158: Psychological Safety For Vets: Why The Job Might Need Fixing, Not The People. With Dr Rebecca Faris

158: Psychological Safety For Vets: Why The Job Might Need Fixing, Not The People. With Dr Rebecca Faris

"Maybe we're just picking the wrong people to be vets." You've probably heard some version of that line. Maybe you've even said it. 'The new grads can't cope. The younger generation is too soft. If this profession isn't working for you, maybe the profession isn't the problem - maybe you are.' But what if that's the wrong conversation entirely? Maybe it's not the people who need to change - but the job itself. That's the question at the heart of this conversation with Dr Rebecca Faris, [https://au.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-faris] the lead of the Australian Veterinary Association's Thrive programme - an industry attempt to figure out how we make veterinary medicine a profession people can actually stay in and enjoy. You'll learn: * Why a full-time working week in veterinary medicine probably shouldn't be 40 hours - and the official position from Safe Work Australia that will surprise you * The difference between psychological safety and psychosocial safety (one is a vibe, the other is the law - and if you own a practice in Australia, you need to know which is which) * What the new psychosocial safety legislation actually requires of practice owners  * Why "playing to your strengths" isn't the same as avoiding the hard stuff - and how to have that conversation with your employer without sounding like you're asking for special treatment * The invisible emotional labour tax you're paying on every consult - and why recognising it changes everything * What genuinely great veterinary workplaces are doing differently, and why the "squeaky wheel" narrative is drowning out stories of practices that are getting it right * Why "I can't hack full-time" might not mean there's something wrong with you - and the self-compassion case for rethinking what a sustainable vet career actually looks like * How to get involved in shaping the future of this profession instead of quietly checking out If you've ever felt wrecked at the end of a perfectly normal day and wondered whether it was you or the job - this one's for you. Resources mentioned: * The Thrive Programme and 2025 Wellbeing Survey: ava.com.au/thrive [https://ava.com.au/thrive] * Cultivating Safe Teams training [https://www.ava.com.au/Thrive/cultivating-safe-teams-pilot-program/](AVA) * 2026 Thrive Wellness Symposium [https://au.eventscloud.com/website/3071/program/] at the AVA Conference, Brisbane, 19 May 2026 * Safe Work Australia - psychosocial hazards guidance [https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/mental-health/psychosocial-hazards] This episode is not an ad. We're not paid to feature Thrive or the AVA - we just think this is a conversation the profession needs to be having. If you've got thoughts, pushback, or your own story about thriving (or not) in practice, drop us a line at info@thevetvault.com [info@thevetvault.com]. For our clinical content, show notes, and our full back catalogue, head to thevetvault.com [https://thevetvault.com/]. While you're there, check out our subscriber-only clinical podcast, our newsletter, and come and hang out with us in real life at Vets On Tour. [https://vetsontour.com/] 00:52 Rethinking the 40-Hour Workweek 03:03 Flexibility and Job Crafting 04:57 Are We Picking the Wrong People? 06:05 Playing to Strengths vs Business Needs 12:39 Psychological vs Psychosocial Safety 15:55 The New Laws: Employer Obligations 17:51 Identifying Psychosocial Hazards 20:40 Cultivating Safe Teams Training 24:45 Workload and Emotional Labor 32:34 Vets on Tour Break 34:27 Should Full-Time Be 30 Hours? 36:12 Inside the Thrive Initiative 39:31 Mental Health First Aid 41:35 Empathy for Difficult Clients 44:13 Wins and Optimism 46:27 How to Access Thrive 51:27 Closing Advice: Get Engaged

157: Tech Tools for Vets 2: AI-Powered Learning with StudyAnything. With Hasitha Jayatilake

