Little did I know, that a quick comment on instagram would lead to one of the coolest trips of my life.
Yes! That is correct. At the time (summer 2019) I had around 600 followers on my instagram, and posted mostly some pictures from my travels and my life in general. Let me give you some background:
First year of vet school I saw my friends ordered a bunch of books for everyone. It was the Mini Vet guide. I went briefly through the book, and found dr. Poli’s ig handle, and started following him directly. Shortly after, I found dr. Alex Hynes too.
About a year later, dr. Hynes posted something on her instagram where she asked to talk to some of her followers to hear about their struggles as vets and vet students. (This is what’s called The Vet Success Academy today). I immediately volunteered (I mean, who doesn’t wanna chat to one of their biggest idols?!) Shortly after, she sent me a dm and scheduled a meeting over zoom. We talked for a good hour and my first impression was SHE IS SO NICE OMG. I also told her about my dreams and goals for the future, and that I was planning on shadowing some board certified veterinarians in the US at the end of the summer.
Suddenly she said “If you ever want to come shadow at the emergency hospital with us, you are more than welcome!” This might just be a polite thing all Aussies say, because they don't think anyone is actually gonna come visit (haha), but that is not the case with me! When I get an awesome opportunity - I’ll take it!
I guess you could call it a lucky coincidence; but I also think it’s important to have a vision and take the opportunities coming your way!
“It’s better to regret something you did, than something you didn’t.”
Few months later, I decided to make it a reality. I would use all my savings from that summer on flight tickets for this life-changing opportunity! Besides, Australia was already the country I was dreaming about living in one day. (This trip took place christmas 2019).
She gave me an email address to the AES to send all my papers. When I got the answer back, they were booked until late summer next year.. I came back to Alex a little worried, but she assured me that she and G didn’t have anyone shadowing them over christmas. Not only was I gonna work at their hospital, I was going to work with them!!
→ If you want to shadow or do an internship at the Animal Emergency Centre in Australia, you can email students@aes.email. Keep in mind it might a long waiting list.
I recalled to have met some friends from Australia before, and decided to shoot them a message and see if they wanted to meet. Before starting vet school I travelled Asia with my best friend, and on our surf camp in Indonesia we met this lovely couple from New South Wales - and they basically became our parents throughout that week! So that’s how I ended up having a lovely first half a week in NSW! (Pic of me after a surf in Byron Bay).
Who is Alex and Gerardo?
If you’ve followed me for a while, you probably already know this. They are both some of the most successful veterinarians I know, and I envy them so much! (Fangirl moment). Dr. Gerardo Poli is well known for writing one of the most handy tools for anyone working in a clinic: The Mini Vet Guide. Dr. Alex Hynes started being recognized in the public eye after becoming one of the stars in “Bondi Vet: Coast to Coast” - a TV series where you follow veterinarians in action. Gerardo recently signed his contract and will be seen more on the show as well! Alex also wrote a book called “First call for Dogs” - which includes all the most common emergency illnesses and injuries that can occur in your dog. They own/are directors of several clinics/emergency hospitals throughout Australia. Together they have created an amazing course/recourse for vets and vet students all around the world (Vet success academy). You can find info about all of their courses HERE.
I remember being slightly surprised over the location of AES - as on Bondi Vet they state “Over at the Gold Coast..” when in reality it’s a lot closer to Brisbane! Haha. My first few nights I stayed at a motel close to the AES. (Australia is very expensive for a student FYI). I remember it being a stormy night on christmas eve, when I received a text from Gerardo that he would pick me up the morning after - we would be working at Jindalee vet hospital. (Their other hospital).
Slightly starstrucked and nervous, I quickly became comfortable around G and Alex - they are super down to earth and some of the most genuine people I now know. It’s hard to explain but I honestly got a different perspective of life after this trip!
They both made work so much fun, which is incredible considering all the cases that come in one day, working holidays and night shifts etc!
I learned so much in such a short time being there. There were so many interesting cases and animals coming through those doors! G is an amazing mentor; he really takes his time and explain things in an easy way (even a 3rd year vet student could understand). Bloopers: He asked me to do a fecal sample and I collected the feces on the wrong side.. Haha, the more you know!
As a broke student he would even let me stay at his own house (with his brother and his wife). They would pick me up most days (as it’s difficult to get around in Australia without a car). They made me feel like the celebrity: How can these people who barely know me treat me like this, when people where I come from have treated me like the gum stuck under their shoes?! (Not everyone, but you get the point).
All the interesting wildlife and cases that came in kept surprising me! One funny story from it was when a snake came in and I realized even most ossies are scared of snakes (even Alex), haha! I recall them counting the scales on the snake and looking through a book to figure out what kind of snake it was. There were quite a bit of injured wildlife coming in at the AES. Possums, birds, wallabies, snakes, etc. Most of them due to human urbanization and traffic. I also came in the middle of the big bush fires down in NSW, and some animals were heavily affected by smoke inhalation. I also saw a lot of heat strokes and different types of vector borne diseases that we don’t have where I come from! Snake and tick bites are not a joke y’all!
