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Category: Student blogs

Tips for studying in self isolation

I feel the phrase “the show must go on” is going to apply heavily to the student community over the coming months – vet students included.

Universities across the country are moving their teaching and examinations to an online platform, which means that for a lot of young academics, come rain or shine (or, it seems, the apocalypse), we will be working until the bitter end.

In other words, the pubs may be shut, but the textbooks are staying open.

Bitter pill

While it may seem cruel that the rest of life has to grind to a halt while studying and exams carry on (as someone who will shortly be spending her 21st birthday in lockdown, let me just say I know – trust me, I know), it’s especially important for professional courses to carry on as best they can.

As medical students we don’t only learn to pass our exams, but to better equip ourselves for a workplace where our decisions can be the difference between life and death.

I strongly commend the staff who’ve had to work tirelessly behind the scenes to reorchestrate an entire term of teaching in a matter of weeks to make sure our learning doesn’t have to suffer.

Analogue girl in a digital world

Not only are the staff having to adapt, but so are the students. As an analogue girl myself I really do fail my generation’s reputation for being “good at technology”, so I can tell you my own experience of moving to an entirely online learning platform has been… shall we say, interesting?

And while it is nice to have a timetable (and, therefore, a reason to remember what day it is, let alone the date), I thought I would share a few pearls of wisdom for making it through one of the weirdest periods of study any of us is probably ever going to experience – and that’s saying something as we stick our hands in some seriously weird places.

No. 1: Maintain boundaries between work and home

You know how some animals, like cats, have a special place for everything? A place to eat, sleep, wash, defecate etc, while naturally roaming animals such as the horse do not have this talent and will happily poo in their freshly made stall as the heart-broken yard worker looks on in anguish?

Well, for as long as this lockdown lark continues, do NOT be like the horse.

Designating different areas in which to work and unwind will not only give you a feeling of routine, but will also help you work hard and switch off when you need to. Just because you can literally wake up, roll over, do a day’s work and then go back to sleep, does not mean you should.

No. 2: Play to your strengths

One of the few silver linings to come out of the change in learning environments is that it puts you, the student, well and truly in the driver’s seat.

Studying has now become a lot more independent – and while this does mean you have to work to motivate yourself a little harder, it also gives you the power to work in the way that’s best for you.

Everyone learns differently, whether it’s visualisation, reading through articles or breaking up the work into lots of manageable chunks. Find which method works for you and own it.

Virtual study groups can be a great way to collaborate with your peers. Image © New Africa / Adobe Stock

No. 3: Use every resource at your disposal

Just because you’re learning from home now doesn’t mean the whole concept of “uni” has disappeared.

You can no longer talk to your lecturers in person, but, let’s be honest, that was quite intimidating anyway. If you have a question, drop your tutors an email; if you don’t understand the new system and need some help, email or phone up your admin team. They may take a little longer to reply than usual, but you are not alone.

With this in mind, if you’re a person who works best in groups, who said FaceTime had to be all fun and games? Virtual study groups can be a great reason to put on actual clothes, brush your hair and work that little bit harder on your assignments.

No. 4: It’s okay not to be okay

Now, this is the most important one, so I’ll say it again for those at the back: It. Is. Okay. Not To. Be. Okay.

Never in the history of civilised society have we experienced anything exactly like this before. It is confusing, lonely and scary at times, and having to study and revise on top of it all can seem like an impossible task.

If you are struggling, please talk to someone; if you know someone who you think might struggle right now, please reach out to them. The veterinary community has a reputation for appalling mental health, and it is more important than ever before to look out for one another.

If you’re having a low day, it’s okay to take it slow to focus on yourself and start feeling okay again. Draw something, write something, buy yourself that dress you’ve been ogling for the past three months.

Or, if you just feel like curling up on the sofa and watching the entire Lord of The Rings trilogy (the extended editions), back to back, with a litre of ice cream and your favourite onesie… that’s okay, too.

