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STUDENT DIARY
Eva Kenny
, Cork, Republic of Ireland
Second year student at The University of Nottingham,
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
WORKING
TOGETHER
FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE...
19
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
Nothing rivals that moment
when Vet School rings to inform
you that they are going to give you
a shot at realising your dream of
becoming a vet. It is a moment of
utter exhilaration; toes tingling,
heart racing and tears... though that
part may just be me. Growing up on
a mixed beef and sheep farm in
Southern Ireland with the typical
assortment of animals (including the
mandatory guinea pig for animal -
mad children) was idyllic for my
young animal-obsessed self. Ever
since I was deemed to have long
enough legs to make a decent
attempt at escaping from whatever
cow decided she didn't like the look
of a mini person, I was properly
introduced to the world of farming.
My first time in England was for my interview
for The University of Nottingham. From the
moment you walk through that vet school
door, you can sense it; the palpable buzz,
the air of enthusiasm, staff content in the
knowledge that they have done something
that no other vet school in Britain has done
before: the creation of a hands-on veterinary
course, laced with real life disease cases and
scenarios, taught uniquely; one body system
at a time. Currently in my second year, I am
studying the gastrointestinal system and
enjoying (as much as one can!) the seemingly
endless reams of bacteria, viruses and worms
that our creatures fall innocently victim of.
The relevance of it is certainly not lost on me.
Unfortunately for my father, he may get his
ears talked off him the next time we go to
dose the cattle or sheep. ‘Did you know that
the parasite we're dosing for is only 7 mm
long
?
!’ While microbiology and parasitology
don't warm the hearts of most vet students,
they certainly have far reaching implications
for us all. A major cause of disease and
production losses, their economic impact on
the livestock industry is considerable. I enjoy
Nottingham's attitude of not only furnishing
us with the intricate life cycles but also
bolstering our knowledge with practical
management techniques such as rotational
pasture control.
Of course, this is all before we mention the
elephant in the room - the silent but deadly
antibiotic and wormer resistance. It is a war
we shall all have to wage, starting with
learning how to use drugs correctly and
effectively. Though we won't be tackling the
extent of this in second year we are laying
down the foundations; being made aware of
the basics such as ensuring animals get the
correct dosages.
I value the practical aspects of what we are
learning and really believe it will make us more
rounded vets. And this, after all is what matters!
(Above) Identifying parasites from faecal samples; preparing a sample for analysis
after use of the Baermann technique.
Pesky parasites
XLVets exciting new feature...
The ‘Student Diaries’ column which will appear in every issue of Livestock Matters throughout 2012
follows veterinary students Eva Kenny and Mark Challoner through a year of their studies.