Stephanie Sorrell is a European specialist in internal medicine and RCVS specialist in feline medicine. Stephanie is the director of Canine and Feline Medicine Consultancy Ltd through which she provides locum internal medicine and feline medicine cover to private and university-based referral practices. As well as this, she is a senior consultant for Virtual Veterinary Specialists which provides telemedicine advice to practitioners and is part of the FIP advice team.
In addition to her clinical work, she is passionate about teaching and improving mental health and wellbeing for those within the veterinary profession. She has successfully completed a Mental Health Awareness and Wellbeing Diploma as well as Mindfulness Champion training. Stephanie is currently working towards becoming a fully accredited mindfulness teacher. As director of The Mindful Vet Ltd she provides bespoke internal medicine and feline medicine clinical CPD as well as non-clinical CPD and training courses to veterinary employers and employees on mental health and wellbeing topics.
Stephanie will be speaking at VET Festival on 21st and 22nd of May 2022. Readers of Veterinary Woman can enjoy 20% off tickets – read on to find out more.
We’re excited to hear that you’ll be speaking at VET Festival this year. Please could you start by telling us which topics you’ll be covering, and why these were chosen?
First of all, I must say what a privilege it is to be interviewed for this! I come from a family of school teachers and university professors, and teaching just seems to be in my blood. Although I work as a specialist, I am privileged to work with a diverse range of vets and nurses through my various roles.
Having over 13 years of experience in clinical practice and several years providing specialist CPD to practitioners, I hope I am able to provide a practical approach to medicine cases and can try to break down any perceived barriers between general practitioners and specialists.
For my talks, I will be focusing on the approach to feline medicine cases; using a holistic approach by combining knowledge of behaviour and pathophysiology of disease to ensure that we can be true advocates for our patients whilst also providing the highest standard of care to our human clients. Given the recent advances in FIP treatments, and my role on the FIP advice panel, we will be looking at new treatment options for this previously devastating disease, as well as looking at how we can ensure we are providing fully for all of our patients, even those with cattitude!
“I come from a family of school teachers and university professors, and teaching just seems to be in my blood”
VET Festival is known as the veterinary conference with the feel-good factor! Do you enjoy the atmosphere of CPD alongside a chance to unwind?
I really can’t wait to be back in person at a real-life CPD event! I launched my second business during Covid and so this is one of the handful of talks I have been able to do in person. For me, this is what my business is all about and why I was so delighted to be asked by the VET Festival team.
I am so passionate about focusing on the whole picture and that is the beauty of medicine. I am looking forward to embracing the opportunities and reconnecting with old friends and new. I have met so many people with the same viewpoint as me on Instagram but have yet to meet in real life! As well as lecturing, I can’t wait to attend some of the other talks myself. As a locum, I am so fortunate to work in a variety of practices and I am constantly learning from others. How general practitioners manage to do their consultations in fifteen minutes is beyond me, and there is so much we can learn from each other if we are open and vulnerable.
You have an impressive career journey involving specialisation and becoming the director of your own company. What inspired you to take this route?
As an intern, I also considered emergency medicine which I really enjoy, but I realised I also like the longer-term relationship with clients and their pets. It was more a change of circumstances that brought about my need for a change and, to be honest, I have to pinch myself when I look at what I have achieved over the past couple of years. From my time in permanent practice, I was always keen to ensure that I was truly providing the best possible care – not just for owners and clients, but also for the vets of the future. I was a supervisor for EMS students and was actively involved in teaching students as well as nurses.
I am so lucky to have had some amazing mentorship throughout the years. Professor Danielle Gunn-Moore, Dr Charlotte Farr, Dr Scott Kilpatrick and Dr Alison Ridyard are four vets who have shaped my professional life. These are all-round awesome individuals and vets who have impressive – yet diverse – career journeys and have successfully carved out their niche and made a difference in the vet world.
For these people, like me, the pet always has to come first, and we have to be an advocate for them. We can only be this advocate though if we are grounded and settled. To this end, in 2018 when I left my permanent role, I set up my own business, Canine and Feline Medicine Consultancy, as my family and I realised that with my vet degree, and clinical and non-clinical ‘soft’ talents, I could create the job and life I thrived for.
