VBMA and MUWA Career’s Night 2010

 

An exciting line up of speakers was put together for this year’s combined career’s night with the Murdoch University Wildlife Association.  In previous years this event has been very successful, and while numbers were down slightly this year, those who did attend thoroughly enjoyed the evening and found the speakers stories quite inspiring.   The idea of these events is to invite veterinarians with diverse backgrounds to discuss their career; what they have done and how they have got there, mostly to increase awareness of the many options that are available to veterinary graduates, but also if a student wanted to follow in their footsteps what they would need to do. 

Our first speaker for the night was once again Dr Diederik Gelderman who was back in Perth to run a follow up seminar due to the success of his previous one.  Dr Gelderman took us through his career, starting by buying a practice on the day after he graduated and building it from the ground up.  He discussed the challenges of fitting into a community, managing staff to achieve business goals and finally discussed his new role as a consultant.

Following his presentation we had two PhD students from Murdoch speak about their projects, the many opportunities that lie in research and ways to get involved at an undergraduate level.  The first of these was Michael Klunzinger who is just embarking on a study looking at fresh water mussels followed by Amanda Ash who discussed her research into parasites that affect the African Wild Dog.  She has been lucky enough to do some research in Namibia and really encouraged us to keep an open mind, because she never thought that she would end up as a parasitologist.

We had a short break for snacks, drinks and questions and then headed back in to listen to the final two speakers.  Simone Vitali is the head vet at the Perth Zoo and provided us with a realistic idea of how difficult it is to become a zoo vet and how a great deal of it comes from being in the right place at the right time.  She also discussed how it was challenging to fit parenthood into her career but that she has found it incredibly rewarding and would encourage everyone to take up the challenge. 

The night ended on a definite high with local veterinarian Warwick Vale discussing his career in the horse industry.  Warwick has had the privilege of attending two Olympic games and being involved in equestrian competitions at the highest level all over the world.  He is also a fantastic speaker and had the whole room crying with laughter after relating several stories about his career.  It was a great way to finish the evening and I know that those who attended felt quite motivated as they walked out the door. 

Thank you to all our speakers and to MUWA for helping us run another successful career’s night.

 

Dr Diederik Gelderman         ‘Turbo charge your practice’

 

Dr Gelderman is a Sydney graduate who has worked in private Veterinary practice for 20 years, he is recently retired and is pursuing work as a Veterinary practice consultant; helping practices improve their profitability.  He was visiting Perth to run his seminar; ‘Turbo charge your practice’ and was kind enough to donate some time to speak to VBMA members.  This was our first event for the year and we had a good turnout with 42 people present.  Dr Gelderman discussed a series of suggestions for new grads entering the workplace such as committing to superannuation payments to allow for a comfortable lifestyle after working life and ensuring good communication skills when the time comes to seek employment. 

He followed this with some invaluable basic business tips that would improve vet-client relations.  The first of these involved using the word ‘need’; Fluffy needs to be treated for worms, Fluffy needs to have x-rays to rule out X…instead of using more open statements that leave the client with more choice.  The second involved never apologising to the client; if you are running late or getting blood takes longer than expected say ‘thank you for your patience’ .  By saying ‘thank you’ instead of ‘sorry’, you are praising the client and giving them a compliment while at the same time not accepting fault.  Most of the time there will be a legitimate reason for the delay and this is a way to keep the client happy.  Finally, in Dr Gelderman’s experience, vets tend to be soft hearted people who are sympathetic to the needs of the animal and their client’s situation, as a result they tend to give discounts to ensure the animal gets the treatment it requires.  Discounting will affect the bottom line of a business and is a habit vets need to get out of. 

The presentation was thoroughly enjoyed by all, with a number of questions following and we unfortunately ran out of time to answer them all.  Thank you to all those who came out on their study break to participate and to the committee for a successful first event!

 29-4-2009

VBMA and MUWA Careers Night

Dr. Kristin Warren, Dr. Judy Clarke, Dr. Gary Beilby, Dr. Anna LeSouef

The combined VBMA and MUWA night started off with mixing and mingling over platters of delicious food. Five speakers spoke to students and guests about various aspects of career paths, especially those in a wildlife setting. Between them they covered how to ace your interview through to working in Kalimantan with orangutans and more!

Doctor Mark Eagleton from VetLink was the first to speak, and with his extensive experience in the veterinary field and matching people to jobs he provided need-to-know information on how excel in an interview. He also impressed the importance of finding a job that is right for you and what sort of question to ask to find out. Mark discussed the effect of the recent and current economical situations on the number of veterinary jobs: “There has been no noticeable change in the number of permanent positions offered,” he said.

Ever wanted to work in a zoo? Doctor Anna LeSouef wowed the audience with amazing pictures of dangerous and delightful creatures she sees every day. An employee of Perth Zoo, Anna has a chance to work up close and personal with animals that have always fascinated her and which present a unique challenge to treat. She walked us through a typical day at the zoo to whet our appetites before she let us in on the secret of how to achieve such an exciting and rewarding experience.

Doctor Gary Beilby is a vet of Wattle Grove Veterinary Hospital who has had a long and varied career. Disillusioned after his first years of work he decided to move into IT. After some ten years, however, veterinary science and his long-time hobby (or you might say profession!) of wildlife photography got the better of computers and Gary undertook a Masters in wildlife medicine and returned to practice. In his current position he sees the typical cats and dogs but also many, many cases of exotics and wildlife. The clinic works closely with Kanyana Wildlife Park to rehabilitate birds, marsupials and any animal in need – a truly rewarding career!

