We caught up with Ezekeil Maguire to hear about his journey through our Vets Now Cutting Edge programme

1. Where you were before

• What were you doing before joining CE?
• What prompted you to apply at that point in your career?

I began my career at a small animal independent practice in Cheshire. I was performing plenty of surgery and had a brilliant relationship with my team and clients. I was always keen to triage all urgent cases and discuss findings and next steps with my Senior Vet. I remember feeling really engaged in my work whenever I was presented with an emergency or a case that required urgent work up. I got a taste for emergency medicine early on in my career and I soon yearned for a more challenging role.

Vets Now provided our out of hours service and I remember always being impressed by the level of clinical knowledge and reasoning demonstrated in the case reports that were sent to us whenever our patients had been seen overnight. It was because of this that I decided to research my options in joining the world of ECC with Vets Now.

2. Why CE?

• Why did you choose CE specifically?
• What stood out compared to other options?

Initially, I was on the fence about whether to join Cutting Edge or the more condensed AdvantEdge programme. After some consideration I decided that the Cutting-Edge programme was more appealing because of how comprehensive the programme was. I was attracted by the extent of the clinical topics and their direct relevance to the typical cases I would expect to see OOH, from GDV to DKA to toxicities. I was also pleased that it was clear we would receive a lot of support regarding the day-to-day operational aspects of the job as well. I was aware that I would be taking on a sole charge role in an out of hours environment and so I wanted to feel as prepared as possible in all aspects of my role by the time I entered the clinic.

If I’m being completely honest the prospect of spending two blocks of two weeks in the lodges at the edge of Loch Leven was a massive draw as well!

3. The support

• What kinds of support did you receive during your time on CE?
• Tell us about a case that would have felt overwhelming earlier in your career, but that you now felt confident managing because of CE.

The support I received during the programme (and that I still receive!) was fantastic. I felt well looked after by the Edge Team in Dunfermline, the trainers were all brilliant and were happy to field questions during sessions and via email afterwards. I felt welcomed and supported by the clinical teams during the in-clinic blocks. And of course, the peer support from within the CE group itself was brilliant. It felt like every effort was made to fit rotas around our diaries and tailor sessions to our interests where possible.

Fairly early on I received a handover from a particularly poorly cat in DKA, I was confident enough to tweak a treatment plan that would improve outcomes for that patient as a result of various lectures and exercises during CE that provided a consistent approach to the DKA patient. I remember formulating the plan almost automatically during handover, a proud moment considering I had not personally dealt with a case of DKA previously!

4. Where you are now

• What are you doing now?

How have you shaped your personal life in a way that supports your shift pattern and helps you thrive

I am currently working in the Macclesfield clinic, and I am thoroughly enjoying it! The team here are brilliant and the Host Practice are wonderful to work with. I am currently progressing through my Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (ECC) with the University of Liverpool (funded by Vets Now). I’m also looking forward to a PDSA surgical skills placement next month and an ECC placement later in the year in Sydney, Australia!

I have transitioned to night shift work more easily than I anticipated, although the first few shifts were a definite shock to the system. I have concentrated on my diet, using meal prep to ensure that I am fuelling myself properly. I have invested in some good quality ear plugs and an eye mask – I don’t know what I’d do without these!

In terms of exercise, my 3-year-old Collie, Kenzo, ensures that I am moving sufficiently between shifts. I still find time for the gym and rugby training when I am between blocks. Although I know when I’m pushing this too much and dial down sessions or simply go for a swim if I feel I need to recuperate some energy.

My friends and family are aware of my work patterns, and we tactically organise meet ups around these. I feel that I have more free time to spend with friends but ensure that I rest adequately first so that I don’t burn out and prioritise activities other than partying!

I have found that recognising when I am low on energy on shift (and doing something about it) is the difficult part, but I am getting better at it. Whether that’s taking a quick 5 minutes of fresh air between consults or grabbing a coffee if it’s early enough in the shift.

5. Looking back

• Who would you recommend CE to, and why?

I would recommend CE to any vets that are 6 months to 3 years graduated, and that are looking for more of a challenge in their career. The routine nature of day practice really frustrated me, working OOH at Vets Now is a completely opposite experience to that. I remember recognising that I wanted the excitement of a primarily emergency/urgent care caseload but was aware that this would likely require sole charge work with limited support. I felt that my experience was lacking for such a jump in responsibilities.

CE was the perfect introduction to life at Vets Now, both clinically and operationally. I remember the idea of changing my role, workplace and company all felt quite daunting initially. The CE programme allayed all those fears and prepared me well for the start of my career in ECC. The support that I receive hasn’t stopped since the programme finished either. We have monthly catch ups for specific topic discussion and there is always support on shift from other clinics when needed for more complex cases!

For more information on our Cutting Edge programme or to apply visit https://www.vets-now.com/careers/edge/cutting-edge/