I initially combined this work with working for Virtual Veterinary Services – initially as a director of client and clinical services, and currently as a senior consultant for client services. As I gained more experience in lecturing, I realised how much I enjoyed it and how much I learnt from researching too! This, combined with my own experience of anxiety, made me realise that to be the vet I wanted to be, I needed to look further than just my certificates and diploma. Being a perfectionist, I didn’t do this by halves, and I set up The Mindful Vet in 2020 to deliver bespoke CPD and to support mental health and wellbeing within the veterinary profession. I am so lucky to be able to work with fabulous teams like VET Festival who have embraced my company and vision with open arms.
What is the most common condition that is referred to you?
This totally depends on the area, as I work all over England and Scotland; however, for feline medicine, I would say urinary conditions such as FIC and ureteric obstructions. Since the pandemic and the release of legally available drugs to treat FIP, we are certainly seeing many more cases with suspected FIP. I think FIP will be the new canine Addison’s as, from the advice panel, we are seeing just how many diseases it can mask.
Veterinary medicine is going through a change at the moment, and I see this as positive. Vets are learning what their worth is and what their boundaries are, and to really succeed, we need to focus on both mental and physical wellbeing – not only of ourselves and team, but also of our patients. The most stressful cases I see are not to do with the complexity of the disease, but of the complexity of the family situation. To truly be the holistic vet that I would like to be, I need to make sure that I am doing right my patient first, then myself and my client, and that, as we know, isn’t always easy!
If you had to give vets three pieces of advice, what would they be?
Gosh, just three! My top three answers are below, but I have so many more. I am part of a new podcast. the Flawsome Vet, and in this we explore just what it means to embrace your mistakes. We work in an environment where we are bound to fail, and self-care isn’t selfish nor is it optional:
- Be yourself and never let anyone dull your sparkle. Self-talk is key – as is awareness and speaking to yourself like you would to a friend. We all have our talents, and it is your own and your employers’ job to ensure that we are achieving these. I love medicine because it combines so many disciplines and I enjoy developing relationship with clients and their pets. Anxiety sure does suck, but I’m learning that it doesn’t have to define me. Yes, I may need to make some changes to my working life, but I can still blossom and bloom, and anxiety doesn’t make me a failure.
Once we qualify, we all have the knowledge, but we need to learn how to apply this and, for me, this is where self-care really is a game changer. Take two minutes for a tea break, know your boundaries and don’t be scared to enforce them. Don’t be afraid to try different practices to find your place in the vet world – whether this is clinical and/or non-clinical work. As Professor Gunn Moore would say, we are purrfect as we are!
- Nothing is worth losing your peace for. Search for the unicorns in your personal and professional life. Self-acceptance is a journey. As a young vet, I wanted to thrive and succeed in everything – and that’s just not possible! As I have grown up, and I have had deeper personal relationships along the way, I’ve realised that I don’t thrive in all settings – and that’s absolutely fine!
For me, I love general and emergency medicine and I feel I thrive on the pressure and challenge of this. However, I need time for myself and also for sleep! I sleep a good 10 hours a night, so for me, working full time and doing on-call just doesn’t work. Being a vet with anxiety sure can be difficult at times; however, it’s also what makes me a compassionate and empathetic vet – and the vet I strive to be.
- Find your passion, and once you’ve found yours, help others to find theirs. Life isn’t a game, and you need to enjoy the journey as it is tough being in a profession that is surrounded by perfectionists and high achievers. For those interested, look up a fabulous book which explains the term ikigai. This is a Japanese word that means ‘the reason for being’ and is essentially the convergence of four elements: your passion, your mission, your vocation and your profession. Note the ‘your’for each – not those of your parents, friends, colleagues or employer! I am so blessed to have found my ikigai. I could think of nothing else I would rather be but that doesn’t mean it’s been a linear and easy ride!
