Ep 55: Dr Robin Downing - Analgesia For The Soul

On today’s show I’m joined by the woman with potentially the new Blunt Dissection record (Sorry Sheilah) for the number of letters after a name, Dr. Robin Downing, DVM, DAAPM, DACVSMR, CVPP, CCRP, CVA, MS in Clinical Bioethics. Robin, who will be familiar to many of you, graduated from Loyola University of Chicago, (where she obtained a degree in English) in 1981 and later from the University of Illinois: College of Veterinary Medicine in 1986. Growing up, Dr. Robin had a natural rapport with animals, thanks to her Grandad; and was later pushed towards pursuing her career in veterinary medicine by her partner and now wife. Utilising her degree in English, Robin wrote a weekly column in The Denver Post, as well as multiple magazine articles, short stories, and two books. Meanwhile, using her veterinary degree to transform Windsor Veterinary Clinic into a Practice of Excellence and create The Downing Center for Animal Pain Management. Alongside, this Robin serves as a Trustee for the Morris Animal Foundation and is an affiliate faculty member at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine. It is no wonder that in 2001, she was presented the prestigious Excellence in Veterinary Healthcare Award by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association in Vancouver, and the winner of the 2020 Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award. Now, just before we jump into the episode, a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is the Thrive community. If you are struggling with managing time, feeling like an imposter or burnout then you need to make a change. The good news is that you are not broken or a bad fit for the profession, you are simply missing some super-important skills no-one teaches at university. Skills you will learn as part of the VetX community. Thrive is a RACE accredited professional skills course where members receive training, toolkits and one-to-one coaching to develop these skills. Join hundreds of other vets who have changed their careers for the better as a Thrive member. To learn more and find out if the class is a good fit for you visit www.vetxinternational.com today. Now back to the show... This episode is both a heartwarming and heart-wrenching story of Robin’s life, (she now holds a second record for the first guest to make me cry) as she recalls her struggles of being both gay and a woman in the 1980s veterinary industry, how her dog stopped her from taking her own life, discusses how every vet should use a bioethical framework, and outlines her hopes to influence human medicine. Expect to laugh, cry, and be truly amazed by the remarkable Dr. Robin Downing.