What it takes to be the Veterinary Business Thought Leader of the Year

_{Dr Jocelyn Birch Baker} 

Can you talk about your business and what made you want to become a vet?

I have been a vet for 40 years and have a family-friendly companion animal practice in Rockhampton, Queensland. We have 4 part-time vets and 9 support staff.

As a child, I lived in the country on a farm and went to a one-teacher school. We were very fortunate in that we rode our ponies to school and always had animals around us. Looking after the animals, I became aware of diseases and accidents and decided that preventing them would be better than continuously treating them. My Dad reinforced this with the concept that "Prevention is better than cure." Becoming a vet was the best way I could prevent the disease and suffering of animals.

What do you think made you stand out from others to win last year’s VBG Veterinary Business Thought Leader award?

I stand out because I have addressed our profession's biggest challenge. I factor in the career plan of a veterinary vet mum to maintain a thriving practice. I do podcasts, webinars, and articles addressing this, and I also run a successful, profitable, thriving, mother-friendly practice, demonstrating that it can be done.

I have lived the experience that most of our vets are living now. I can see how being a veterinary woman and mother impacts your ability to fulfil the previous expectations of what a vet is supposed to be and do. Now, as a practice owner, I am working with these vets and know that they were feeling just as I was previously, trying to fit in a career with the obligations that come with motherhood.

I found solutions as an employee and now find solutions as an owner. Eighty percent of our graduates are women, and our profession needs to change the workplace to accommodate this change. This will address the veterinary shortage.

_{Dr Moss Siddle (VBG Committee Member), Dr Jocelyn Birch Baker and Sue Crampton from the awards sponsor Provet} 

How has winning the award impacted you?

When I won the award, the first thought that came to me was that people were listening and hearing us. Practice owners and managers were hearing that there was a change in the demographics of our vets, and as such, there needed to be a change in the career and workplace structures. I have also met and learnt from many incredible people within the AVA, from practices and our associated industries. I have more confidence speaking out about what I believe in, and I now have the opportunity to speak at the VetForum conference in Singapore about our Women in Vet Practice.

What do you think are the most significant challenges facing the veterinary sector are currently?

The most significant challenge facing the veterinary sector is the veterinary workplace structure.
The ongoing expectation of employing a full-time vet is not applicable in this day and age. Vets are voting with their feet and leaving our clinical profession daily because they cannot find a workplace that fits their needs.
When we work with our vets, we can develop systems that work for everyone and develop a thriving veterinary sector again. A change of culture is needed.

Another challenge is the ongoing psychological stress in our profession. I feel this comes from the concept that we must do it all. This attitude comes from the community as well as us.

As vets, we are not responsible for every pet in our community. We need to set our boundaries and work within them. We can choose our area to work in, whether as a welfare vet, a GP vet, a specialist, or a production vet. We cannot continue to pick up the pieces that the community and owners have chosen not to. Community members must take responsibility for their own pets and the welfare of community animal issues.

Practice owners and managers must set boundaries and look after their teams by developing and policing systems that always ensure their psychological and physical safety. This would include managing social media issues, complaints and any verbal or physical abuse that arises. All staff must be working in a safe and supportive environment. This would encourage more vets to return to the clinical space.

Our team enjoys working at High Street Veterinary Surgery because our clients have the highest respect and regard for our professionalism, the work we do and the care we give. We have set our boundaries and can do a fantastic job within them. We are not everything for everyone. This works well for us.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I want to thank the AVA and the VBG for having the Thought Leader Award. It demonstrates a very forward-thinking mindset of our profession. Many vets and nurses are doing some amazing things in our profession, and this award enables us to acknowledge and learn from them. Thank you also to Covetrus and Hills for sponsoring the award.

I look forward to meeting the Award winners of 2023 at the VBG Summit and learning from their experiences, ideas and achievements.

I encourage everyone to look into the awards as it is an opportunity to assemble your thoughts, plans and outcomes in a readable format. This in itself is invaluable. Because then you can see where you have been, where you are going, and what you have achieved. It’s the story of your achievements.