How to get student liability insurance?

[carouseller]

Hi all,

I have a rather specific question!

I'm a non-traditional student (post bacc) working on her prerequisites to do a biology degree at a four year university (University of Washington). In order to save money as much as I can, I'm working through general biology and general inorganic chemistry at a community college in Seattle with a set up specifically to help students transfer to four-year universities. I've just finished the biology with flying colors and am working on chemistry, so I will be transferring in the spring.

So, on to my question - On the "what are my chances" thread, someone recommended to me getting liability insurance through my school so that I can work hands-on in a clinic/hospital without incurring liability on the company. Unfortunately, my community college does NOT offer liability insurance! Believe me, I went all over today asking questions until I got a straight 'no' from their payroll department. Needless to say i'm frustrated--its extremely hard to get any sort of hands on experience or long-term observation.

So--does anyone have any recommendations for 1. how to get liability insurance outside of school without running up a ridiculous bill or 2. alternatives for this issue? My hope is to get hands-on experience, but I need to be going to school and working at the same time. Many thanks in advance!

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[Coopah]

I'm not sure outside of school but you should check if the clinic your thinking of volunteering at needs it. If you can become employed instead of volunteering that would take care of it also. Worst case, if you don't have it, they just won't let you touch the patients but you can still observe.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Hi all,

I have a rather specific question!

I'm a non-traditional student (post bacc) working on her prerequisites to do a biology degree at a four year university (University of Washington). In order to save money as much as I can, I'm working through general biology and general inorganic chemistry at a community college in Seattle with a set up specifically to help students transfer to four-year universities. I've just finished the biology with flying colors and am working on chemistry, so I will be transferring in the spring.

So, on to my question - On the "what are my chances" thread, someone recommended to me getting liability insurance through my school so that I can work hands-on in a clinic/hospital without incurring liability on the company. Unfortunately, my community college does NOT offer liability insurance! Believe me, I went all over today asking questions until I got a straight 'no' from their payroll department. Needless to say i'm frustrated--its extremely hard to get any sort of hands on experience or long-term observation.

So--does anyone have any recommendations for 1. how to get liability insurance outside of school without running up a ridiculous bill or 2. alternatives for this issue? My hope is to get hands-on experience, but I need to be going to school and working at the same time. Many thanks in advance!

Hmm, I've never heard of a pre-vet trying to do this before. My bosses have always told me that as an employee, I would be covered under their own insurance, which is why the clinic/vet are held responsible for the mistakes of their employees. Are you hoping to get paid employment? I would assume you would be covered. Volunteering, I don't think so.

AVMA offers PLIT, so you can look into that. Veterinary students that are members of SAVMA get free coverage during veterinary school, but I'm not sure if it's aimed at pre-veterinary students at all. I don't know what the cost is either.

If it makes you feel any better about your chances at getting hired somewhere...I have never once been asked (or even heard of) if I had student liability insurance. I know this post isn't much help...but I don't think this is something you absolutely have to do. We have some practice owners on here who might be able to contribute more.

 

[Doctor-S]

So, on to my question - On the "what are my chances" thread, someone recommended to me getting liability insurance through my school so that I can work hands-on in a clinic/hospital without incurring liability on the company. Unfortunately, my community college does NOT offer liability insurance! Believe me, I went all over today asking questions until I got a straight 'no' from their payroll department. Needless to say i'm frustrated--its extremely hard to get any sort of hands on experience or long-term observation.

So--does anyone have any recommendations for 1. how to get liability insurance outside of school without running up a ridiculous bill or 2. alternatives for this issue? My hope is to get hands-on experience, but I need to be going to school and working at the same time. Many thanks in advance!

At this time, it sounds as if you're "contemplating" searching for some type of volunteer clinical work as a pre-vet student in the near future (i.e., while you are going to school and earning a salary at a FT or PT job at the same time). Is that correct?

1. If your answer is "yes" to the above question, and as mentioned by @pinkpuppy9, AVMA offers PLIT to veterinary medicine students (but not to pre-vet students). As a pre-vet student, you are not eligible for AVMA PLIT at this time.

