December’s alumna of the month: Elysé Summerfield-Smith
Current student, Catherine Basford, nominated Elysé after a great extra-mural studies placement at Marwell Zoo.
We asked current students to nominate Liverpool alumni deserving of recognition from the University of Liverpool Veterinary Alumni Association for ‘giving-back’ to current students.
This month, we extend our gratitude to Elysé Summerfield-Smith (BVSc 2017). Catherine Basford, a current vet student, nominated Elysé, whom she met while on extra-mural studies placement at Marwell Zoo earlier this year. Catherine described Elysé as supportive, kind and humble, attributing her enjoyable placement experience in part to Elysé’s influence.
Elysé said: “It is quite special to be nominated by a current student, and I am really very touched that this was something the student felt was important enough to action when they left the placement."
Elysé told us about her career so far
“My career has already been chock full of surprising twists and turns! My first role out of Liverpool was a traditional mixed practice in North Yorkshire. Alongside clinical work and an out of hours rota I was an Official Veterinarian, led farmer evenings, puppy classes and community talks. I look fondly on this role as where I learned to be a vet, and I made lifelong friends.
After that, I went back to University to study for my Masters in Wild Animal Health – in 2020! I had to re-learn how to be a student in lockdown, but we were so determined not to miss out on the student experience, we created a wonderfully close-knit group, even though we didn’t meet for nine months! I also worked in COVID-19 tracing because I felt the need to “do my bit” and tried my hand at a bit of small animal emergency and critical care.
I then worked as a general practice locum for a year, before joining the Zoological Society of London in their Disease Risk Analysis and Health Surveillance team, working with some of the UK’s most endangered native wildlife. This role really improved my confidence in my post-mortem and quarantine management skills. Finally, I joined Marwell Wildlife in July of this year, and I am having a wonderful time here.
Some of my career highlights have actually been the things I have done outside of my full-time roles. I joined the BVA Council as recent graduate representative in 2021, which has been an incredible way to learn about high level policymaking. I have also been delighted to be active as part of BVLGBTQ+ and as an ally member and Grants Co-ordinator for BVEDS. To be honest, I still can’t quite believe that I get to answer the question “what do you do?” with “I am a zoo vet,” so that’s probably a highlight!”
Next we asked: What advice would you give to current students interested in a career in zoo medicine?
“You know, I am not sure I’m terribly qualified to answer this question – my zoo career is only just beginning! The main skill I think you need in my job is problem-solving. Every day I encounter a new question, and I draw on my understanding of basic principles, evidence-based veterinary medicine and, of course, the expertise of the wonderful nursing and keeping teams to solve it. I would recommend you aim for a good grounding in general practice – farm, small or equine – and, if you can, give out of hours a go! That is where I, personally, felt like I learned what I could do, and sometimes I surprised myself. Really, though, I think you should just do what you love doing. Don’t look for a mixed practice if you hate being cold and wet just because that’s what I did, and don’t stress about getting into an internship if you hate being indoors all day (like me!) because someone told you it was the best exotics one. Don’t be afraid to try something you never thought you’d go for; you’ll be surprised at what skills you develop.”
As Elysé was nominated for delivering a brilliant EMS experience, finally we asked: What would you say to other alumni who host students on EMS placements? How do you think they can help students get the most out of their placements?
“I almost feel as though I am cheating; it is easy for me to be enthusiastic with students at the moment, because I am so terribly excited to be doing what I do. There have been times, however, where I have been fighting the burnout battle and I haven’t been at my best. During those times, I reminded myself how I felt as a student, and the challenges I encountered in accessing the veterinary world. Then, I tried my hardest to remove those challenges for the student in front of me. Although we can have incredibly valuable experiences during EMS placements, I don’t think it is ever possible without feeling safe, comfortable and in a good place to learn. I try to aim for that when I am offering placements.
I recently heard someone describe EMS students as “future colleagues”, and I think that is a fantastic phrase. If you consider students as junior colleagues, you can instinctively offer them more. Consider what you would offer a new colleague on day one: you’d set expectations, probably reassure them that you understand they have a life outside of their job, explain to them where to find support, ask them what professional development goals they have. I try to deliver a condensed version of this to new EMS students on day one and set them up to be junior colleagues for the time that they are working with me. I find it much more rewarding than a directly pedagogical interaction, and I hope that students find they learn from it too.”
Thank you again, Elysé! It is wonderful to celebrate and express our gratitude for members of our alumni community. Do you volunteer with a professional organisation like Elysé? We’d love to hear what you do! E-mail us at ulvaa@liverpool.ac.uk