June 3, 2020
Look after each other – including the four-legged ones

As much as we’re having to adapt our lives in so many ways during these strange and uncertain times, I think a lot of us take for granted that our pets will always be so reassuringly consistent.

This is mainly because, while our own lives are currently being turned upside down and inside out, our pets haven’t a clue what’s going on.

During this lockdown, most dogs are probably thrilled to have their owners at home to play with them and give them fuss almost 24/7, but the abruptly shortened walks and lack of pet play dates, on the other hand – maybe not so much.

In their shoes

I think a large part of getting through times like these is not to focus on what you don’t have, but to appreciate what you do. As my university moves to an online platform, I feel so lucky to have a supporting family to come home to, a warm house and good food. Thanks to the modern wonder that is social media, I can at least feel updated and informed when everything is so uncertain and confusing.

By comparison, my cat, for example, is at a slight disadvantage. While she also benefits from home comforts, when it comes to being in the know, she, like the rest of our pets, is in the dark.

To be honest, I quite envy her, and certainly the daily routines of a lot of domestic animals hasn’t changed at all. For more sociable pets like dogs, however, this sudden drawing back from the outside world will obviously be incredibly confusing, as well as frustrating, because they’ve no idea why everything has seemingly changed overnight.

Monkey see monkey do

Despite popular belief for so many years, animals can experience a large array of emotions – from elation and excitement to extreme anxiety – and this is partly because of their amazing ability to pick up what we, their owners, are unwittingly putting down.

If you’ve seen a change in your pets’ behaviour over the past few weeks, do a quick self-inventory of your own. If you spend your days anxious, irritable or melancholy, your pets can pick up on this and act in kind, even if you don’t notice it yourself. They can see it in your body language, tone of voice, even in your level of eye contact.

Of course, all emotions are heightened now – and justifiably so – but if you notice your pet mirroring your mood swings, it might be a good sign you need to be kinder to yourself, for the both of you.

Image by Kadres from Pixabay

Help is always there

Depending on where you are in the country, your local vets might be closed, running shorter hours or a very long journey away.

In cases of the latter, this might make you worry if your need to take an animal to an appointment is justified, or if you’re in a densely populated area or are/live with an “at-risk” individual, you simply may not be comfortable leaving home to make this journey at all.

No matter your current circumstance, I think it important to confirm that veterinary help, should you need it, is still readily available to you – just perhaps not in the form you’re used to.

Changes

A lot of vets are reducing their opening hours, not just to limit person-to-person interactions, but to make more time available for phone or email consultations.

As of right now, emergency cases are still very much a legitimate reason to travel, and if you are unsure if your pet’s medical need constitutes an emergency, all it takes is a quiet phone call to your local vet for advice.

Incredibly innovative changes have been made to the way practices operate in a staggeringly short space of time to help keep everyone safe so that the health of your pets doesn’t suffer, while brave and compassionate veterinary professionals are still going into work every day to ensure your pets are continued to be cared for.

Basically, what I’m saying is: if in doubt, just call – there will always be someone on the other end of the line, willing and wanting to help.

Give and take

It’s of no doubt that our pets have a greatly positive impact on our mental health. Without even knowing it, they are helping us through some potentially isolating and scary times.

With this in mind, I feel it only fair to return that kindness and take care of them in every way we can.

If we all look out for each other, those with two legs and four, we will all get through this and out the other side.

May 12, 2020
What about vets on the front line?
Our profession is generally pretty good at pulling together in the face of adversity.

I’ve always loved the community feel of being able to go to CPD events, and usually know someone, or have connections with someone, who is there.

I love being able to send a message to my uni friends at any time of day or night – be that for clinical advice, moral support or reassurance on something entirely non-vet related – and get a reply. Failing that, you can often seek an answer or support from one of the vet Facebook groups on numerous topics.

In light of COVID-19, the veterinary world has rallied together… to a point.

