When best friends and recent graduates, Bronagh Byrne and Annie O’Connor, embarked on their careers in veterinary medicine, neither could have predicted that a move to Jersey was on the cards.
“I didn’t even know Jersey was a place this time last year”, Byrne laughed.
Byrne was the first of the duo to be wooed by the sun-drenched island which lies just 19km off the coast of Normandy in France.
She stumbled upon the job advertisement on Facebook, which not only detailed the job expectations and remuneration package, but also highlighted the many external benefits that come with island life.
She applied and was invited to visit the practice for an interview shortly afterwards.
“They basically said ‘Do you like sunshine? Do you like small communities? Do you like water sports?’ And I was like, yeah, I love all that,” Byrne remarked.
O’Connor quickly followed suit, both falling for the quaint charm of the island and the high professional standards of the practice.
Jersey
Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands, is a self-governing dependency of the British crown, meaning it is autonomous in all domestic matters, but it is not a sovereign state.
Home to 105,000 residents, the island sits at just 117km2, making it seven times smaller than Co. Louth.
Agriculture remains an important industry for the island famed for its eponymous Jersey breed of cow and the Jersey Royal Potato, with farmland accounting for 50% of land mass.
The fertile soil and temperate climate proves favourable for farming, which is predominantly concentrated on the dairy sector and the breeding of their native cattle for export.
Jersey cow
The island operates a closed herd, with the jersey cow being the only breed permitted since 1789. This has significantly reduced the incidence of disease and Jersey is TB-free as a result.
The indigenous breed boasts several distinct qualities, not only is it renowned for producing premium grade milk that’s high in fat content, it also proves to be low maintenance health wise.
“Since the Jersey cow is a much smaller breed than your average Holstein Friesian in Ireland, we rarely do C-sections or LDA surgeries.
“They also have less metabolic diseases, because there’s not as much strain being placed on them to get that high yield of milk.
“When you’re trying to take as much milk as possible from an animal, their immune system is going to get compromised,” O’Connor said.
Contrary to the block calving system favoured in Ireland, calving occurs year-round in Jersey, which helps alleviate labour pressures on farmers, as well as ensuring a constant supply of milk for consumers.
This also has the added effect of a reduced demand for veterinary intervention.
“I was surprised at how few call outs I receive for farm animals here,” O’Connor said
“I’d really get a call out over the weekend – there wouldn’t be as much out of hours like there would be at home, it’s just not that busy here, it’s a small island,” Byrne added.
However, the vets conduct routine pregnancy scans on herds, while additionally engaging in monthly meetings with farmers as part of the ‘Red Tractor’ programme, whereby tailored advice is offered on herd health, farm management and how best to maximise milk production.
These scheduled visits are often prepaid for in advance, as farmers commonly opt in to a subscription-like service, which includes a set number of routine visitations.
It appears to be of little concern for the vast majority of Jersey inhabitants who insure their pets, therefore enabling vets to avail of more invasive and thereby expensive forms of treatments and procedures.
“Another thing to note, is that the island is very affluent, so I rarely encounter problems with owners who are cost conscious,” O’Connor said.
Byrne, who hails from a sheep farm in Co. Wicklow, recounted one instance whereby her colleagues performed knee surgery on a lame goat which came to a costly sum, which the farmer paid without contest.
She recalled a time when a goat that was booked in for a full in-house dental procedure when an abscess was found on his teeth.
“I know for a fact that if my goat went down, my dad would send it off to the factory. Farmers at home would think twice before spending an arm and a leg on a goat.
“That’s the beauty of being a vet in Jersey, all animals benefit from the most comprehensive of treatments.” Byrne said.
Equine Industry
Jersey exhibits a thriving equine industry, with it’s horse racing season consisting of 12 meets scheduled across the summer months.
It is therefore not at all uncommon to see a thoroughbred Irish racehorse taken for a saunter down a quiet country road.
“We do a lot of horse work actually, we would probably get more horses calls than cows,” O’Connor said.
Both newly qualified vets were unequivocal in their positive responses to my questions relating their decision to move to and work in Jersey and were full of praise for the mentorship they received from their fellow practitioners.
They were recruited on a graduate programme which offers a more dedicated and comprehensive approach to on-the-job learning.
“I’m really happy with the practice I’m in. I’ve never got this level of support anywhere else – I’m blown away by how much they [clinical directors] want to help us improve.
“They’re holding us to such high standards, which will solidify my standards for the rest of my practicing life,” O’Connor said.
With only four months into the job, their hard work has been aptly recognised by their directors.
Studying in Poland
As University of Warsaw alumni, both accredit their time spent studying in Poland as decisive factors behind their seamless transition into professional life.
Not only had their time abroad earned them a degree and expanded their skillset, it also taught them resilience which helped shape their indefatigable work ethic which they wear with pride today.
“Our clinical directors were really impressed with our work drive, and that’s what a lot of people that study veterinary in Poland have.
“They have that drive and hunger to emigrate abroad because they want it [veterinary medicine] so bad.
“We had given up a lot to go over, so there was this kind of determination. Sometimes it feels like we have something to prove,” O’Connor added.
When asked about the prospective expansion of veterinary medicine places in Ireland, both were adamant in their support for the new vet school, which they believe would help alleviate the brain drain of the many capable and hardworking Irish students forced to study overseas.
“I think there’s a massive need for a new vet school in the country. In my year alone, I’d say maybe 20 of the 54 graduates were Irish.
“And then there’s the universities in other parts of Poland and in Budapest, which also have Irish veterinary students that are unaccounted for,” Bryne said.
Both O’Connor and Byrne are undecided as to how long they will remain in Jersey but for now, the young vets are enjoying all that island life as to offer, particularly the post work evening sea swims.
Working with your best friend also has its perks as both leaned on each other for professional and emotional support, especially when feelings of homesickness brewed.
“To start my first job with a friend, someone that I knew and trusted and was completely comfortable around was invaluable. I could ask her the stupidest of questions and still have a laugh when things got tough.
“To be with someone that’s on the exact same journey as me was not something I could have predicted, but I’m so happy we could do it,” O’Connor stressed.