Class of 2015... How ya doing?

Veterinary Science Graduate Certificate from UofI
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Armymutt25A said:
How long do those of you in private practice have for appointments? We run 15 min for wellness and 45 min for sick call. Currently running 2 rooms simultaneously.
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20mins wellness (generous, except when they turn into, "Well, he's also been vomiting for a month..."), 30mins sick and 40mins new patient/client or puppy/kitten. I'd rather more time for the sick cases, but I think I take a more thorough history than the other old-timers so that eats into my time.


I had a day from hell yesterday. No life-threatening mistakes were made and yet I still felt like sht. Need to find a way to be more detailed-oriented and just slow my brain the heck down. Doesn't help that I'm questioning whether or not I want to stay where I am for the long haul. Urgh.
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Officially our appointments are 15 min for everything. But we have enough vets that you basically take as long as you need.

that redhead said:
I had a day from hell yesterday. No life-threatening mistakes were made and yet I still felt like sht. Need to find a way to be more detailed-oriented and just slow my brain the heck down. Doesn't help that I'm questioning whether or not I want to stay where I am for the long haul. Urgh.
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So sorry, TR. Cut yourself some slack (easier said than done, I know). You're only human and not even a year out of school.

In other news, looking up treatment options for prostate cancer in dogs on VIN is really depressing. Let me summarize: "We've tried all of the things. None of them work. Sorry."
 
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Calf that's had resp dz for a month came in on emergency last night trying to die. The owner is a bleeding heart so we placed a nasal cannula to supplement O2 and started fluids and meds. As expected, she was trying to crash and burn on her own so we euthed this morning. Opened her up and most of her abscesses had inspissated, some were caseous and few were still typical abscesses (95% of lung field affected). So awful but I'm glad we TTJ'ed.

In other news, I go back on in house tomorrow for the first time in 17 weeks. **** me, I don't know what I'm doing anymore unless it's feet or sick dairy cows.
 
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First goat dystocia and I got to go at it without my backup. Six months supervised emergency service is written into my contract with the remainder of the time at the discretion of my backup. I know I've been babied a lot more than if I'd gone anywhere else, but I'm not super comfortable with emergencies so I consider it a success that I declined my backup when he offered to come with.

Anyway, happy New Year to you all!
 
I learned what seeing 80 ER cases at a hospital in a day feels like today, and that was a very valuable lesson. Will make me more carefully consider the ER burden listed on match when ranking now. (in case you were wondering, it feels like drowning in euthasol. But maybe thats in part because I euthanized 6 of 10 cases today.) we were awkwardly staffed with short techs or short doctors for periods. I think we had 7 doctors overlapping over an 18 hour period.
 
jmo1012 said:
I learned what seeing 80 ER cases at a hospital in a day feels like today, and that was a very valuable lesson. Will make me more carefully consider the ER burden listed on match when ranking now. (in case you were wondering, it feels like drowning in euthasol. But maybe thats in part because I euthanized 6 of 10 cases today.) we were awkwardly staffed with short techs or short doctors for periods. I think we had 7 doctors overlapping over an 18 hour period.
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Ugh, I'm sorry, jmo. That sounds like it could have gone better.
 
I euthanized 11/17 patients Friday-Sunday this weekend. One of my euthanasias sent me and my technician flowers as a thank you today :love:
 
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jmo1012 said:
I euthanized 11/17 patients Friday-Sunday this weekend. One of my euthanasias sent me and my technician flowers as a thank you today :love:
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That is really sweet!

After a mess of the past few months, I have finally made a decision and have chosen not to accept the residency offer. I just hope that I haven't burned any bridges. I'm sure it has happened but I'd rather be blinded to it for a little while longer anyway, since it was not at all my intention.
 
scb44f said:
That is really sweet!

