Stefan Savov, DVM, MRCVS
Who is Dr Stefan Savov?
It is quite hard to answer that question.
Firstly, I`m just a normal person who enjoys life and learning. I think life is extremely beautiful.
Secondly, I am a veterinary surgeon. I definitely like animals. What I mostly enjoy about my job is when the pet is healed and is back to its normal behaviour, happily waging its tail – priceless. Currently I am doing general internship in Willows referrals close to Birmingham UK. It is a very busy program with rotations by different disciplines like Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology, Internal medicine, Oncology, Neurology, Image diagnostics, etc. The hospital is amazing and the team is very friendly.
2.How many times you live abroad?
I have been abroad many times.
My first time abroad was in Italy in 2008 for 4 months. There I did internship program in one emergency clinic in Pavia – close to Milan. After that for short periods of time I have been in France, England and twice in Israel. In 2012 I went back to Italy where I worked for 8 months for the same clinic as before. 
After that I did more focused internship in Ophthalmology in a referral clinic close to Bologna. Then I moved to the UK where I started to work as sole charge vet in first opinion practice close to London. In general I have spent quite a long time abroad.
3.Why you left your country?
That is a very complicated question – I think the main reason was because I managed to achieve quite a lot here in Bulgaria in my field but I still felt that I need more and more things to learn. Unfortunately this couldn’t be done in Bulgaria. One thing lead to another and I packed my luggage and documents and I started to travel. I am happy to say that I was very well accepted everywhere and that over a short period of time I realised how much more I can study. This is the reason that I am doing my third internship program.
4. Differences between vetеrinary medicine on the Balkans and West Europe?
In my opinion there aren`t many differences. In Bulgaria there are several places where the level of Veterinary medicine is very high. One of the main differences, of course, is the money. Veterinary medicine is a really expensive job. More than 90% of the medical procedures are really underestimated but sadly that is the economic reality. Of course, that reflects on how Bulgarian clients spend for their pets. In UK there is a really well developed insurance system for pets. This allows the owners to use the services of specialists and, if necessary, really expensive investigations, and treatment plans to be performed. I think this is the main difference.
5.Do you think to turn back in your country?
Bulgaria is always in my heart and mind. I really cannot answer when I will be back but it could happen sooner or later. 
If I stay to work abroad I am sure that I will continue to come back as a speaker for workshops, seminars and congresses. I want to give all this knowledge that I am collecting to my colleagues. This is one of the best ways for our profession to go ahead in the eastern countries.
6. What do you think about Vets on The Balkans?
The journal is a really brilliant idea. I read all the articles. I find some really good examples there. It has proved that veterinarians on Balkans are no worse than the colleagues in the western countries. I wish you more and more interesting cases shared on the pages of the journal and lots of luck.