You know that feeling: exam time is looming.  You've spent three days making flashcards and highlighting your notes, but you haven't even started actually studying yet... Whether you're a vet student drowning in slide decks, a membership candidate juggling articles and notes, or a resident trying to jam an impossible volume of clinical knowledge into your skull - the way most of us study is, frankly, not backed by the science. Which is why you might need a little help from technology: In part two of our Tech Tools for Vets series, software engineer Hasitha Jayatilake joins me to walk you through StudyAnything [https://www.studyanything.academy]- an AI-powered study tool that generates quizzes from your notes, tracks your weak spots over time, and builds guided learning pathways based on Bloom's hierarchy of learning. (By the way - he built this tool because he couldn’t bare watching his vet student partner making Anki cards at 2am!) What you'll learn: * How active recall and spaced repetition actually work - and why highlighting your notes is basically doing nothing * What Bloom's hierarchy means for your study plan - and how Study Anything uses it to move you from rote recall to clinical application * StudyAnything’s guided learning pathway feature (just gone live) - that turns your uploaded notes into a structured lesson plan with concept maps, assumed knowledge, and motivational context * How the community feature works - study groups, shared question banks, and what this means for educators (or podcast hosts!)  who want to create resources * How to generate harder questions on demand - using learning outcomes and difficulty levels to get yourself on the honours roll * What makes this different from Notebook LM or other AI tools  This episode includes screen sharing, so if you want to follow along, watch the video on Spotify. If you prefer audio only, you'll still get 99% of the value. The team at StudyAnything are giving Vet Vault listeners the opportunity to try out their top tier subscription (LOTS of quizzes!) with code VETVAULT at studyanything.academy [https://www.studyanything.academy] for 50% off your first month on the paid plan. That's about $3.50 to give it a proper test run. Note: This episode isn't a promotion, endorsement or an ad - it's part of our ongoing series exploring the tools you might be considering. If you have a software you'd like us to look at, let me know at info@thevetvault.com [info@thevetvault.com] Go to ⁠⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠ [http://thevetvault.com/] for show notes, access to our clinical continuing education content and to sign up for our weekly 'best of the Vet Vault' ⁠newsletter,⁠ [https://thevetvault.substack.com/?r=2v2kg5&utm_campaign=pub-share-checklist] or join us in person at one of our phenomenal ⁠Vets On Tour conferences. ⁠ [https://vetsontour.com] (Look out for our upcoming New Zealand, Italy and Africa conferences.) Topics and Timestamps 3:26 Active Recall & The Science of Studying 4:06 How StudyAnything Works - Uploading & Courses 7:57 Bloom's Hierarchy & Learning Outcomes 9:53 Ad Break - Vets on Tour 11:24 Quiz Demo 19:28 Guided Learning Pathway 20:15 File Summary, Concept Maps & Key Terms 29:10 Study Groups & Communities 31:02 Comparison with Notebook LM & Competitors 32:32 Spaced Repetition & Future Features 37:29 Pricing 39:48 Deep Dive: Navigating the Dashboard 41:00 Deep Dive: Creating & Customising Quizzes

A New Direction for the Vet Vault? Help Shape What Comes Next

Is our podcast getting… repetitive? Honest question. Lately, we’ve felt a growing tension behind the mic: are we just saying the same things… just with a new guest and in slightly different ways? Are we actually helping you? (With is after all the point of this podcast) In this short solo episode, I ask a few questions that I’d love your input on.  We want to rebuild this with you. This is your invite. Feedback to info@thevetvault.com [info@thevetvault.com], or at our contact form on the website, or hit me up in the comments on Spotify.

156: Is Practice Ownership The Only Way To Build Wealth? The Vet’s Guide To Student Debt, Saving, And Financial Sanity. With Eric Miller

