Ambassador Profile – Dr Isabel Beardwood, England
Hi, I’m Izzy – I am a University of Nottingham graduate. I have been a part of The Expedition Project Ambassador team since 2020.
Since working with The Expedition Project I have been doing live streams and developing online courses with the help of Wildlife Vets like Dr Peter Rogers, and fellow ambassadors from around the world.
WHEN DID I FIRST REALISE I WANTED TO BE A VET?
Unlike a lot of people who are on Veterinary course, I decided that I wanted to be a vet relatively late on. I went to Zimbabwe with my family on safari when I was 16 and there was a guide/tracker called Richard! He was so passionate about the animals and he seemed to have such a strong bond with all of them! My love of animals pre-dated this and I have been passionate about animal welfare since I was very young; living in Asia made me realise that we need someone to advocate for animals and try and educate people about their needs!
WHAT IS MY MOTIVATION TO BECOME A VET?
There are so many things that seem great about being a vet! Of course there are some of the more obvious pros such as getting to look after and help a wide range of animals, being able to practice in an interesting field, and meeting and creating relationships with lots of people! As mentioned above, one of my other great drivers is improving animal welfare, I don’t think people are advocating enough for change from the top and I would like to try and push more for changes to be made!
MY BIGGEST TIP IF YOU WANT TO STUDY TO BECOME A VET IS…
I think having self belief is one of the most important things! If you feel confident that you deserve to get a place then I think that it really helps! Reading around the subject and keeping interested is always important! I was always looking for courses to do to make me seem engaged with the topic before I got into vet school!
THE HARDEST THING ABOUT BEING A VET IS…
This is probably the same for a lot of people! It’s about making the right decision for an animal even if it’s the hardest one. For example, I always find euthanasia really hard to get through but I can always reason that its the right choice for an animal and more ethical then trying to extend their life with a poorer quality of life.
WHAT IS MY FAVOURITE ANIMAL?
I love all cats! It doesn’t matter what size they are or what continent they are from, I love them all! I love their independent nature but also their ability to be so caring, nurturing and also so silly and playful!
MY FAVOURITE ANIMAL RELATED STORY IS…
I love all rescue stories! I don’t know why more people don’t rescue animals! The rescuer can feel good about turning an animals life around and it is so lovely to see an animal have such a positive change as well. All rescuers are inspiring and all of their stories are so personal and wonderful!
MY FAVOURITE ANIMAL PHOTO I HAVE TAKEN IS…
A photo of a Great White in South Africa. It is by far not the best animal photo I’ve taken (especially as it was on a disposable underwater camera) but it always reminds me how amazing it was to get so close the them!
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