VetPrac is delighted to welcome back Dr Abbie Tipler as an educator at the Fix the Face workshop at UQ Gatton on 2nd-4th October 2020. When Abbie first joined VetPrac as an educator in 2018, she was working as a surgeon in general practice. Since then, she’s taken a giant leap into a small animal surgical residency at Veterinary Specialist Services (VSS), Brisbane.
Meet Dr Abbie Tipler – surgery resident, passionate educator, charity worker, and last but not least, mother of 2 small children. She appears to have mastered the juggling act of professional life with motherhood and even has something left over to give back to the veterinary and general community.
Let’s find out how Abbie manages life as a resident and a mother of 2 young children, and still has time for charity work!
Tell us a little about your residency at VSS and how you’ve adjusted to life as a resident in a very large referral practice.
“Residency life with two little ones is very busy! But I love my job, so this makes the adjustment a lot easier. There were also many skills I picked up in general practice that prepared me for referral practice, such as teamwork, client communication and history taking, so it was less of an adjustment than if I had started straight from veterinary school.”
You must be a very busy woman having young children and doing a residency. Any advice on how to create a good work life balance, and balancing parenting with work?
“Balancing parenting with working requires you to be highly organised and have a lot of support. I am lucky in that my husband has flexible hours and can work from home, so the kids drop off/pick-ups are made easy. Finding the right balance however is extremely challenging. It is something I think any working mother finds tough and I am certainly no exception to this rule!”
What do you enjoy about teaching?
“I absolutely love the thought that I could make a vets’ life easier or inspire them to try something different or learn a new skill.”
Abbie has been involved in several charities such as Pets in the Park, and Elephants Rhinos People.
For those of you that may be unfamiliar with Pets in the Park, we encourage you to watch this interview Abbie did with the co-founder of Pets in the Park, Dr Mark Westman. We challenge you to be inspired to offer your services in the future.
Abbie’s words about the charity: “Pets in the Park is a brilliant charity that vets can get involved in, which treats the pets of the homeless. It is a great way to meet other vets in your area that you may not directly work with, and to give back to the less fortunate. I was blown away by how loved these pets are, and how grateful their owners were for our time. It was a great experience.”
Abbie truly is passionate about surgery and education of the veterinary profession, and gives back to the profession and indeed the general community in many ways.
Abbie is looking forward to sharing her passion for surgery with you at the Fix the Face workshop. Registrations for Fix the Face: Brachycephalic and Ear Surgery are open. This practical workshop for veterinarians is proving to be very popular and filling quickly so register now to secure your spot.
Dr Abbie Tipler can be contacted at [email protected] or on Facebook.
