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Matthew Syed delivers keynote speech at BSAVA Congress
Matthew Syed highlighted the psychological and cultural factors that shape high performance in sport, science and many other fields.

Opening ceremony looks at the importance of being self-aware

British journalist and author Matthew Syed has spoken out about the importance of self-awareness and how it can help people to enjoy a successful professional life.

Speaking at BSAVA Congress on Friday (5 April), the former Olympic table tennis star highlighted the psychological and cultural factors that shape high performance in sport, science and many other fields.

He stressed that there are two ways of looking at success. It is either fixed by talent, predisposition and intelligence or it is something that will grow through discipline, practice and self-evaluation.

Mr Syed gave a number of examples where professionals he has worked with have examined their own shortcomings and worked hard to overcome them. He explained that when ghostwriting David Beckham’s autobiography, his subject insisted that his legendary free-kick taking skills were a result of hours of practice, rather than natural ability.

In another example, Mr Syed spoke about how a similar ability to learn from mistakes has dramatically cut the number of people dying in aviation accidents. He said this was achieved by encouraging a culture in which staff are willing to report near-miss events.

In contrast, 45,000 people a year in the US died from central line infections because senior doctors would not admit to mistakes. Mr Syed claimed that self-justification and error concealment was and still is a key characteristic of the medical profession.

He spoke about how it is common for professionals not to admit their mistakes over fears they will be punished, but added that change can occur when the system encourages the adoption of a ‘no blame culture’.

He concluded there is no place for a dominance hierarchy in the modern world. Respect for the knowledge gained by senior members of a professional team should not prevent colleagues from offering opinions on solving a shared problem.

“Expertise is not about how much we know - it’s about finding what we don’t know,” he said.

Image (C) Paul Clarke Photography.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.