One for all, and all for…

Those who have been furloughed are finding a wealth of free online CPD available to fill their time and keep connected clinically. Not only are there webinars, but there’s a plethora of online workouts or discussion groups to actively engage in.

That all sounds lovely, but what about those of us who are still working? What support is there for the minimal staff left in clinics who (despite all these figures on turnover being down) are battling ridiculous increases in workload?

Less is… less

There’s less staff in most clinics, to varying degrees, but I have heard horror stories about severely restricted numbers and even certain groups furloughing everyone but vets.

Whatever business decision may lie behind that, these clinics must be in chaos. Vets, who are already stretched trying to do their “normal” jobs (it is currently far from normal), are also running their own bloods, cleaning, answering phones, chasing and taking payments, sorting insurance claims and ordering stock, among other things.

These tasks may be alien to some of us, and trying to navigate previously undiscovered depths of the practice management system at the end of an exhausting shift adds unnecessary stress.

We love our nurses and receptionists as it is, but those who are currently deprived of them will be unearthing a a gargantuan respect for them in the future.

Crisis consulting

Consulting in this environment makes you realise how much multitasking we would ordinarily do. Currently, my consults look like this:
- Owner arrives and calls reception.
- I try to work out which car he or she is in, then take a brief history from 2m away.
- Take the animal into the practice.
- Find a nurse to assist with the handling.
- Examine the animal.
- Telephone the owner from the practice or go back outside to discuss with him or her from a safe distance, before returning to the animal to give treatment.
- Give the animal back to the owner.
- Dispense medication, then ask the owner to call reception again to pay…
This takes a lot longer than normal consults, so working to offer the same number of appointment slots is both relentless and draining.

Lies and abuse

Everyone is used to certain number of disgruntled clients, but the barrage of abuse those on reception are receiving from clients is unprecedented.

It would seem many members of the public are not getting the “stay at home” message and are furious when we explain a nail clip is not an emergency. As a result, we are now seeing clients exaggerating, or just plain lying, in order to be seen.

A choice example last week was a dog booked for a potential euthanasia, but turned out to be a weight clinic. We then had to stifle our disbelief and anger at these time wasters before moving on to the next client, who has desperately tried to hold off from having to make the difficult decision to say goodbye to their dearest pet under these circumstances – and yet we can only offer words of comfort from a distance and inject from the end of a drip line, which really doesn’t seem enough.

Unfortunately, the COVID clearout seems to be worse than the annual Christmas clearout, and these scenarios are not isolated, but heartbreakingly frequent.

Lost in translation

And what support do we get? We get the RCVS and BVA back-pedalling on their original statement, to then shirk responsibility and leave it “up to individual practices” to interpret the “guidance” how they wish.

After the clarity of the original stance on vaccinations, this ambiguous follow up was very disappointing. The truth is many vets feel that corporates and business owners will take this as a green light to return to business as usual, while firmly claiming that it is most definitely not business as usual.

I can agree with that – the way we are working is certainly not the usual, but if we are now to do vaccines and neutering again, what exactly are we missing? Stable med checks, done via telephone rather than in person?

Taking the high or low road?

We get colleagues taking the moral high ground, questioning our commitment to the oath we took on graduation to put animal heath and welfare above all else. Just because I don’t think vaccinations are currently a priority, it doesn’t mean I don’t care about my patients anymore – human health has to come first.

We get corporates issuing yet more paperwork to encourage us to document risk assessments – while seemingly offsetting the responsibility to us – so that if their business gets sued for denying to provide care or (God forbid) agreeing to see an animal that results in transmission of COVID-19 between owner/vet, it was the vet or receptionist who took the phone call’s fault for making that decision.

Aside from this, the phones are ringing off the hook and vets are running around like blue-arsed flies, so practically, where are we going to find the time to fill in these bloody forms?

Horseplay

Before any of that, the request to risk assess mild ailments is fundamentally flawed when we are being told to go out and do horse boosters.

