Clinical Experience when Job Hunting

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Hi y'all,

How much does your pre-graduation clinical experience (like being a veterinary assistant) matter when you're trying to get your first DVM job? Do private practice employers like to see lots of experience assisting, or are senior rotations enough for them?

I'd love to spend the summer after 2nd year traveling and seeing my family, but I'm worried that not having a ton of pre-graduation experience will screw me over in the job market. If it matters, I'm a first year, I'm about in the middle of my class gradeswise, and I have about ten years of non-veterinary project and team management experience.

Thoughts, anyone?

Originally Posted by Ottergirl

Hi y'all,

How much does your pre-graduation clinical experience (like being a veterinary assistant) matter when you're trying to get your first DVM job? Do private practice employers like to see lots of experience assisting, or are senior rotations enough for them?

I'd love to spend the summer after 2nd year traveling and seeing my family, but I'm worried that not having a ton of pre-graduation experience will screw me over in the job market. If it matters, I'm a first year, I'm about in the middle of my class gradeswise, and I have about ten years of non-veterinary project and team management experience.

Thoughts, anyone?

Won't matter. Likely (unless pursuing internship) your grades won't really matter either, as long as you graduate, pass the NAVLE , and are licensed in that State. Finding said first job however is getting harder....

It depends on the practice that you're applying to, as well as what experience you have prior to this point.

As a veterinarian who makes hiring decisions, I do like to see substantial pre-DVM experience.... vet school really isn't adequate preparation for clinical practice. People who have more practice experience tend to (but not always!) be better at client education, coming up with real-world diagnostic/treatment plans, and performing all of those technical skills that your professors tell you that you won't need as a DVM. Most practices are very understaffed with technicians/assistants, so it's important that you have good technical skills. Every single day, I place IV catheters, draw blood on multiple patients, restrain pets for my assistants to get lab samples, trim nails on big fighting idiot dogs, etc... those aren't skills you learn in veterinary school!!

Depends on the practice. I didn't have any real tech experience, and my practice didn't care. I don't do any tech stuff on a regular basis. In most practices, you will be the last-chance vein finder on crusty cats with no veins, though, so I would say, get tech experience while you can.