BSAVA ‘Day in the Life of’ dramas to highlight real case scenarios at Congress 2023
8 February 2023
In the “real world” of veterinary medicine, things don’t happen like they do in a lecture. There are so many other influences over the outcome of cases and decision making during the consult process. Through a combination of live acting, clinical CPD, paraprofessional skills and interactive discussions, the ‘Day in the Life of’ sessions at BSAVA Congress 2023 will explore how to deal with real-life everyday events to support yourself and your team.
The sessions are part of a new initiative that debuted at BSAVA Congress 2022. In response to feedback from last year’s delegates, this year’s sessions are now more accessible and shorter in length. Taking place on Thursday 23rd March and Saturday 25th March, each day will include different challenges that you may come across in practice.
Some highlights include the ‘Live Case Work Ups’ with speakers Paul Higgs and Vicki Black. This session aims to demonstrate how a structured approach to case work helps you get through even the most challenging cases. The twist to this session is that Paul Higgs will not know the diagnosis before the session starts, and will be working this up in front of the live audience with the risk that he may get it wrong!
Another session to not be missed is one on end-of-life care. This session will focus on Dexter the dog who is slowing down, and Lulu the cat who doesn’t seem to be herself anymore. Throughout the afternoon, you’ll follow two clients who both have a very different experience when it comes to making that difficult decision, looking at how euthanasia impacts the grief profess, how choosing the right words when communicating can make a difference, and more. There will also be sessions on how to approach discussing obesity with your client, a gastrointestinal challenge as well as the dreaded pyrexic of unknown origin.
Congress Committee Chair, Paul Higgs said: “It’s all very well giving a lecture on the best way to approach a case when everything is under your control, but this is different! Add in the jeopardy of an owner (Actor) on stage, an unknown complex case and my reputation on the line and it gets a little nearer to real life.
“We have never tried this before, but I will be working up an otherwise unknown case, live on stage, under the watchful eye of another medicine specialist and the audience. Demonstrating a logical approach to each case (hopefully), including problem lists, differentials and interpreting results live I hope to make it to the diagnosis and keep the owner on board too!”
BSAVA Congress takes place at Manchester Central on 23rd – 25th March. Tickets are on sale now: https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2023/en/page/home.