While equine vaccinations and other routine work that is now being pushed again, because equine turnover is the most severely affected of all veterinary sectors, we are told to maintain safe social distancing at all times.

With equine vets reported to be one of the most dangerous occupations, is it sensible to expect us to administer vaccines with no one holding the horse? In some, if not most, cases, that will probably be okay. But with owners consistently lying to us to be given an “emergency” appointment, how long before an owner lies about his or her severely needle/vet-shy horse and one of us pays the price?

Heading for burnout

I don’t pretend to understand the intricacies of business management, but you cannot flog a dead horse. Many vets who have barely had time to inhale lunch are working different and longer shifts just to cope with the “emergencies” – and yet you’re asking us to do more?

It’s incredulous that the veterinary sector seems to think itself superior to all the other thousands of businesses up and down the country that are struggling or facing collapse. By continuing to pile the pressure on to staff with increasing risk of burnout, you might preserve some income, but you’ll be lucky to have any vets left by the end of this.

Is anybody listening?

We are angry that the higher-ups in the profession are treating us this way. We feel guilty for being jealous of, or feeling antipathy towards, our furloughed colleagues. We are emotionally drained. We feel guilty because this can only be a fraction of how front-line NHS staff must be feeling – and above all, we are exhausted.

In a profession with an already poor record for mental health and suicide, we are now even more stretched, under even more pressure from all angles – and no one seems to be listening.
April 29, 2020
Remaining positive and proactive

I’m sure everyone feels as though life gets on top of them from time to time, and vet students – all students, in fact – are no exception.

I think it’s fair to say that I, among many of my friends on the vet course, have often wished for everything to just slow down… to hit pause on life for just a little while and for the world to simply stop.

Never, however, did I, or anyone else, think it could or would happen quite like this.

Place of positivity

I’m talking of course about what everyone else is talking about, COVID-19 – and I know that’s enough to turn a lot of readers away, considering the virus has already consumed so many areas of day-to-day life.

However, while I completely relate to this sentiment, I wanted to use this platform to speak from a place of positivity and proactivity and to remind anyone who does care to read on that we are all in this together.

We will be okay, the world will start spinning again – and, if you happen to be a vet student who has stumbled upon more spare time than you could shake a stick at, here are a few thoughts on how to spend it (ahem… alongside revision, of course).

Student support

While it’s utterly undeniable that everyone is being affected by the current crisis, I think it’s also important to speak from the student perspective.

Masters courses and non-graduating years of professional degrees aside, the class of 2020 is experiencing an end to university life that is entirely unique and, equally, heart breaking.

I think it’s important that those with a few more years until they reach the light at the end of the tunnel really appreciate this and support friends in their final year.

Planning graduation celebration events a few months after the fact gives everyone something to look forward to and remind everyone whose train is currently pulling into the station that, while they thought they still had several exciting and unforgettable stops left, it doesn’t make what they’ve already accomplished any less real or worthy of pride.

Hand(y) advice

This next idea may sound a little obvious, but every little thing goes a long way, and as a girl who found free revision in every public toilet and restaurant in the lead up to her exams I can tell you, you can never be told too often how to wash your hands.

Image by thisispatrice from Pixabay

If you are a vet student at any stage of your career, you already have more medical knowledge than the average person. I put it to you that it is your responsibility to sing it from the rooftops, tell it to anyone who will listen, and then some…

To the old, young or sceptical around you, remind them just why they have to wash their hands and show them how to. Remind them why social distancing is needed when all you want to do when you’re bored, lonely or scared is come together. Remind them how much good they are doing and how such tiny actions that seem completely insignificant can reach, affect, and save so, so, so many lives.

Capacity for kindness

Now for the good will part – and this doesn’t just apply to vet students, but I thought I’d stick it in here anyway for dedicated readers who have made it this far.

