Sam graduated from the Royal Vet College in 2002 and completed internships in private referral practice and time in primary practice before starting a Feline Advisory Bureau Residency at Bristol University. She was awarded the RCVS Certificate in Small Animal Medicine in 2006 and the European Diploma in Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2009. In 2011 she became an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Feline Medicine and in 2019 was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for meritorious contributions to the profession.

In addition to her work with International Cat Care, Sam also works in clinical referral practice, is a previous editor of the BSAVA journal Companion and is a tutor on the University of Sydney Feline Medicine course as well as an examiner for the Membership of the Australia and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (Feline Medicine). Sam is also an editorial board member for the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery and Frontiers in Veterinary Science and has authored two books and numerous book chapters as well as publishing a number of papers on both canine and feline internal medicine. She is an honorary lecturer at Surrey Vet School in Internal Medicine.