Maria Livesey

I'm currently enjoying studying Veterinary Medicine at Edinburgh University. Through my course there have been many memorable moments, but the main highlights have been:

• Assisting for the previous three years during lambing time with a flock of 300 Lleyn ewes and around 40 Jacobs - always a physically demanding but rewarding job! So much so that I'm going back for more this Easter.

• Volunteering in India at WTI's Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation. I assisted veterinarians with mobile veterinary duties such as darting bull elephants before or during musth, vaccinating elephants and doing faecal worm egg counts. I also grew very attached to one elephant calf in particular, a little calf called Rani.

• Assisting veterinarians at an equine hospital by inducing animals and monitoring their anaesthesia.

This year I am going to go to Portugal to volunteer at a stray dog and cat neutering centre where I hope to gain valuable surgical experience. I am also doing a placement with the vet school's anaesthesia department and a local farm and equine practice.

Throughout my time at university I have cultivated a passion for wildlife rehabilitation by volunteering at a local wildlife hospital on my free weekends.

In my spare time I enjoy baking and cooking and I am currently a member of the university's swing dancing society and salsa society (which both counteract the cooking and baking)! I also enjoy sipping tea or coffee with a good book in the many charming cafes I stumble accross in Edinburgh.

Have a good day :)