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The Independent
14 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
The real reason fewer men may be choosing to become vets
If you take your dog, cat or fish to see a vet in the UK, the person who treats them is likely to be a woman. According to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, 61 per cent of current UK vets are female. University admissions are even more skewed. Among vets who had recently qualified, nearly 80 per cent were female. This wasn't always the case. In the 1930s, when James Herriot – author of books including All Creatures Great and Small and for many the iconic British vet – was practising, almost all vets were male. The women's liberation movement of the 60s and 70s saw an influx of female vet students. You might expect a levelling of the playing field to lead to a profession now equally split between genders, but that isn't so. I teach veterinary clinical communication skills to veterinary students. My research relates to developing communication strategies that are effective across a wide range of cultures and social groups. However, vets are not very culturally diverse: as well as the majority being female, nearly all are heterosexual and white. This can limit their experience and understanding of different perspectives. As part of a wider piece of research into student experience of communication, I have reviewed the history of veterinary demographics, with some surprising results. Historically, vets worked mainly on farms with large animals, for which clients perceived physical strength to be crucial. Increasing pet ownership means most vets now work with small animals. This change in focus has altered society's perception of veterinary work from 'practical' to 'caring', and it has been suggested that this has discouraged boys from considering the profession. Veterinary salaries have also stagnated for some time, which may make the job less attractive to men. There is very little research to support any of these theories, but the most relevant and largest study available comes from the US in 2010. When applications to vet schools across the country from the 1960s to early 2000s were reviewed, one factor predicted student choice: the more female students there were, the less likely males were to apply. This is an understudied sociological phenomenon called 'male flight' or 'gender flight'. It seems that, in some professions at least, men lose interest once the number of women rises above 60 per cent. Another study of UK workplaces found the same thing when modelling various reasons for gender disparities. Men not choosing professions such as pharmacy and accountancy due to the increased female presence was the best explanation. These findings are concerning when connected with a UK study from 2018 called Drawing the Future. Thirteen thousand UK school children aged between seven and 11 were asked to draw pictures of their dream job. Researchers found that – perhaps unsurprisingly – dream jobs were strongly gendered, and that this happens from a young age. 'Vet' was third overall, a very popular job choice. But when you split that by gender, it was the second most popular job for girls, but only ninth for boys. This very much matches the gender balance of vet school applicants, so we can hypothesise that attitudes to being a vet are set early in life. Need for diversity Most diversity initiatives aim to reduce barriers for underrepresented groups. The veterinary profession isn't nearly as diverse as it could be – only around 4 per cent of vets come from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds, compared to 18 per cent of people in the UK population overall. Various reasons for this have been suggested, including a lack of representation and financial barriers. But we actually don't know why this is; applications to veterinary medicine by non-white students are lower than for other degrees. But in the case of gender, boys can become vets. They simply don't want to. There's value in diversity in general within the veterinary profession. Vets don't just work in clinics with pets: they also play a key public health role, preventing disease in animal populations and ensuring the health and welfare of farm animals. There are many animal charities that rely on vets to help support the human-animal bond, such as rescuing and rehoming animals, working with pets belonging to homeless people, or caring for the pets of people fleeing domestic violence. This means working with people from all over the UK, from all backgrounds. Many studies of stress in the veterinary profession identify difficulties with communication as a key problem. Indeed, communication is highlighted as a key skill for veterinary students by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and many studies of veterinary education. But there lies a challenge common to homogeneous professions. Learning to communicate effectively with others is more difficult when there is less diversity. This issue of gender flight has broader social implications. When men leave a profession due to increased numbers of women, wages tend to stagnate, which is a serious issue for students who frequently leave their five-year vet degrees with substantial debt. One place to start might be looking at how young children view vets – and what might make it a profession to choose as a result of personal ability and preference, rather than social pressure.
