Alumni in Profile: Niamh Casey MVB (Veterinary Medicine 2017)
Niamh is a veterinary surgeon from Cork. She graduated from
University College Dublin in 2017 and has a passion for small animal orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery. She completed a rotating internship in the UK, followed by a specialist internship in small animal surgery in Ireland. In 2022, Niamh completed the RCVS certificate in General Small Animal Surgery. She completed an Advanced Certificate in Small Animal Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery with Improve International in 2024. Niamh joined Sunbeam Veterinary Hospital in 2024, and she is delighted to be part of such a large and positive team with excellent resources.
- What led you to study Veterinary Nursing?
I grew up on a farm in Co. Cork which taught me a lot about the highs and lows associated with caring for sick animals. I enjoyed learning about animal
husbandry; how to rear cattle, milk cows, and deliver lambs. Our next-door
neighbours owned a racing yard, and I loved working amongst such incredible horses, jockeys, farriers, physios, etc. - even if I was just mucking out stables. I adored my childhood pets. I enjoyed bringing them to our local mixed practice veterinary clinic in the hope that I could learn more about how to care for them. Veterinary buildings always excited me. I was always curious about what was happening on the other side of the consult room wall and would frequently ask if I could get a tour behind the scenes.
- What was your favourite part of the course?
My favourite part of the course was our frequent bus trips to Lyons farm. It was fun to live in the capital city and to be part of a course that required wellies, overalls and my riding helmet. I loved reporting home to my dad about my new animal husbandry skills.
- What advice would you give to someone considering studying Veterinary Nursing?
If you are passionate about any aspect of animal health, for example, large animal, small animal, equine, or exotics, then I advise you to seek practice in these areas. It is a challenging career but if you love what you are doing it will never feel like a job.
- What was your experience at UCD like? Any highlights?
UCD was an incredible college to attend. There were endless opportunities to take part in clubs and societies. A highlight for me was participating in the UCD Tetrathlon competition. This friendly competition and social weekend consisted of show jumping, running, swimming, and archery. It also included a fancy-dress night out and a gala dinner. What a weekend!
- What is your current job?
I currently work as a small animal surgeon in a 24-hour hospital, where I perform a broad range of orthopaedic and soft tissue surgeries. I have two surgical certificates which are advanced qualifications for first-opinion small animal vets. Certificates help to further develop our knowledge and skills beyond the level of training we receive in vet school. This enables us to offer more advanced procedures for clients at a first-opinion level.
- How do you feel the Veterinary Nursing course prepared you for this role?
Veterinary medicine is a vast subject area. It requires a large amount of medical knowledge in a variety of different species. You also need to know diseases that are associated with specific breeds. In our final year, we rotated through multiple disciplines in small animal veterinary such as internal medicine, surgery, anaesthesia, diagnostic imaging, and the intensive care unit. These rotations set the foundation for my current job.
- What is the proudest moment of your career to date?
The proudest moment of my career was being able to help a young boy whose dog was hit by a car. This patient had a dislocated hip and herniation of his intestines and stomach into his chest cavity. He required extensive surgery priced at an eye-watering €2500. The owners were very upset as they could not afford this, and were going to have to tell their son that his best friend was going to doggy heaven. Their son was incredibly attached to this dog since coming into his life when he was ill as an infant with frequent seizures. I was fortunate enough to be able to repair his diaphragmatic hernia and hip luxation free of charge. This is something we would love to be able to do more of, but this was definitely an exceptional case. It was a beautiful experience to see this little boy being reunited with his best friend. Using my education and skills to save a life for this boy was a special day.
- What have been the most challenging aspects of your career?
When you graduate you take an oath to protect animal health and welfare. Our primary aim is to ‘not harm’. Following graduation, I naively thought that such a goal ‘goes without saying’. There are risks associated with every surgical procedure. The expectations are high, and major decisions are being made all day every day. Sometimes patients develop post-operative complications, or the outcome may not be what we hoped for. Despite excellent client communication and every good intention, this is a career filled with great joy and great sadness. We continue to learn every day and improve our knowledge and competence.
- Describe your typical work day.
My work day starts with inpatient rounds where we examine all our patients and discuss their treatment plans together as a team. I usually consult from 8:30am until 11am, then proceed to theatre. Typical surgeries consist of cruciate repair (TPLO), patella luxation, laparoscopic ovariectomies and upper airway surgery. Lunch break is from 1-2pm. I normally schedule a second surgery after lunch and consult again from 5:30- 6pm. We frequently admit cases during the day that need emergency surgery such as cases with foreign bodies, haemoabdomen or urethral obstruction. I should finish at 7pm however this depends on the caseload. I finish when my patients have received all their interventions and treatments for that day.
- In your career and/or personal life, who have been the most inspiring or helpful mentors/advisors that you’ve had to date?
The most inspiring mentors in my career have mostly been veterinary specialists. Their passion, commitment, attention to detail and incredible knowledge is inspiring and I love learning from them.
- What do you do to relax? Tell us a bit about your current life, family and hobbies.
I attend approximately four CrossFit sessions a week and enjoy horse riding on weekends. CrossFit is a great way to build fitness, make friends and learn new skills. It has helped me to gain strength and resilience. I also love horse riding, especially jumping. I would love to have my own horse, but I am lucky to have incredible friends that let me ride their horses.
- What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
I was told as a student that if you are in a veterinary environment where you have stopped learning it is time to find a new job. Scientific knowledge is constantly advancing and we need to keep learning and always be open to change.