Ever check your payslip… your student debt… your mortgage… and wonder if you’re just treading water? You’re not alone, and you’re not stuck. In this episode we revisit one of the most neglected topics in the profession: money. Hubert sits down with US-based financial adviser Eric Miller [https://econologicsfinancialadvisors.com/build-wealth-the-right-way-as-a-practice-owner-with-hosts-eric-miller-eric-gersch/] to break down the decisions that can actually move the money-needle for employed vets: from budgeting and debt to investing, insurance, and increasing your income. (We do global principles with US specifics) No jargon. No guilt. Just a clear starting point for vets who know they should have a plan… but haven’t begun yet. Here’s what you’ll learn: * Why practice ownership isn’t the only route to financial security * The one habit that underpins every solid financial plan * A simple 70/20/10 framework for spending, investing, and enjoying your money * How to handle student debt without letting it control your life * Whether to prioritise debt repayment, investing- or both * The difference between good debt and bad debt (and why it matters) * How automation quietly builds wealth in the background * What young vets need to know about insurance, income growth, and lifestyle creep And perhaps most importantly: A more grounded, reassuring view of the profession itself. Yes, financial pressure is real. But Eric will convince you that veterinary medicine is still a strong, high-potential career - IF you do it right.  ⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠ [http://thevetvault.com/] for show notes, access to our clinical continuing education content and to sign up for our weekly 'best of the Vet Vault' newsletter, [https://thevetvault.substack.com/?r=2v2kg5&utm_campaign=pub-share-checklist] or join us in person at one of our phenomenal Vets On Tour conferences. [https://vetsontour.com] Topics and Time Stamps 04:24 Biggest Financial Mistakes 05:42 Budgeting & The 70/20/10 Rule 14:41 Retirement Planning & 401k 24:09 Student Debt & How to Tackle It 26:22 Loan Forgiveness 28:58 Pay Off Debt vs. Invest 31:53 The Debt Snowball Method (it's a good thing!) 33:55 Increasing Your Income 37:44 Constructive vs. Destructive Debt 41:35 Insurance & Health Coverage 44:06 Looking Ahead: The Veterinary Industry 49:45 One Financial Habit for Ne w Grads We love to hear from you. If you have a question for us or you’d like to give us some feedback please get in touch via our contact or catch up with us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thevetvault/]. And if you like what you hear, please share the love by clicking on the share button wherever you’re listening and sending a link to someone who you think should hear this.

155: Antibiotic Prescribing Habits Vets Need To Ditch Now. With Dr Riati Scarborough and Dr Laura Hardefeldt

Four years after our original antibiotic myth-busting episode (Ep 60), we’re back with Dr Riati Scarborough [https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/852843-ri-scarborough] to talk antibiotic prescribing habits. This time we’re joined by fellow stewardship expert Dr Laura Hardefeldt [https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/773931-laura-hardefeldt], and this time we’re asking the harder question: Have we actually changed? The good news? Some prescribing habits are shifting. We’re seeing shorter courses and less ‘just in case antibiotic usage.  But let’s not pat ourselves on the back too quickly. Because some of our most entrenched habits are still alive and well, like how we treat skin disease, and our ongoing love affair with amoxiclav. This episode is a practical, clinically grounded update on what the evidence says in 2026 - and how to make realistic changes without compromising patient care. We cover: * Why skin disease remains the single biggest driver of antimicrobial resistance in small animal practice, and what to do about it * Amoxicillin vs amoxiclav: when de-escalation is not just safe, but smarter * Why convenience (you know the brand we’re talking about right…) is not a clinical indication * Trimethoprim-sulphonamide and the real story on KCS risk * Dentals, heart murmurs, and what prophylaxis actually looks like in 2026 * Simple in-clinic stewardship strategies that genuinely shift prescribing behaviour This isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress. If you’d like effective antibiotics to still exist in five to ten years… This episode is essential listening. Find out how we can support you in your vet career at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.thevetvault.com]. ⁠Subscribe to our weekly newsletter⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://thevetvault.substack.com/?r=2v2kg5&utm_campaign=pub-share-checklist]for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week. Grab one last handful of spots in the Maldives for our surf/dive vet conference with ⁠Vets On Tour⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://vetsontour.com/]. Tips and Timestamps * 3:03 Progress in prescribing habits including UTI durations and surgical prophylaxis * 4:55 Skin disease as the biggest problem area in small animal practice * 7:01 Topical therapy versus systemic antibiotics for skin conditions * 9:28 Deep pyoderma and the new consensus statement * 11:00 Gut bacteria as a source of resistant infections * 12:41 Rise of MRSP, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius * 14:00 Amoxicillin-clavulanate overuse * 16:47 Vets on Tour conferences advertisement * 18:08 Pharmacology refresher on amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, and cefovecin * 19:45 Why cefovecin is classified as high importance, vs the convenience argument for cefovecin in cats * 22:56 Long-acting amoxicillin injections as an alternative * 24:00 Getting amoxicillin back on the shelf * 24:53 Communicating antibiotic choices to clients * 29:32 Dental antibiotics and debunking the heart murmur myth * 34:07 Subclinical bacteriuria and stopping cultures in asymptomatic patients * 38:30 Reassessing the dry eye risk of trimethoprim-sulfonamide * 41:43 Antimicrobial stewardship trial using colour-coded pharmacy shelves