Forbes
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Workplace Gossip For Your Entertainment, in Books and TV
Workplace Gossip in Books and TV We spend much of our adult lives working. And that comes with workplace politics and managing challenging personalities, all while diplomatically trying to hold back what we really want to say. Despite the huge investment it takes to cultivate these relationships, most of us had little choice in selecting these constant companions. Therefore, managing these relationships takes a suite of communication skills, including influence, persuasion, emotional intelligence, and gossip. For those without formal power, such as a titled leadership position, managing horizontally and up can be an important communication skill to master. Without executive power that comes with formal leadership, employees need to rely on another source of power. That's where gossip comes in. Gossip gets a bad name and can, indeed, often be toxic in workplaces. But dig deeper, and evolutionary psychologists argue that gossip developed and has continually evolved to police morality in communities by letting people know what is permissible, applauded, or tolerated. Those who violate these moral norms will face reputation damage, exclusion, or even expulsion from the community. The most challenging workplace dramas can also be a source of entertainment and humor, as we, as humans, try to process and grapple with the great stressors in our lives. The TV show, The Office, masterfully turned cringeworthy office politics into comedy that so many of us could relate to. As an example of policing moral norms, in the episode called 'The Secret', Michael overhears Stanley and Jim talking about having feelings for someone, which Michael interprets as Stanley having an affair. But, in fact, what Michael overheard was Jim sharing his feelings for Pam. Michael then spends the episode dropping hints to others in the office about Stanley's infidelity, and gossip whips through the workplace through whispers and speculations behind Stanley's back. In a style classic to The Office, the truth was messily revealed in an office meeting, but the damage was done, in terms of Stanley's feelings of frustration and isolation caused by Michael's use of gossip to police what he saw as wrong. This example shows an effective use of gossip to police moral norms, mixed with toxic side of gossip, exacerbated by the fact that it was based on a miscomputation, which is all too common with this source of behind-the-scenes power. Some outstanding books about gossip include, Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, depicting the spread of gossip through a community of school parents, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, about how a career can be shaped through gossip, and a recent one by Canadian author Natalie Sue with the clever title for a book about office communication: I Hope This Finds You Well. Imagine an IT mistake that allows you access to the private emails and direct messages of all your colleagues. You can know what people are saying about each other (and you) behind their backs, read their elicit communications with romantic partners, and keep abreast of all the gossip and scheming about looming job cuts. That's the basic plot of I Hope This Finds You Well, and Sue artfully makes the reader grapple the protagonist's dilemma to report the IT error or to use this source of information to her advantage. Check this one out if you can relate to the burnout and disengagement felt by Millennials in dead-end jobs and if you're not too squeamish about witnessing the slow build and inevitable trainwreck that culminates in this office gossip drama.
Geek Wire
20-05-2025
- Business
- Geek Wire
AI roleplay startup Yoodli raises $13.7M to help sales teams practice their pitches
GeekWire's startup coverage documents the Pacific Northwest entrepreneurial scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and venture capital directory . Yoodli co-founders Esha Joshi (left) and Varun Puri at the GeekWire Awards in Seattle earlier this month. (GeekWire Photo / Dan DeLong) Yoodli, a Seattle startup that uses generative AI to analyze speech and offer tips for improving communication skills, raised $13.7 million in a new investment round. The Information reported the funding Tuesday. Companies such as Databricks, RingCentral, Snowflake and others use Yoodli to help their employees prep for sales pitches. Its software lets users create personas to simulate conversations with another person or multiple people. The company's model is trained on effective communication techniques and can be customized depending on an organization's goals. Yoodli is gaining traction amid increased usage of AI tools to improve real-life conversations. Other companies are developing similar AI roleplay coaching tools. Varun Puri and Esha Joshi launched Yoodli in 2021 at the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI2) incubator in Seattle. The startup got off the ground with a consumer-focused offering targeted at practicing public speaking. The company earlier this year showed how its tech worked by analyzing President Trump's inauguration speech. Speaking last year on the Shift AI podcast, Puri noted that Yoodli won't be able to give feedback on the nuances of communication. 'That's way too human,' he said. 'But when we have human coaches using Yoodli as part of their workflow, they can now coach hundreds more clients. 'My pitch to speech coaches is, if you're the doctor, we are the medical report. If you're the accountant, we are TurboTax. Let's help you supercharge the work you're doing. And I think companies leveraging AI with that humility, but also in partnership with human coaches, will likely find the most value.' Yoodli has partnered with public speaking organization Toastmasters and consulting firm Korn Ferry. Puri is a former product manager with X Development, the R&D organization of Google parent Alphabet, and Joshi was a product manager at Apple. The startup's investors include Madrona Venture Group, Cercano Capital, AI2, and others. Neotribe led the latest round, The Information reported.
