A day in the life of a vet student

My last three weeks as a vet student – and where better to spend them than shadowing the vets at Fairmoor Equine Clinic?

I have been coming to the practice here since I was 16-years-old, and there is never a dull moment.

This time I was lucky enough to be undertaking the first equine externship it has offered and so would be staying for three weeks.

I arrived at 8.30am on a Monday morning, and I was straight off with Amie Wilson, the vet, and Amy Wilson, the nurse, to see a mare who had aborted twins the previous day.

The main worry was that the placenta may not have separated completely, which can lead to infection, and so the mare required flushing every day for the next few days.

Blessed with gorgeous weather and the beautiful Northumberland countryside, a day out on calls is always a treat.

Zone visits are a great way to get up to scratch on all the routine work, such as vaccinations and dentistry – all very important work for a new graduate.

The caseload at Fairmoor is very diverse, and brilliant for potential new graduates to be able to observe.

The plan for my three weeks was incredibly organised and enabled me to get the most out of every case. My timetable included daily tutorials from each of the vets on key aspects of equine veterinary practice.

During my three weeks I was able to see some fascinating cases, including a standing spinal surgery for the treatment of impingement of the dorsal spinous processes, or ‘kissing spines’, a stifle arthoscopy under general anaesthetic, numerous lameness work-ups, and many more procedures.

During my time spent with Alnorthumbria I have always felt incredibly welcome. The staff and clients are all lovely and so helpful.

I would highly recommend this placement for any vet student with a keen interest in equine practice.

Look out for me in August when I start my time with this fantastic team.

Alnorthumbria Vets is a mixed practice that treats domestic animals, and a few wild ones, with surgeries in Alnwick, Amble, Ashington, Morpeth, Ponteland, Rothbury, Seahouses and Wooler.