After a mess of the past few months, I have finally made a decision and have chosen not to accept the residency offer. I just hope that I haven't burned any bridges. I'm sure it has happened but I'd rather be blinded to it for a little while longer anyway, since it was not at all my intention.
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I am sure you made the right choice. Now I'm super glad I have food animal in March while you are still here!!!
 
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When discussing salary, did any of you quote the average starting salary for the previous year? Potential employer wants to discuss salary after working interview tomorrow, and I'm a bit nervous.
 
psilovethomas said:
When discussing salary, did any of you quote the average starting salary for the previous year? Potential employer wants to discuss salary after working interview tomorrow, and I'm a bit nervous.
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One interviewer asked me outright, and I did quote the average salary for the previous year. Another place (where I ended up) quoted a salary range in their ad. I'm making below the average (and frankly I don't think the "intangibles" make up for it, but that's another story...)
 
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I mentioned averages though I did adjust for the fact that we're in an economically depressed area. What I said was "I know the average is $X but this isn't an expensive area so I'd like $Y." As it happens, they offered me above average.
 
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psilovethomas said:
When discussing salary, did any of you quote the average starting salary for the previous year? Potential employer wants to discuss salary after working interview tomorrow, and I'm a bit nervous.
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I did. Also told them I needed X to cover my bills but that I deserved it because of Y.
Ended up right on average in a high cost of living area, which was actually better than I expected for a mixed animal clinic. Awesome benefits too.
 
I've heard 70k was the average in 2015, but cannot find a definitive answer. Anyone have any stats? I've checked out AVMA and cannot find anything
 
psilovethomas said:
I've heard 70k was the average in 2015, but cannot find a definitive answer. Anyone have any stats? I've checked out AVMA and cannot find anything
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Could be. I get that there is some value in knowing the average, but.... I wouldn't really use an entire-market average in negotiation. There's too much regional and job type variation (SA, LA, equine, etc.). Really need to know the average starting salary for the type of job you're interviewing for in that geographical area.
 
psilovethomas said:
I've heard 70k was the average in 2015, but cannot find a definitive answer. Anyone have any stats? I've checked out AVMA and cannot find anything
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For 2 years ago, I remember seeing 62-65 as the mixed animal average. That was from the Avma. But I may be remembering wrong.

I do remember seeing something on VIN about a "market report" from the Avma being available for purchase. Might be worth searching vin to see if the info has been posted by someone.
 
StartingoverVet said:
that's better than I thought it would be. 2013 seemed like a bad year too IIRC.
A little more rainbows and sun shine than expected.
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Things were looking up a little 2013, and subjectively/anecdotally, I think it's been gradually on the up and up since. 2009-2011 was like super doom'n gloom.

Last year's class seemed to be getting offers earlier and with more choices than my class in the same geographic location, and this year I've heard more people with offers in Jan than I had in previous years.

Of course there's reporting bias and all of that, but the first year data is about as complete as it could be in this profession and represents a pretty good part of the population.
 
Actual response from client on seeing the stones we took out of his dog's bladder: "I am the worst person in the world." I assured him he wasn't since he did something about it.
 
Coquette22 said:
Actual response from client on seeing the stones we took out of his dog's bladder: "I am the worst person in the world." I assured him he wasn't since he did something about it.
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I hate when proactive owners feel bad about things you can't even be upset about.

Then there are the people who call me to ask if the university will take an animal as a donation and act like they're doing me a huge favor by offering their animal to me. :uhno:
 
Congrats to everyone who matched this year :). I matched to a SA surgery residency!
 
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On call tonight. Call comes in two hours after closing:
Caller: "I think my cat has worms. Can I bring her in tonight?"
Me: "Er, yes, but it's gonna cost you about double what it would if you wait til Monday due to the emergency fee."
Caller: "That's okay! See you shortly!"

Welp... Emergency worm call it is then.
 