“Be yourself and never let anyone dull your sparkle… find your passion, and once you’ve found yours, help others to find theirs”
What has been your top success and what have you learned from this?
In the past, I would have said my diploma; however, for me, my personal journey has been much more of a success. Work no longer defines me, and in 2018 when I was diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder, I made some major changes. For someone who just thought they were a high achiever, and that it was normal to be in the rat race, it took a lot for me to slow down, pause, reflect and be more like my animals – my cat Mr T and my dogs Dieci, Jimmy Choo and Princess Superted.
As a young vet, I was lucky enough to work with and be surrounded by unicorns – truly special people. For me, that was Professor Gunn Moore (and her husband, Frank, who is just as awesome), my mum, my sister and, in later years, it has expanded to include my incredible husband as well as best friends.
As I progress and become an employer myself, my role now is to find what makes younger vets and my colleagues happy, to find their ikigai and to help them develop it. This is what all my work is now about – whether it is through Canine and Feline Medicine Consultancy Ltd; by mentoring students, interns and residents; or through Mindful Vet – whereby I help vets to find their passion and achieve their goals. This, for me, is only possible if we can also help to develop the employer of the future so that they, too, can find their own and their employees’ ikigai. It is, after all, what makes life worth living!
How have you faced – and overcome – challenges in your career or in the profession?
I talk a lot and talking has definitely helped me. Talking about difficult cases, or a difficult time I’m having, really helps me. A problem shared is indeed a problem halved. As a young vet working my way up, I initially felt that I shouldn’t show any vulnerability. However, learning from my mentors in our profession and my personal life, particularly my awesome husband, I realise that it’s my job to not only look after my patients and clients but also myself and my family. Manging my anxiety with self-care and medication, and really enjoying all aspects of my life to the full with my husband and family, is definitely a success in my eyes.
Mindfulness for me has been a game changer and being able to introduce others to it through my role as a mindfulness champion and teacher in training is something that can help many more vets. What is also essential to realise though is that it isn’t just about you. Employers need to provide enough time and space for self-care so that their team can perform to their best ability, and this is what the training is all about.
What advice would you give to a vet looking to specialise but who maybe isn’t sure if it is the right route for them?
I would definitely advise to just dip your toe into it. If you realise you don’t like it, that’s just as valuable as learning that you do! There are so many alternative paths, and, in the future, I think we will see more flexible routes for alternative residency pathways. Having developed new CPD programmes and standalone lectures, I know that there is so much on offer and certainly more to come in the future too!
I think with specialism, or with any job, it’s not only about the specialism itself but also the environment. For me, visiting Edinburgh and meeting Prof Gunn Moore, made me realise what type of vet I wanted to be. I think it’s important that with any place you are planning to work at, that you have a close look at their values and goals and decide what your non-negotiables are – whether that is location, hours, support or whatever it may be.
“With any job, it’s not only about the specialism itself but also the environment… have a close look at their values and goals and decide what your non-negotiables are”
Finally, what steps do you take to unwind from the pressure of your role, and do you think the profession needs to promote self-care more amongst veterinary teams?
Well, for me, it’s talking. My poor husband does listen to my concerns, but I also have very close vet and nurse friends who can work through the difficult cases with me – whether that is clinically or ethically. Through my own personal experiences with anxiety, burnout and compassion fatigue, and my journey of self-care discovery, I have come to fully realise that we can only be the best vets we can be if we look after our mental and physical health.
I enjoy travelling, walking and exploring new parts of the UK in our motorhome; spending time with my animals and family; watching Disney; and horse riding. Basically, all of the things a young child enjoys!
VET Festival takes place 20th-21st of May 2022 at Loseley Park, Guildford, Surrey, UK.
The event will feature lectures and seminars across 16 veterinary specialist streams, 60+ suppliers in a diverse exhibitor village and 14 hours of CPD over two days.
Readers of Veterinary Woman can enjoy a 20% discount on VET Festival tickets. Simply book by 20th of May 2022 and quote ‘VETWOMAN’ in the discount code box after selecting your ticket: www.vetfestival.co.uk
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