I may be paraphrasing politicians (while also being slightly cheesy, yet sincere) when I say, at the end of this, when it’s all said and done, it would be incredible not to look back at the COVID-19 pandemic not only as a crisis, but as a reminder of the capability of our society for demonstrating kindness and compassion.

Reach out

If you yourself are healthy and capable, why not reach out to your local community to see where you can make a difference and make someone’s journey through these uncertain times a little easier.

Volunteering to fetch food for elderly relatives or neighbours, or even just being a friendly voice at the end of the phone to combat the loneliness of isolation, are amazing personal efforts to be proud of – and keeping busy might just keep you sane as well.

April 22, 2020
Always learning
Following the recent plea to the UK Government by the British Veterinary Association, I’ve seen several articles over the past month all addressing the welfare and ethical issues concerning the sale of rabbits by themselves.

I’ll be honest, reading these articles has filled me with a mild sense of guilt as I myself had a single rabbit as my very first pet.

What we consider normal

I think rabbits are quite a common choice for first time pet owners as they give the impression of a very low-maintenance option when compared with a cat or a dog.

However, the general public are sometimes under a misapprehension about what is normal for our pets, especially the small ones. The smaller the animal and the more different from ourselves, the harder it becomes to judge its behaviour and whether its needs are being met.

That is why, for generations, people have been housing their goldfish in bowls and rabbits by themselves. In the same way all fish need a filter, a heat source and environmental stimulation, rabbits need companionship – just like us.

The norm

It makes perfect sense when you think about it: rabbits in the wild are social creatures that live in large colonies to help with rearing young and watching for predators. Primates are the same in that regard; our closest relatives enjoy the perks of group living. Both apes and humans have been seen to suffer from prolonged isolation – it makes us nervous, depressed and can have negative impacts on our health.

Sadly, rabbit research has been a little thin on the ground until recent years, and nobody realised their loved and cherished fluffy friend was lonely or in any way deprived.

Domesticated rabbits have been commonplace in the UK for a long while, although they were originally kept more for food than companionship. While this trend has changed dramatically, the way in which we house our rabbits has not.

The blame game

I loved the rabbit I had as a six-year-old – coming home to Flopsy (do forgive me for my lack of originality) was one of the favourite parts of my day. Neither I nor my parents knew any better than to keep him by himself, or indeed to feed him carrots like they were going out of fashion.

Much like my six-year-old self, an alarming amount of the general public have no idea that carrots for rabbits are like chocolate for us. For such a small animal they are surprisingly high in sugars and since rabbits wouldn’t naturally eat root vegetables as part of their diet and like any good thing, eating too many can impact their health in the long run.

With all of this in mind:
- Who is to blame for all these common misunderstandings? Is it, in fact, the cartoon rabbit franchise with their carrot munching propaganda?
- Is it the owner’s responsibility to research their animal before they bring it home, or is the role of the seller to ensure the buyer is making an informed purchase?
- Does the vet have a duty to triple check the animal management of every pet they see – and is this truly feasible in an average 15-minute consult alongside the routine check-up and actual reason for the appointment?
Collective responsibility

When it comes to understanding our pets, I believe we’ve still got a long way to go – and I don’t think its fair to blame any one person or authority for misconceptions, myths or a general lack of education regarding animal husbandry.

It’s probably best to say it’s down to everyone to do their bit towards making sure every animal is as content and cared for as legitimately as possible. Owners should certainly do their own research when it comes to pet ownership, but it is also the responsibility of every veterinary practitioner to be a willing source for this research.

The pool of information we have on pet care is ever changing and expanding which can hopefully only mean good things for our furry friends.
March 22, 2020
What’s the worst that could happen?

A few years ago, I noticed my family cat had a lump on her neck that seemed to be getting larger. We had it removed by the local vet who told us it was almost certainly benign, and that sending it off for testing would be overly expensive and potentially unhelpful, depending on the results.

These were my pre-vet school years, but I could still appreciate the ethical minefield of chemotherapy in companion animals, as well as the “financial to practicality ratio” of diagnostic medicine.

