End of the 2022 season

Photo by Matt Moloney on Unsplash

Hi friends,

Thank you for bearing with me and apologies for the delay in getting in touch after the latest great episode where Nia redrew the world through Japan, Nepal, Australia and New Zealand.

Although there were still a couple of recordings available, I didn't manage to edit them. Editing is a part of podcasting that takes a lot of time.

Things have changed dramatically in my personal and professional life leaving not enough time for my favourite hobby.. but I suspect these changes would preclude me from podcasting only temporarily, so I hope I will be able to publish another season. I just don't know when.

I hope you have enjoyed 2022, I personally had a lot of fun! It was fantastic to meet (even if only online):

How Miranda dived into the unknown world of Robotics in Germany and started a new life in a completely different culture, or how Daniella faced the veterinary shortage and her resilience after Brexit and during the covid lockdown.

Throughout this season, we met Nadine and Maurice in two completely different sets of circumstances in the Caribbean, and we visited the US with Emily in Florida. Remember Julian? I got both of his books gifted to me by my partner: Cows in trees and the dog with the head transplant! Merran delighted us with her knowledge of koala medicine, and Nina told us about the Ukrainian resistance.

As I said at the end of last season: I don't know what happens next. Durante the winter months and while I can't work on the podcast, I'll have the time to rethink how it should develop; and hopefully, I will edit the remaining recordings and see if they meet the quality standards and can still be published. If something cool comes along in the form of inspiration, I'll be delighted to share it with you.

In the meantime time, the inbox will be open for any feedback or ideas, the episodes will be available for you to listen to, and the website (including the sponsors’ page) will be kept going. At least until the end of the year. That I can promise.

For now, I hope you and yours the best in the times ahead. Hasta la próxima!

I’m not OK tab

I have created a new tab called “I'm not OK” on the website and have added it straight after the 'Latest News/Blog' tab. Once you click/tap “I'm not OK”, your browser will send you to a static page with links to organisations for veterinary professionals who might struggle for one or another reason.

It might seem inconsequential if you're reading this as a vet, nurse, receptionist or manager; but in my dealings with the general public, I don't see as much awareness of this dimension of our profession as you would have expected. Unlike some of my guests, I have no formal mental health training. But I believe that offering a way to channel their problems should be included on a website that talks about veterinary professionals.

I had mixed feelings about putting this up there or more hidden on the website. Some might argue that the very fact the tab is there will act as a trigger. After careful consideration, I believe these struggles should be part of everyday talk, so their discussion is normalised.

I'm hoping that those professionals who listen to any of 'More than just a vet' episodes or might wander through the site will find help through the links that I have included in this new section. Furthermore, I also hope to bring awareness to those listeners who are less familiar with our industry.

At the time of writing, I'm not in any way associated with these organisations, nor I'm a member or trustee of them, but they have permitted me to link back to them.

World Series

I hope you have enjoyed listening to the compelling stories of Julian, Merran and Maurice. Now you know what the new series is about: I am interviewing veterinary professionals from all over the world.

How did this come about?

When I started podcasting last year, I slowly realised a few issues with the show. Initially, I thought these were negative things, and I should be walking away from them. Eventually, I understood that these issues were occurring organically, so I embraced them.

The first of these issues was the audience. My initial thought was that non-veterinary people would listen to a podcast about vets so they would understand our way of life better. I have not abandoned this, but I have realised that veterinary professionals are themselves the most interested in the show, and they are the ones who are getting the most from it. And if the audience changes, so does the interview format. This series (and I think we should continue on this path) will focus a little more on the feelings of the professional rather than just on their hobbies. I will not forget about non-vets. I will do my best to make sure more in-depth veterinary talk (such as the case with Merran talking about koala medicine) is accessible to those without veterinary knowledge. But I must admit that this tweak changes how I interview my guests. From personal ambition and diversifying to mental health issues and worries, ‘how do you feel?’ can be a more intense topic than what do you do when not in scrubs.

The second finding was a limitation that I put without thinking. Why would I interview people in the UK only if half the world communicates in English anyway? Have I not learnt anything from virtual meetings during the highs of the pandemic? I realised that if I am searching for answers in an industry that covers the entire planet, I need to expand my reach to every corner of the world where I can find a guest. And to make my point clear, you will see that my three first guests come from three very different and far apart locations (It would take you 22 hours to fly from Trinidad and Tobago to Australia!).