In the spirit of fascinating careers, our next speaker was no exception. Imagine studying a degree in veterinary science, travelling to Antarctica, then taking statistics, a Masters in science and a graduate diploma. Dr Judy Clarke has done all of these things, with time to spare to spend working with all manner of animals. She is currently working on a research project investigating the effect of translocation on the health, habitat use and general ecology of possums in the greater Perth region. This didn’t stop her from showing us several pictures of penguins hopping over weighbridges in the snow or the beautiful Antarctic scenery!

Some unlucky students may have to wait until fourth or fifth year before they meet Doctor Kristin Warren. This amazing woman manages field trips to South Africa, wildlife and zoo medicine clinical rotations at Perth Zoo, postgraduate studies in conservation medicine and more. And she is easily qualified! Her experience, including time working in a zoo, ranges from tiny bilbies to huge orangutans in the rehabilitation centres of Kalimantan. Passionate about wildlife, Kristin was only too eager to tell students all about the exciting places they could go.

This evening of careers and every kind of wildlife imaginable was one of a kind. Throughout the evening of seminars there was ample time for meaningful discussion with the speakers and other guests, as well as an excellent opportunity for networking! Thanks to our several speakers as well as our many guests (and the behind-the-scenes workers who prepared all the delicious food) for making this evening of information and inspiration a huge success.

The Veterinary Industry and Climate Change

The VBMA was again delighted to have Barb Frey come and speak for us, this time about the ongoing and ever more pressing issue of climate change and how it will impact on the veterinary profession.

Veterinary science is intrinsically involved with procedures and industries which produce greenhouse emissions, such as piggeries and grazing cattle as well as the running of a regular veterinary surgery. Uniquely though, veterinarians are in an excellent position to understand the complex science of climate change and, most importantly, help their clients to make changes that can have a positive influence on this worldwide issue.

Having been moved by Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth, Barb went on to attend conferences that particularly address this issue in our industry. She points out that while there is much that can be done to improve the situation there are people who do not act due to fear, indecision or lack of knowledge. “I’m not ready to give up that easily,” Barb told her audience. “As veterinarians, we are in a unique position to not just educate our clients but also to help them. You can use your position to change the way people think about this issue.” Barb explains that veterinarians can, by acting as a coach, change their clients’ attitude to a positive one when it comes to solving any problems, and this includes innovative solutions to problems that contribute to or come about because of climate change.

“People are really starting to act when it comes to climate change, but a lot of what they’re doing is what I call a ‘band-aid solution’.” Barb believes that rather than just reducing or stopping passive processes that contribute to climate change, there is a real need for people to encourage innovative, active thinking and make real changes to the way we do things in animal production and day-to-day clinic management, not just our homes. Climate change, as well as how we respond to it, can have an enormous impact on the veterinary industry in the future – Barb and those who share her views are eager to see positive thinking helping the industry through.

A New Business Unit for Vets – BMS528

Have you ever wanted that little extra confidence balancing the books or designing your own practice? Scott Gardner is delighted to introduce his newly-developed unit:  BMS528 Professional Practice Management. This unit is a stand-alone unit separate from the MasterClass series but with the same prestigious award for accredited unit enrolments.

The unit currently comes in two versions, however changes may occur with further development:

• Accredited, which involves an exam and is credited on your academic record. This unit is the most expensive.
• Non-accredited, which is cheaper to complete, has no exam and is not recognized on your academic record.

Both units cover the same course material and include exciting activities, like field trips to operating vet clinics with the opportunity to ask questions, and designing your own vet clinic—architecture, inventory and the latest surgical equipment! This unit is a must for any student wanting to enhance their veterinary education.

VBMA and AVSC 2009

In January, 2009 the Australasian Veterinary Students’ Conference was hosted by Murdoch University, and the VBMA was there to educate and inspire participants from all across the country – and the Pacific.

The VBMA held a workshop that explored job procurement skills that are crucial for a successful career. There was also a substantial amount of interest from students looking to develop a VBMA of their own!

The Low-down on Resumes

The VBMA revved up instead of down for the end of second semester, 2008. Two events were held within a week of each other, with talks from guests about successfully getting jobs and the intricacies of running a practice. Despite encroaching exams these events were well attended and enjoyed by all, and the Member’s Appreciation event celebrated the VBMA’s successful first year and everyone who helped us get there.

On the 20^th of October Liz Dill-Mackey from Hill’s spoke about interview techniques and presentation of CVs. Liz has been involved with the selection of interns in many countries, and she taught students about applying for jobs, how to put a resumé together, what employers want and how to perform well in an interview, leaving students informed and entertained.

Inventory – Who Said it Was Boring?

Aiden Platt, the Hospital Supply Officer for the Murdoch Uni Veterinary Hospital, presented on procurement and the veterinary supply chain in October, 2008. Aiden spoke about saving money in practice through proper management of stock, and developing positive and productive relationships with suppliers.

Aiden was only too happy to let students in on all his tricks of the trade and the audience enjoyed discussing the content of the talks for some time following the presentation.

“This is the kind of thing people take for granted, and the practice can thrive with the proper attention to detail.”

Narelle Wright also spoke about  revenue generation through simple products in the waiting room, such as pet food. She told students about how there can be plenty of opportunities for clients to visit for positive reasons. This was a great day for discussion, both with other students and our presenters who have years of experience in the field.