B.C. vet student aspires to work alongside her mentors after graduation

In addition to her responsibilities with about 140 head of cattle, Gilbert was involved with the family’s working dogs — Irish wolfhounds that served as guardian dogs and border collies that worked with the cattle. She also started riding horses as soon as she could sit upright in a saddle, and she had her own horse by the time she was 15.

Many of Gilbert’s fun times revolved around the hours she spent training and working with her own horse and dog. Both animals came to her when they were young, and Gilbert enjoyed learning how to work with them as she trained them for their on-farm jobs.

Gilbert also enjoyed the local 4-H program and the opportunities to improve her communication and social skills. Her volunteer work with the club along with her positions as club president and 4-H British Columbia Ambassador boosted her confidence with the public and helped her to become a more capable young adult.

She especially appreciated the support and the influence of her mom, Katherine Ross, and Sherri Collins — both 4-H leaders who recognized her potential and encouraged her to participate in all the skills development that the international youth program had to offer.

Growing up and assisting with cattle meant that trips to the North Peace Veterinary Clinic in Fort St. John were just a fact of life for Gilbert, and the local clinicians were always friendly and helpful — no matter what the issue or the time of day.

“Many vets at this clinic have their own cattle, so they understand the struggles that can come with them,” says Gilbert, who always admired how level-headed the clinic’s practitioners remained in any situation. “For producers like us, these cattle are our livelihood and our sole source of income. When one goes down or gets sick, it’s a huge deal for us to solve the problem.”

Gilbert was still very young when she decided that she wanted to work around animals for the rest of her life, but she wasn’t sure about what career would work best for her. As time went on, she recognized that the health and safety of animals was a priority in her life — a realization that eventually led her to veterinary medicine as a career option.

A convincing factor was 90 work hours that she racked up during a Grade 12 work experience class based at the North Peace Veterinary Clinic, which led to three summers of work at the clinic.

“The person who probably inspired me most during my work experience and time working at the clinic was Dr. Perry Spitzer (DVM’88),” says Gilbert. “From the moment I mentioned an interest in vet med, Dr. Spitzer was always very supportive and encouraging. He made me understand the impact that one vet can have on so many different people — the difference they can make in a community.”

After graduating from high school, Gilbert completed the cow-calf technician and feedlot technician programs at Fairview College in Fairview, Alta., before taking two years of pre-veterinary classes at Northwestern Polytechnic in Grande Prairie, Alta.

In June, Gilbert was accepted to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). Everything has been an adventure since classes began in mid-August, and although it’s still early days, Gilbert hopes to work in a mixed animal practice — specifically at the North Peace Veterinary Clinic where she can work with the people who inspired her.

“I hope to be working alongside the co-workers I have now, but as a vet not as an assistant,” says Gilbert. “Experiencing the world of veterinary medicine was one of the best choices I made, and I cannot wait to learn more and then get out and start helping clients and their animals.”