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VETERINARY MEDICINE - RICHARD PAYNE OM'89
What is your profession and current position?
Veterinary Surgeon (Specialist Equine Surgeon); Clinical Director of Rossdales Equine Hospital, Newmarket, UK
How did Monkton get you ready for the world of work?
By offering a solid foundation, and helping to instil great core values. The words communication, confidence, kindness, leadership, initiative, opportunity, curiosity and inclusivity spring to mind from Monkton days. These are all essential ingredients in the workplace.
What is your biggest professional achievement?
As a surgeon, being part of a large team of vets, nurses and support staff, who deliver first class care, often in critical situations. As a clinical director, seeing the growth and development of talented young people.
What has been your most challenging professional moment?
Every day has new and different challenges and pressures, and even after 25 years no two days at work are the same. Clients can have ‘superhuman’ expectations. Managing my own self expectation of meticulous high standards and outcomes of surgery is also challenging.
What inspires and motivates you at work?
The fantastic team I work with, and the satisfaction of turning round critical cases for grateful horse owners.
What is one piece of advice you would like to share with pupils or OMs about getting into your profession?
Be sure that you are realistic about expectations before you apply, and make sure you do some work experience. Veterinary Medicine offers a huge diversity of exciting career paths. If you want to be in clinical practice you will certainly enjoy the highs of success, but you will also have to learn to cope with the lows of failure. Owners can be demanding, and you will need resilience!