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Mum-of-two Lynda on how fast-track training programme set her up for emergency vet role
She’s worked in mixed practices and small animal practices, as a locum, and also part-time while her two children were still young. But with both of them now at school Lynda, 50, recently came to the conclusion that the time was right to embark on a new career challenge.
With a passion for emergency medicine and a hankering for a work-life a little less ordinary, this led Lynda to Vets Now and, in particular, our fast-track induction programme AdvantEdge.
As a vet with several years’ experience, she ticked all the boxes for AdvantEdge, which is aimed at clinicians who already have a solid foundation of experience but want an accelerated route into emergency and critical care.
In this interview, Lynda gives us an insight into what the AdvantEdge programme entails and how it has set her up for a new career in ECC.
Why did you choose ECC? It’s exciting. It’s also more interesting because you’re not spending time doing routine procedures like vaccinations and bitch spays. Often, if you’re on at the weekend you’ll see a really bad case coming in on a Friday night and then by Sunday the pet is better and you can discharge them back to their vet. That can be very rewarding.
What attracted you to AdvantEdge? The fact you get to learn from so many people who are specialists in their field. I was also attracted by the CPD on offer at Vets Now. There’s just so much you can do, which is fantastic.
What did you gain from the AdvantEdge programme? Because I went to university a long time ago, it updated a lot of knowledge I haven’t used for a while. I took something different from all of the speakers. On one day we learned about respiratory and then on others, the focus was on cardiology or shock. There was so much to learn and it was quite full-on but by the end of the programme, everything gelled together.
What did you enjoy most? The ultrasound practical session was really great because it was very hands-on.
Would you recommend AdvantEdge to others? For vets who want to work in ECC I would definitely recommend it. You really can’t go wrong by doing it.
Where do you see yourself in five years? I hope I’ll be a lot more confident and better at doing my job. I have no ambitions to go to the top, I just want to continue getting better at what I do.
What’s your background? I grew up in Edinburgh and now live in Surrey. I’ve two children, Una who is 14 and Ailsa who is six. I also have a little dog called Pip and some fish. Pip is a one-and-a-half-year-old Maltese terrier crossed with a Chinese crested powder puff.
Do you want to follow in Lynda’s footsteps? AdvantEdge is a fast-track induction programme for vets keen to embark on a career in ECC. The next intake is in November, and places are filling up fast. To find out how to apply click here.