Although it’s always frustrating not to have a firm answer, we took her home in the hope that all was well.

Worst case

Upon returning home for a weekend recently, I happened upon another lump – much smaller, but in a similar place.

To be honest, it was so long ago I couldn’t remember if the lump was even on the same side, let alone in the exact same location, but my mind immediately leapt to the worst-case scenarios – a myriad of potential diagnoses flashed through my head, along with the treatment plans, prognoses, clinical signs, etc.

It took me a few seconds to slow my train of thought down long enough to remind myself of all the less severe – and also far more likely – causes.

Knowing

I’ve talked about the curse of knowledge before when it comes to working in any medical field – that once you embark on your veterinary training, you lose your ability to appreciate an animal in its own right. Every dog, for example, is no longer just an adorable bundle of fluff, but a walking, barking list of potential things that can go wrong.

They say doctors and nurses make the worst patients – and from experience with friends and family on these courses, I wouldn’t argue otherwise. It probably doesn’t help that, to know how to make the body better, you must also learn everything that can possibly go wrong: a sneeze is no longer just a sneeze…

On reflection I think it’s important to fight this instinct and to recognise that just because something can go wrong, doesn’t mean it will. It sounds nigh on impossible – and perhaps counterproductive, seeing as “planning for the worst-case scenario” and “expecting the unexpected” are all part and parcel of life in clinic.

Sit back and relax?

Nobody wants a vet that’s 100% laid back – it’s the capacity to plan and expect that causes such stress outside of practice, but is so valuable within it.

Switching off is never easy. It’s been said that being a vet is more a lifestyle than a job, and, though I’m still years from graduating, I can already relate.

That being said, I think it’s worth the try. It’s only through switching off that we are able to rest, recuperate and come back stronger. I believe we owe it to ourselves and our clients to try leaving the white coat at the office when we go home at the end of the day.

March 7, 2020
No strings on me

No one likes change – it’s a scary thing. And there’s perhaps nothing scarier than spending five long years on the course of your childhood dreams, graduating and emerging into general practice, only to find that this might not be for you after all.

Obviously, I’m not speaking from personal experience, but, according to a two-hour seminar my year received from people who really have experienced this, it’s a lot more common than people might think.

But it doesn’t have to be scary at all…

No fear

I think it’s fair to say no one really knows what to expect from vet school until they’re there, and I imagine it’s much the same in the transition from degree to profession.

So far, I have loved every bit of my journey towards becoming a vet, and I’m still really looking forward to everything that’s yet to come. I hope, when I find myself in the real world, I’ll love it every bit as much as I think I will – but if that’s not the case, it’s nice to know so many other options are out there.

After hearing from speakers from large veterinary conglomerates, pharmaceutical representatives and civil service workers, it became apparent that our degree can steer us in so many different directions.

Different strokes

Just because you don’t go in that same direction as most of your cohort, it doesn’t mean those five years of hard work were in vain; veterinarians make very strong candidates in a variety of job markets, and your experience will immediately help you stand out from the sea of other applicants.

No one was lying to you when they said the vet course would teach you transferable skills. Vets are trained to work under pressure, both independently and as a unit, to problem solve and go the extra mile, as well as having a firm knowledge of biology, pharmacology, cytology… the list is nearly endless. Not to mention the extensive interpersonal communication skills that are drilled into us from day one.

The take-home message from the seminar was this: do what makes you happy. Don’t let yourself be bullied by the majority or be swayed by the views of family, friends or cohorts.

(im)Perfect fit

Only you know if something is a perfect fit or if it’s just not working, and the latter is not a failure; it takes a lot of courage to go against the flow and make such a big life-changing decision, but it turns out the rewards can certainly be worth the risks.

There are obviously benefits of having what some of our guest speakers referred to as a “real job”: regular hours, a more predictable work day and a more manageable work-life balance – although they all admitted they did miss working so closely with animals.

