The SRUC Podcast Scotland's Rural College

May is Vet Nurse Awareness Month so in today's podcast episode, Adam Masri, Lecturer at the SRUC School of Veterinary Medicine, is speaking with Kirsty Young and Nikki McLeod to highlight and celebrate the various roles that veterinary nurses play in the veterinary profession. They'll discuss what their roles entail, how they came into them, and what you can do if you would also like to study to become a Veterinary Nurse.

This episode focuses on the SM@RT project and features an international cast of researchers.
Sm@RT is a EU funded project, which started in 2021 and will finish later this year. It is about encouraging uptake of innovations and technologies by sheep and goats farmers in Europe and beyond, and facilitating exchange of knowledge and ideas between farmers and researchers.
The project identified farmers needs in terms of technologies, proposed practical solutions and ran participatory events on farms to demonstrate the use of these tools. The idea was to demystify the use of technologies on sheep and goats farms, and learn from different countries.
The consortium comprises eight different countries – Estonia, Norway, the UK, Ireland, France, Hungary, Italy and Israel and 11 different partners.
The episode is hosted by Claire Morgan-Davies, a researcher at SRUC and the coordinator of the Sm@RT project.
Claire is joined by colleagues from:
- Norway: Lise Grøva – from the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy
- Ireland: Brid McClearn – from Teagasc
- Hungary: Renata Klein – from the University of Debrecen
- Italy: Valeria Giovannetti – from Agris Sardegna
- Israel: Assaf Godo – from the Agricultural Research Organisation
- UK: Ann McLaren from SRUC
SM@RT websiteSm@RT approach to sheep and goat farming - news piece on SRUC website

This episode of the SRUC podcast is all about transition. Adam Masri, Veterinary Lecturer at SRUC’s School of Veterinary Medicine talks to Veterinary Surgeon Robyn Geddes - a 2023 graduate from the University of Glasgow - about the transition from vet school to that first year in practice.
In the podcast Robyn talks about her experience at vet school, what she misses about it, what criteria she thinks are important to consider when looking for that first job in practice, the RCVS’s Vet graduate development program (VetGDP) and much more. It’s a really great chat for anyone who has an interest
in studying to be a vet or who is currently studying to be a vet. You’ll hear Robyn’s point of view on lots of the challenges and learnings that are to be had as a vet student.
We are aiming to welcome our very first students to SRUC’s new school of veterinary medicine this September here in Aberdeen. It’s a unique model - As only the third Veterinary School in Scotland and the first in over 150 years, the SRUC School of Veterinary Medicine will prepare students for work in the increasingly important rural mixed practice, agricultural and food sectors.
Why are we different? The SRUC School of Veterinary Medicine will use innovative teaching methods and curriculum design to ensure that students are fully prepared to work in the variety of high demand sectors.
We offer new pathway programmes aimed at those from rural backgrounds who are familiar with the agricultural sector but may not have - or been able to get - the required scientific foundations. 
Our pathways to study at the vet schoolSRUC School of Veterinary Medicine

In this episode Alison Braddock, Marketing and Business Development Manager asks Heather Stevenson, Veterinary Investigation Officer based at Dumfries Disease Surveillance Centre about Nematodirus. This parasitic worm causes problems in lambs, so this podcast looks at clinical signs, diagnosis and top tips on treatment, prevention and control.
The link to SCOPS | Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep is a useful tool to use.
Please also see our  Veterinary surveillance blogs | SRUC

There are ten species of bats in Scotland ranging from the Common pipistrelle to the rare Whiskered bat.
They are a source of free pest control - with a single bat capable of eating up to 3,000 midges in a night - and are vital for maintaining healthy ecosystems.
Learn more about the benefits of bats to farming landscapes and what actions farmers can take to support this protected species on their farms in this episode with Communications Officer Rosie Free and SAC Consultant Harry Fisher.
To read more about Bats and Biodiversity, visit: Bats and Biodiversity | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)
For more information about the event at Culzean Castle, visit: The Benefits Of Bats On Farmland | Events helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)

On this special episode of the SRUC podcast, Veterinary Lecturer Adam Masri is joined by Shereene Williams, Global Animal Health Advisor (Vet) at Brooke, Action For Working Horses and Donkeys.
Shereene has had a successful career in equine veterinary care, and Adam chats with her about her career journey and the challenges past & present for women in the veterinary sector.
Adam also highlights the career of Aleen Cust who became the first female veterinary surgeon in Ireland and Great Britain in 1922.
Aleen Cust - WikipediaProfile: Adam MasriThe world needs more vets and farriers - they should be women | BrookeSRUC School of Veterinary Medicine
LINKS:
SRUC School of Veterinary Medicine
Blog by Shereene Williams on how more vets and farriers should be women
Adam's profile - SRUC
Wikipedia page for Aleen Cust