New Zealand Recent Grad Retreat

Learning outcome

This symposium is designed to provide recent graduate vets (with >50% caseload in small animals and graduated in the last three years) with the essential, practical knowledge and skills they need to navigate the early stages of their career with confidence. By the end of the weekend, we aim to:

• Elevate Clinical Skills: Learn valuable tips and "hacks" from experienced practitioners and specialists to improve clinical reasoning, enhance diagnostic efficiency, and streamline patient workups 
• Build Confidence in Challenging Cases: Gain insight from experts on how to approach complex or difficult cases, manage professional uncertainty, and develop a structured problem-solving mindset 
• Leverage Nutrition as a Therapeutic Tool: Apply the principles of nutrition in daily practice, moving beyond general advice to a deeper understanding of how to use therapeutic diets to manage and prevent common diseases in patients, right from the start of their career.

The intended impact of the symposium is to empower recent veterinary graduates with the practical knowledge and confidence needed to succeed in their early careers. It aims to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world clinical practice. The key impacts are increased confidence, enhanced clinical proficiency, improved well-being and resilience, and strong professional networks

Speakers

Dr Craig Hunger
Craig graduated from Massey University in 1998. Since then he has worked in clinical practice, both in New Zealand and the UK. During this time, he developed an interest in small animal dentistry, culminating in him attaining his membership from the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in Small Animal Dentistry and Oral Surgery in 2012. He owns and operates the Manukau Veterinary Referral Centre, a small animal dental and surgical referral clinic in Auckland and also provides in-clinic dental training. He is passionate about raising the profile and standard of small animal dentistry in New Zealand, by providing education to vets and nurses.

Dr Damian Chase
Damian graduated from Massey University in 1997 and started his veterinary career in a busy mixed practice in South Otago. Over the next 10 years in general practice Damian realised that surgery was his true calling and he moved to the UK to complete an internship in Hertfordshire followed by a residency in small animal surgery at Glasgow University. Damian gained the Diploma for the European College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2011. He returned to New Zealand in 2014 and has been working at Veterinary Specialist Aotearoa since 2015. Damian now leads the team at VSA Auckland West Damian has a keen interest in all aspects of surgery especially complex fracture fixation and reconstructive surgery. He also enjoys working with wildlife and has operated on a variety of different species such as chimpanzees, giraffes, seals and a coati, including two trips to Cameroon to operate on lowland gorillas. Outside of work, Damian enjoys a variety of outdoor sports including snowboarding, mountain biking, surfing and scuba diving or relaxing at home with his wife Abi, and daughters Molly and Ivy.

Dr Ryan Cattin
Ryan graduated from Massey University in 2011 and started out his veterinary career in general practise in Whangarei. He then completed a three year internal medicine residency at the Veterinary Specialist Group. He has been working as an internal medicine specialist the Animal Referral Centre in Auckland since 2018. Ryan loves dogs, but has always known that cats are better. Outside of work, Ryan enjoys playing guitar, piano and outdoor activities with his family.

Dr Hannah Cleary
Upon graduation from Massey University with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 2019, Hannah completed a rotating internship at Veterinary Specialists Aotearoa. Hannah then spent the following years working in small animal emergency and general practice, and joined Hill’s Pet Nutrition in January 2024 as the Professional Consulting Veterinarian for New Zealand. In her previous life, Hannah graduated with a Bachelor of Property from The University of Auckland in 2012, and worked in commercial real estate before embarking on her veterinary career in 2015. She is a dog mum to two Golden Retrievers, Holly (12y) and Heidi (3y), and spends most of her spare time vacuuming and cleaning up whatever mischief they have gotten into!

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