The Rural Voice, 1980-09, Page 8•
Jim Fairies was born and raised near Gorrle and works with the Harriston Vet
Clinic.
You have to work with
BY BEV BROWN
"Now that I was here, right on the
doorstep, I felt breathless, as though I
had been running. If I got the job, this
was where I would find out about
myself. There were many things to
prove." And thus James Herriott
described his arrival at Skeldale House
in Darrowby where he started his first
job as a newly qualified veterinary
surgeon.
In May of this year seven new
graduates from the University of
Guelph Veterinary Medicine course
embarked upon their careers with
veterinary clinics in Bruce, Huron,
Perth and Wellington Counties. They
include: Dr. Karen Bentley at Blyth; Dr.
Ken Bridge at Port Elgin; Dr. Peter
Conlon at Newry; Dr. Jim Fairies at
Harriston; Dr. Karen Galbraith at
Goderich; Dr. Ben Miltenburg at Wing -
ham and Dr. Jim Snyder at Listowel.
This period in their lives will remain
vividly etched in their memories for-
ever. Behind them are six years of
people as well as animals,
difficult studies and endless hours
learning to master complicated surgical
procedures. Then, on a hot, sunny day
in June they received their Doctor of
Veterinary Medicine degrees from
Ontario's lieutenant -governor, The
Honourable Pauline McGibbon,during a
majestic ceremony on the centre cam-
pus at the University of Guelph. All 120
of the graduates realize that they are a
select few. Back in 1975 over 1000
students applied to get into the Veter-
inary College. On the basis of their
marks (a minimum of 76 percent at that
time), 300 were accepted for personal
interviews. Only 120 of these were
accepted into the course.
Rural Voice thought it would be
interesting to talk with four of these
"new" vets who are practicing in our
area. Each of them had decided on their
careers before reading '`All Creatures
Great and Small", but they all agreed
that James Herriott has had a tremen-
dous influence on the increasing num-
ber of people who want to become
PG. 8 THE RURAL VOICE/SEPTEMBER 1980
New
vets
in
the
area
new grads discover
veterinarians.
Dr. Ben Miltenburg, who graduated
with distinction, is working for the
Wingham Vet Clinic. He is the son of
John and Tonne Miltenburg and was
raised on a dairy farm in the Lucknow
area. He feels this background makes
him more acceptable when he calls on
clients for the first time. Also, since his
second year in the course he has worked
during the summer for the Wingham
Clinic, so many customers already know
him.
"1 have found our clients to be very
co-operative and interested in what I am
doing," he said. He feels that if he is
very thorough and takes his time with
each examination (including post mort-
ems) then the client is pleased. Ben
says that "very few clients have been
reluctant to use me because I am a new
vet.'
YOU USE YOUR BRAINS
Ben was attracted to a career as a vet
because of the challenge and the unique
nature of the work which keeps him