VN August 2023

Augustus 2023 9 Female Vets in Practice During the course of my studies, ruminant animal science was my passion, especially Dairy and I would like to single out some lecturers that did a lot of effort in making Production animal studies interesting. Prof Lourens for arranging an extra Dairy Herd health week for us who were interested, and Prof Ketty for taking us to interesting Small stock Farmers. Prof Shakespeare for making theory so much more interesting with his drawings and stories. Prof Leon Prozetsky for teaching us the difference between “ Horses and Zebras” for our DD lists in Path. Prof Shultheiss taught us to think out of the box with Beef production. Reproduction cycle we were left in the hands of more than one lecturer and this was also one of my favourite clinics therefore I will not name all the lectures as all of them inspired me. Last but not least Prof Holm who just started at OP as a lecturer!! In 2005 I started my first job as a veterinarian with dr Riaan Du Preez in Bultfontein, as a daughter of the Freestate my heart wanted to go back and serve in the“Flatlands”. Dr Riaan was then busy with his MBA studies and he taught me a lot about practice management he set a trend to follow as you will see later. Under Dr du Preez influence I was part of the SAVA Oranje Vaal branch I also joined RuVASA and then LHPG and met and get to knowmore of my rural veterinarian Colleagues. In Bultfontein I met dr Santjie Pieterse who has her practice on their farm, she raised four children while practising and she surely was a role model in private veterinary practice in the countryside especially for females. Dr Du Preez joined the late Intervet and I joined Bloemfontein Dierehospitaal doing mainly small animals but because of my interest in Production animals, I also got to do quite a bit of large animal work. I did my first C Section on a Dairy cow and a good foundation for basic small animal work was laid that is needed for a rural practitioner. Thank you to Dr Ryan Niemand, Dr Duncan Winckworth and Chris van den Heefer for the small animal basis you taught me. In the 3 years following, I became involved in the SAVA Freestate Northern Cape branch and got to know the other part of Freestate and Northern Cape veterinarians. In 2008 Dr Marwick advertised a position with him in Clocolan once he was elected SAVA President. He was our Dairy Herd veterinarian and this was surely a dream coming true when I got to fill the position to help him be able to fulfil his Presidential and SAVC obligations. Also being a RuVASA member and previous chairperson being involved with the associations of our interest was part of being a veterinarian. While doing what he was doing for SAVA, SAVC RuVASA, the DA it was sink or swim for me and this gave me the self-confidence to practice in an established Mixed practice. He taught me more about Beef Production and a special interest in Bull Fertility, BSE. During my time as a veterinarian in Clocolan, I learned about being a veterinarian and being part of a community. In a small town you have to be part of the community and the community is your friends but also your clients. I will always look back at a great time as this was part of a journey though in my mind this would be my place. Also becoming part of the SAVA Eastern Freestate branch and getting to know the rest of the Freestate vets. Being part of the Branches and RuVASa has alsomademe part of a bigger community that shares the same interests, learning from each other. The CPD events were partly to keep up with our CPD obligations to SAVC but mainly to socialise with colleagues. It was also during this time that I met my future husband and attended my first RuVASA congress, it was held at the Black Mountain Hotel, and It was good to meet even more colleagues. My path led to becoming a Farmer’s wife, practising fromour farm for the last 12 years building a practice in the Southern Freestate. Dairies became extinct due to many reasons and this is where I could live out my passion for Beef and sheep herd production. Also focusing on Primary animal Health in small animals. With the help of my friend, colleague mentor Dr Lizanne Meiring we started Bothsabelo CVC 10 years ago teaching and bringing primary animal care to a community that has no access to any veterinary help. A lot has changed but we are still the only veterinary outreach visiting a section in Botshabelo once a month. We could not do this without the help of the SAVA Freestate Northern Cape branch. During my Practice building years, we also started with a family, my 3 children would travel with me with a good babysitter caring for them while I do my work. My clients were always very forthcoming and understanding with them me when I had to care for them when they are ill. Here I remember another female colleague who is a leader in our profession as well as in agriculture dr Ariena Shepherds words once, you have to have a good “BABA WAGTER” Thank you for your inspiration and the example of getting involved in organised agriculture to make a difference on the provincial level of animal health forum. As a student, I was never interested in working with wildlife and also never thought that this will become an interest. Life has a way to bring opportunities and one has to decide whether to learn a new skill or not. I am privileged to say I have been able to work with wildlife and also are very thankful to mentors in this field who are always willing to share their knowledge and a lot they have. Dr JW Eksteen gave me the opportunity to do my first darting from a chopper he and Dr Nico Hendriks are always willing to share their vast experience in wildlife and production animal. To get back to what the purpose of the article is, how did I get involved with RuVASA and become Chairperson? This was another journey and has broadened my world, literally as living in a small town and being part of a small community which I chose and love your world gets small. Being part of RuVASA has given me the opportunity to work and spend time with amazing leaders, colleagues that became friends. I followed dr Didi Claasens up as chairperson of the Freestate Northern Cape branch SAVA branch. After 3 years of being the chair, a new chair had to be chosen. I became the RuVASA Representative of the branch and also part of the Central Committee of RuVASA and this is where the rest of the journey started. Thank you to the Central Committee members who had faith in me to become chairperson. My advice to young female veterinarians is as follows. Find yourself mentors, and the reason I say mentors are because there are so many colleagues with such good practical experience, I always ask two to three colleagues’opinion when I have challenging cases and they always gave me excellent and practical advice. Next find what work for you as a person, I am fortunate to be practising from our farm and also be part of your farm herd health and I working for myself would not have been possible without my husband’s support and help. This allows me to be able to raise my kids as well and attend to their needs but also do what I love and live out my passion as a Production Animal veterinarian. This does come with its challenges and my family also understands the commitment I have to my clients and help and support me as good they can. Being a production animal veterinarian and being a female does have a bigger physical impact on us than it has on our male colleagues we cannot look past anatomy and physiology in this instance. Stay fit, look after yourself physically and mentally and most importantly enjoy what you are doing because then you do not work they say. Many female colleagues became friends over the years I have not named you all, you know who you are enjoy August!! v