(Photo piece: Each year, the Chinook Students are asked to choose a special photo from the trip, and and write a short piece on why that picture resonates with them. )
This is a picture of an amazing team of student veterinarians, a team that I was honoured to be a part of. My experience practicing veterinary medicine in Labrador would not have been the same without these three lovely ladies.
We all shared a common goal: to work as hard as we could to make a difference not only in the lives of these well deserving pets, but also in the lives of the beautiful people who lived in the northern communities that we visited. Interestingly, we all had different strengths and personality traits, and together these combined to make us what I believe was truly a “dream team”. These young women were amazing friends but perhaps more importantly great teachers.
I learned about the importance of staying calm from Catherine. I learned the value and gift of composure from Erin. I learned that you can never care too much from Meghan. We never stopped helping each other during the long clinic days and we never stopped laughing during those few hours we had off before bed time every night. There was always positive energy in the room. It was really fulfilling to work so hard with like-minded people who were as invested as I was in The Chinook Project. I will never forget my time in Labrador or the time I got to spend with these strong, wise, compassionate role models. I hope we can work together again on a volunteer project or perhaps even contribute together to The Chinook project in the future!
