Page 60 - Eclipse - Autumn/Winter 2023

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Page 60 - Eclipse - Autumn/Winter 2023
P. 60

A career as a British Army Veterinary Officer


        Henry Mosey (BVetMed, 2017 and Master of Research, 2022)

                ne of the many vocations within   subject matter and technical knowledge   to offer support at the start of their
                the veterinary world is that of   for the betterment of all involved. As I   career, through mentoring, coaching
                the British Army Veterinary   reflect further back on my undergraduate   or an informal chat. The map shows
        OOfficer. As a Veterinary Officer,   ºÚÁÏÉç days (and whilst some of these   geographical location, course studied
        I am tasked with providing both clinical   memories are indeed fondly mired   and career path so that graduates
        effect and a Command, Leadership,   by cringey immaturity), I am similarly   can find a suitable match. Henry
        Management function within defence.  inspired by the accomplishments and   kindly added his details to this map
                                            employments of my former classmates.   and would be happy to discuss the
        Whilst I was always determined to join                                  Veterinary Officer career with fellow
        the British Army as a Veterinary Officer,   Keen to embrace opportunity to share   alumni interested in such a path. If you
        the Royal Veterinary College was a   best practice and continue to learn from   graduated since 2020 and would like
        particularly inspiring environment to study  colleagues, I regularly second to civilian   more information about the map,
        in, given the myriad backgrounds and   practice. This also allows me to maintain
        interests of staff and students. Individuals  competence in treating species that the   please email alumni@rvc.ac.uk
        from all over the world looking to engage   army is not quite yet willing to employ.
        with careers involving the multitude of   Even within small animal practice, there   Guttural Pouch Scoping
        specialisms associated with veterinary   is a significant variety of approaches that
        activity demonstrated just how diverse   cater for the client demographic, practice
        our community is, in both background   values, and resources available. Routinely
        and aspiration. This was one of the   working in the first opinion, hospital, and
        many reasons that I returned to the ºÚÁÏÉç   ECC space, I highly value the potential
        to complete a postgraduate Master of   for productive multidirectional information
        Research, looking at the microstructure   exchange at the fundamental level, both
        of osteoarthritic change.           between military and civilian practice,
                                            and between different civilian practices.
        The veterinary population within the
        British Army are a largely very healthy   In 2022, we launched an interactive
        cohort: having been subject to rigorous   map for that graduating year (originally
        procurement standards; receiving    2022 graduates and now 2023) from
        model husbandry; and having continuing   recent graduates (the last three years)
        access to a high standard of veterinary
        care – often collocated on the same
        site. The key components of veterinary
        capability are therefore preventative
        care, considerations of threats within the
        deployed environment (and mitigation
        thereof), and pathology associated with
        the highly active nature of our Military
        Working Dogs and Horses (whether
        traumatic or musculoskeletal in nature).
        Osteoarthritic change is therefore a
        very topical morbidity and a key interest
        of mine – I hope to soon commence a
        PhD study that further interrogates this
        pervasive and ubiquitous pathology.
        I reflect on my most recent studies at
        the ºÚÁÏÉç, working with the Skeletal
        Biology Group – a very closeknit,
        diverse, and extremely motivated cohort,
        whose passion for their highly particular
        subject matter was matched only by
        their extraordinary coffee intake. It was a
        hugely valuable and vibrant experience
        to work with a team so genuinely                                         Performing a physical examination
        enthusiastic to dynamically share their                                  on a RAF Military Police Dog
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