Profile
Joanna is an experienced veterinary behaviourist. She spent the first five years after graduation in general practice and gained confidence in solving all kinds of medical problems (except surgery) in 24/7 practices. She has been accepting behavioural referrals since 1997 and now devotes most of her professional time to behavioural medicine, although the general medicine experience is crucial to being able to differentiate between primarily behavioural disorders and behavioural problems secondary to medical causes.
She was the first veterinarian in Poland to write on behavioural pathology for veterinary magazines and to teach the subject to veterinarians. Joanna has also spoken on the topic of veterinary behavioural medicine and has been an assistant teacher at courses on the subject in Western Europe.
Work History:
September 1998 – Present
| Counselling in behavioural medicine – veterinary clinic in Warsaw | Counselling dog and cat owners, treatment of behavioural disorders on referral |
November 1998 – Present
| Lecturer –
Polish post-graduate specialisation programmes in small animal medicine |
Teaching dog and cat normal behaviour, solving behavioural problems and diagnosing and treatment of behavioural disorders |
February – October 2005
| Co-author – Waltham Focus Special edition |
Co-authored a Waltham Focus special edition entitled “A behavioural approach to canine obesity” in an international team of four veterinary behaviourists |
September 2005
| Assistant Teacher – ESAVS Behavioural Medicine I course | Lectured and run workshops during a 5-day course organized by theEuropeanSchoolfor Advanced Veterinary Studies |
June 2002
| Assistant Teacher – course of the Swiss Veterinary Association for Behavioural Medicine | Run 3 days of workshops during a specialisation course in veterinary behavioural medicine awarding Certificate of capability by the Swiss Veterinary Association |
February 1998 – February 2001
| TV counselling –
dog and cat health and behaviour |
Directly answered questions on dogs and cats regarding veterinary and behavioural issues to owners who phoned to the studio – a weekly live programme
Quick problem-solving consultations in the pet’s home regarding dog and cat behaviour, filmed for a biweekly programme on animals |
November 1997 – June 2000
| Consultant – municipal animal shelter inWarsaw | Helped to asses the behaviour of dogs that came into the shelter; counselled owners who had behavioural problems with animals adopted from the shelter |
April 1997-June 1998
| General Practitioner – small animal surgery | Worked independently in a newly established, single handed practice (branch of a larger small animal clinic). Provided all internal medicine care, performed wound surgery and some other minor surgery procedures |
June 1993 – February 1997
| General Practitioner – two small animal clinics operating 24/7 | Worked in a team of veterinary surgeons providing care in internal medicine, taking x-rays and performing wound surgery and some other minor surgery procedures |
September 1993 – September 1994
| Assistant Lecturer – Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw Agricultural University |
Taught Veterinary Faculty students, treated out patients and hospitalised animals in the Internal Medicine Department |
Education & Training in Veterinary Medicine
| February 1993 | Conferred Higher education diploma (with honours)
and the title of Veterinary Surgeon |
| November 1991 – January 1992 | Internships in veterinary practices in the Republic of Ireland: one small animal practice (Newbridge), one horse practice (Newbridge) and one mixed practice (Bandon) |
| July and August 1989 | Internship in a veterinary small animal clinic in Carson City, Nevada, USA |
| 1986-1993
|
Warsaw Agricultural University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine |
Education & Training in Veterinary Behavioural Medicine
| January 2005, March 2004, January 2000 | Participation in congresses addressed to specialists in veterinary behavioural medicine in France |
| November 2000 | Obtained the French diploma in veterinary behavioural medicine “vétérinaire comportementaliste diplômée des Écoles Nationales Vétérinaires Françaises” |
| May 2000 | SAVAB-Flandersweekend 2000 in Anvers(Belgium) : “Behavioural Problems in Small Animal Practice” (speakers: Joël Dehasse, Petra Mertens, Karen Overall) |
| September 1998 | Observer in Behavioural Clinic, Veterinary Hospital, University of Pennsylvania during 4 weeks (with Dr Overall) |
| July 1998 | AVMA 135 Annual Convention and annual meeting of the AVSAB in Baltimore (USA) |
| May 1998 | Basic course organized by GECAF (French Group for Companion Animal Behaviour Study) |
| 1999, 1998, 1997, 1995 | Annual meetings of the ESVCE |
Membership of professional associations
| RCVS | Registered on 19.05.2006 |
| CABTSG | Companion Animal Behaviour Therapy Study Group (an affiliate of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association) member since 2006 |
| ESVCE | European Society for Veterinary Clinical Ethology, member since 1995 |
| Zoo-Psy | Association of veterinary behaviourists holding the French diploma in veterinary behavioural medicine, member since 2000 |
English language
| Cambridge ESOL CPE | Cambridge University ESOL Certificate of Proficiency in English awarded in 1992 |
Background
Joanna has always been interested in animals and their behaviour. She decided to be a vet at the age of twelve and has never changed her mind. She was getting as much experience as possible while she was still a veterinary student and than has always treated her work with passion.
She has always had a particular interest in animal behaviour and since there was no opportunity to train in behavioural medicine inPolandshe showed a lot of determination and perseverance to learn it in the West. The jobs with TV were largely aimed at gaining funds for further education. With generous help of international colleagues, she managed to join veterinary behaviourists practising inWestern Europe. The difficulties she had to face, including lack of interest in behavioural medicine by the then Head of Internal Medicine Department while she worked there after graduation, made her keen to introduce this subject to Polish veterinary society and to make her Polish colleagues interested in and sensitive to behavioural issues.
Apart from veterinary and behavioural medicine Joanna has always been very interested in travelling to meet other people and learn about their culture. She also enjoys outdoors and singing very much.
She has a husband and three children and the family life is very important to her.