I’m still not sure exactly which line of work I’ll settle into in the end. When I was first applying to vet school, I always saw myself as a farm vet, but over the past few years I’ve developed a large interest in exotic species and wildlife. But as long as I find myself in a job I can come home from at the end of the day feeling both happy and fulfilled, there’s nothing else I could really ask for.

February 22, 2020
The third year slump

I never really worried about signing up for a five-year course; friends would gasp at the prospect, but I’d always laugh it off for a multitude of reasons.

If I’m being honest, the part of me worried about leaving the security of secondary school was quite happy to have a set plan for the next half a decade, with most of the major decisions already made for me. It also helps that I’m a bit of a nerd and I’ve always enjoyed learning – not tests, though sadly they seem to come hand in hand – and anyway is it really “work” if you’re doing what you love?

Food for thought

Almost three years on and nothing’s really changed. I still love my course and where I’m heading, and no number of exams could ever diminish the joy of learning something new. But at the same time, as I approach the halfway mark of my course, it’s hard to watch friends I’ve made along the way begin to plan life after their own courses.

When everyone around you is getting ready to begin their next chapter – discussing dissertations and job markets and other truly terrifying adult-sounding-topics – it can be easy to fall into a slump.

The traditional “half-way meal” organised by the third years does help to soften the blow somewhat (food being the ultimate comfort), and also serves as a reminder that getting this far really is an achievement, one we’ve all made together. It helps to think of the next half of the course as the vet student’s version of “the next chapter”, because the shift to clinical years really is a different world – or so I’ve been told.

“…even my avid-clubbing friends are starting to wind down now. The older you get, the more being surrounded by bouncing, wide-eyed freshers are going to take its toll” – says Eleanor Goad.

Mature student

It probably doesn’t help that I’m an old soul, but as you near your fourth year you can start to feel like you’re becoming the pensioners of the campus.

I’ve always been the kind of student who prefers an evening in with a takeaway than a night on the town, but even my avid-clubbing friends are starting to wind down now. The older you get, the more being surrounded by bouncing, wide-eyed freshers are going to take its toll.

I think the hardest part for me about still having so far to go is the constant desire to just get stuck in. When the Australian bush fires crisis began, veterinary professionals around the world migrated in to help and I would have jumped at the chance to have been one of them.

Preserve your virtue

Patience is key in any profession, but I think veterinarians acquire it the hard way. Nevertheless, there’s a lot we can do while we wait for graduation to arrive. Volunteering is the obvious example. However, if you can’t afford a flight to Australia, there are always issues to be tackled closer to home – working to preserve your local wildlife, perhaps at a rescue centre, is as good a cause as any.

Volunteering, work experience, blogging (ahem) or educating those around you on subjects of animal care and well-being are just a few ways you can spend your time in these pre-professional years.

It’s okay if you feel stuck, or in a slump, it’s a pretty common thing. Just don’t wish it all away too quickly, because I bet we’ll miss these years when they’re done.

February 7, 2020
Who runs the world?
Toward the end of my first year at university, a friend of mine stumbled upon a funny online student-made list of “things NOT to expect at vet school”. From memory, I think it included things we all related to such as Christmas holidays (curse you, exams), summer holidays (why, EMS, why?) and “a coolness status to rival the medics” (we are real doctors, I swear).

But what was probably the most relatable, and yet the one nobody really expects before vet school without already being in the know, is: “an abundance of men”.

Now, I’m not saying I signed up to the course for the sole purpose of a live action performance of It’s Raining Men, but, at the same time, you can’t help but be taken aback by the sheer volume of girls compared to guys the first time you walk into that lecture theatre.

While stereotypical – are women more likely to love all things cute and fluffy? – wonders Eleanor Goad.

Why, oh why?

Just to put it into perspective for you, my cohort for the year is roughly 150 students and 10% of those students are male.

