If you are curious about the possibility of interesting veterinary education set in an Aegean spa hotel – yoga, skimming across crystal-clear waters, eating moreish mezze, preceded by beachside sundowners, with deep quality sleep, small group high-quality interactive learning, sunny weather, and, most importantly, having fun – then continue reading, as this is what you might have enjoyed at Sea-PD 2019.
Having run a popular CPD event for equine practitioners in the Alps for a number of years (Equine Ski-PD), I am convinced learning is more effective and enjoyable when incorporated with a fun activity to boost the endorphins, and outdoor sports fulfils this for many. If you add a top quality programme – with engaging speakers, and an environment that enables social interaction and informal exchange of information – you have a winning formula. I had been toying with the idea of a complementary summer/sea-based programme when a conversation with veterinary ophthalmologist Helen Appelboam revealed that this concept was not unique to me.
Unique and exciting
The landscape is already packed with options for further education, and we wanted to create something unique and exciting, with an emphasis on well-being. We were aiming for lots of group discussion, with a chance to informally pick the brains of specialists, plus outdoor activities with optional watersports coaching. We hoped to bring likeminded people together to learn in small interactive groups, to provide quality CPD in short bursts (making it more likely to be retained), and encourage a healthy and active lifestyle. Thus, Sea-PD was born. Our course sponsors Bova UK and Direct Medical Supplies were very keen to be involved and, with Windwise offering the on-water learning, the inaugural course was set.
We decided to focus on comparative aspects of veterinary medicine between different species for our first pilot Sea-PD symposium, with the luxury option of tailoring the lectures to suit the delegates, to provide something different from the many available courses on offer at home.
Alaçatı Surf Paradise Club in Alaçati, Turkey, turned out to be the perfect venue for our venture, with a relaxed vibe, and ideal conditions for beginner and advanced watersports enthusiasts. We were lucky enough to collaborate with Simon Bornhoft, an internationally renowned windsurf legend and owner of Windwise, for windsurf coaching. Other available watersport options included kitesurfing and stand-up paddleboarding, and the final piece of the jigsaw fell in to place when Simon’s daughter Indie Bornhoft, a qualified personal trainer, joined the team to deliver yoga and fitness sessions.
We invited a variety of speakers renowned in their fields, and experienced in professional teaching, to produce a diverse programme, covering comparative ophthalmology, orthopaedics, dentistry, and how to sleep better and manage stress.
Pre-breakfast yoga
The conference ran over five days, and was based at the lovely Antmare Hotel, which boasted two swimming pools, a spa and conference facilities, and was very conveniently located within walking distance from the watersports centre.
The early flight from Gatwick to Izmir brought speakers and delegates to Turkey in the early afternoon, where we were met by the Windwise team for a quick transfer to the hotel.
Our first session was a presentation and buzzer-round quiz by Sophie Bostock, an expert in sleep and stress management. Dr Bostock runs her newly formed consultancy and has appeared on ITV.
Dr Bostock’s talk fascinated the vets and left everybody questioning their sleeping habits. It was universally recognised the lifestyle of many veterinary professionals (and all parents) results in suboptimal sleep patterns that adversely affect performance and mood. We all took away small changes we could make to our daily routines to improve our sleep and mental well-being.
The first morning in Turkey started with the squawk of a seagull at dawn and the first of many pre-breakfast yoga sessions, led by Indie. Initially, enthusiasm for early morning was led, surprisingly, by the least gymnastic ageing males (myself included), but with Indie’s positivity, and overlooking the lovely sea and mountains, we were inspired to reach our elastic limits.
The reward for this endeavour was a spectacular buffet breakfast, followed swiftly by regrouping in the conference room for a double-header on equine corneal disease and comparative ophthalmology.
Brian Patterson and Helen Appelboam shared the talks, giving useful technical tips relevant to all species. Dr Patterson runs his own peripatetic ophthalmology referral service in the west of England and Dr Appelboam is an ophthalmic surgeon working at Optivet Referrals in Hampshire.
