Veterinary Voices – Episode 1031

EnergyVets, Taranaki  |  New Graduate Veterinarian Dr. Sieara Claytor

Julie South[00:00:06]
Welcome to Veterinary Voices – culture storytelling conversations that help veterinary clinics hire great people. I'm Julie South, and this is episode 1031.
We're continuing our Real Story series with Energy Vets in Taranaki, on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island.

Veterinary Voices is brought to you by Vet Clinic Jobs – helping vet clinics tell their culture stories, not just post job ads.

Energy Vets is currently recruiting for an experienced small animal veterinarian – someone ready to step up, co-lead, mentor, and coach within the small animal team. If that sounds like you, full role details are at vetclinicjobs.com/energyvets.
Today we're hearing from new graduate veterinarian Dr. Sieara Claytor.

Julie South[00:01:05]
Sieara graduated in Australia in 2025, and this is her very first full-time role as a veterinarian.

As you listen, notice what support actually looks like for a new grad – from surgeries and emergencies to after-hours shifts – and the moment you realise you're more capable than you thought.

Let's join the chat with Sieara.

Sieara Claytor[00:01:38]
I'm Sieara Claytor. I'm a new graduate veterinarian working in small animals.

Julie South[00:01:43]
Sieara, how long have you been with EnergyVets?

Sieara Claytor[00:01:45]
Six months.

Julie South[00:01:47]
And this is your first full-time role as a vet?

Sieara Claytor[00:01:54]
Yes.

Julie South[00:01:55]
How have you found EnergyVets as a new grad?

Sieara Claytor[00:01:58]
It's been really good. There are a lot of senior vets here, so it's easy to ask for help – and as a new grad straight out of school, you ask a lot of questions. It's reassuring to know you can turn to someone who's been doing it for a long time.

Julie South[00:02:14]
And you feel comfortable asking those questions?

Sieara Claytor[00:02:17]
Yeah, definitely.

Julie South[00:02:17]
I'm picking up an accent. You're clearly not from New Zealand – and I'm guessing not from Taranaki either. Can you give me a bit of background?

Sieara Claytor[00:02:32]
I'm from the United States. I grew up there and then went to university in Australia – that's where I did vet school.

Julie South[00:02:40]
And how has Taranaki been for you as an outsider? How easy – or not – has it been to settle in?

Sieara Claytor[00:02:51]
Pretty easy, actually. I'd lived in Australia for a while, so New Zealand felt familiar – nothing like the culture shock of first moving from the US. It's easy to get around. I live in New Plymouth and commute to work.

Julie South[00:03:06]
How many sets of traffic lights do you go through?

Sieara Claytor[00:03:08]
Not many. It's mostly country roads.

Julie South[00:03:11]
How long does it take?

Sieara Claytor[00:03:13]
About 20 minutes to Waitara and 25 to Inglewood. Either way, it's nothing.

Julie South[00:03:19]
Which really is nothing.

Sieara Claytor[00:03:22]
Yeah – I get through an audiobook every morning and on the way back.

Julie South[00:03:27]
What kind of cases are you seeing?

Sieara Claytor[00:03:30]
Because it's rural, you get pretty much everything – which is far more variety than most new grads see. I started doing emergencies early on. Cat fights, dog fights, Cushing's disease, diabetes – the full range, really.

Julie South[00:03:46]
And as a new grad – exciting or overwhelming?

Sieara Claytor[00:03:51]
I like being challenged, so it was a bit of both at first. Once you find your feet with how things work, it gets a lot easier. And being able to ask someone as you go makes a big difference.

Julie South[00:04:00]
What's been your most interesting case so far?

Sieara Claytor[00:04:06]
There was a senior cat who presented seizuring and was really not doing well. I took bloods and everything came back normal. The owners wanted to euthanise, but I had a feeling it could be a thiamine deficiency, so we treated on that assumption.

She recovered overnight. When she came back in, she was completely back to normal.

I'm still treating her now – she has high blood pressure – but she's doing great. She's probably my favourite case. I still see her regularly.

Julie South[00:04:41]
The owners must have been delighted.

Sieara Claytor[00:04:45]
They were really happy – and honestly, I was surprised I got it right. It was my first big case, so that meant a lot.

Julie South[00:04:52]
You've mentioned the team is supportive. What does that actually look like day to day?

Sieara Claytor[00:04:59]
For surgery, senior vets scrub in with you for your first procedures – your first few spays especially. You start with cats, build confidence, then move to dogs. Dogs can be more complicated just because of the size.

Six months in and I've already done lumpectomies, wound repairs, and more. For a new grad, that's a lot of progress in a short time.

Julie South[00:05:30]
It really is. In a big city clinic, you'd probably still be doing vaccines and nail clips. How have you found the nursing staff?

Sieara Claytor[00:05:48]
Really good. Some of the nurses have been doing this longer than I've been alive. It's invaluable having that senior nursing experience around you – and they're all very supportive.

Julie South[00:05:58]
What do you do on your lunch break?

Sieara Claytor[00:06:04]
I like being close to the coast. When I'm at the Waitara clinic, it's literally a three-minute drive to the beach. I'll eat lunch at the park by the water, have a little walk on the sand – I keep flip-flops in the car – and then head back. It really helps on a busy day.

Julie South[00:06:22]
That must do wonders for your mental health.

Sieara Claytor[00:06:25]
It really does – especially when it's been full on.

Julie South[00:06:28]
The sea breeze, the negative ions, getting your feet in the sand. What was your biggest surprise about starting at EnergyVets?

