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Katy Keyes quit sunny California earlier this year to join the Linnaeus-owned Village Vet group, which has 30 practices across London, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
In a seismic switch which has seen her not only swap her place of work but her home country and way of life, Katy said the support she had received from both Linnaeus and Village Vet has ensured she’s settled in and loving life in London.
She explained: “Last year, I was living in California on 15 acres of land with cattle, four horses, two dogs and two cats but I was profoundly burned out from the intensive lifestyle and working 70 hours a week.
“Now, I’m looking forward to a much better work-life balance than any vet surgeon in America enjoys!
“I’m really enjoying exploring my new city and all it has to offer. I love concerts, theatre and, yes, even the weather!
“I love the historical venues and the accessibility to the rest of Europe and I hope to travel extensively with my husband David once he joins me later this year.”
Katy said it was David’s idea to make the switch of both continents and careers: “My journey to the UK and my marriage are intimately connected. David and I started dating only a month before he moved to Texas from California to study paramedicine.
“We maintained the long-distance relationship for a short while but we decided to escalate it to a long-distance marriage in July, 2021.
“I investigated moving to Texas but David said he wanted to move from Texas as soon as he finished school.
“I told him I wanted to move closer to my mother in New Mexico but he said the favourite place he ever lived was London.
“I said, ‘OK! I can move anywhere!’ and he suggested I move ahead, while he finished school, and to bring my mother along on the adventure. So, that's what I did!”
“My mother and I hope David will join us part-time in May when he finishes his school classes and only needs to schedule his clinical rotations. He then hopes to transition to practicing as a paramedic in London as soon as possible.”
The switch has not all been plain sailing, though, with Katy confessing her trans-Atlantic transition has had its challenges.
She continued: “For someone who has spent 50 years hoarding things, it was difficult to move across the world with just a few suitcases.
“It has also been harder to adjust to the practice style in the UK than I anticipated. Although the diseases are mostly the same, almost everything else is different!”
However, Katy is settling in fast and said she had been overwhelmed by her welcome into the Village Vet team, along with the expertise and experience of her new colleagues.
Katy continued: “I have worked for a lot of different organisations and I can say that, unequivocally, Village Vet has the greatest talent.
“The vets, nurses and all support staff are the brightest, and still the nicest, of any I have encountered. How did they pick such a brilliant team from all over the world?!
“I cannot say enough about my Village Vet family and how kind they have all been, answering endless questions and holding my hand for things I feel I should know already!
“The whole organisation has handled my relocation needs professionally and empathetically, from the interview process to the visa process to the actual start of practice.
“I actually interviewed for a number of jobs in the UK and Village Vet received the highest compliments of any of the companies I researched. A competitor even told me that if I did not work for them, a vet of my experience would be happiest at Village Vet.
“Specific to my role, I find the congenial, educational environment stimulating. Village Vet associates are both allowed, and expected, to work cases up to realise the full depth of answers that we can discover.
“My official title is float veterinary surgeon, which means I roam between North London veterinary branches of Village Vet, wherever they need me on any given day.
“I also spend about 60 per cent of my time at the Hampstead hospital working as a consulting vet or, my favourite, the night vet.
“I hope to eventually study for a Certificate in Dentistry while overall, I hope to learn from my brilliant mentors and peers to better serve the pets and clients of Village Vet, especially regarding management of emergencies.”
For more information on Village Vet, visit https://villagevet.co.uk or search for Village Vet on social media.
Vet Katy Keyes left California for a new life working in London for the Linnaeus-owned Village Vet group.