Author: Kele Harris
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Accessibility to veterinary medicine, part 1: the COVID effect
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Applying to study veterinary is notoriously competitive. However, the questionable handling of A-level grading this summer has undoubtedly made it even more complicated. It has long been a concern that the veterinary course is not easily accessible for applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds. Couple this with school leavers in the most affluent areas having their A-level…
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Starting to take on students again
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While this year’s new graduates have been dealt a particularly bad hand, students who aren’t as far through the veterinary course are also affected in a number of ways. Those in clinical years have had their clinical EMS requirements reduced by up to half – and while this takes the pressure off individuals to secure…
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How are new grads coping with COVID?
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As we all know, in March 2020 the world came to a grinding halt… and ever since the veterinary profession has been adapting accordingly. For those who have worked throughout, it has been a whirlwind of changing goalposts and new protocols, with advice seemingly changing on a daily basis. For veterinary students who have not…
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What would you do?
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Having returned from an equine visit, I clambered out of the car in the practice car park and started gathering some equipment that needed cleaning. A few parking spaces over, one of our other vets was stood with her back to me, sporting a visor, deep in conversation with a client via a rolled down…
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Would you like some chlorine with your chicken?
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With the news being dominated by coronavirus over the past few months, other issues are slipping below the radar. With work currently being all-consuming, I am barely keeping up with the ever-changing rules of lockdown (are we still calling it that?), never mind anything else. As a result, news that MPs voted against an amendment…
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Feline fine in lockdown
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Since the start of lockdown, I’ve been seeing a lot of cats in practice – not that I’m complaining, as a self-confessed “crazy cat lady”. A lot of these cases have been geriatric cats – many of which presented with chronic vomiting or reduced food intake (with various aetiologies). However, when we tore through our…
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Coping with euthanasia from a distance
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I’m not really sure what’s happening in practice at the moment, but it’s insanely busy. Despite trying to justify the unbelievable increase in work, I can always think of a counter argument: There’s fewer staff members, so maybe the cases are just more concentrated between fewer vets? In reality, we are actually only 1.5 vets…
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Don’t get a puppy
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I read somewhere that, as more people will be at home at the moment, now might be good time to get a puppy. However, I cannot disagree more: in the middle of a pandemic, now is NOT the time to get a puppy. If you are due to get a puppy or are considering getting…
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What about vets on the front line?
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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…
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Social distancing and vets
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The Government’s advice is clear. We should not be leaving our houses for anything other than four very clear reasons: Shopping for basic necessities, as infrequently as possible One form of exercise a day – for example, a run, walk or cycle (alone or with members of your household) Any medical need, to provide care…