Q&A: Meet VetPartners Graduate of the Year

QCongratulations on being named Graduate of the Year! How was your first year as a graduate?

AThank you! I’m very grateful – I don’t think I reflect on it enough, but it’s pretty special. I just feel very lucky to have landed in the right place at the right time. I wouldn’t be the vet I am now without the support of the amazing team here at Gisborne.

It’s been a huge learning curve, but also incredibly rewarding. It’s a nice feeling to have moved past those early days. I still catch myself saying ‘I’m just a baby vet’ sometimes, but the training wheels are definitely off now!

QWhy did you decide to become a vet?

AIt sounds cliché, but I’m one of those people who always wanted to work with animals. I had vets and vet nurses around me growing up, so I had lots of exposure.

One memory that really sticks with me is watching a horse colic surgery when I was about 12 or 13. I was mesmerised and thought, “Yep, this is right up my alley”. That moment really sparked the fire.

QWhat do you enjoy most about being a vet?

AI love the variety – no two days are the same. I’m in mixed practice, so we see everything: dogs, cats, chickens, cows, goats, sheep, horses, even the occasional emu or kookaburra. It certainly keeps things interesting.

I also love the relationships we build with our clients; you really get to know their pets and their families. Working in a regional area, there’s a real sense of community. And when people start requesting to see you specifically, it’s a great feeling.

And of course, the people I work with are fantastic!

QWhat challenges did you encounter in your first year?

AI had a little bit of imposter syndrome at first. I was finally here and suddenly I was the one having to make decisions. The best advice I received was to “get comfortable being uncomfortable”.

I had to realise that I knew enough to make those decisions, and that support was always available when I needed it. It also helped to reflect on how far I’d come since I started.

Another challenge was remembering the positives, especially after tough days. Because we tend to focus on the things that didn’t go perfectly, it’s important to remember the things that went right, like your first solo spey going well.

The Graduate Program really helped with that by having us reflect on all the positive things that had happened when we did our monthly catch-ups.

QHow did you find VetPartners’ Graduate Program?

AI found it really helpful, and the support was excellent. We had internal and external mentoring, peer support and regular check-ins, and the training sessions were a great refresher on what we’d learned at university.

The structure worked well for me too. We were given monthly goals that helped us plan what to focus on and track how we were progressing. Being in a new industry can be overwhelming, but the program gave us a learning curve that was challenging but not too steep, which helped keep our confidence up.

QWhat would you say to someone thinking about becoming a vet?

AI would say, just do it. If it’s something you’ve always dreamed of, there’s no reason not to try. It’s an incredibly rewarding profession with lots of different pathways to explore, and the people are amazing. The work–life balance is much better supported now too, so you can shape your career to fit your lifestyle. Don’t let anything hold you back!