Be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable -- Abby Newcombe
August 21, 2026
Abby Newcombe, AVC 2027, travelled to Port Hope Simpson as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing.
Heading out to Labrador, I had a heightened sense of both anxiety and excitement. I was excited for a new adventure with my peers but anxious about the challenges we might encounter in a much more secluded location than anything I had ever experienced. We had been given a heads-up about the “rough conditions” previous Chinook Project students had experienced but I was fortunate enough to be with such an amazing and supportive team that, while the anxiety still existed, I had the confidence of knowing my team would be behind me when those challenges came along.
After a long drive on the single-lane highway, we arrived in the small community of Port Hope Simpson. We were introduced to our clinic (the “Museum”) for the week by our lovely community coordinator, Sarah. As we discussed how to set up our space in this tiny building, we saw the single tarp separating what would become our waiting room from the surgical area and the plastic milk cartons elevating our folding surgical tables. This was my first real glimpse of what they meant by “in the rough”.
The first couple of days were extremely busy but manageable with the team and volunteers by my side. As the days went on, the exhaustion began to creep in, making things slightly harder. However, having a supportive team meant being able to openly communicate how you’re feeling and when you needed a break, even if it was only a moment’s rest. One particular moment I felt the most stressed was when my classmate Emily and I were tackling a mature dog spay. One thing that hadn’t crossed my mind beforehand was the difference in patient demographics. Nearly every dog was much older than the six-month- to one-year-old dogs I was used to seeing, and the timing of their last heat was, more often than not, just a guestimate.
That realization hit when we were (what felt like) elbow deep in this dog’s abdomen for what seemed like forever. Our first challenge came when attempting to exteriorize the first pedicle on the left side (supposedly the easier of the two to visualize). This dog was trying with all her might to keep her ovaries, which meant we needed to blindly break the suspensory ligament. This was particularly anxiety-inducing because, as a student with only a handful of spays under my belt, I was trying to balance being strong enough to break it with my fingers as they slipped around, while not being so forceful that I caused damage.
Keep in mind that throughout all of this we also had the added challenge of minimal lighting, which consisted of a single construction flood light, minimal daylight coming through the window, and, if available, a headlamp. However, having Emily there for extra hands, words of encouragement, and someone to talk through each step with was a massive help when faced with a mature spay that was far more vascular and had much more fat than anything I previously experienced. At the time, my head was spinning from the stress, but looking back on it, it was truly one of the greatest learning experiences I’ve had in my veterinary medicine career. Having the opportunity to improve my surgical skills was one thing, but growing my decision-making and communication skills at the same time was invaluable.
Leaving Port Hope Simpson was bittersweet. Although our week was exhausting and full of challenges I’d never faced before, it was incredibly rewarding. Both our team and the community members stepped up whenever challenges arose, but there were still words of encouragement, jokes and dancing, even when times got tough. Dr. Jackson, the accompanying veterinarian, told us one thing at the start of our trip in the Halifax airport: “Be comfortable with being uncomfortable”. Looking back, this simple piece of advice perfectly summed up the entire trip. I never would have learned what I did or had such an incredible experience if I hadn’t been willing to put myself in situations that made me uncomfortable. Just because something is unfamiliar doesn’t mean it won’t lead to some of the most valuable lessons as a future veterinarian and some of the best memories.
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