..is very different! Working hours in the clinics in the UK, are at minimum 0830 - 1700, though my fellow peers will laugh as we all know that this isn't true, often its closer to 0730-1800. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I also said an hour lunch break is something dreams are made of, instead sometimes lunch is scoffed in the student corridor at the speed which is guaranteed to give you hiccups all the way through surgery or afternoon consults. I feel very passionate about ma

As I had hoped for there have been a number of surprises, but interestingly these have not been as I expected (I guess that's a true surprises then..). Studying here has been a culture shock. Expectations included - fantastic organisation, high expectations and stringent protocols. Protocols regarding antibiotic useage is highly regulated, but in other areas.. lets just say, the priorities are clear! Primarily, I have noticed and enjoyed the lack of strict hierarchy; it has b

As usual, preparation for my ERASMUS+ on my behalf was minimal, (despite knowing about this trip for over 2 years) I found myself in a panicked rush to complete the pile of paperwork they required, finish my final EMS and try to enjoy Christmas! The day before leaving began with me desperately vacuum-packing all my warm, woolliest possessions into a suitcase and then spent the night dreaming of losing digits to frost-bite, one by one over the next three months! I always worr

Friday 15th - Saturday 16th: The start to the trip didn't begin smoothly, and as it transpired my fortunes weren't to change immediately. I was to be leaving immediately after my Zoo EMS, midway through a camel post-mortem the vet with me asks, with a smirk, whether I was planning to shower before heading off to the airport. The answer was no, as I was going to be in quite a rush to catch my train on time. He kindly suggested I left a little bit earlier than planned. Faced w

If any teenager felt misunderstood by their parents whilst they cried over school-crushes and screamed that they had 'no clothes to wear' to the cinema, they have nothing on these guys - they must be the most misunderstood birds in existence, but now it looks like these ecologically essential and actually beautiful animals could head the same way as the Dodo, Tasmanian Tiger, Stellar Sea Cow.. Need I go on? During my trip to Painted Dog Conservation in Zimbabwe with Wildlife

In the beginning.. ..the moons on all the planets in the universe, aligned and with the will of the Gods, I've somehow got myself on a trip with Wildlife Vets International! I'm not gonna go on about how much I wanna be a conservation vet, because I've done that once already (at least!)... but WHOOOOP! In preparation for my upcoming trip as part of the WVI's team to work with Painted Dog Conservation (PDC), I thought I should do some 'swotting-up'. And whilst I was at it, I f

We went to Val Thorens! I had never been skiing, but desperate to go, so when my friends suggested a group trip with a great deal - I leapt at it! Kitted-up with help from my friends a group of 12 headed off from Birmingham Airport! Now, finally, I can now attend a winter EMS placement at a vets and join in when they all ask "so, do you ski". The answer to this is still 'NO', but I can probably fumble through a conversation now! The answer to whether I enjoyed it is - YES, ab

You can currently find this online at the JAVS (Journal of the Association of Veterinary Students) website - click here! "This is a frank and brutally honest recount of our adventures in India. Previous accounts we found to have missed some key words of wisdom, so we therefore feel duty-bound to pass on some tips we wished we’d have known earlier to future travellers! Here is our no-frills how to guide to surviving India……. 1. Be prepared for nothing to go to plan….. Particul

It'r rotations. After 6/36 weeks of constant assessment during rotations - I am ready for a 3-week break! Even if 2 of those weeks are EMS, it feels like a holiday! To celebrate the end of the first block of rotations - we had a 'festival'.. I drank too much and am writing this severely hung-over, so apologies! Rotations, at Liverpool at least, are divided into 6x 6 week blocks of either Equine, Farm or Small animal. But.. because I'm off to Oslo to do 2 rotation blocks next

Half-way through the first rotation block, we had a 2-week EMS 'break' and I headed off to Kent, to Port Lympne and Howletts Wildlife Park! I stayed in the most adorable little 'house', it was basically a summer house at the bottom of a (very rich persons) garden! I spent two weeks in this idyllic house and enjoying time romping around the two zoo's! In case you don't know, both zoo's are supported by the Aspinall Foundation, a conservation charity. I can't really discuss det