Remote Veterinary Medicine - Carisa Grove

August 21, 2025

Carisa Grove, AVC 2026, travelled to Hopedale and Sheshatshiu as one of the student participants on the Chinook Project. As part of the experience, the students craft various pieces of writing.

What’s it like being a veterinarian in Northern communities?

The Chinook Project really challenged us in a way that you had to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Working in remote areas comes with its own unique hurdles; however, it was also a very eye opening and rewarding experience. One that I would absolutely try to pursue again in the future. During veterinary school we are taught specific protocols and have access to a wide variety of tools, medications, and diagnostic resources. Even in general practice these comforts are readily available to help form a diagnosis and provide treatments. We all knew heading to northern Labrador that we would have some limitations and need to be flexible and adaptable.

Day one, nerves were high but so was the excitement. I was splitting my time between surgery and anesthesia and quickly learned that most of the female surgeries were mature dogs, with many of them having previous litters or coming off a heat. We are taught throughout school that mature dogs spays are typically more challenging, so diving into my first surgery my heart was racing. To my surprise, they weren’t as intimidating as I’d imagined. In fact, I discovered that I often find it more difficult to locate the uterine horns in younger dogs since they are small and often tighter to the body wall. In contrast, in mature spays they are much easier to find and exteriorize. 

These surgeries also helped me become more confident in managing blood, not in terms of nausea or queasiness, but in the sense of what is normal and what should signal the alarm bells. Being new to surgery, it is very easy to be worried by any bleeding. As the days continued, I became much more confident in my surgical skills. When I eventually encountered a dog bleeding more than usual, I was able to calmly assess, clamp, and ligate the area without hesitation. Beyond my surgical skills, I also developed stronger technical and anesthesia skills that I can take forward with me in practice. This opportunity was much more than just developing my skills as a veterinarian. 

The ways this experience shaped me go far beyond technique. As veterinarians it’s important to remain open minded. We are very fortunate to have access to veterinary care whenever we need it, but many communities don’t. These regions are more familiar with infectious diseases that we do not see as often in highly populated areas, mainly due to their limited access to veterinary care. It can be quite sad when you hear about members or the communities losing their pets to preventable diseases. They still love and care deeply for their pets and are doing the best they can with what support they have. I think this is why the Chinook Project has so much support from communities. Many have experienced the pain of losing a companion simply because there wasn’t help nearby.

The Chinook Project clinics are a collaborative effort between veterinarians, sponsors, and the communities themselves. Experiencing the impact firsthand and knowing the care we gave made a difference, reinforced my passion for remote work. It’s always been a personal interest of mine, but partaking in the Chinook Project has made it feel like a more essential part of my future as a veterinarian.