Speaker bio page for Claire Whitehead

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Claire Whitehead

BVM&S MS FHEA MRCVS

Bio

Claire  graduated from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (University of Edinburgh) in 1999 before going into mixed practice for 7 months in Hampshire. Subsequently she proceeded to work in small animal practice for 18 months in the Luton area before undertaking a 6 month camelid research fellowship under Dr David Anderson at The Ohio State University. OSU had the largest hospital farm animal caseload in the United States and was seeing an impressive 1500 camelid patients per year during Claire’s time there.

Following the initial research fellowship, she undertook a 3 year large animal internal medicine residency where she attained her Master’s degree and Diplomate status with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Subsequently, she completed a 1 year clinical instructorship in Camelid Medicine at OSU. Claire crossed back over the Pond in February 2007 to establish the Camelid Medicine & Reproduction Referral Service at the Royal Veterinary College in February 2007. This was part of the Farm Animal & Camelid Clinical Service, also newly established, and its aim was to integrate individual animal medicine for both farm animals and camelids into the veterinary curriculum at the RVC. Sadly, higher education funding cuts meant that a camelid position was considered a “luxury item”, so Claire took the opportunity to establish Camelid Veterinary Services (as of May 2011) to better serve the Camelid Industry in the UK and further afield. In February 2016, she was awarded Recognised Specialist Status with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, making her the first and only recognised specialist in Camelid Health & Production in the UK.

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