Dr Minna Rinkinen is WSAVA Member Representative for the Finnish Association of Veterinary Practitioners (FAVP). She is also a member of the WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee.
Dr Minna Rinkinen
Could you introduce yourself to our members?
I graduated more than 25 years ago – that makes me feel old! Since my student days I have been interested in small animal internal medicine and clinical nutrition. I was lucky to have Professor Elias Westermarck (Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, University of Helsinki), as one of my teachers and a mentor. He introduced me to the fascinating world of gastroenterology, intestinal microbiology and immunology.
I was not one of the best students in my class. In fact, when I graduated, I realised I should have been much more hard-working at university as I faced challenging cases daily. To help me learn, I attended congresses and other CE events. I was enlightened and continuous learning became my passion! To share my knowledge, I started lecturing to other vets and nurses, and discovered that I enjoyed it a great deal.
Where do you work and what is your role?
I work in private practice close to Helsinki in the biggest private veterinary hospital in Finland. My patients are referral internal medicine cases, mostly in gastroenterology. Previously, I worked as a lecturer and researcher at the University of Helsinki and, for some years, I worked for a pharmaceutical company too. I have seen many aspects of our profession as a result. All of them have been inspiring and have taught me lot. I am now an adjunct professor at the university, so I still get to interact with students frequently.
At my hospital, I am a member of the Clinical Scientific Advisory Board representing gastroenterology and nutrition. In this role, I help to strengthen and advance evidenced-based veterinary medicine within our organization.
You are WSAVA Member Representative for the FAVP. What do you enjoy most about this role?
I enjoy meeting colleagues from all over the world and hearing about the challenges they face. Many are the same as we face in Finland, while others are very different. It really widens my perspective. I hope I can also support other Member Representatives with their issues.
With what I learn from WSAVA Assembly Meetings and WSAVA colleagues, I bring ideas to FAVP as to how to develop our organization and its activities. Being a link between FAVP and the global small animal veterinary community is the most important part of my role.
You are also a member of the Global Nutrition Committee (GNC). Why did you want to join the GNC and what does the role involve?
In my second year as a Member Representative I was asked to join the GNC. As someone interested in nutrition and having advocated it in my daily work and when teaching, I was over the moon – and petrified! Suddenly, I was in a highly professional team with world renowned nutritionists. But I quickly learned that, while they were very knowledgeable in their field, they were also very nice people. We are all very motivated and hardworking, but not too serious. We are a truly global team too with members from five continents. It is interesting to hear different views and to try to find solutions that can work in different regions of the world.
I am very proud to be a GNC member and do my best to promote its mission. I talk to vets and nurses about nutrition and internal medicine and always urge them to use the GNC Nutrition Toolkit in their work. I also promote the concept of nutrition being the fifth vital sign in my work at the hospital. As a member of the GNC, I get listened to!
What are the main challenges and opportunities facing companion animal veterinarians in Finland?
Currently the biggest challenge is, undeniably, the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. We don’t know for how long the extra safety measures will be needed or whether there will soon be a total lockdown in Finland. There is a great deal of uncertainty.
On a more positive note, I am proud of the new generation of veterinarians. The level of veterinary education in Finland is high and veterinarians are eager to specialize and deepen their knowledge. For a long time, I was the only Finn at international congresses and on courses. This has now changed.
What activities are you delivering for your members?
When I am asked to lecture to vets, I always tell them about FAVP and urge them to join. I also remind them about the WSAVA member benefits (eg cheaper registration fee to congresses, CE content and so on). Links to the WSAVA Bulletins are posted on the FAVP’s facebook page, and whenever I hear any news that I think might interest to our members, I post it on facebook too.
Is there anything else you would like to say to our members?
During this very difficult time, I hope everyone stays safe and keeps a positive attitude despite all the insecurity and restrictions.