Associated Press
08-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Totem Learning Launches Sona AI to Help Individuals Master Difficult Conversations with Confidence
05/07/2025, Warwick, United Kingdom // PRODIGY: Feature Story // Built at the intersection of psychology, learning science, and game design, Totem Learning 's mission is to harness entertainment to refine human skills at scale. Recently, the company took this commitment to the next level by launching Sona AI, a tech-powered, emotion-centered tool providing personalized insights and realistic interaction simulations. From challenging customers to handling objections to life-altering performance reviews, Totem's newest solution is all about sharpening confidence, clarity, and capability with every conversation. This award-winning creative powerhouse recognizes that some interactions change everything. By fusing cutting-edge technology with the power of behavioral science, Sona AI delivers a smarter, more effective way to build real-world communication skills. Through realistic conversations, it prepares employees for high-pressure scenarios, empowering them to get it right when it matters most. Unlike popular kinds of AI, Sona AI doesn't generate ideas or act as a personal agent; instead, it assesses skills and performance by making practice feel real. With Totem's solution, workplaces gain access to contextualized AI-driven avatars. Their own customized personas that embody businesses' core values and personalities. By creating risk-free environments for safe practice, Sona AI doesn't leave positive outcomes to chance. Sona AI These intelligent avatars are focused on emotional and contextually relevant interactions, with minimal animation letting words take center stage. Every interaction is followed up by Sona AI's insights, which summarize how users handled a conversation against the guidelines. It's worth noting that learners have no pre-selected options or scripts. It's all about organic conversations that mirror real-life altercations. Lastly, to better prepare for the next interaction, the tool provides actionable takeaways that refine employees' approach. Since its launch, Totem has collaborated with firms across various industries and of all sizes, designing AI-powered avatars tailored to their unique needs. Co-designing begins with a prompting process, during which clients fill out a questionnaire, which is later analyzed by a prompting engine. Alternatively, companies that want their persona to look like a specific person can use a photograph, which is later animated. When a general vision is formed, Totem works closely with customers to refine their Sona AI avatars, whether by adjusting their tone of voice or dressing them in signature brand colors. Before launching the persona, it is thoroughly tested by a team with vast expertise in behavioral science, gaming, and education to ensure it meets expectations and works seamlessly. Sona AI is accessible through a subscription model, which goes beyond the avatar creation. When working with Totem, clients gain long-term support from a trusted digital learning partner who truly wants them to succeed. The development of Sona AI couldn't have happened without funding from two major innovation initiatives, Ufi VocTech Trust and the Innovate UK Coventry and Warwickshire Launchpad initiative. Building upon an already transformative foundation, Totem will enhance it with an authoring tool. Planned to launch in late 2025, this feature is designed to put control over the creation process in the hands of businesses. By allowing them to set objectives and preferences on their own, it will eradicate the common cookie-cutter approach on a global scale. Sona AI - Desktop 'Sona AI is a fantastic example of the innovation and creativity thriving in Coventry and Warwickshire's digital sector,' says Stacy O'Connor, Digital Creative Industry & Inward Investment Specialist at Invest in Warwickshire. Jane Holmes, Associate Director of Grants at Ufi VocTech Trust, adds, 'Sona AI is a brilliant example of how innovative learning tools can make essential skills more accessible, more human, and more impactful.' Designed for outcomes, not mere engagement, Sona AI addresses the needs of leaders and employees globally, empowering them with confidence, clarity, and capability. Ultimately, Sona AI doesn't choose between the hard or the easy way. It chooses the smarter way. Media Contact Name: Helen Routledge Email: [email protected] Source published by Submit Press Release >> Totem Learning Launches Sona AI to Help Individuals Master Difficult Conversations with Confidence
