Page 52 - Eclipse - Autumn/Winter 2022

CLASSNOTES

Working as a vet in the

public sector Sean Sum (BVetMed, 2021)

“ hy are you wasting Singapore has a far less mature private clinical practice in safeguarding

veterinary industry, my experiences
animal health and welfare. I am also a
your clinical skills in
government?” This is a
Wquestion I have heard as a veterinary student in the UK have fellow in the inaugural ASEAN-Australian
One Health Fellowship programme,
helped pave the way in my decision-
incessantly since joining the public sector making and analysis of policies and sponsored by the Department of Foreign
as an official veterinarian. As much as it is legislation amendments that are being Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in Australia.
often a rhetorical question with no simple considered in Singapore. I have just recently reached my one-year
answer, I find it even more challenging to Another big interest of mine is One career anniversary and time has swiftly
leave the question hanging.
Health and, as part of the national flown by. My job, albeit unconventional
I am currently based in the Animal & team of veterinarians in Singapore, for a fresh veterinary graduate, has
Veterinary Service (AVS), which is a we are at the forefront of public exposed to me a whole myriad of
cluster within the National Parks Board health, playing indispensable roles in experiences and challenges that even
of Singapore, the English equivalent biosecurity, disease preparedness and vet school didn’t prepare me for. I look
being the Animal and Plant Health risk communication to the public. In forward to facing those challenges head-
Agency within DEFRA. that regard, I am proud to be an Official on and learning something new!
Veterinarian, complementing those in
When I first joined the Singapore
government, I had no idea what was in
store for me, but I figured that the rigorous
curriculum at the RVC would have certainly
prepared me for what was to come. Little
did I know that even five arduous years
of rigorous veterinary education would
leave me guessing at every corner, which
is really not so different to the on-the-job
challenges most veterinarians would face
in private practice!
My biggest hurdle was dealing with
administration, and by that, I mean
emails. We were never taught about the
principles behind curating an email and
what an art it truly is – and don’t get me
started on the amount of effort that goes
behind archiving your work.
Jokes aside, I was apprehensive that
working in the public sector would affirm
what others believed – five years of
training to become a veterinarian would
go to waste. The reality could not be
further from that absurd assumption. In
fact, I have discovered newfound ways
in which my development as a veterinary
professional has come into play.

A big part of my job relates to the
regulation and uplifting of standards
of the veterinary sector, including
veterinarians, veterinary clinics and
animal research institutes. Although

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