For my Summer work experience, I decided to go to a very successful hospital in Fryeburg, Maine, USA. I had never been to America but it has always been on my list of places to explore. With limited funds, I have always found it hard to get around to going.  One of my course-mates is originally from Fryeburg and with some convincing, I decided to apply for the Go Abroad fund and travel to Maine. I stayed with her and her lovely family while doing some placement with the Fryeburg Veterinary Hospital and their fantastic team.

As anyone would suspect, I had a few worries before going. I was apprehensive not only, about experiencing this huge culture change but also, I was concerned about my abilities as a veterinary student. I doubted my capability in carrying out different tasks and was concerned that my veterinary knowledge would be up to standard. I was hugely concerned about being useful and I feared about fading into the background when I got there. Fortunately, everyone at the hospital made me feel incredibly welcome and useful. My experience was made only by these fantastic people for whom I have unending gratitude. They helped me to become a more confident person as well as a vet.

During this placement, I learned that I knew more than I thought, I could do more than I realised, and I learned to trust my instinct. Not only did I grow in certainty in myself but I was able to practice invaluable skills which will help me in my future career as a vet. I was able to practice skills such as blood drawing, enhancing surgery skills, vaccinations, practice suturing and dressing wounds. I also learned how to use diverse pieces of veterinary equipment such as the blood machines, x-ray, and ultrasound. Along with these important hands-on skills, I was given the opportunity to reinforce my communication skills. I talked to both staff and clients alike and in doing so, I learned to make decisions and deal with many difficult situations that often present themselves in the veterinary sector.