Episode Details

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In today’s episode of The Blunt Dissection Show, our CEO and Founder Dr. Dave Nicol, interviews the senior vice president (and the 2020-2021 past president) of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), Dr. Mandisa Greene.

Raised in Trinidad since the age of two, Dr. Mandisa Greene grew up surrounded by animals and had aspirations of becoming a vet from a very young age.

She moved back to the UK aged 18 to pursue her dream of becoming a veterinarian but unfortunately got rejected from all four of her university applications. Mandisa didn’t let this stop her and instead completed a degree in Biological and Medicinal Chemistry whilst gaining valuable veterinary work experience. Three years after her first application, Mandisa reapplied for veterinary school and was accepted.

Mandisa graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2008, and after staying in Scotland for her first job she moved to England the following year, to a small animal practice in Biddulph.

As the first black president of RCVS, Mandisa is a huge role model in the push for increased diversity across veterinary medicine.
In her personal life, Mandisa is married to Hector and has two boys. One of her favorite hobbies is taking her boys out into the beautiful Staffordshire countryside on nature walks. When not at work, or looking after her boys, Mandisa can usually be found curled up reading a variety of books, with her two cats at her side.

Outline of This Episode:

• [03:36] What was Mandisa’s journey into veterinary medicine? 
• [09:23] Mandisa discusses her thought process when she got knocked back from university
• [10:38] Mandisa discusses her parents and the influence they had on her
• [13:41] Why did Mandisa choose to be in a lower set as school?
• [17:06] How does Mandisa pick herself up from rejection?
• [21:11] Dave asks Mandisa: Why do you think you were rejected from universities the first time around and accepted the second time?
• [28:53] What are Mandisa’s experiences that have continued her love of veterinary medicine?
• [39:09] How has wanting to serve others helped Mandisa to thrive?
• [37:57] Dave asks Mandisa, how do you know if you’ve done a good job clinically?
• [43:20] They discuss The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)
• [45:15] Mandisa discusses her year as president of the RCVS 
• [49:26] What are Mandisa’s highlights and challenges of the year?
• [54:50] Has the veterinary profession and the wider world made enough progress in terms of diversity?
• [57:00] How can we be more inclusive in veterinary medicine?
• [1:05:15] What is the RVCS doing to aid inclusivity?
• [1:08:11] What is the message for those who dismiss the discussions of inclusivity and diversity?
• [1:09:30] Dave asks Mandisa, what’s your kryptonite? 
• [1:11:19] What does Mandisa do to switch off?
• [1:15:45] What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
• [1:17:54] Mandisa recommends her favorite books
• [1:18:039] Dave asked Mandisa, what’s your favorite piece of equipment?
• [1:19:54] Dave asks Mandisa, what’s the one thing that you wish you could tell every veterinarian?
• [1:20:35] Mandisa gives her advice to her former self as a new graduate and to other new graduates at the moment

Resources Mentioned:

• https://www.rcvs.org.uk/home/ 
• The Power of Now- Eckhart Tolle
• The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho

Connect with Dr. Mandisa Green:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn 
• Facebook