Spela Bavcar

How did you get to where you are today? (obligatory question)

I have outlined my career path already during my student years. I knew what my goals were (becoming a specialist in Oncology) and I have invested a lot of my time into extra-curricular development, such as visiting oncology conferences, doing externships supervised by oncology specialists… After graduation, I completed a rotating internship with emphasis on oncology, which was followed by a residency (specialised training) in Small Animal Oncology. I successfully completed the certifying examination and became an Oncology specialist in 2017.

How did you land your current role? (obligatory question)

After completing my residency here at the Hospital for Small Animals, I was given an opportunity to stay on as a part of oncology team, taking on a role of a junior clinician in Oncology. About a year later, two senior clinicians left the team and an opportunity presented itself and I grabbed it with both hands! This is how I progressed to a senior clinical role. My commitment and dedication to the department were noted by the hospital management team and I was then offered to take on the role of Head of Oncology, which I am very proud of.

Think back to five years ago. Did you envision your career as it is today?

I have always been extremely motivated and worked very hard to get to where I am. Five years ago (this was 2015) I was close to finishing my residency, however my future was uncertain to where I would continue my career. I have envisioned myself in a busy referral multidisciplinary hospital (private or University) working alongside people with similar passion and mentality to mine. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I was given here at Edinburgh University and how my role has evolved since, however I never imagined back then that I will be the Head of such an amazing department and have so many incredible opportunities to further develop my career.

I am very passionate about the subject that I teach (Oncology) and at the beginning of my teaching career, I struggled to understand why some students did not find this subject interesting at all. When talking about cancer in pets, it is impossible not to draw parallels with this disease in people. Cancer research in veterinary medicine is pivotal for development of new treatments in human oncology and being able to explain this to students definitely spiked their interest. Cancer is also a very common condition in pets and vets working in small animal and/or mixed practice will come across many patients with lumps or tumours, and therefore I highlight to the students the importance of having the relevant knowledge to diagnose and manage it. Quality of life is the most important aspect of managing cancer in pets and students are very proactive in ethical debates so I am keen to discuss this with them in depth. Students here at Edinburgh University are some of the best vet students in the world and it is always a pleasure working with them!