Project Title

“Who’d be a vet, eh?” Veterinary Surgeons, Professional Identities and Ideal Selves

Names of Principal Applicant and Co-Applicants (please also include the names of the institutions and email addresses)
Dr Caroline Clarke,Open University

Professor David Knights, Open University

Dr Ben Hardy,Open University

Introduction

We first applied for seedcorn funding from our own in 2013 to do a series of interview with veterinary surgeons. This pilot study then resulted in our application for a small BAM grant of £4,000 to extend our interview set and to cover transcription and subsistence.

This has resulted in 74 interviews with large animal, small animal and equine vets, although the latter only represent 12 out of the 74 interviews and merit further study since we found different concerns with this group compared with the large animal/small animal interviews. Additionally, the shifting structure of the veterinary industry means that corporate veterinary practices now entering the field are likely to practice ‘vetting’ in a completely different way, and threaten the dominant partnership model. We believe there is merit in exploring these new entrants from ‘within’ i.e. to hear them articulate their own view of veterinary practice. Up until now this has been commented on only by those independents who are potentially threatened by their entry into the market, and perhaps conjecture forms a great deal of these narratives. These are the two areas where we would like to expand our study in the short term (stage 2), although we also believe that a brief study of veterinary school curricula together with interviews and observations of practices would facilitate a more comprehensive contextual background for our future studies. Part of the reason for this is that we have found evidence that the technical-rational and biological scientific model combined with the elite demands for top level qualifications can generate expectations that are discrepant with vet’s experiences of uncertainty, political and economic pressures and ethical dilemmas with which they are confronted on a daily basis when in practice.

Our research so far has thrown up a number of other very interesting areas for further exploration in the mid-term (stage 3), and we are currently researching the most appropriate body to fund more extensive research, for example the ESRC, Leverhulme and the Nuffield Foundation are potential contenders, as are veterinary funds such as the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Knowledge grants or the Veterinary Benevolent fund – although these tend to fund smaller projects. There is also the possibility of more unusual funding sources such as the American Society for Suicide Prevention and the Society for Human Resource Management but these, again, tend to be smaller grants.

We have recently submitted and been accepted to present several conference papers on our study, incorporating themes such ageism, gender issues, insecurity, doubt, and the ontological limitations of viewing ‘vetting’ merely as a scientific or clinical practice. We have also compiled practice reports for each practice we have visited, and we are currently compiling a large report on our findings amalgamating the themes and points emerging from the study for all those who have been involved. We also have interest from a potential part-time PhD student to look at the issue of how well students are prepared for a life in practice at vet school, and to investigate the problems for the profession relating to the preservation of gendered hierarchies (e.g. 80% of vet students are currently female, but there are few female partners or directors). We have also advertised for a full-time funded PhD to look at some of these issue. So far, we have very rich data, and a number of interesting themes to consider but these final interviews are fundamental in presenting the fullest context possible to apply for further funding.

Methodology in the main study, was an ethnographic stance- undertaking interviews with vets and observing their consultations with clients, with some general ‘lurking’ around the practice making field notes.

Report of Activities

Overall, the project involved 74 interviews (with 42 being funded by this grant). We also observed client consultations with small, large and equine animals. Transcriptions were made of the digitally recorded interviews, with notes also made in the field or ‘hanging around’ the practices. We also provided a post-visit report for those practices where we saw a large number of veterinary surgeons, highlighting the positive and negative aspects of their organisation.

Planned Activities for the Future

We have submitted 3 conference papers for 2015 on 3 different topics to be presented (including the identity SIG at BAM). We are also compiling a final and detailed report on our findings and each practice will receive a copy of this report to share with all participants. We have now also received some small amount of seedcorn funding from our own institution to look at corporate vets, and propose to apply for a larger grant from the Leverhulme foundation. In addition we have advertised for a PhD student who may have interest in researching vets (see also introduction).

Were the Research Aims and Objectives met?

The aims and objectives of this project are to develop a qualitative understanding of the culture, controls, practices and problems of veterinary surgeons at work. This we have certainly achieved very well, and the rich data will be invaluable in appreciating how vets perceive themselves and what kind of interventions are required in order to improve their working lives.

