Massey news

the challenges of CoVID-19 continue… 2020 and 2021 will be remembered for the lockdowns and bubbles, on-line teaching and inability to hire. As we enter 2022 the effects of the global pandemic are still with us, and there are numerous challenges ahead for the veterinary profession. Recently a submission to the tertiary education commission has opened a dialogue around increasing the number of funded domestic students by 10%. this is a measure to help ease the pressure on the veterinary sector for graduates within the existing government tertiary funding cap. Any greater increase would require new funding in a future budget and will only be achieved with a concerted effort by all stakeholders to convince the government of the benefit to the economy of investment in New Zealand’s veterinary sector.

small Animal Hospital staffing

After a difficult period of low staffing in 2020–21 we head into 2022 with greater strength in many areas and several important confirmed recruitments.

In SA Medicine we have specialists Gaby Verburgh Hoffmann and Sarah Wetzel (see profile below) who joined the inimitable Nick Cave late last year. In SA Surgery we have Kat Crosse, Lee Beever and Andrew Worth supported by residents Sacha Devereux and Sasha Polak. In both services we are receiving cases during normal working hours and manage emergency admissions through MuPEC. Cardiology, Dermatology and Dentistry referrals can be arranged though in-house private consultants Jacqui Huxley, Helen orbell and Angus Fechney. Congratulations to Angus who has recently passed the American College of Veterinary Dentistry written examination. Next is the practical examination in the uSA once the MIQ situation settles, the last stop on the road to become a Diplomate and specialist registration. In Anaesthesia, Vicki Walsh and Sandeep Karna will soon be joined by thierry Beths from the university of Sydney and in the latter part of the year we will greatly welcome back Hiroki Sano which will take us back to four faculty anaesthesiologists and a full team of technician anaesthetists. A huge thank you goes to the Anaesthesia team [especially Vicki] for their huge effort to keep the service running in difficult circumstances in the last 2 years. Emergency Medicine is currently recruiting with Janelle Wierenga having left the VtH to pursue a PhD in Dunedin. Ivayla Yozova is currently supported in EM by visiting registrar tove Hultman and a position is open for another ECC specialist. Excitingly we now have a resident in Emergency Medicine – Steffi Jalava, a former SAH intern. Community Practice is fully staffed by thomas odom, Susan tomlin, Steve deGrey, Kevanne McGlade and Jonathan Cochrane. the team has been stable for some time and represents a huge depth of experience from which they teach day-one skills to our BVSc students on clinical rotations. At the start of the year, we said goodbye to last year’s hard working SAH interns – (see photo, left to right) Frank Gold, Matt tomassini, Carrie Flynn, Andre Grafas and Rhea Jagdhane. In addition, former interns Steff Leggett and Steffi Jalava have taken up roles in the ECC group. Interns are the backbone of MuPEC and the ICu and virtually all emergency and referral cases plus many CP cases have benefited from their care. they spend a year with us, and it is hopefully pivotal to an outstanding future career. But the VtH benefits hugely from their commitment and sheer hard work. We are now inducting the next group of interns and look forward to hearing of last year’s crew’s successes.

staff profile: sarah Wetzel

this is my first move abroad from the united States and I am so happy to be here! I completed my Bachelor of Science degree at university of Michigan (uSA) and my Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at university of Illinois. After veterinary school, I spent two years in general practice and another year in emergency medicine before undertaking a path to become a veterinary oncologist. I completed my rotating internship in Wisconsin and then finished an oncology internship at oregon State university. Most recently, I finished an oncology residency, under the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, at Washington State university prior to accepting this position at Massey university in Internal Medicine. I love the relationships that I get to build with patients and their families and I find great satisfaction in improving pets’ quality of life. It is great to be on the forefront of the rapidly expanding understanding of cancer in companion animals. In my free time, I enjoy baking, reading, and tramping with my energetic Labrador mix, Misha. l