Celebrating Veterinary Cardiology: Dr Ana Almeida Warren BVSc MRCVS
This February the University of Liverpool Veterinary Alumni Association are celebrating alumni who are passionate about veterinary cardiology. Alumna Ana Warren (BVSc 2020) has worked in first opinion small animal practice since graduating and we caught up with her to find out how she has been pursuing her interest in cardiology.
Did anyone inspire you while you were a student?
There were certainly a few people who I looked up to as a student. Rita Gonçalves springs to mind, the lead lecturer in neurology. Seeing another Portuguese woman in a high speciality position really inspired me. I admired her love for the subject, her teaching style and found her to be approachable.
When did you know you were interested in cardiology?
My interest in cardiology started in my final years at university. It was a subject I really enjoyed, and for me there is nothing more fascinating than watching a pumping heart on ultrasound or an ECG trace in action! I did the cardiology elective and I was also awarded the Boehringer Ingelheim BVSc Prize in small animal cardiology.
Once I graduated I joined the Vets4Pets New Graduate Programme and worked for two and a half years at a practice in Devon. The practice arranged monthly visits by the ambulatory cardiology service, run by HeartVets. I had the pleasure of being able to join in and watch some echoes, as well as further develop my cardiology knowledge and skills. I also had the opportunity to watch them perform a balloon valvuloplasty on a dog with pulmonic stenosis, which was incredible. A shout-out to Jo Harris, Tiago Bispo and Fiona Tomczynska who were patient and keen to share their knowledge with me.
After completing the New Graduate Programme at Vets4Pets, I moved to North Somerset to work in a 24/7 first opinion hospital, where I have been for the last year. I went on a basic echocardiography course at Langford, and I have been building up my echo skills and scanning more and more hearts since. I am hoping to start a CertAVP in cardiology in the next year.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
Tell your practice you are interested in cardiology and start making connections. My experience of the cardiology community so far is that everyone is really friendly, happy to help and share their knowledge. I also recommend going on a practical echo course. This will allow you to work on your skills, develop the ability to self-critique, and improve your overall technique.
Thank you, Ana, for helping us celebrate veterinary cardiology and our alumni community! You can connect with Ana on LinkedIn.
Have you got an update you would like to share with your fellow alumni? Send your updates to ulvaa@liverpool.ac.uk.