An advanced practitioner in small animal surgery is enjoying the best of both worlds after embarking on a shared surgical residency with two of the UK’s leading small animal hospitals.

Gemma Holloway is based at the Linnaeus-owned Kentdale Referrals in Milnthorpe, Cumbria, but is splitting her three-year residency with fellow Linnaeus practice North Downs Specialist Referrals in Bletchingley, Surrey.

It’s certainly a long-distance experience, with the two animal hospitals some 290 miles apart, but Gemma said the benefits far outweigh the travelling involved.

Gemma said: “This shared residency was specifically devised for me as Kentdale has a significant orthopaedic and neurosurgery bias, while more soft tissue cases are seen by NDSR.

“So, the collaboration of the two practices for a residency programme meant a wider exposure to a large and varied case load for me.

“It means I get to see how two different centres run and work and draw on the expertise of multiple specialists in both practices, in comparison to working within only one centre.

“I’m observing the many ways different specialists approach the same problem and I also enjoy support from both teams, which has been very helpful while working on research projects, journal clubs and sessions to help with exam preparation.”

Gemma admitted it could be a bit of slog switching from the north of England to the south but that her experiences were making it worthwhile.

However, Gemma insists she would definitely recommend the many and varied benefits of a shared residency, adding: “I’d absolutely endorse this way of doing it. A surgical residency is a lot of work but I am really enjoying being part of a dual site residency and it has given me the opportunity to work with two fantastic teams and learn a great deal.”

Kentdale Referrals is a specialist-led practice offering expert services in diagnostic imaging, arthroscopy, laparoscopy, anaesthesia, infection control, orthopaedic surgery, spinal surgery, soft tissue surgery and physiotherapy.

For more information on Kentdale Referrals, visit www.kentdalevets.co.uk For more information of North Downs Specialist Referrals, visit www.ndsr.co.uk.

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