Pain Awareness Month: Rosemary Perrett (BVSc 2019)
September is Pain Awareness Month and the University of Liverpool Veterinary Alumni Association caught up with alumna Rosie Perrett (BVSc 2019).
Rosie grew up in Dorset's beautiful countryside, with family cats (both with aortic thromboembolisms) and her own horse (with recurrent airway obstruction), which fuelled Rosie’s interest in veterinary science! Rosie qualified from Liverpool Vet School in 2019, after initially completing a degree in Zoology. She has since achieved her residency role in anaesthesia at Lumbry Park Veterinary Specialists. Rosie loves the practical role that her job offers and getting to be involved with a range of patients, conditions, and complexities.
Did anyone inspire you while you were a student?
Briony Alderson, who was Head of Anaesthesia during my rotations. She had an amazing sense of calm in a crisis.
When did you know you wanted to specialise in anaesthesia and analgesia?
I really enjoyed the anaesthesia teaching and enjoyed the subject further during my rotations and electives. It wasn’t until I was in GP that I realised that I wanted to pursue it on a long-term basis.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
Make the most of all the opportunities that are offered. It’s demanding work but getting involved in everything and anything builds relationships amongst colleagues and potential employers and sets you up for success in the future. You also learn a lot more this way as well.
Can you give your fellow alumni one top tip for Pain Awareness Month?
Make the most of pain scores and pain scores in response to analgesia. You can massively improve efficient use of our analgesic drugs, to minimise side effects whilst also ensuring our patients aren’t painful.
How can alumni follow what you're doing?
Over the coming years during my residency, I’m looking forward to publishing case reports and research, including a paper that will be looking specifically at pain assessment in cats – watch this space!
Thank you, Rosie, for helping us celebrate our alumni with careers in anaesthesia and analgesia for Pain Awareness Month.
Have you got an update you would like to share with your fellow alumni? Send your updates to ulvaa@liverpool.ac.uk.