Veterinarian- Dr Ian Baines
Dr Ian Baines- Veterinarian
Dr Ian Baines is a registered veterinarian who has devoted his career to creating a safer and better world for animals. Apart from his duties as a veterinarian, he is also runs a mobile animal clinic that visits remote towns around the country that invites community members to bring their pets for free spay and neuter services.
A veterinarian can either practice within the public sector or the private sector. The scope of a veterinarian ranges from taking care of companion animals such as dogs, cats and even horses to working with farm animals, wild animals and even working within conservation and animal welfare.
Your responsibilities can include anything from routine check-ups to sterilisations, surgeries and consultations.
“Within this field you tend to work a lot after hours, because people who are working only have time to take their animals to the vet after work. We also need to be on standby for any emergencies. This is why it is crucial to have an empathy for animals and really loving what you do,” Baines added.
“I have a great empathy for animals and I’m passionate about animal health and welfare. I pursued this career because I hope to create a better and safer world for animals to live in.”
If you wish to pursue this career, you need to perform very well academically whilst still in school, because the requirements for tertiary studies are very high. You need at least 35 points in grade 12 to become eligible for selection for the veterinarian programmes.
The University of Namibia (Unam) offers a Bachelor Degree in veterinarian medicine, which is a six-year course. The University of Pretoria also offers a renowned programme for veterinarian sciences.
If this is a career you want to pursue, you need to have an affinity towards animals, be an animal person and always be patient and humble. “This is a career that keeps you grounded and down to earth. You also need to be able to maintain a sense of humour and be able to laugh at yourself,” Baines concluded.