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Australian Dog Lover
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These past two weeks, the Sydney Future Vet Kids Camp (FVKC) saw students embark on a five-day program where they learnt about responsible pet ownership and veterinary medicine, according to PetSure, the leading pet insurance underwriter.
As the veterinary industry faces a critical staffing shortage, and with our pet ownership at an all-time high - 69% of Australian households have a pet (up from 61% in 2019) - it’s never been more important to educate young Aussies, and to provide an environment for them to get hands-on experience to learn about veterinary medicine.
Future Vet Kids Camp is a veterinary-inspired face-to-face and virtual school holiday program for kids aged 9 to 16 years, held at Waverley College in Sydney during January 2023.
Students get to learn about different animal-related professions, genetic diseases, pet nutrition, surgery, animal rescue and wildlife conservation.
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| Future Vet Kids Camp Summer 2023 - Kookaburra group visiting Animal Welfare League NSW shelter |
Kids also had the opportunity to hear from industry experts who spoke about best practice for things like ultrasound, surgical, reptiles, grooming, animal rehab, dog training and more.
"Going to the Future Vets Kids Camp in Sydney was a really fun experience, where I learnt a lot about animals.
My favourite part was going to the farm where we got hands-on experience with the farm animals - we got to touch 'Lucky' the goat, milk the cows and we also learnt about how smart the Cattle Dogs are.” said Michaela Ross, Sydney camper.
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| Visiting SASH Veterinary Hospital is always a hit with the kids! |
“I also really loved going to the zoo. We went behind the scenes and visited the hospital where we saw how to do anaesthetics and X-rays.
I also got to make dog treats and a toy for my dog, Teddy, which was awesome!
PetSure CEO Alex Thomas said, “PetSure is proud to support the Future Vet Kids Camp by offering five scholarships each year to young aspiring vets to give them a unique opportunity to learn about animal health, and to visit state-of-the-art veterinary hospitals.
“At PetSure, we’re committed to pet health education and we’re thrilled to be part of a program that inspires young animal lovers to join the veterinary industry and pursue their passions.”
Rebecca's Story
Rebecca Halcomb, a recipient of PetSure’s scholarship for the Future Kids Vet Camp, has just been accepted to study veterinary science at Charles Sturt University for 2023.
“Receiving the scholarship and going to the camp helped me understand the vet industry so I could get hands-on experience with tasks like sutures, ultrasounds and endoscopes. It was one of the experiences that I wrote about in my university application, which I think really helped me stand out,” she said.
We spoke to Rebecca about her passion for animals and veterinary science and what led her to embrace this career.
“My name is Rebecca Halcomb and I will be studying Veterinary Science at Charles Sturt University in 2023. I have just graduated from Year 12 and am currently working at Macarthur Veterinary Group as an Animal Attendant. I was awarded the PetSure Scholarship to attend the Future Vet Kids Camp in 2021 which helped me on my path to vet. Outside of animals, I love exploring the outdoors (which I’ve done through being an active scout), embroidery and aerial lyra.
I’ve always loved being around animals. I grew up with a pet dog, budgies and fish, always looking forward to zoo trips and walks by the local duck pond. As I grew, so did this passion and I began helping out with wildlife care, owning more varied pets and working with stock on the school farm.
I’ve always loved being around animals. I grew up with a pet dog, budgies and fish, always looking forward to zoo trips and walks by the local duck pond. As I grew, so did this passion and I began helping out with wildlife care, owning more varied pets and working with stock on the school farm.
Being a vet has always been a dream of mine, but I began serious research into degrees and requirements at the beginning of year 10 in 2020. Throughout that year, I completed some farm placements and started my journey at my local small animal clinic, Macarthur Vet Group.
When I heard about the Future Vet Kids Camp, I thought it would be a great next step for me to learn about the vet industry but I could not afford to attend due to financial hardship in my family. The PetSure scholarship was a game changer for me, allowing me to attend the camp, learn more about aspects of my dream career and affirm my goals for the next couple of years.
I really enjoyed the variety of topics and skills that the Future Vet Kids Camp explored within the vet industry, it was really valuable to understand the paths that are available to me within my future career.
I loved learning to suture, working through case studies and visiting specialists, although my overall favourite experience was the ultrasound workshop, where we were able to use the probe on a live animal and learn about the value of this diagnostic tool in a clinical setting.
After the camp, I was even more sure about wanting to become a vet and completed a variety of work placements on an alpaca farm, a horse stud, at the Macquarie University Fauna Park and at an equine vet clinic. I also continued volunteering with Sydney Wildlife, showing livestock with the school and working at the small animal clinic, all of which has helped to extend my knowledge and was a big contributor to my uni application.
I am still not sure exactly where I want to go once I graduate. The decision is made no easier given that I love working with livestock, small animals, exotics and wildlife!
At the moment, I would like to work in a rural mixed practice where I can treat and handle a variety of animals and get involved in rural communities, which is a valuable aspect of the Charles Sturt University course I will be studying.”
More Camps & Locations in 2023!
Future Vet Kids Camp will run face-to-face and online (Virtual Camp) during the school holidays in Melbourne in April 2023 as well as Brisbane in June/July 2023.
For more information and to register online, please visit www.futurevetkidscamp.com or phone 0435 267 252.
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