Category: Replays

As your career progresses, it’s totally normal to want and need new things, new ways of doing things!

Join Dr. Emily Singler and Dr. Amanda Modes, group coaching alumni, as they talk about their career stories, how they have worked in life, evolving needs, and new interests into veterinary medicine.

How did they re-evaluate, and redesign their lives?  What steps did they actually take?  Was it as easy as they make it look?

Dr. Emily Singler

Dr. Emily Singler is a 2001 graduate of Penn State University and a 2005 graduate of University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She is married with 4 kids and lives in Orlando,
Florida.

Her career in veterinary medicine has included experience in shelter medicine, private practice, and as a relief veterinarian. She currently works as a veterinary writer, consultant, and mentor and enjoys writing for both pet owners and veterinary professionals.

Her writing interests include public health, preventive medicine, the human-animal bond, and life as a working mom. She is the author of Pregnancy and Postpartum Considerations for the Veterinary Team, to be published by CRC Press in late 2023. She also has her own blog, www.vetmedbaby.com.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, horseback riding, and all things llama and alpaca.

Dr. Amanda Modes

Dr. Modes graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2012 and went on to complete an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in New Jersey.  She then spent almost 10 years working in general practice, urgent care, and emergency medicine, and has experience working as a relief veterinarian.  Dr. Modes is a current resident of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists pursuing a non-conforming residency with Behavior Vets of New Jersey.    

“I want to leave practice; I don’t know how!”

“I want things to be different, but I have no idea where to start.”

“I just feel stuck!”

If any of these feel familiar, like something has to change in your career, this is the session you’ll want to watch. Join coaches Dr. Leann Benedetti and Dr. Melanie Barham- We talk about how change happens (not by willpower or desire alone!), and we walk you through how to take your next career step or re-design your life to get to a sustainable, satisfied space in your career and life. You’ll leave with tools to self-reflect, and to determine your next career step.

We also talk about our group coaching program that starts September 21, and do some give-aways and prizes!

James Greenwood optimises stay go and diversify. A proud GP vet and some! However, his journey towards fulfilling his childhood dream hasn’t always been smooth; he’s had moments of doubt about whether it’s truly the best vocation. As a founding member of VSGD, he’s openly discussed how embracing various identities revitalized his passion for the profession.

Come and hear how flexing his creative side in pottery and the media has been fused with general practice work. For those seeking to infuse their true selves into their careers, this Q&A is a must-attend. Plus, we’re thrilled to offer book giveaways celebrating the launch of his book ‘For The Love of Animals.’ Don’t miss out!”

Follow his journey on Instagram

Watch his TED style talk from VSGD Live 1.0 2018! (below) Still full of timeless advice

Get a copy of his book here

Gemma combines her time between research and outreach as Director of Equine Behaviour at The Horse Trust and running a referral clinic for clinical equine behaviour cases where she is based at the University of Edinburgh. She is also an accredited racecourse veterinary surgeon and enjoys working at Musselburgh racecourse.

After working in ambulatory practice Gemma moved to the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies where she completed a rotating residency programme in the equine hospital, completing her Cert AVP (EM), alongside an MScR investigating horse veterinarian interactions.

Subsequently she completed her CCAB (certified clinical animal behaviourist) and her PhD thesis ‘Stress in equids undergoing veterinary care and the development of interventions that positively influence the horses’ experience’.  As well as continuing with her own research she supervises several students at PhD, MSc and undergraduate level. Subsequently she went on to become the first RCVS recognised specialist in Veterinary Behavioural Medicine (Equine).

Gemma is frequently invited to lecture internationally, as a recognised expert in this field and an excellent communicator. One of the most successful projects was filming a series of short YouTube videos with the British Equine Veterinary Association aiming to reduce injury rates when dealing with difficult horses under the ‘Don’t break your vet’ campaign.

As a previous Veterinary Liaison Officer for the International Society for Equitation Science, Gemma is passionate about improving interactions between horses and people, specifically regarding the application of learning theory. In her spare time she has competed up to advanced level endurance on a homebred horse as well as enjoying competing in affiliated dressage and eventing. Currently she is retraining a Thoroughbred recently retired from racing.

Why not join us and Gemma in-person at London Vet Show in November! We have partnered to create the VSGD Experience at the show. A curated career trail full of inspiration, support and connection. Keep updated here and why not check out some great ticket options for all budgets!