2. As mentioned by @Coopah, if you become employed by a veterinary clinic, you should be covered by the clinic's liability policy. So, you might want to search for an "employee" position with a veterinary clinic (as opposed to a voluntary position with a veterinary clinic).

3. Alternatively, you might be able to find a voluntary position with a public or a non-profit animal facility, such as a city animal shelter, non-profit wildlife sanctuary, non-profit animal preserve, etc. In those instances, the publicly-operated facility (or the non-profit) will probably provide you with some type of liability coverage or it will require a written release of liability (release & hold harmless), waiver, or something else "legal," depending on the liability policies of the public facility or the non-profit organization.

4. Alternatively, and since you mentioned your plan to complete a four-year biology degree at the University of Washington in the future, have you considered contacting an organization in the State of Washington that might be able to provide you with some animal-related information relative to Washington? For instance, when I googled Washington, I found PAWS [see link below and review the section entitled: "get involved"].

https://www.paws.org/

Some private veterinary clinics do not offer "hands-on" volunteer opportunities for a variety of liability and other legal/business reasons. Instead, these private clinics might offer passive volunteer opportunities - meaning "hands-off" at all times, unless otherwise instructed by qualified veterinary personnel and/or under direct training or supervision. However, here is the good news: some pre-vet students engage in passive shadowing before being allowed, instructed or invited to do something else that might be considered "hands-on" in a private veterinary clinic. Indeed, some pre-vet students are eventually hired as vet assistants, office receptionists, keepers, kennel attendants, etc. in private veterinary clinics. Some of them may go on to become vet techs, before applying to DVM schools.

Thank you.

 

[carouseller]

3. Alternatively, you might be able to find a voluntary position with a public or a non-profit animal facility, such as a city animal shelter, non-profit wildlife sanctuary, non-profit animal preserve, etc. In those instances, the publicly-operated facility (or the non-profit) will probably provide you with some type of liability coverage or it will require a written release of liability (release & hold harmless), waiver, or something else "legal," depending on the liability policies of the public facility or the non-profit organization.

4. Alternatively, and since you mentioned your plan to complete a four-year biology degree at the University of Washington in the future, have you considered contacting an organization in the State of Washington that might be able to provide you with some animal-related information relative to Washington? For instance, when I googled Washington, I found PAWS [see link below and review the section entitled: "get involved"].

https://www.paws.org/

Some private veterinary clinics do not offer "hands-on" volunteer opportunities for a variety of liability and other legal/business reasons. Instead, these private clinics might offer passive volunteer opportunities - meaning "hands-off" at all times, unless otherwise instructed by qualified veterinary personnel and/or under direct training or supervision. However, here is the good news: some pre-vet students engage in passive shadowing before being allowed, instructed or invited to do something else that might be considered "hands-on" in a private veterinary clinic. Indeed, some pre-vet students are eventually hired as vet assistants, office receptionists, keepers, kennel attendants, etc. in private veterinary clinics. Some of them may go on to become vet techs, before applying to DVM schools.

Thank you.

1. Correct - I am looking into volunteering principally, solely because I only have about 30 (would have to go through my notebook to be sure) clinic hours observing at this point. I don't feel comfortable acting as a vet assistant with such low experience and essentially being a "burden" to the clinic. That is to say, I don't feel experienced enough to be paid as an assistant yet (although I did have the coordinator at a clinic I was speaking to suggest I apply as a kennel attendant or a assistant. Side note, is being a kennel attendant a good way to get my foot in the door, realistically?). Additionally, since I already work research about 5 hrs a day + classes, I couldn't devote enough time during the school year to being an assistant, by my measure.

3. That's extremely helpful information and what I assumed originally. It's obvious to me now why there would be different rules regarding public/non-profit organizations vs. private clinics.

Lastly, PAWS! That's actually an organization I'm applying to for a summer internship--I'm gathering references currently, and one of the techs at my previous clinic I was observing at was actually impressed enough by me that she's writing me one of the required LOR's. It is explicitly a hands-on position, but I assumed that since it's an internship program based on wildlife care that the organization's insurance would cover that and that I would be thoroughly vetted (ha) before I got in regardless. Anyway--I'll delve deeper into their website, thank you. (Even more) research may be the way to go here.