Nicole Johnston, at Waipapa, Bay of Islands, is one of two Northland vets among a record number of graduate vets in the Government's Voluntary Bonding Scheme.
Nicole Johnston, at Waipapa, Bay of Islands, is one of two Northland vets among a record number of graduate vets in the Government's Voluntary Bonding Scheme.
Run by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), VBS for veterinarians aims to help ease the shortage of rural veterinarians.
The scheme (often referred to as the vet bonding scheme) offers a grant spread over five years to attract and retain graduate vets into rural practices. Recently graduated vets who work predominantly with production animals, working dogs, or both can get the grant.
Graduates taking part in the scheme are eligible for $55,000 before tax – $11,000 each year – over the five-year bonding period. MPI will pay the first instalment of $33,000 after completing the third year and $11,000 in the fourth and the fifth year. Graduates must complete at least three years in the scheme to be eligible for any payment.
Nicole Johnston, from Waipapa, and Tara Brophy, at Waipu, are the two Northland vets who are part of this year’s VBS.
Johnston said as a mixed vet she loves being able to get out of the clinic and on to the farm.
“Here in the Bay of Islands, I see some amazing views from beautiful remote farms and meet people from all walks of life. I enjoy engaging with our farmers to create plans to better farms and animal health. Then getting to watch the results of our hard work in the year ahead.
“There is also nothing more satisfying than watching an animal have a quick recovery from illness.”
Johnston said she was lucky she did not have to move to take up her veterinarian posting.
“I was lucky enough to be returning to where I grew up.”
She said the main benefits of working in a rural community include being back in her hometown.
“I’m able to engage with my clients on a much more personal basis. Whether it’s catching up on what their kids that I went to school with are up to these days or a ‘did you know so and so’ conversation.”
Johnston said she knew she did not want to be stuck in a vet clinic all day and chose to work with production animals and/or working dogs.
“Vets who want to live and work in rural places are few and far between and getting into vet school is extremely hard. Being the only one from my high school to get into vet school for several years showed that there’s also not a lot of people from my rural community becoming vets.
“The bonding scheme not only encourages people to return home to their rural communities at the end of their studies, but it also encourages those not from a rural area to consider a job as a rural vet.”
Tara Brophy, a vet in Waipu, is part of the government Voluntary Bonding Scheme.
Brophy said some of the things she enjoys best about the job are getting to meet people from the community who are passionate about their pets and their livestock and being able to help them provide the best care for their animals.
“The diversity of work while at times challenging also makes each day different from the next as you never know what you are going to get. It also means you get to meet all sorts of people from different walks of life.”
Brophy moved from Taranaki to study in Palmerston North and after graduating moved up to Waipu, and thinks there are some real benefits of working in a rural community.
“veryone is so kind and willing to lend a helping hand. Despite moving so far from home it was a comfort to know that I would still be surrounded by like-minded people from largely rural backgrounds who don’t mind taking a few minutes out of their day to chat and help out,” she said.
“Coming from a family dairy farm in Warea, Taranaki it has always been a love of mine to work with production animals and alongside farmers and their families. I felt immense support from my home clinic growing up, they could offer on-farm support in many forms and growing up I always loved to stay home when the vet was coming. I was always fascinated by the diversity of work they did, from surgical procedures to herd level management.”
