Kate Williams, DVM

From the moment she graduated St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2018, Kate Williams, DVM, has been on a mission to make a difference in the world of veterinary medicine.

Specializing in zoological medicine and soft tissue surgery, she now practices at one of Ireland’s only exotic animal hospitals, where she treats everything from rare species to beloved pets. Kate’s passion for wildlife conservation has allowed her to travel around the world from working with orangutans in Indonesia to teaching veterinary students in Australia.

Looking back, she credits SGU for giving her the hands-on training and unwavering support that set her on this rewarding path, helping her confidently navigate the diverse challenges of her global veterinary career.

Learn more about her journey to become a veterinarian.

SGU: What made you pursue being a veterinarian? Why do you love your field?

Dr. Williams: I knew that I wanted to be a vet from a very young age. My mum loves animals and so we always had a lot of pets in the house. I particularly love working with big game and endangered species because I feel I am making a difference in their conservation by working with them.

SGU: What gets you up in the morning to go to work?

Dr. Williams: Every day, I am learning new skills and dealing with new animal species. This keeps the job exciting and keeps me motivated. I am also a Fear Free certified practitioner, one of the few in Ireland.

SGU: What appealed to you about working in Ireland?

Dr. Williams: I completed my clinical rotations year in Dublin, Ireland. I chose to come here because it was close to my home in England, yet still a new place and a new country. I also met my now husband during my clinical year and ended up staying here after I’d completed my rotations.

Ireland is a small country; it reminds me of Grenada a little bit actually! The veterinary community is small and everyone knows everyone, which is a nice collaborative way of working.

SGU: What has been a particularly memorable, rewarding, or challenging experience in your career so far? 

Dr. Williams: I have done a lot of trips abroad to work with wildlife; India, Thailand, Costa Rica, South Africa, Australia and Borneo. My most memorable trip was working with orangutans in Borneo. I had the opportunity to work with Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) rehabilitating orphaned orangutans. Their goal is to teach them skills that their mother would have in the wild so that they can eventually be released back into the wild. They have predominantly been orphaned by the palm oil trade. I found their work really inspiring and I decided to base my dissertation on their work for my Masters in Conservation Medicine from the University of Edinburgh in 2021.

I also work with Loop Abroad to teach pre-vet and veterinary students on courses overseas, most recently I was team leader for a pre-veterinary group at a wildlife Sanctuary in Australia, teaching them about basic veterinary topics and about the indigenous wildlife.

SGU: How do you hope to contribute to the field of veterinary medicine?

Dr. Williams: My long-term career goals would be to continue to advance my surgical skills and gain more experience with both zoological and wildlife medicine. I hope to contribute to the veterinary care of endangered species on a more full-time basis.

SGU: Why did you choose SGU? 

Dr. Williams: I chose SGU because it gave me the opportunity to obtain my veterinary degree whilst also gaining life experience of being away from home in a foreign country.

SGU: How did SGU help you achieve your dream of becoming a veterinarian?

Dr. Williams: SGU gave me an outstanding education. Particularly on the practical side, the education I received was excellent and put me at an advantage for my clinical year. Those skills gave me the confidence to excel in that year and beyond graduation. It gave me a foundation to be a better vet.

SGU: Which, if any, support services did you take advantage of at SGU?

Dr. Williams: I took advantage of the DES groups that were set up by other students to go over material and help with studying particular subjects.

SGU: Why would you recommend SGU to an aspiring vet student?

Dr. Williams: I would recommend SGU because of its excellent facilities, professors, and the fact that Grenada is a truly beautiful place to be. It was one of the best decisions I made because the experience developed me both as a person and as a budding vet.

 

— Published April 2025

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