Ethan Knights, Dunstan High School’s head boy in 2022, is heading to South Africa for vet training next year.

In semester break next year Ethan and a friend will fly to South Africa for a two-week course through ‘Vets Go Wild,’ which covers practical and theoretical vet skills. 

Handling African wildlife is “where I eventually want to end up,” Ethan said.

His goal is to focus on conservation medicine: how to treat animals such as African wildlife, and big cats in America and Asia.

Ethan knew he wanted to be a vet by the age of seven. 

“[I] can’t imagine myself doing anything else,” he told the Central App.

After years of work experience in Alexandra at Vet ENT and around two years of after-school work at Vetlife, Ethan was ready to hit the books.

He started tertiary studies at the only veterinary school in New Zealand this year, Massey University in Palmerston North, which is ranked in the top 20 in the world. 

Ethan is looking forward to branching out from New Zealand’s large animals to African wildlife.

Ethan plans to continue studying part-time while working once he graduates. He hopes to gain his Masters in Conservation Medicine through the University of Edinburgh, which can be completed in New Zealand via distance learning.

Ethan is planning years in advance: after about eight years of study and rural vet work he hopes to move to South Africa to pursue his dream and “use it as a springboard to the rest of Africa”. 

Ethan shared advice for anyone thinking of studying to become a vet.

“[It is] not a course to do if you're not sure [what you want to study]. 

“Due to the amount of work and commitment the role requires, drive and passion is a necessity.”

He said getting work experience, studying maths and science at high school, and learning good study techniques before going to university will help give applicants the extra edge.

Find more information about ‘Vets Go Wild’ (hands-on wildlife vet opportunity in Africa) here.