Hamish Morrin MSc RVN FHEA

Hamish is the Animal Collections Development Manager at Writtle University College. His path to this role looks more like a scribble than a straight line, and includes such roles as postie, zookeeper, veterinary nurse, driver, radiographer, lecturer and more. Starting out as a university dropout, he has since managed to graduate with distinction from Edinburgh University with an MSc in International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law, and has just enrolled in a Professional Doctorate in Education at UCL. He currently lives in a zoo with his wife and two cats, and is frequently baffled as to how he got there.

Hamish will also be exploring the link between Ethics and Welfare at his talk at London Vet Show. Ethics can seem abstract, and yet ethics and values underpin everything that VNs do. Watch back and listen to hear his approaches to making ethics more applicable, and how ethical decision making can support both animal and human welfare.

#VNPassport

Why not join us and Hamish in-person at London Vet Show in November! We have partnered to create the VSGD Experience at the show. A curated career trail full of inspiration, support and connection. Keep updated here and why not check out some great ticket options for all budgets!

Do these thoughts sound familiar?

“Feel lost and don’t know what the next step is”

“To be able to understand what is important to me, what work makes me feel happy and fulfilled and how to begin on the road towards a better career.”

“My confidence holds me back and what other people would think of me. The idea of doing something different and it not working out for me”

During this session, Adrian shares powerful tools and strategies to help you gain clarity and direction in your professional journey. You’ll discover how to break free from the overwhelming sense of uncertainty and isolation and connect with a supportive community of like-minded veterinary professionals.

Additionally, for those seeking more personalised guidance, you can book a one-on-one career call with the VSGD team to share your specific concerns and see if group coaching is for you or signpost you to develop an action plan. You can book in your call now here.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to transform your career outlook. Get ready to unlock your full potential with VSGD community coaching!

If you haven’t already, sign up for our 5 day free coaching prompts series. You’ll get an email a day for 5 days with a simple question designed to get you thinking to get clarity on your next step as a veterinary professional and leader.

Redundancy can be hugely distressing, with emotional and financial impacts on employees and isn’t undertaken lightly by companies.

VMGs Navigating Redundancy Series has provided an overview of redundancy from the employer’s and employee’s perspective so far. In this live discussion, two personal coaches,  Adrian Nelson-Pratt from VSGD and Carolyne Crowe from VDS Training help you start to look ahead.

Using coaching exercises in a workshop format, we help you reframe redundancy and create some progress towards your next step. It might not feel like it initially, but this cloud may have a silver lining with opportunities for personal growth and career development.

Our aim is to send you away with a simple roadmap using the following steps

• The importance of acknowledging the initial reaction
• Reflecting on achievements, skills and areas of expertise
• Identify opportunities for personal development and leveraging skills in a VUCA world
• Exploring new possibilities and career paths
• Making the most of support systems and your network

Reframing redundancy isn’t easy, but there is a way through it and there will be opportunities even if you can’t see them at present. If you can approach it with a degree of resilience, positivity, and an open mind, it might just be the catalyst you need for a career squiggle!

If you’re facing redundancy, feeling lost or stuck and looking for support, then consider joining the VDS Training Group Career Coaching programme starting September 2023

See if it is a fit for you here

Book a free coaching exploration call with Adrian 

Sheela has had one incredibly squiggly career and although not a vet, is a fellow healthcare scientist who started out in the human medicine field. This will be a fab chat as she distills the transferable skills and tips to take your veterinary passport and go into the financial and analyst world!

Dr Sheela Sharma is the Head of Enterprise, Entrepreneurship & Employability at Wimbledon High School in London, where she is disrupting the traditional model of careers advice provided in secondary education. She is also the Chairman of the Portobello Business Centre, a not-for-profit social enterprise which helps individuals in West London to start and grow their own businesses from scratch, and has supported the likes of Innocent Drinks, Karen Millen and Charlie Bighams during its time. Over the past five years she has worked as a COO and CFO in the start-up space, supporting early-stage businesses to grow and win funding. Prior to this she spent 14 years in investment banking as both a COO and Healthcare Equity Analyst. She holds a DPhil in Clinical Medicine from the University of Oxford and is passionate about supporting those from low-socioeconomic and ethnic minority backgrounds to navigate their career paths.