Page 52 - Eclipse - Autumn/Winter 2022
P. 52

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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