November 2023 21 it tricky in practice when difficult conversations need to be held concerning a pet’s health and quality of life and sometimes makes you shy away from the truth because you can see how much your diagnosis or prognosis hurts a family. I have learnt that you can be kind and truthful and still get a serious message across without causing gut-wrenching heartache. I have learnt that people (and this does not matter where you are in the world) appreciate honesty more than they do euphemisms; especially from a medical professional. The UK has taught me to be the adult in the room on more than one occasion and to have difficult conversations because they are so necessary and in all honesty, are expected from us as the vet. Veterinarians used to be regarded quite highly in society and things like the internet were not our biggest competitors for our knowledge. Google is a gem of a resource when used correctly but can also be the biggest curse to veterinary medicine. When you speak to any vet, they dread an owner who has ‘read up a little’ on what could possibly be wrong with their beloved pet. The majority of the clientele of a UK vet (or at least where I find myself) still has the sense that vets know their stuff and did not just buy their degree off some website. Vets are still regarded as knowledgeable enough not to be questioned when a diagnosis or prognosis is given. You do get your bad apples that unfortunately ruin the whole bunch for lots of vets; clients that walk into a consult room and tell you what their pet’s diagnosis is before you’ve even said ‘Hello’. Dare correct them and share your well-earned knowledge and you are made out to be the madman. Respect sometimes feels like a swear word that you are not even allowed to think of. Unfortunately, this has been my experience in both countries and is certainly not isolated to any culture or region as seen by the many complaints of similar scenarios on pages like NOMV (Not One More Vet). Getting down to the more nitty-gritty of being a vet in the UK; they love paperwork. If something can be signed, they will create it. Admin is something that we all hate as vets and only a select few are actually pretty good at it. If you hate admin, you will struggle even more in the UK. Paperwork is not unique to the UK but it feels like in my short time here, I have created more documents than my entire time at university. Admin is entirely necessary but sometimes it feels like things can be a little more streamlined and we can use the technology available to us much more to our advantage rather than killing off our rain forests. Off-license usage of human drugs is quite a big deal here. It makes sense to have better control over medications that have not been tested on animals and that have possible side effects not known to us yet. Clients are asked to sign an agreement to use these drugs and are made aware that we are not always aware of all the possible side effects. These drugs include Paracetamol, Gabapentin and Mirtazapine to name but a few. I don’t know what the current legislation and control procedures is for these kind of things back in our sunshine country but I thought this a good idea to protect vets using these drugs daily. No client can turn around (with a leg to stand on) and say ‘We did not know’. I have been amazed by the support staff and resources available for vets in the UK. This may again be entirely region-dependent and may not be true for the whole of the UK. Similarly, my amazement may have stemmed from the lack of support I know to be true in most practices in South Africa. I understand I am not entirely fair and am not comparing apples with apples (taking into consideration the economic differences between the two countries, the average client base size of a UK practice VS that of South Africa, the average annual turnover, the government support etc) but it has been a welcome change. Support staff include nurses, assistants and practice managers who each have unique roles that overlap to create a harmonious team. This does not mean that most UK practices are also facing a staff shortage with too much work and way too few hands. This is a real crisis and is unfortunately pushing lots of (especially young) vets out of practice due to burnout. Second opinion referrals are especially common here (the same as most large city practices in South Africa I suppose) and we commonly send histories over just for opinions from specialists. For a new grad, this is like discovering a treasure. You can ask specialist advice for no additional cost to the owner or to you and dig into a pit of knowledge that you would normally not find in books. In conclusion, I have loved my time in the UK so far and aim to make the best of every remaining moment. I have learnt more than I can write on this page and am grateful for every veterinarian and para-veterinarian from whom I could gain some experience. I do however remain a child of Africa and will return in due time to continue my veterinary career in our beautiful country. Our country has so much to offer and the veterinary industry has such potential to grow. I urge any and all young vets to accept the offer of adventure when it comes knocking but to never look down on what South Africa has already taught you and continues to offer to every professional out there. I will close with a treasured saying; ‘The grass will always be greener where you water it’. What you make of where you are is what it will be. v Vets are being maltreated globally on a daily basis. Don’t hate the paperwork… If you are looking for amazing teams to work with, you won’t go wrong in most UK practices. The grass will always be greener where you water it Article
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