According to gender statistics recorded by the Vet Futures project, it’s been like that for some time, in fact, the veterinary graduates’ ratio of female to male has only been increasing over the past few decades.

Nobody is really sure why. In human medicine the ratio is relatively even, so what is it about animals that strikes a chord with women more than men?
- A maternal nature?
- A love for all things fluffy?
Both these solutions seem a little stereotypical and, to be honest, we’re probably most unsure about the reason behind the numbers because nobody wants to touch this landmine of a topic with a 10-foot barge pole.

I really don’t have the answers myself, either – but it’s a curiosity I can’t not address.

Imbalance

I suppose I never noticed it growing up, or even doing work experience prior to vet school – which makes sense when you look again at the statistics as the gender gap seems to rein in after graduation. So, although around 70% of vet graduates are female, the number of practising female vets is more like 50%.

That difference doesn’t seem so odd once you’ve factored in maternity leave, but it’s not the only disparity. Despite the fact the veterinary population spewing out of universities across the country each year is overwhelmingly female, men make up the majority of those working as RCVS specialists, as farm/mixed practice vets and as RCVS fellows – the people committed to advancing the veterinary profession.

In essence, the vets who specialise outside of “general practice” are confusingly male. Positions of power in general practice, such as partner positions, are also held by men in a greater proportion than women.

How can this be?

As a veterinary student with, as yet, only a teeny tiny foot in the clinical world, I can only really speculate.

The best-case scenario for these statistics would be simple chance, that more men happen to have been interested in specialised careers than women, but this seems unlikely. It could also be down to the fact that maternity leave and childcare can unfortunately, but ultimately, lead to a lack of “career propulsion” (for lack of a better term), and can make it a little harder to advance in your profession at the same rate as male peers. More woman might choose job stability over returning to education or pursuing a less predictable career for the same reason.

These outcomes are understandable, but at the same time, nobody should be – or feel as if they are being – held back.

It’s my hope that, in future years, the gap between the genders closes, for more guys to aspire to a veterinary career, and for more practising female veterinary surgeons to pursue whatever career they chose, general or specialised.
January 22, 2020
You got a friend in me

Over the past three years, I’ve found one of the hardest parts about revising at home over the holidays isn’t actually the fact you’re revising at home, but that you’re not revising back at university.

Now let me explain, because I know it sounds odd…

Why would anyone not want to go home for the holidays, or right before some hideous, stressful exams? I will admit the food, festivities, time with family and pets is a nice bolster during revision (and certainly doesn’t hurt), but, at the same time, unless you’re fortunate enough to come home to someone studying the same course as you, and also preparing for exams, there’s nobody around you in the same boat.

One for all…

One thing I really miss when I’m at home, nose deep in textbooks, is that sense of camaraderie that comes with tackling the vet course with a group of friends.

Nobody wants to climb Everest alone, and it can be hard when those around you are enjoying time off and eating mince pies while you sit alone in your room, like the Grinch, muttering to yourself about hygiene laws and ethical quandaries of actual mince.

However, it’s not only during exam season that friends are so vital – they keep you company during the best and worst of everything uni has to throw at you. But, around exams, it’s not untrue that misery loves company. That’s not to say you can’t help pick each other up when the going gets tough, but if you’re all in the tough together, the going might not be so bad after all.

…and all for one

Group revision sessions with lots of chocolate, crisps (and maybe a few tears) are a godsend to me after days of seeing nobody but the animals on my flash cards.

Group revision sessions with lots of chocolate, crisps (and maybe a few tears) are a godsend, says Eleanor. Image © Prostock-studio / Adobe Stock

Spreading the workload among your friends is also a great way to make revision more manageable – and it’s true when they say teaching is one of the best ways to learn.

I’m so lucky to have the supportive network I do, and to know I’m not in it alone. On such a challenging course, it can easy for things to get on top of you (both academically and mentally), but by working together and leaning on each other, you won’t just survive uni – you’ll nail it!

January 7, 2020