Aikaterini Ignatiadi, known to everyone as Kat, is a popular member of the team at Vets Now’s Nottingham clinic. Having always had a good bedside manner, Kat has further developed her veterinary skills to enter the world of ECC. And she says she couldn’t have done it without Cutting Edge, Vets Now’s renowned 10-week paid induction programme to help vets thrive in emergency practice.
What’s your vet background?
I’m from Greece and I always wanted to be a vet, but I was a fraction short in the marks I needed in maths to get into vet school. So, I learned Romanian for a year and then studied vet med there for six years, graduating in 2015. I went back to Greece and worked for 18 months before I packed my things and came to the UK!
So, how did you find Cutting Edge and which bits of the course were most valuable?
I really enjoyed it and the Point of Care Ultrasound(POCUS), elements were particularly useful. I now use it not only for diagnosis but also for the monitoring of patients, like those with lung contusions where you can see whether they get worse or better. I’d also pick out the sessions on diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). When you have a diabetic patient come in with that, it’s bad and you can wonder where to start as there are so many things to correct. Having a lot of guidance on that was good, as well as on trauma like road traffic accidents. I think one of the biggest takeaways was that you just need to act and do what you can – if you do nothing then most of those patients will die. You can’t save every patient, but you just need to use the knowledge you have and do your best.
What about being with other vets doing the course at the Dunfermline support office?
At first, I was a bit unsure as most were a little younger than me, but that soon passed. We got on really well and still stay in touch on a group chat. In fact, we became such good friends that nine of us went to Barcelona in May for a reunion and are already planning our next one. We also message each other when we’re on duty if we have a query about a case, and I call other clinics, too, if I want to check something.
Did you feel better prepared when you started in clinic?
I definitely felt more ready, but I know I have more to learn and more experience to get, as like many vets there’s a bit of imposter syndrome. It’s a team effort, though, and the nurses are so good and so knowledgeable too.
Now you’ve been in post for over a year, are you glad you took the leap and moved into ECC?
Well, put it this way – this is the longest I’ve ever stayed in one job! Usually, 12 months is my cut off but I’m really enjoying it. I live in Derby but am quite happy to drive to Nottingham, which is an indication of how much I love the clinic and the team. I feel I’m making a difference and I get huge satisfaction when I’m able to save a patient, help a client who is panicking or even be there for them when it’s clear nothing can be done.
