Veterinary Woman Role Model – Amanda Paul

Dr. Amanda Paul BVSc DipECVIM-CA BSc(Hons) MANZCVS (Small Animal Medicine) MVetStud FRCVS is Head of Internal Medicine at Hamilton Specialist Referrals. Reflecting on her career, Amanda shares her journey from the University of Queensland to a specialist referral hospital in High Wycombe, UK. Her diverse experience spans working in a mixed practice, where she often slept on the X-ray table, to a clinic near a national park, treating wildlife such as bats and snakes, and eventually landing in a specialist practice in rural UK. Along the way, she has faced numerous challenges, compromises (giving up firefighting and moving across the world), and triumphs.

Please summarise your journey

I graduated from the University of Queensland in 1999 and joined a mixed practice in Sydney with OOH and quite a few nights sleeping on the X-ray table. I then worked in a general practice on the edge of the National Park where I saw natives like bats, wallabies, possums and the odd snake. I started doing more emergency work before taking a three-year small animal residency in Perth during which I did my second Master’s degree. I moved to a private practice and was then recruited back to the university as a specialist medicine clinician, as I had a European qualification, before I got the opportunity to come and work in the UK in 2016. That was at a specialists in Winchester and I became more and more involved until I became the Head of Medicine. I felt we were moving in different directions so, when the chance to come to Hamilton Specialist Referrals came up in early 2024 as Head of Internal Medicine I jumped at it. It’s heavily specialist-led, which I really like, and I could see so much potential. The medicine side is, relatively speaking, in its infancy and there was the scope to establish a consistent and solid medicine service. I love working from the beginning, so we have all the right systems and the right level of patient care in place. I feel so lucky that the medicine team here all have similar values. We support one another, want each other to grow and we work closely with the other teams who are always happy to help and take on cases. It’s a wonderful opportunity that I’m really relishing.

Describe your typical day from waking to sleeping:

I live in Hampshire and travel up to High Wycombe at the start of the week after getting up about 5.30am and waking myself up with a coffee and toast. When I arrive, I’ll review notes for patients coming in, assess patients we already have in, have rounds and start consulting at 9am. In the afternoon we’ll do any procedures and then sort plans if patients are staying or write discharges or referral notes. After any late emergencies and ensuring adequate handovers for the night team, I’ll head to a hotel where I’ll stay until I head back home at the end of the week when, happily, traffic is lighter. That’s an overall picture that’s always changing, but it’s never anything less than varied!

How would you describe yourself in a sentence?

I’d like to think I’m meticulous, stubborn in trying to get answers, open to new ideas and techniques and supportive for others trying to achieve what we are doing.

How would others describe you in a sentence?

I don’t know! I’d hope they’d see someone that cares about not just their patients, but the owners and families, too, and wants to achieve high standards.

What has been your top success and what have you learned from this?

Back in Australia there was a dog called Nitro who had the most severe changes in inflammatory bowel disease I’ve ever seen. He was a St Bernard, who should have been about 85kg but was under 40kg, so had lost over half of his body weight. I remember a clinician telling me he’d never make it and asking why I was trying to save him. We had him in intensive care for two weeks, working on stabilisation and diet and just giving him the benefit of the doubt for his dedicated owners. He lived for another five years before he died of something unrelated. I learned not to trust others judging and telling you not to bother, to listen to the owners and trust your own instincts.

What has been your biggest challenge, setback or failure and how have you overcome it? How did you grow or change as a result?

I had a dog with persistent pneumonia who kept aspirating. The dog was owned by another vet, and I worked with him to try and resolve it but the owner, who was very frustrated, eventually euthanised it. I learned to make sure, legally, I recorded absolutely everything I did, and to ensure communication was clear and open. When I look back, I think there were perceptions that weren’t addressed, so I learned to get people to repeat back what you’ve said and don’t always assume you and a colleague are talking about exactly the same things.

What compromises have you had to make and what, if anything, could have helped?

I was heavily involved in firefighting in Australia and put in many hours every week. But when I became a specialist, I had to cut back my hours and commitment massively. That was a hard thing to do as I worked with an amazing team of people, and I loved what I was doing. So, compromising my personal life was a big thing. Moving to the UK was another one and being here when the pandemic broke out was really tough as my father developed lung cancer. All Australians were locked out of flying back home, so I had to log into his treatments over the internet and say goodbye over the phone. I would have so wanted to be with him. Work-wise, you need to realise that, because of finances, you sometimes can’t do all the tests you want, and you have to compromise around what is actually feasible.

What advice would you have given to your younger self, that you would now give to others wanting to follow your path?

Be prepared to say no more frequently as saying yes too much, which I was prone to, meant my time wasn’t my own.

I couldn’t have got where I am today without…

The support of my family, obviously, and also some close friends during my residency.

What are your three top likes?

Being outdoors, playing music and reading books.

What are your three top dislikes?

Lies, rudeness – and sputum!

What is the most helpful book you’ve read and why?

There are several that I go back to and re-read, but I became very sick at the beginning of 2023 and went through a surgery. I became septic, lost a lot of blood, was rushed back into surgery and I almost lost my life. I started a journal, which I’d never done before, and when I feel at my worst or that I need to remember something I’ll always go back to it. It reminds me of where I was, where I am now and where I want to be.

Many thanks to Amanda Paul for sharing her story to inspire veterinary women to aspire and grow into their full career potential.

If you would like to share your story please get in touch at info@veterinarywoman.co.uk

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