Here at VN Recruitment, we are frequently fortunate enough to be in contact with high-flying veterinary professionals – people who are dedicated and passionate about caring for their patients (and their owners!), and generally making the world a better place for our much-loved pets, and any other animals who may fall into their care. This week, however, we noticed that one individual in particular stood out from the crowd…
Dr. Guyan Weerasinghe
Dr. Guyan Weerasinghe – This Years’ Winner
The award itself acknowledges the work of a veterinarian who has graduated within the last ten years, and has contributed significantly to the betterment of companion animals, the veterinary profession and society at large.
Dr. Weerasinghe studied at the University of Queensland, where he graduated in 2011 and went on to gain experience in a dairy practice in New Zealand, as well as in shelter medicine in Sydney. He achieved a Master’s in 2017, in Veterinary Public Health and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. He is a firm believer in keeping the fun and joy within the veterinary industry, and writes (in relation to his current position with Greencross Vets) on his LinkedIn page, ‘I aim with the rule that every consult should have at least one laugh from the client.’
Career Achievements & The Award
Dr. Weerasinghe currently works day-to-day at Greencross Vets in Caloundra, a companion animal practice on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, where he maintains a small animal caseload and works alongside local animal rescue groups. He is also involved with animal disease surveillance and response, and increasing the awareness of public health risks in veterinary practice, including small animal clinics, through his work with the Queensland Government’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
He also regularly works on One Health projects across Australia, where one particularly interesting initiative involved developing a tool to capture hotspots for tick paralysis on the Sunshine Coast. An active proponent of CE, Dr. Weerasinghe regularly speaks publicly on relevant topics including climate change, zoonoses, and clinical work health and safety, as well as serving on numerous AVA committees.
He is the designated veterinary spokesperson for the Climate Media Centre and engages regularly with broadcast, online and print media on topics including the impact of climate change on animal health and welfare.
Dr. Weerasinghe will be presented with his award at WSAVA World Congress 2018 which takes place September 25-28 in Singapore. He will also give a lecture entitled: ‘Antimicrobial resistance: the ‘tragedy of the commons’ in companion animal practice.’
As the winner of the 2018 ‘Next Generation’ Veterinary Award, Dr. Weerasinghe will receive an engraved plaque and a WSAVA certificate.
“One of my proudest professional moments was helping to draft the AVA’s position statement on climate change and its impacts on animal health, welfare and production…”
“Mentoring is another area that I am involved with – I’ve been mentored by some great people over my years and I strongly believe that there is a need to mentor young veterinarians.”
“Oh, and my wife and I have a 6 month old son, so honestly, what I would like achieve next is just to be a good dad. Nothing more.”
Speaking Exclusively with VN Recruitment
We asked Dr. Weerasinghe a couple of questions about his wonderful achievements, and were delighted to hear back from him almost immediately.
In your opinion, what do you feel were the biggest factors that lead to your winning the award?
After an initial, very modest response of ‘I think just being at the right place at the right time'(!), Dr. Weerasinghe was happy to divulge a few details of his ongoing work, with a particular focus on the effects of climate change on the veterinary industry and animal welfare.
“My personal opinion is that it may have been due to a heavy involvement with the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) and my particular special interest group, The Australian Veterinarians in Public Health (AVPH) – getting involved on different committees has helped me appreciate how broad our profession is in terms of expertise and opinions. For example, one of my proudest professional moments was helping to draft the AVA’s position statement on climate change and its impacts on animal health, welfare and production. (Read more here) Historically issues like climate change had been seen as not-veterinary core business, with some folk still trotting out the view that it’s all part of some natural cycle. But, we treat pets for heat stress and storm phobia, we deal with animals impacted by drought, and we deal with animals impacted by vectors such as ticks or the diseases they carry. All those situations have a link to climate change.”
“I also think me gaining my Masters in Veterinary Public Health and getting Boarded with the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine was sufficient to demonstrate that I’m keen on continuing education. I’m also a big believer in sharing the information and encouraging others to get involved – I’m always keen to present talks at the regional level on these veterinary public health issues. Furthermore, through our local AVA branch in the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, we have run a small One Health conference for the past 2 years, bringing in veterinarians, physicians and dentists into the same space to share cases and demonstrate where the collaborations can lie. I’m currently putting together the program for our third conference in November. Mentoring is another area that I am involved with – I’ve been mentored by some great people over my years and I strongly believe that there is a need to mentor young veterinarians. Our AVA has a great mentoring program (Read more here) and I’d strongly recommend other young-ish (and old-ish) veterinarians to get involved and help steer the next generation. And finally, I have to acknowledge the committee of the Australian Small Animal Veterinarians special interest group of the AVA, who had nominated me in the first place – I personally thought they were crazy, but they believed that I was a worthy candidate.”
We understand that you are heavily involved in extra-curricular research, projects and committees outside your daily role. What do you hope to achieve next?
“Well, I’ve very recently started a new job with a different government department that gets me into the headspace of policy and exotic disease surveillance. This role will require a move up to Darwin, in the Northern Territory. So a lot of my brain is currently taken up with transitioning to a new role and working the logistics of moving to a different state and climate. On the sidelines, I’ve got this upcoming 3rd One Health conference we are putting together, a couple of papers to write from my Masters work and prepping for my talk at the WSAVA Congress (25-28th of September in Singapore).
Oh and my wife and I have a 6 month old son, so honestly, what I would like achieve next is just to be a good dad. Nothing more.”
