Surgical intern Irene Martinez shares her insights into working with Pride Veterinary Referrals, including the diverse cases, and collaborative atmosphere within the hospital. She explores the benefits she’s discovered from being part of the larger IVC Evidensia network and reflects on the positive experience gained from working with mentors and the support of the team there.
I graduated from the University of Zaragoza, Spain in 2017. After working in general practice, I completed a rotating internship, followed by a specialist surgical internship. I then spent some time working as an OOH vet in Buckinghamshire. Following this I decided to complete further surgical training by applying for a surgical internship at Pride Veterinary Referrals.
Since visiting Pride Veterinary Referrals for the first time, I was most attracted to the variety of cases that the team see. Not only in surgery but in all disciplines and how much the different disciplines collaborate to achieve the best outcome for the patient.
As well as being part of the larger IVC Evidensia network, Pride Veterinary Referrals is also an associate partner of the University of Nottingham and is an active teaching hospital, with mentors who enjoy training both the specialists of the future (interns and residents) and the vets of the future (final year vet students). Being part of a large hospital allows a high level of case exposure, with lots of new and interesting cases every day.
The team at Pride Veterinary Referrals has always been very supportive with both clinical and non-clinical issues and I always felt I was not left on my own when I was dealing with challenging scenarios. Also, I felt very supported with research projects.
In the future, I would like to complete a surgery residency.
I would say that the best way to understand the role of an intern is to visit and shadow the interns for a couple of days. Internships can carry a large commitment level, however, with good time management skills, this can be combatted. At Pride Veterinary Referrals, one day a week we have a half-day which allows a better work-life balance.
Working with people who have a positive attitude and take time to discuss cases and explain everything makes a positive balance of the day.
I like swimming and playing padel, next to the hospital there are facilities for these two activities. I also like reading, spending time with friends and travelling in my spare time.
Very positive. Although there can be challenges, I work within a team that does everything possible for the best outcome.