What’s next 

Next, I will continue to deliver. The new format hasn’t been an easy task. I have been juggling with timezones and accents and wondering whether work and family commitments would leave enough time and space to adventure inside someone’s life. Someone from the other side of the planet, I should add.

In the end, I’m super happy that I have done it because I have learnt so much. Listening to the weird and wonderful stories of Julian’s career, the research into koala medicine, and the consequences of illegal animal import into Trinidad was well worth it. There’s a lot more, of course, but it will be out as soon it’s good enough for you to listen. Now, I need to spend a few hours editing. Maybe I will do a live show one day so you can listen to a raw version. 

But my mind has continued to wander into the future and about what would happen next. What would you want next season to be about if there was one? I’ve got a few ideas, but don’t let me bias you with them. Instead, why don’t you share them publicly in the comments section below or privately using the Let’s talk page?

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More podcast episodes coming up in 2022

A new format for a new journey

After finishing the last episode with Cat the Vet, I thought about stopping the podcast. I absolutely love podcasting, but it doesn't put food on the dining table. It takes an awful lot of work and time to find guests, discuss the options with them, find an agreed time to interview, edit, publish, the lot! So, for a while, I decided to lie low while thinking about what to do next. 

Fortunately, this period of reflection was constantly disrupted by new ideas of how I could transform the show and make it better. I listened to other podcasts in different categories and thought... 'Oh, I could do this and that with mine' and 'I can do that better ' or 'that's nice. Maybe I should change the intro, or look for different guests'... and so on.

New mic for a new season :D

A unique vet podcast

I started then organising a 2022 strategy. And while I'm 'sort of' piloting the ship, I also thought about following directions - the listeners' directions! Ahem, if you do want to be part of how the show evolves, do visit the 'Let's talk' page and let me know your thoughts! And taking into account the listeners input, I want everybody to know that these new lessons will be reflected into new episodes, and as result, More than just a vet podcast will be a little different this season.

And to explain what I mean by different, let's start with this: By now you should know what you're getting from More than just a vet podcast. I hope that by now, you know you're listening to one of the #mtjav podcast episodes without having to check your phone, speaker device or your car dashboard. You get in your car before your commute, close your eyes and let the first podcast in before you start your journey. If it is More than just a vet, you will know it from the start, or even if you start listening to it halfway. Since the day of its first episode, I wanted to create something distinctive. Not as commercial as a 'brand', but I wanted it to have a feel. A way that would separate this podcast from all the other vet podcasts out there, and I hope I am achieving that. For example, would you like to get some veterinary CPD? You never say no to new things, but I guess this wouldn't be the podcast you're looking for. I'm hoping you know this by now. And if not, get on with the times, and read the 'What is #MTJAV?' page.

MTJAV is always in evolution mode

But finding your niche doesn't mean that we get there and the job is done. It does not. I want this podcast to evolve and continue to re-discover itself. That's why the new season will still have the same feeling of More than just a vet, where animal lovers will have the chance to look into the deepest part of veterinary souls and vet professionals will come together and find company in each other stories. But at the same time, a new type of conversation will take place to blow your mind. I don't want to say too much so the experience for the website visitor and the listener will have all the bells and whistles of a new movie premiere coming to the theatre, but I will tell you that most guests won't be able to know what I asked the previous ones because many of the episodes will be recorded before the first one comes out. Imagine that, a possibility of asking someone something so later we can discuss and compare different answers. 

At the time of writing, I have already secured a few interviews and I'm super excited to meet my guests

There will be a bit more of myself, of course, so you can also look into my own reasons for doing this. And in terms of who my guests will be, less say erm.. it is being a challenge to interview them having a full-time job. Let's leave it there.

Gosh, I think I have said too much already!

I have no idea about podcasting - In fact, I’m just a vet …

What I do every day is looking after animals, particularly dogs and cats, and sometimes rabbits and other species that happen to be brought to the surgery where I work…

Click here to read more!

End of 2021 Season

I'm unsure what will be happening next - I'm working on new ideas. Depending on how they turn up (and suggestions/feedback is welcome), I might come up with more in the next few months. These 8 episodes started as an idea in Vet Voices, an online veterinary group for professionals in the industry. I'm not sure if I have achieved anything or not, but I know a few hundred people (including vets) have listened, so I hope I have made your trip to work a bit less boring at least.

HASTA LA PRÓXIMA!