As some of you may be aware, Dr Annika Oksa Walker spent the best part of 2008 in Perth as part of a three-year  residency program gaining specialty skills in veterinary pathology.

Pathology is the area of veterinary science that looks for the causes of disease through interpretation of various diagnostic tests and post-mortem examinations.  A lot of hard work and effort went into the training, as well as personal sacrifice, having to fly back to Perth only 5 days after her marriage to Dr Slade Walker in October last year. “We are very excited to announce that Annika very recently passed her exams in pathology, and gained Membership of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists (MACVSc)”, says Dr Slade.  So what exactly does this mean? “A veterinarian who has gained the title MACVSc has demonstrated a high level of expertise and competence in a given area of veterinary specialty, and is considered suitable to give professional advice to veterinary colleagues not similarly qualified.  This qualification usually takes years to achieve, and candidates have to go through a rigorous examination process”, explains Dr Annika.
This means that the Old Mill Veterinary Surgery now has a live-in pathologist, and can now perform and interpret the majority of all diagnostic tests on site, without the need for the “middle man”.  This also cuts out some of the waiting time for results, and of course costs associated with external service providers.
Another announcement is the arrival of Dr Tania Bishop, a graduate friend of Slade, who has now started working at the Old Mill two days a week.  Tania is another MACVSc qualified veterinarian, her specialty being avian and exotic pet medicine.  Tania has worked at Australia Zoo and still does some shifts for Dreamworld looking after their wonderful creatures.  “With a complement of skills at the clinic, in addition to general practice animal care, we offer expertise not only in my fortè, equine dentistry, but also avian health and diagnostic testing and interpretation”, says Slade.
So does more qualifications equal more costs?  “Straight up: No!”, says Dr Slade.  “Most veterinarians gain extra qualifications because they have a special interest in a certain area of veterinary medicine, or they want to keep up with continuing education to make sure they are always up to date with the most recent or best treatment options available”.  For routine procedures and preventative health care, veterinary fees are pretty equal across the board, as competition with pricing in health care is considered unethical by the Veterinary Surgeon’s Board of Queensland – and this applies even with a new building and new facilities.  For more specialised procedures, like diagnostic interpretation of surgical samples, the Old Mill Veterinary Surgery can now do this at the clinic, without having to consult outside pathologists.  This goes for all species, whether hairy or feathery, scaly or horned!