Vet Mind Works Podcast

This podcast is for veterinary professionals who are looking for better ways of working and living. We discuss mind-sets, mind skills, behaviours and habits, which support sustainable performance and wellbeing in a challenging profession, and allow us to develop our own 'best veterinary self'. Podcast hosts Petra Agthe and Alison Collings (two vets with a long-standing interest in psychology and related disciplines) interview interesting guests, ranging from veterinary colleagues to psychologists, who share their knowledge, experiences and insights on specific subjects. Occasionally, we also schedule a 'rest and digest' episode in which we discuss and reflect on previous topics. This is a podcast for the whole veterinary community and we encourage listeners to provide feedback and enter the discussion! You can do this by sending us an email to vetmindworks@gmail.com. We are happily funding this podcast ourselves to keep it independent. However, you can show your support by donating towards a fundraising campaign in aid of a mental health project for Ukrainian veterinary colleagues: https://galaxyvets.foundation/campaigns/mental-health-support-for-ukrainian-veterinary-professionals/

Contributors

Host

Alison Collings

Alison is a small animal internal medic, bioinformatician, web editor and mindfulness practitioner.

She graduated in 2001 from Cambridge, UK. After spending several years in practice in the UK, she completed a residency at the University of Cambridge and gained the European Diploma in Veterinary Internal Medicine- Companion Animals in 2017. She has been working as a referral clinician and teleconsultant. Alison also works for the ECVIM-CA.

Alison has practiced mindfulness since 2015. Alison has been a pastoral mentor for the BSAVA and is keen to develop this further. She has developed a keen interest in helping vets with their clinical cases in a first opinion setting, having worked in teleconsulting for 7 ½ years. She has brought her knowledge gained from her own training in mindfulness and mentoring to this role as she believes that bringing aspects of these skills together is the key to living a sustainable and fulfilling life as a vet.

Host

Petra Agthe

Petra is a veterinary diagnostic imager, coach, mindfulness practitioner and mentor.

She graduated 1997 in Hannover, Germany. After spending several years in general practice in the UK, she completed a residency at the University of Cambridge and gained the European Diploma in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging in 2009. Since then she has been working in a multidisciplinary referral centre, where she is now head of service.

Alongside her main job, Petra developed a keen interest in psychology and neuroscience, particularly as it relates to wellbeing and performance. Her challenging clinical job has given her plenty of opportunity to train and practically apply many of the skills, behaviours and mental practices she learnt about.

Petra gained the ICF approved Diploma of Integrative Coaching and the Core Skills Certificate in Mindfulness Based Interventions. Website: https://www.ourresilientminds.com

Co-host

Monica Merlo

Guests

Guest

Megan Anderson

Founding Director of The Strand Veterinarian Limited and Creative Director of veterinary professional wellbeing promoting social enterprise Vet Thrive Limited, Megan graduated from Massey University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science. As a working veterinary clinician for over 30 years, Megan’s business experience and acumen was matched with an insatiable appetite to make sustainable change for the industry.
After 15 years of building The Strand Veterinarian into an iconic Auckland companion animal practice, her purpose was to bring global thought leaders together to invest in our most precious resource – our carers.
Her current work is to provide an accessible and affordable multi layered toolbox to bring best wellbeing practice into every veterinary workplace to support veterinary professionals throughout their career. In 2024 the vetThrive program won the HRNZ Wellness Programme and Supreme Winner Award.