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Coquette22 said:
On call tonight. Call comes in two hours after closing:
Caller: "I think my cat has worms. Can I bring her in tonight?"
Me: "Er, yes, but it's gonna cost you about double what it would if you wait til Monday due to the emergency fee."
Caller: "That's okay! See you shortly!"

Welp... Emergency worm call it is then.
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Hahaha worms always get people in action. We had a tiny puppy eat a crapload of a toxic med...but he also had a worm!!!! And we were like Uh, yes, so how much of that did he eat again? Oh um don't really know but the worm WAS REALLY BIG OMG.
 
that redhead said:
Hahaha worms always get people in action. We had a tiny puppy eat a crapload of a toxic med...but he also had a worm!!!! And we were like Uh, yes, so how much of that did he eat again? Oh um don't really know but the worm WAS REALLY BIG OMG.
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I watch untold stories of the ER and monsters inside me. People freak out so much over worms.
 
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WildZoo said:
I love monsters inside me
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Coquette22 said:
On call tonight. Call comes in two hours after closing:
Caller: "I think my cat has worms. Can I bring her in tonight?"
Me: "Er, yes, but it's gonna cost you about double what it would if you wait til Monday due to the emergency fee."
Caller: "That's okay! See you shortly!"

Welp... Emergency worm call it is then.
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Story of my life as an ER doctor...its baffling what people constitute as an emergency sometimes.
 
LetItSnow said:
3AM.

"So, how long has this problem been going on, Ms. Johnson."

"Well, it started about 9 months ago."

"....."

Don't you love those?
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"Has anything changed since it first started?"

"No"

"Was there anything in particular that happened today that made you more alarmed that something was wrong"

"Not really"

And you want to ask, so what made you absolutely want to come in now even though you're being charged extra... And not earlier today or tomorrow during regular hours with a regular exam fee!?

(As a GP these cases that walk in 5 min from closing are real downers sometimes. In ER the middle of the night ones that made me get up from my nap were huge downers)


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Minnerbelle said:
"Has anything changed since it first started?"

"No"

"Was there anything in particular that happened today that made you more alarmed that something was wrong"

"Not really"

And you want to ask, so what made you absolutely want to come in now even though you're being charged extra... And not earlier today or tomorrow during regular hours with a regular exam fee!?

(As a GP these cases that walk in 5 min from closing are real downers sometimes. In ER the middle of the night ones that made me get up from my nap were huge downers)


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Hey Minny, time to update your status, no? I think you moved beyond Veterinary Student.
 
Minnerbelle said:
I was prevet for like all of first year.

Haha... Maybe I'll update to veterinarian when I finally feel like one (hopefully in the next few years)


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maybe if you update you will be re-wiring your neuronal pathways to more confidently feel like one!
 
StartingoverVet said:
maybe if you update you will be re-wiring your neuronal pathways to more confidently feel like one!
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Lol, well that was just a bluff. I'm way too cocky for that, Probably more confident than I should be. Truth is that I've been too lazy to do it.

Fine, I will look into it. Only if it can be done with my phone. (Update: nope can't figure it out. I may stay a vet student forever at this rate).


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Saw my first ER case around 10:30 this morning after working up the inpatients and doing paperwork for about 3.5 hours. First words of of the client's mouth when I went to take the history? "Well, Fluffy woke me up about an hour ago and . . ."

On the outside, I have my professional face on. "Great, ma'am, tell me more about the head tilt."

On the inside? " . . . you lucky bastard . . ."
 
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pooter said:
Saw my first ER case around 10:30 this morning after working up the inpatients and doing paperwork for about 3.5 hours. First words of of the client's mouth when I went to take the history? "Well, Fluffy woke me up about an hour ago and . . ."

On the outside, I have my professional face on. "Great, ma'am, tell me more about the head tilt."

On the inside? " . . . you lucky bastard . . ."
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I used to hard eye role when I was clearly waking clients up in the ,owning for updates as a student. I mean you're pet is in the icu, don't tell me to call back later when it's Moore convenient
 
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