Some of these you might see in later seasons of Bondi Vet - Maybe you can spot me somewhere in the background?
I connected with a lot of other amazing members of their team. One of them was their cameraman; Nic. It was so fun to see how he managed to maneuver around the busy hospital halls and still get everything perfectly on camera! I even told him about some of my own company ideas. Where I come from, people usually just laugh at my ideas. Instead, he encouraged me and gave me some tips on how I could go through with it! I had actually given up on it at that point, but now I’ve started to do some research on it!
I also got to work with some of the other hospital directors. Simon did a lot of the US at AES, and I got to hold a lot of pets for him as he examined. He showed me a lot on ultrasound, and I think the most important thing he kept stating was “Find an order to do the examination, and do it the same every time. Don’t stop examining after only checking the injured organ; you might miss some other important information!”. I saw so many interesting animals and cases there. I even got to scrub in to watch my first pyo surgery! The other hospital director (Rob) took his time and showed me how to scrub in. What a dedicated and enthusiastic team!! Alex came in mid surgery - and took this shot (pic below). As you can see I’m wildly impressed by the size of this pyo on such a little dog!!
They made me feel like a part of the team, and I couldn't be more greatful for this experience!
To be able to use pictures and videos of people’s pets, there was a contract the owner could sign after treatment. I honestly wish more hospitals had this - as we’d be able to capture so much valuable content for others to learn from!
Later I also got to shadow one of my other idols, Dr. Brooke. She’s only about one year older than me, and she has already written several emergency protocols, built an amazing instagram community, AND built her own house!! One of my last days there, she asked if I was free to join her while she made the teaser video for her first e-book. Of course I said yes, and I got to see them in action! (You’ll see a glimpse of me and a kitten in her video). She’s an amazing and bubbly person, and incredibly good at her job!
They were all so incredibly nice; I felt so included and almost treated like a royalty! Where I come from, I was always treated like a peice of shit, honestly. Why was this place so different? Most jobs I've ever had I've been treated like a door mat (a multi tasking, everything-fixing door mat).
I guess my point here is; don't feel down if you "can't even be recognized for your work at a small simple clinic". Maybe it's just the universe trying to push you in a better direction?
My last weekend there, I was so lucky to get to join Alex for a kickboxing workout! Those who know me probably know that I’m a blue belt taekwondo from a young age, and have been doing some kickboxing on and off in later years. It was such a great workout, and Hiit Australia has such an inclusive team! Alex introduced me to all of her friends before the workout.
I must admit I didn’t properly do my research at this point, and I got a text from a friend after a picture of the gym saying “OH MY GOSH, IS THAT CHONTEL’S GYM?! I’d die if you meet her!!” I hadn’t come across her page yet, but without anyone saying anything, I could sense her success from far away. This tall, tanned, and fit woman came over to me and asked what my name was. She had a winning smile, and she remembered my name after only hearing it once (I really need to get better at this myself!). From how confident and positive she was, I could already tell: She was one successful lady. After the workout she told me about how her husband proposed to her in a helicopter - that’s when I was assured! Haha, happy that Alex had us taking a pic together →
From the left: Me - Chontel - Alex
After that we all went for dinner together - and I got to meet her lovely daughter, Tori, and their dog - Yoshi!
After the dinner, and during some of our long car-ride talks, I started to wonder - what is the difference between successful people, and those who are not? The answer started getting more clear, and honestly is a lifestyle I personally want to adapt to. I’ve been lucky to get to hang out with some quite successful vets over the past years, and some traits stay similar. Some things I commonly see in successful people are:
They care about people around them and the environment (probably because they have the financial freedom and time to not be wired up in details, and have more room and love to share with others), they are open minded and take things as it comes. They are more relaxed & less worried (financial safety?) They have more balls in the air at the same time, but still seem to have more time. I find them to be overall more happy than those who are less successful. They are good at taking care of themselves and their health, in order to be there for others. Their minds are constantly working and coming up with new ideas and ways to improve. Most successful people I’ve met; work out on a regular basis, eat healthy, do yoga, use tools such as journaling or meditation. They get up early, have lots of connections and are very productive.
"You are the average of the 5 people you surround yourself with".
What is my conclusion? Success is a lifestyle. It’s VERY rarely something that happens overnight. It’s a continuously working brain - How can I improve? How can I share this with others? How can I profit from this? Successful people always have several sources of income, and they love what they do.
I’ve learned so much from this trip, not only about medicine! I’m more excited than ever to pursue my dreams, and see where the road will take me! It’s an adventure. It’s about the journey, not the destination after all! I know the road will be tough, but I also know it will be a lot of fun!
We are still very much in touch, and I can't wait to meet them again one day!! They made me an ambssador for the Vet Success Academy, and if you join us in Vet Success performance, you'll get to talk us all LIVE monthly!
Oh, and btw! I’m adding a pic of the note G wrote in my Mini Vet guide before I left. It was “The best poem he’s ever written” after all, haha!
"Remember, think about what you want, who you need to be + what skills you need to learn, find a mentor, break it down and take action!"
Thank you for reading and I hope you got something out of it! Would love some feedback in the comments! <3
// @travelingvetstudent