Veterinary professional self-development workshop to take place in Victoria Falls National Park in Africa

WorldWide Vets, a non-profit organization, is launching a self-development workshop—WorldWideVets Thrive—that provides continuing education (CE) opportunities for qualified and licensed veterinary professionals in the sublime Victoria Falls National Park in Zimbabwe, Africa.

Photo courtesy of WorldWide Vets.

“It's an exclusive experience with great access to lectures and training,” said Gemma Campling, BVetMed Sci (Hons), BVM BVS, MRCVS, MCVSZ, CEO and founder of WorldWide Vets, in a dvm360® interview. “It's a special occasion. It's an opportunity to mix safari with teaching.”

Inspiration

Campling was inspired to create this event because she works with veterinary professionals across the globe and has witnessed universal well-being struggles. She explained they often put their patients first and themselves second, which negatively affects their mental health and ironically, their work in veterinary medicine.

“I wanted to create something that was going to help people in the veterinary industry sustain their careers, enlighten themselves, excel. Repeatedly, you hear this frustration, this burnout. I wanted to create a course that was going to stand up to those challenges and be totally life-changing,” said Campling. “Not only is this education very holistic, but it's also a way to essentially take a retreat, to step back, reassess. They say a little bit of distance makes things look small. And it's true, being in that unique environment, surrounded by nature, and the comings and goings of the wildlife is going to be great for [those in attendance].”

Self-reflection and -discovery

The lectures are going to be set outside around the waterhole of the Zambezi Gorge and take place while on a pontoon down the river. “You’re going to pass crocodiles and hippos and elephants on the side of the bank [while] having these amazing learning experiences. It’s combining the beauty of Africa and being immersed in that nature, and that silence is so special in itself,” said Campling.

There will be 32 hours of RACE-approved CE focused on mental health awareness and self-development. The Thrive course will consist of a combination of¹:

• Personality tests and analysis sessions
• Team practicals
• Dynamic group discussion sessions
• Lectures
• Thrive missions: Extra activities that will immerse attendees in the African wilderness (eg, boat cruises, safari drives, visiting elephant orphanages) while providing take-home lessons

One stand-out element that will be featured is the Enneagram, which is a personality quiz the attendees will take before the event. On site, a professional Enneagram practitioner will review each person’s results to help them work through their strengths and blind spots. “[With the] Enneagram, we're going to be covering teamwork, optimizing communication, and dealing with challenging concepts like intruder syndrome, self-awareness, burnout, self-forgiveness, and focusing heavily on the work-life balance,” shared Campling.

In the interview, Andi Davison, LVT, CAPP, APPC, positive change agent with Flourish Veterinary Consulting, who will lead some discussions on positive psychology-based content, added “I’m thrilled that [WorldWide Vets Thrive] is going to bring in the personality discovery part of this curriculum. Because understanding who we are and understanding the different pieces that create and make us who we are as well as others around us, is going to bring such cohesion to the coursework that's going to be offered throughout the entire program.”

Additional details

Attendees will stay in an all-inclusive 5-star lodge with views of the Victoria Falls. The course accepts between 10 to 16 people on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Davison emphasized that from WorldWide Vets Thrive, “I’m hoping [attendees] take away a sense of possibility. Because it is possible to balance our lives with our career, it is possible to thrive and flourish in veterinary medicine, it is possible to connect with others in a way that will absolutely change your life.”

“I want people to go home fresh with new friends, knowing they are part of something much bigger, something incredibly important globally and locally. And they're not alone with their struggles,” added Campling. “And the knowledge that their future is in their hands, and they can do with it, whatever they wish. We're going to give them the tools to do whatever they wish, and the ability to take that forward.”

The upcoming events will occur over 7 days and take place from December 8 to 14, 2023; February 4 to 10, 2024; and February 10 to 16, 2024. Visit WorldWide Vets’ website for further details.

Reference

WorldWide Vets Thrive. WorldWide Vets. Accessed October 20, 2023. https://www.worldwidevets.com/event-details/worldwide-vets-thrive-