Veterinary surgeon, Dr. Sinéad Mellett, has just published a book ‘Tails of Curious Cases’ which traces her journey into veterinary medicine and touches on the vast syllabus of a veterinary medical student, and her 10 years of working in this country, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Growing up with a love of animals, veterinary medicine was her dream career.
“I had a horse called Whiskey. I lived beside a farm and spent a lot of time on different farms,” she said.
“My close friend, Grace Walsh, whom I grew up with, had sheep and horses and spending time with the Walshes also played a part in carving my career to veterinary.
“Their father, Tom Walsh, who has since passed away, was a close friend of my father and was a fisherman and a sheep farmer,” she added.
Now a mother-of-two, married to a vet, the certified veterinary herbalist trained in UCD in all species but has practiced as a small animal vet since graduating.
However, most of her ‘seeing practice’ was large animal. “During your five years studying as a vet, you spend a compulsory number of weeks on Extra Mural Studies (EMS),” she explained.
‘Tails of Curious Cases’
“You spend this on different farms during your first two years of veterinary college and then in different veterinary practices including overseas in your final three years of study.
“This is all very valuable as a student learning. However, it is also a strain financially as you must organise your own accommodation.
“It is unpaid and it means you cannot take a summer job or a job during your holiday breaks. You spend them all ‘seeing practice’,” said Mellett.
A native of Carrigaholt, west Clare, she left general practice last year to start up the Natural Veterinary Company and at the ploughing championships, launched a range of pet supplements for dogs and cats, which she has formulated and manufactured in this country.
Mellett whose dad is a fisherman, said that she was always treated well by farmers.
“I spent many visits to farms chatting with farmers and their families and they were always very welcoming,” she added.
In the book, she recalled that the only negative remark she got was from a farmer’s wife.
“I jumped out of the vet’s jeep in the farmyard and she looked at me slowly from head to toe. When she reached the summit of her scan, at the tip of my wellie, she tilted her head and loudly announced: ‘She won’t be much help anyway’,” Mellett said.
While veterinary medicine is something a lot of young people think they would like as a career, Mellett paints a realistic picture of the long hours and hard slog.
She also points out that suicide is unfortunately something not uncommon among vets and veterinary students.
Among the changes, she noted after returning home to this country were the purchase of small animal veterinary clinics that were previously family-owned, by large international corporate companies.
The highs and lows of life as a young vet are captured in the 121-page hardback which is a must-read for anyone planning a veterinary career.