One Health: My Journey

Natalie SampsonGuest post by Natalie Sampson.

Studying the One Health MSc has been transformational for me. The course has reinvigorated my love of learning and has served as the inspiration for taking my career in a new and unexpected direction. I hope that my story will encourage you to take the first step on your own ‘wriggly road’, wherever it may take you.

Soon after my youngest child turned 1, and with a secure job as a Veterinary Clinical Director in a growing small animal practice that I enjoyed and fitted well around family life, I found myself with a small amount of free brain space and surplus energy.

As a young vet, I had really enjoyed volunteering abroad and, recognising that disappearing off for a few weeks was no longer something I wished to do, I found myself reaching out for other opportunities closer to home. I soon found myself volunteering for Street Vet every few weeks and sitting as a Trustee for a fantastic grass roots charity providing veterinary care for street animals in India. Unfortunately for my husband, this work reawakened my passion for an area of veterinary medicine I hadn’t practised for a while, namely the links between human and animal health in a bigger picture context. Combining my interest with the experience and skills I had accumulated over time, I began to think about the possibility of a doing an MSc.

The Conservation Medicine MSc at Edinburgh had always been on my radar and, through this, I stumbled on the One Health Programme. I realised it encompassed all of the areas I am drawn to, so One Health it was, and I jumped in. Needless to say, had I thought about what I was doing I may not have applied, but with only my degree to compare against, and now at a completely different stage of life, I didn’t overthink what I was doing or consider how I was going to find the learning experience, a “blessing in disguise”. My only nod to reality was that my first aim was just to get through the 1st year and gain a certificate – baby steps!

With the pandemic still to come, I began my online MSc journey. I found lots of areas challenging, centring on moving beyond the pace and clinical world that I was familiar with and slowing down. Slowing down was extremely hard, but gradually I learnt to embrace it and in doing so, it allowed me to reflect and get to know myself again (albeit slowing down whilst cooking dinner, getting the kids to bed, answering emails etc). Nevertheless, that first term was vital in laying the groundwork for expectations at MSc level and getting my rusty studying skills back, whilst also learning how to embrace an online community– many of whom I was pleased to discover, were in a similar boat. I started this MSc simply out of curiosity but quickly I was hooked by the learning bug and by the subject.

Fast forward to Spring 2020 and the Covid-19 pandemic when, co-incidentally, I was studying emerging diseases and One Health policy… timely to say the least. Each module presented new challenges, some in stark contrast to the part of the veterinary world I was familiar with, and I realised that I was beginning to develop an image of the direction of my next career move, alongside giving me confidence that I could move outside of the career path I thought was set in stone. My wriggly road was well underway, and I was keeping an eye out for roles that piqued my interest.

I won’t list the value of each module but, with each one, my confidence grew, and I was able to appreciate the skills and strengths I already had and those that were in development. Moreover, I was learning to embrace myself and relax, skills that I found difficult to exhibit in a clinical setting.

Surprisingly reflection, self-awareness and re-learning to presence myself have been key to this part of my journey. Honing these abilities and diving deep into who I am and what I enjoy has given me back a grounding I had lost. Using intuitive and free flow imagery has helped me to visualise my reflections and explore deeper, for example my ‘me tree’ depicted below, focusing on what I find balancing and what I seek on my journey (noting of course that my artistic ability is one of the skills I need to develop).

Drawing of a tree with a treehouse and swings in it

At the start of my diploma year, a role with the Food Standards Agency caught my eye. A One Health veterinary role working in food policy and reading the job description I had some but not all of the experience. I would never have considered it but for my increased awareness of the importance of veterinary work in public health (aka One Health). I was also aware of the challenge in applying for a Civil Service role in the UK, so I took a deep breath and reached out to the recruiting manager. Following an enjoyable chat about the role and how vet skills are applied in the One Health arena I discovered that I was determined to apply. I was surprised and delighted when I not only got an interview, but was offered the position, which of course I accepted.

Halfway through my One Health MSc and I had spring boarded into a One Health Policy role!

I am now 18 months into the role and have made it my own, with the fantastic support of a transdisciplinary team, all working to protect food and feed safety and animal health and welfare. I am a firm believer in Veterinary Public Health and One Health and am determined to raise awareness of how fascinating and exciting it is to practice Veterinary Medicine in this context. My work is highly varied, covering notifiable diseases, zoonotic disease, meat hygiene, policy development, trade, future borders, microbiology, veterinary medicines, corporate management and more. Moreover, I am surrounded by phenomenal vets and non-vets with encyclopaedic knowledge who I learn from every day.

It is easy to think that I was a small animal vet in practice and suddenly and smoothly transitioned into a One Health role… but that would be to oversimplify and not do myself justice. In practice I had also developed nonclinical and human behavioural skills as I progressed through my clinical career and, I use all of those skills, alongside my veterinary and One Health knowledge every day. By giving myself space to embrace my curiosity, reflect and refocus my perspective through the One Health MSc, I have grown considerably, and I am looking forward to whatever the future may hold.

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