Sieara Claytor[00:06:43]
I was nervous going in – I'd only ever done any of this at uni. My biggest surprise was discovering I was actually capable of doing the job.

I was terrified I'd mess something up. But it turned out okay. And when interesting cases come in, I genuinely enjoy going down the research rabbit hole – refreshing what I learned at uni and applying it.

I can do more than I thought I could. That was a real relief to find out.

Julie South[00:07:11]
Six months in – still early days – but do you see yourself developing a special interest?

Sieara Claytor[00:07:22]
I really enjoy the wildlife cases. Being in New Zealand, it's mostly birds, but I love it. I've taken birds home to hand-feed – pigeons, fledglings. It's a nice bit of variety in the caseload.

Julie South[00:07:39]
For any vets listening who are considering moving to New Zealand – or specifically to Taranaki – what should they know going in?

Sieara Claytor[00:07:56]
The visa takes longer than you'd expect. Processing can take months, so start early and be prepared for that.

For living in Taranaki itself – you need a car. New Plymouth is the main centre, but outside of that it's rural. Inglewood has a couple of lunch spots, but not much variety. You need to be comfortable with a quieter, rural lifestyle.

Julie South[00:08:28]
And is that okay for you?

Sieara Claytor[00:08:30]
Completely. I love living in New Plymouth. It's relaxed and affordable – I'm a couple of blocks from the ocean, which would be wildly out of reach back in the States. I love it.

Julie South[00:08:45]
Three words to describe the team?

Sieara Claytor[00:08:55]
Friendly – everyone's very warm with clients and with each other. Caring – when a case really matters, everyone takes it seriously. And willing to go the extra mile – staying late, helping out. When I first started doing after-hours, one of the nurses would stay back to help me. That meant a lot.

Julie South[00:09:16]
Let's talk about after-hours. The structure at EnergyVets is that small animal after-hours covers the two hours between clinic close and when the emergency clinic opens. Can you walk us through how it works?

Sieara Claytor[00:09:27]
On weekdays it's just two hours – from clinic close until the emergency clinic opens at 7pm. Around 4 o'clock you usually have a sense of what's coming, because clients will call ahead if they can't get there before five. So you're rarely caught off guard.

Some vets stay until seven regardless. Others leave at five if there's nothing coming. I tend to wait to hear before I head home.

On weekends, one vet is on call for each branch. You come in for hospital patients and any emergencies from the previous day. The Inglewood clinic closes at noon on Saturdays, and anyone who needs to after that can be seen at the other clinic.

Julie South[00:10:29]
So you're not getting called back at 10pm?

Sieara Claytor[00:10:32]
No, not during the week. Weekends, occasionally. If there are two emergencies at the same time and only one vet on, I've been called over to help – but that's the exception rather than the rule.

Julie South[00:10:53]
Are you an outdoorsy person or more of an indoors person?

Sieara Claytor[00:11:00]
Probably more indoors, honestly. But I do love going to the beach. There's a lot of hiking around here too – the mountain is very popular. I just haven't made it out there yet. People keep inviting me.

Julie South[00:11:11]
Quick-fire question: favourite piece of kit?

Sieara Claytor[00:11:17]
The Doppler for blood pressure. I use it constantly – I've got pretty good at it now.

Julie South[00:11:26]
How would you describe the clients at the two clinics – are they different?

Sieara Claytor[00:11:32]
Quite different, actually. Inglewood tends to be farmers and older clients, mostly routine – checkups and standard cases, unless it's an emergency.

The other clinic is a lot busier and more varied. That area has a lot of pig hunters, so pig rip cases are pretty common there – which was something I'd never come across before moving here. That's probably the starkest difference between the two.

Julie South[00:12:08]
What kind of person do you think fits best into EnergyVets?

Sieara Claytor[00:12:13]
Someone patient, and someone who can be reasonably independent. It can get busy, and being able to think on your feet and figure things out matters.

Julie South[00:12:23]
When it gets busy, is it overwhelmingly busy?

Sieara Claytor[00:12:26]
Occasionally, yes – usually when there are multiple emergencies at once. But there are generally two or three small animal vets on at any time, plus the large animal vets. There's always someone nearby you can ask, even if they don't work in small animals. They're still vets. That makes a difference.

Julie South[00:12:50]
What you've just heard from Sieara is the early career lens on EnergyVets.
Six months in, in a new country, and already managing emergencies, surgeries beyond routine spays and neuters, after-hours responsibility, and complex cases. Not because she was thrown in the deep end – but because support was built in from day one. Senior vets scrubbing in with her. Nurses staying late. Multiple vets available when things got busy.

And alongside all of that: the space to ask questions without hesitation.
For new grads, that combination matters. Challenge without isolation. Responsibility without being left alone.

Julie South[00:13:46]
Across this series, we've now heard from a shareholder, senior vets, a nurse, and a new grad. Different stages, different roles – and yet a consistent picture.

If you're an experienced small animal veterinarian ready for a genuine sea change – quite literally – and this sounds like your kind of clinic, explore the role at vetclinicjobs.com/energyvets.

And if you're responsible for recruitment at your own clinic and wondering how to help future hires understand what real support looks like before they apply – you can reach me at julie@vetclinicjobs.com. I'd love to hear from you.

Coming up in episode 1032, we'll be hearing from Kylie Lindsay, Clinic Services Manager, bringing the operational and leadership perspective on how EnergyVets runs behind the scenes.

Julie South[00:14:55]
This is Julie South, signing off and reminding you to go out there and be your most fantabulous self.

When vets and nurses can see that you're their kind of people in their kind of clinic, you stop hiring strangers and start welcoming people who already feel like they belong.

Until next time.