and Underlaid and Fit, Fifty and Fired-Up – he is also the co-founder of Earth Hour and the founder of the Sydney Skinny. Fat, Forty and Fired is currently being developed into a major TV series. He also has a hit podcast of his own called ‘The Five Of My Life.’ The other side to Nigel’s career is his 30+ years experience in the commercial sector. Over that time Nigel has worked with a huge variety of organisations. From the highest profile (McDonalds, Canon, Pepsi, P&G, Virgin, Mars, Fiat, Colgate), to national governments and local enterprises. Whether dealing with big business issues or social engineering, Nigel has provided strategic counsel and impressive results in almost every category imaginable.

Most vets would agree that excellent communication skills are one of the most important tools that we need to develop for a happy veterinary career, and it’s a topic that we’ve always wanted to feature here, so we were thrilled when one of the leading minds in veterinary communication training agreed to join us on the Vet Vault. Cindy Adams is a Professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences at the University of Calgary, where she teaches in the Clinical Communication and Professional Skills programs. She works to improve communication practices in veterinary medicine and education. Professor Adams has developed evidence-based communication curricula and methods for teaching, learning and evaluating communication skills across North America, UK, and Australia..