Leilani and Jillian sit down at the 2025 CanWest Veterinary Conference to chat with the incredibly inspiring Dr. Heather Murphy, a Calgary-based veterinarian from Glamorgan Animal Clinic.

Dr. Murphy, a 2016 UCVM grad, shares her unconventional and deeply moving 10-year journey through veterinary medicine. At just 23 years old, during her first year of vet school, Heather was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. She opens up about the reality of undergoing surgery and chemo, and even heading straight to class after radiation treatments. Unbelievably, just a few years into her clinical career and three months into her first maternity leave, Heather had to navigate a second, entirely different cancer diagnosis.

Heather is the definition of perseverance. In this episode, she discusses how staying task-oriented and focusing on future goals helped her push through when living in the moment was simply too hard.

In this episode, we also cover:

• Early Career Realities: The steep learning curve of transitioning from a fast-paced rotating internship to locuming on your own,
• Clinical Highs & Lows: Why she absolutely loves a good ophthalmology case (and her fancy Tonovet), and why tricky diabetic cases are the ones that drive her up the wall,
• The Midnight Worries: The complex, hard-to-pin-down cases that keep her up at night, and how your subconscious mind never really clocks out,
• The Future of Vet Med: Heather’s hopes for making veterinary care more financially practical for pet owners, so practitioners can just focus on what’s best for their patients,
• Advice for the Next Generation: Why new DVMs and RVTs need to stop beating themselves up, remember their humanity, and prioritize taking care of themselves.

Whether you’re a new grad trying to find your footing, an exhausted associate, or a veterinary professional juggling parenthood and practice, Heather’s story of grit, survival, and a healthy dose of stubbornness is exactly what you need to hear today.

About Dr. Heather:

Born and raised in Calgary, she is a dedicated veterinarian who graduated from the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) in 2016. She completed her internship at the CARE Center from 2016 to 2017 and now practices in Calgary, where she continues to provide compassionate care to her patients.

She lives in Calgary with her husband and their two children, along with their two cats, Binx and Hobbes. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her kids, making the most of everything the area has to offer.

Get In Touch:

If you'd like to get in touch with Dr. Murphy for potential mentorship opportunities or other inquiries, please email dontcallmecatty@gmail.com and we will connect you.

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