Tell us a fun fact about yourself
I really enjoy extreme outdoor sports – especially climbing and mountain biking
Tell us about your career journey so far
I graduated from Edinburgh vet school a couple of years ago. I always knew that I wanted to do something a little bit different from going in to practice and so, after a short stint in research, I decided to work as a vet for the government.
What was your favourite subject in school and why?
I really enjoyed human biology. I found it fascinating how the human (and animal) body worked and anatomy and physiology were some of my favourite subjects in vet school too.
What subjects/qualifications are useful in your role?
To get in to vet school I needed to take Biology, Chemistry and Maths/Physics to Higher and Biology and Chemistry to Advanced Higher. If you are interested in vet I would email the schools directly and check what they want as this may have changed.
What is your favourite thing about your job?
I really love being able to work together with farmers, scientists and other vets to protect the health and welfare of Scottish livestock and make sure that they are protected from serious disease outbreaks.
What is a normal day in your role like?
The main aim of my job is to protect animals from the really dangerous exotic diseases (like Foot and Mouth disease). However, my day-to day job is very variable. Several times a week I go on farm visits to check on animals if I have any health or welfare concerns. I also provide advice to farmers, vets and members of the public if they have concerns about disease outbreaks or the health or welfare of a group of animals. Another area of my work is looking at the risk of disease spreading between animals and humans.
Suggest an activity that could be done at home that illustrates an aspect of your work?
The OIE website https://www.oie.int talks about a lot of things that are involved in my line of work. It has some really nice infographics. I would recommend that anybody looking to study a veterinary related course have a look (it is good interview preparation too).
