Meet the BVA Young Vet of the Year finalists: Leah Hunter

After graduating from the University of Edinburgh in 2021, I made the leap to Orkney to begin life as a mixed practice vet with Flett and Carmichael Veterinary Surgeons. I’d never been to the island before applying for the role but after visiting for an interview, I fell in love with it – and I’ve never looked back since!

Alongside my veterinary day job, I’ve been a marine mammal medic since 2020 and now serve as a trustee for the Orkney Nature festival. I’m passionate about sustainability in practice, have a keen interest in dentistry, and never miss a chance to spend more time around wildlife, especially seal pups! Outside of work, you’ll usually find me snorkelling, sea kayaking, or walking my two dogs.

Choosing the veterinary path

At 16, I wasn’t sure what career path I wanted to take. I was torn between becoming a doctor or a vet. Then, as daft as it sounds, I just woke up one morning and it was like a switch had been flicked, I had decided I was going to be a vet and since then I haven’t looked back.

The challenge of mixed practice

The biggest challenge I’ve faced so far is the diverse nature of mixed vetting. Being a mixed vet means, by its very nature, that you have to become competent in a wide breadth of species. This can mean, especially when you are starting out in your career, that you feel like you are falling behind your colleagues in single species practice. While this isn’t the case, it does mean you constantly push yourself to expand your knowledge and develop new skills. I love that in one day I’m able to go from operating on a dog, to vaccinating a horse, and seeing a cow. Exotics and wildlife work always brings its own unique challenges too - I recently removed a canine tooth from a lemur!

Despite the challenges, I am fortunate to be surrounded by a team of incredibly supportive and knowledgeable vets, and as a team we support each other to further our knowledge and clinical skills. We all have our own areas of interest and strengths which we use to produce the best outcomes for our patients and clients.

My proudest moments

What brings me the most pride is my involvement volunteering with British Divers Marine Life Rescue. I’ve been involved with multiple rescues of cetaceans and seeing them swim away after being refloated is incredible. I absolutely adore seal pups and love looking after them - even when they try to bite us! We recently looked after an abandoned common seal pup, known as Leo, for five days for emergency care before he travelled to rehab in Shetland. Seeing updates from seals we’ve looked after fills me with such joy, especially when they are released back into the wild.

Advice for future vets

Make the most of the opportunities in front of you and do the exciting things that scare you! Find somewhere you love, even if it means moving across the country.

Most importantly, don’t be too hard on yourself. As vets, we tend to have some perfectionist personality traits, and while this makes us strive to be better, it can also cause us to be unkind to ourselves if we don’t get it right on the first try. Forgive your own mistakes and learn from them, but also remember to celebrate all of the things you’re doing right.

Becoming a Young Vet of the Year finalist

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the first four years of my career and to be named as a finalist for the 2025 BVA Young Vet of the Year Award when I know how many talented and hardworking young vets there are up and down the country is truly humbling.

A massive congratulations to my fellow finalists, and I can’t wait to meet you all at the BVA Award.