Meet Kaitlyn, a Royal Canin Student Ambassador – University of Queensland

From a young age, Kaitlyn was in awe with caring for all creatures great & small whilst growing up on a small Hobby Farm in Mount Tamborine, Queensland.

From bush cockroaches, green tree frogs, turtles to goats, sheep and cows; her love for animals continued until she was old enough to be sure she wanted to become a veterinarian.

“I vividly remember our local vet helping my Welsh Pony recover from a colic episode & deciding then and there I wanted to dedicate the rest of my life helping animals in need.” Since then, Kaitlyn has always been a science devotee. “I may be a little biased, but this course is one of the best science degrees there is! I love that this degree provides so many opportunities and can literally take you anywhere.”

She trusts that her veterinary studies have set her up to put animal welfare at the top of her priorities. Her university has entrusted that not only is animal welfare considered a huge priority when caring for patients, but to also consider other treatment plans for clients with varying degrees financial capability & client wellbeing. “We are taught realistic standards of veterinary care, which is so important when not everything can be repaired with gold standard treatment.”

One of the most challenging parts of her degree has been navigating through Vet School knowing Veterinarians are often predisposed to burnout & compassion fatigue.

“Vet school is hard. I would be lying if I didn’t say it was immensely difficult both mentally & physically. I feel as though at times I am already burnt out, not even having entered the full profession. I am aware how critical mental health is in the veterinary profession.”

She admits she is nervous to enter the profession and is worried how pet owners may not be aware of the challenges veterinarians are faced with. Such topics she mentioned were the lack of medical subsidisation being the reason for increase in prices of veterinary care, the national veterinarian staffing shortage and high workload.

“One of the key highlights for me during university is the opportunity to be an ambassador for Royal Canin. Not only have I met so many great people in the profession, but I have come to realise just how important nutrition can be for a pet’s overall health and wellbeing.”

“In fact, one of the 5 domains or pillars of animal welfare is nutrition. I love that other science-based veterinarians and engineers have been able to provide a solution to many different diseases that can occur in a pet’s life. It is truly amazing we have these options when working with chronic, or hard to control diseases.”

Entering her final year of Vet School in 2023, Kaitlyn is most eager to start clinical practice and learn hands on how to assess, diagnose and treat patients. She aims to work in semi-rural area focusing on mixed practice.

You can find Kaitlyn on Instagram @justvetthings sharing her veterinary school journey with other like-minded animal enthusiasts!