I went into a busy first opinion practice which had a high medical and surgical caseload, which also had a wide selection of equipment. I really enjoyed my job and I developed my skills quickly.

Around the 18-24month mark after graduating I started to feel that I wasn’t enjoying general practice as much as I used to. I think I’ve always known I’d want to pursue the referral setting to provide a higher level of care.

Rotating internships generally require a minimum amount of time in general practice (1-2 years) and having good teamworking, communication and time management skills.

I am loving the internship, every day I’m absorbing lots of knowledge from the clinicians. The team at NDSR is very friendly and everyone is happy to help you learn. The main downside of any internship is the long hours that can sometimes come with it!

Generally the interns would arrive at 8am, help the nurses with any admits, patient checks, issues etc. From 9am we will be helping the specific discipline we are assigned to with cases including diagnostic procedures. We help write the referral letters and developing a plan for each case.

Internships can be brutal at times but someone who has a good sense of humour, resilience, time management, a good attitude and a want to learn would make a good intern!

There are lots of people applying for the same spots so there’s a lot of competition. Showing off your individuality in the interviews is the best advice I can give.

1. Spend the first few years developing your skills as a day one vet before considering applying as you need to learn to implement your knowledge in general practice.
2. Spend time researching the company you’ll want to apply for and why you’re selecting that specific hospital.
3. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t get it! Keep applying as you’ll be getting more experienced as time goes on.

The main thing to realise is that you are going into an internship to learn and you won’t have an extensive knowledge of every single discipline. I was never the cleverest of vets but I’ve felt that going into the internship with an open mind to learn has really helped me. The more you put in, the more you’ll get out!