While we nourished our grey matter, the “non-delegate “ other halves enjoyed relaxing in the spa or poolside. At 11am, after enthusiastic discussion, we dived out of our conference clobber and into water gear, slapped on the sun cream, and all headed down to the beach club.
The expert windsurfing instruction from Simon and Indie split the crew into those with experience of windsurfing and those of us who have never tried it. The light winds on the first day were perfect for land-based teaching and theory in the morning, followed by putting lessons learned into practice on the water in the afternoon.
Simon’s well-proven instruction methods have been applied successfully at all levels and everyone on the course progressed at impressive rates over the five days.
Kitesurfers were taken in a boat across to the other side of the bay and returned in time for the option of windsurfing in the afternoon.
Due to a late finish, we used the beach club bar at the end of the day for Dr Bostock to expand her theme of sleep optimisation into concepts of mindfulness, and, finally, the day was concluded with a stretch off on the lawn, accompanied by intrusion from some local Turkish dogs, who were determined to join in. After a delicious dinner in the garden at the hotel, delegates retired informed, tired, fed and watered to a well-earned sleep.
Other fascinating lectures included themes of comparative orthopaedics, focusing on canine and equine stifle diseases, equine dentistry, and a practical session given by the ophthalmologists on the use of ophthalmic diagnostic instruments, such as the slit lamp and indirect lenses.
The novel use of the iPhone for ophthalmic photography and record-keeping was demonstrated, and Dr Patterson gave a colourful talk on the equine retina, using a pizza analogy to make sense of the different layers of the fundus.
Richard Whitelock, a specialist in orthopaedic surgery, described novel treatments for cruciate and stifle disease in the dog, which was balanced by my description of less-sophisticated treatment options available in horses.
I followed with a full run-down of equine periodontal disease, and Dr Whitelock completed the session with an engaging look at canine trauma and some reconstructive treatment options, which the equine delegates found to be impressive. The successful relaxed and interactive learning format continued throughout the subsequent two days, with the pre-breakfast yoga gaining steadily in popularity, and the breakfast buffet feast making it difficult to start lectures punctually, although attendance at all lectures was full, which hopefully reflected their quality.
The food was universally rated as excellent, and, on one evening, we headed into Alaçati town for a lovely traditional Turkish dinner, and a stroll around the colourful and busy cobbled streets.
An inevitable awards ceremony dinner at the beach club on the last evening saw Charlotte Frost crowned as the most improved windsurfer, for her sheer determination and also for her hilarious entertaining comments throughout the week.
The final day was devoted exclusively to watersports and well-being, and everyone’s windsurfing skills were put to the test with some seriously sporty conditions. The more proficient sailors were trying “helitacks” and “carving gybes”, and the newer members to the sport were practising getting into their foot straps and harnesses to enjoy the exhilarating feeling of start to “plane”.
Success
By the end of the week, a close bond had formed between the members of the group. A lovely feeling of having redressed the work-life balance, as well as a sense of achievement in learning some clinical tips and also a new sport (or improving a current one), was appreciated by many of the team.
The feedback of the first Sea-PD conference has been very encouraging, with one delegate describing it as “the best trip ever”, and Dr Bostock confirming some of the key ingredients to boost happiness and to reduce work stress, from which vets are statistically at high risk, were comprehensively fulfilled by this multi-activity course.
The success of this year’s Sea-PD has inspired us to run the course again in June 2020, at the same venue. Vets who would like to learn and also to become enhanced, educated and revived in an invigorating environment, should consider joining us next year, and delegates’ partners will again be welcome.
We are very grateful to our enthusiastic speakers, to Bova UK and Direct Medical Limited for their support, and to Simon for the superb Windwise watersports organisation.
Further information
- Further information on our future plans will be on the Sea-PD Facebook page, or available from henry.tremaine@gmail.com or h.appelboam@hotmail.com
- Details on the plans for the 2020 course in June will also be posted on www.windwise.net
- Information on sleep optimisation from Dr Bostock can be found on www.thesleepscientist.com