We hope to extend this study via a PhD student to explore how well prepared vets are in vet school, since we have data to suggest that they struggle with many aspects of their job, for example client relations and frequent ruminations when things do not go according to plan. This is currently a topic of some debate within the veterinary profession which we believe social scientist are well positioned to engage with. We believe that our final report to vets as well as publications and conference attendance will make a valuable contribution to this professional occupation

Limitations or challenges encountered

Interviews with vets take far longer than any other occupational group so far encountered, not in the sense that they last any longer (on average 55 minutes) but because of the nature of vetting, specifically emergency work and client demands. So although one may plan for four or five interviews a day, if the practice becomes busy then this takes priority and results in some ‘hanging around’ time. Where possible we use this for observing consultations but it is very difficult to plan any work when compared with more office based occupations. There has also been more challenging interview scenarios (while watching a dog being operated on, and also a cow having its eye removed) and having to curtail an interview as the participant became upset.

Analysis of Methods

74 interviews were recorded and transcribed in 10 different practices. These interviews are currently being coded using NVIVO software and thematic analysis (King, 2004) to identify particular themes and have led us to write conference papers on insecurity, doubt, anxiety, gender and age discrimination and the art of vetting as opposed to the science of clinical practices.

Analysis of Results

We are currently analysing the results of this project, which is a major task and being done with the aid of NVIVO. As above, we have found a number of areas of conceptual interest so far – for example the anxiety, doubt and insecurities felt by vets in response to clients’ expectations that they are omnipotent. Client expectations and power relationships are also of interest – particularly in relation to both gender and age discrimination, which is extremely prevalent – particularly in relation to making ‘partner’ or ‘director’ level. We are also interested in how the practice or ‘art of vetting’ departs from the typically straight ‘clinical’ knowledge taught in vet school, which appears to leave vets somewhat bewildered in terms of aspects of their day to day experiences, particularly in managing client relationships and running a business. Feelings of isolation, ethically challenging decisions and a tendency to ruminate are also of interest and have emerged from the data.

Impact of Research to the wider business and management academic community

So far the research has been well received among vets, in those practices that took part. Each practice has received a report of their own practice points that may require attention, and will shortly receive a report of all the practices which will be amalgamated and anonymised (quotes will be identified for example with the following info – male equine vet, 8 years qualified). This will be most reassuring we feel as typically each practice surfaced similar issues as experienced by the vets, but who thought they may well be strange or inadequate in having these feelings. (see also section additional comments).

Further research opportunities the project has highlighted

We would like to expand our research in accordance with some of our research findings, for example the vets we interviewed talked a lot about ‘corporate’ vets invading the market and undermining their professional status so we would now like to interview some coporate vets. We would also like to explore the ways in which vets are taught in veterinary schools to try to understand more about the methods and areas that are covered other than the clinical skills.

References and Bibliography – 2 pages maximum

Bartram D. J., Yadegarfar G. & Baldwin D. S. (2009) A cross-sectional study of mental health and well-being and their associations in the UK veterinary profession.Societal Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology44, 1075-1085

Bartram, D.J. and Baldwin, D.S. (2010) Veterinary surgeons and suicide: a structured review of possible influences on increased risk.Veterinary Record, 166, (13), 388-397.

Dean, R., Adams, V., Mellanby, R., Allister, R., Platt, S., Halliwell, R., Harrison, W., Hardy, B., & Sibbald, B. 2008.Wellbeing survey of the veterinary profession.Veterinary Record, 163(24): 728.

Hamilton, L., (2013) The magic of mundane objects: culture, identity and power in a country vets’ practice, The Sociological Review, 61: 265–284.

Hamilton, L. and Taylor, N., (2012), ‘Ethnography in evolution: adapting to the animal “other” in organisations’, Journal of Organisational Ethnography, 1 (1): 43–51.

Hamilton, L. and Taylor, N., (2013), Animals at Work: Identity, Politics and Culture in Work with Animals, Leiden: Brill.

Hjorth, N and Roed-Peterson, J (1980) Allergic contact dermatitis in veterinary surgeons, Contact Dermatitis6 (1): 27–29.

Knights, D., & Clarke, C. (2014). ‘It’s a bittersweet symphony, this life: Fragile academic selves and insecure identities at work’. Organization Studies, 35, 3, 335-357.

Mellanby, R. J. 2005. Incidence of suicide in the veterinary profession in England and Wales.Veterinary Record, 157(14): 415-417.

Miller, D. (2005) Materiality. Politics, History and Culture. Duke University Press.

Tomlin, J.L., Brodbelt, D.C. and May, S.A. (2010) ‘Veterinary students’ understanding of a career in practice’, Veterinary Record ,166:25 781-786.