Katie Strampfer

What will you be doing at AWAKE Djursjukhus?

I will be working as an emergency veterinarian.

When did you decide you wanted to be a veterinarian?

I’ve loved animals my entire life and have always wanted to be around them. But it wasn’t until university that I decided to work towards getting into veterinary school and a veterinary career.

What’s your educational background?

After completing an undergraduate degree in Biology in Connecticut, United States, I moved to Australia to attend Murdoch University for my veterinary degree.

Where have you been working before joining the AWAKE-team?

For the past seven years I’ve been working as an emergency veterinarian at various 24 hour Specialty Referral hospitals around the New York and New Jersey area.

What makes an american veterinarian pack her bags and cross the Atlantic to work in Stockholm?

I love to travel and I’m really looking forward to this adventure. I’m really thankful for the opportunity to take what I’ve learned practising here in NYC to Sweden with me. I’ve also spent some time in Sweden and I absolutely loved it there.

What do you expect to be the biggest differences between working as a veterinarian in the US and in Sweden?

I’m not sure, but I’m eager to find out and I welcome the challenge.

What’s the most exotic/special/weird animal you have treated?

I loved working with the native species in Australia (kangaroos, koalas, wombats), but by far the most exciting was the work I did with elephants in Zimbabwe right fter I graduated from Veterinary School. 

How do you spend your time when you’re not working?

I love spending time with my pets Wallace (yellow labrador), Blanche and Bo (both domestic shorthair cats). I also love spending time with friends, live music, going to the gym and going for hikes. 

Anything that can stop you from joining the AWAKE-team in Stockholm?

That would have to be Covid-19 or Jordbruksverket.