Dr. Nicola Ramsey on facing her worst fears

There is a saying that goes, “Cherish your yesterdays, dream your tomorrows and live your todays.”

For Dr. Nicola Ramsey, no truer words were ever spoken.

As a fresh University of Glasgow Veterinary School graduate, she knows firsthand how important it is to cherish the past, while simultaneously dreaming of the future and being happy in the present. Despite enduring the enormous loss of her mother to breast cancer, and later herself undergoing chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy, Dr. Nicola has always been a shining beacon of hope and inspiration.

With resilience, positivity, and a knack for being a “people person,” she fought back illness and doubt.

Now, at 38 years old, Dr. Nicola has officially joined the ranks of veterinarians!

Today, My Vet Candy is honored to introduce Dr. Nicola and share her motivational story with our readers.

Never give up on your dreams

“It’s too late. You’re too old. Plus, it’s too time-consuming. And too expensive.”

These are some of the reasons Dr. Nicola was given to convince her not to attend veterinarian school. In addition to being competitive and costly, veterinary education was also a second career choice for Dr. Nicola.

“I actually had a completely different career, working up the ranks within retail management and recruitment consultancy,” she says. “Then in 2015, I got very ill and moved back in with my parents in Glasgow whilst I recovered and decided my next step.”

What did that next step end up being?

Vet Med, of course!

Sadly, towards the end of her college year, Dr. Nicola’s mother passed away from breast cancer.

“It broke my heart because she was so young and had so much more to give,” she remembers. “But I was also mindful how proud she was of me that I was offered a place at Glasgow. With this, I found the motivation in doing what I felt my mother would have wanted from me. My mother was such a strong woman, and I wanted her strength to live on in me.”

So, Dr. Nicola continued to study hard. Despite the emotional pain of missing her mom, she successfully met all the requirements to satisfy her university offer. When asked what it was like going back to school later in life, she was reminded of something a past work colleague had once said…

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.”

How very true!

Staying strong after a daunting medical diagnosis

Then, just before Dr. Nicola’s first year of finals, the unthinkable happened – she too was diagnosed with a fairly aggressive type of breast cancer.

Fortunately, she was able find strength. Once again, her mother served as her biggest motivator. With the support of her university and friends, Dr. Nicola was able to continue her degree throughout treatment.

Now, almost four years in remission she is graduating with her veterinary degree!

“I am a huge believer that if you support people in the right way, they can go on to achieve great things,” she explains. “The school and my friends and family made me feel like I was never alone even when there were dark times. It was really hard, but they made it a little bit easier, and I will always remember what they did for me.”

After going through all these experiences, ultimately what Dr. Nicola wants is to see people be happy and live life to the fullest.

She ends by saying, “I have been put in the position where I have questioned my mortality and it has made me realise that life is too short to not experience it in a way that makes me feel good. It's something I share with my partner, my friends and family. I want to spend lots of time with them all, creating some fun memories rather than putting things off for another day.”

With inspirational veterinarians like Dr. Nicola by our side, Vet Candy sure is excited to see what “tomorrow” brings!