What is your current position within the veterinary profession?
I am a clinical assistant professor and service chief in Large Animal Internal Medicine at the University of Florida. I am also the faculty advisor for the UF SCAAEP and SCAVMA chapters and serve on the AVMA’s Early Career Development Committee.
Why do you think the VLI is an important organization for the veterinary profession?
Leadership, communication, and teamwork are arguably more important to professional and personal success than anything else. While veterinary schools are beginning to include more of the “soft skills” in the curriculum, these are areas that have gone unrecognized and undervalued traditionally. With the mental health issues currently facing our profession, the VLI provides a safe place to discuss these issues and hopefully insure the ongoing wellbeing of veterinary medicine.
What are the top 3 things you learned during your week at VLE?
1. I learned how to pause and take a moment for reflection.
2. How different members of a team can have completely opposite reactions and interpretations to the same situation.
3. Starting your morning with a dance is a good way to instill positive energy.
How are you putting what you learned at VLE into practice on a daily basis?
So hard to even put this into words! Between my time as an attendee and my time as a facilitator in training, I’ve learned so much that I try to use every day. As an ESTJ, I have found I could often be overbearing or abrasive to some. Allowing silence and making it comfortable has been huge for me, as well as watching my wake. Also the mere concept of facilitating versus teaching- being more of a guide than an instructor has changed how I teach in the clinic.