Animal or vet experience?

[Ashlee]

I recently got a job at a vet clinic in a position in the kennel. I'm going to observe and ask questions when I'm not working in the kennel, but would the actual position and time I'm working count as animal or vet experience??

Also, I volunteered at a spay and neuter center for the humane society observing the animals and preparing the surgical instruments and things, I observed the veterinarian performing many spays and neuters as well. But, it's not the veterinarians' clinic--the clinic is part of the humane society. Is this animal or vet experience?


If anyone could tell me what counts as what, I'd be very greatful, because I'm completely lost as to what should count for what!

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[Minnerbelle]

Also, I volunteered at a spay and neuter center for the humane society observing the animals and preparing the surgical instruments and things, I observed the veterinarian performing many spays and neuters as well. But, it's not the veterinarians' clinic--the clinic is part of the humane society. Is this animal or vet experience?

This is definitely vet experience. It involves animals and you're being overseen by a health professional (vet performing the surgeries). No question about it. Observing the surgeries=shadowing the vet. Preparing surgical instruments isn't trivial either. You're getting acquainted with the tools of the trade! Sterilizing instruments is very important for surgical success, and there's quite a bit of science to it too!

 

[rachroo]

Vet clinic/kennel= it depends...Are you under the supervision of a vet? Do you only work in the kennel or do you also help vets/techs in the clinic? I work in a kennel @ my hospital (under the supervision of a vet) but also help/observe the techs/vets and so I counted it as veterinary experience.

Observing a vet @ spay/neuter center= veterinary experienece.

 

[Ashlee]

Vet clinic/kennel= it depends...Are you under the supervision of a vet? Do you only work in the kennel or do you also help vets/techs in the clinic? I work in a kennel @ my hospital (under the supervision of a vet) but also help/observe the techs/vets and so I counted it as veterinary experience.

Observing a vet @ spay/neuter center= veterinary experienece.

Ummm... Define "work under the supervision of a vet". A vet owns the clinic but I'm probably going to be watched by the vet techs. I don't think the vet'll actually be watching me scrub cages or anything. But, a vet is in charge of the clinic, and he does technically oversee me.

I'm not certain what I'm doing yet, seeing as I start tommorrow. But, I plan on doing as much observetion, asking questions, learning about how the clinic works, and helping in other ways as I possibly can..

 

[Ashlee]

This is definitely vet experience. It involves animals and you're being overseen by a health professional (vet performing the surgeries). No question about it. Observing the surgeries=shadowing the vet. Preparing surgical instruments isn't trivial either. You're getting acquainted with the tools of the trade! Sterilizing instruments is very important for surgical success, and there's quite a bit of science to it too!

Thank you! I wasn't sure whether the Humane Society would be vet or animal!

 

[Minnerbelle]

Thank you! I wasn't sure whether the Humane Society would be vet or animal!

no probs! regardless of whether he/she's at a private clinic, NIH, humane society, farm, or wherever, a vet is a vet . As long as you work with one doing animal related things, then it's vet experience.

 

[Ashlee]

no probs! regardless of whether he/she's at a private clinic, NIH, humane society, farm, or wherever, a vet is a vet . As long as you work with one doing animal related things, then it's vet experience.

so then my kennel experience would also be vet experience? since I'm technically working for a vet even though he's not watching me or working with me?

 

[rachroo]

Ummm... Define "work under the supervision of a vet". A vet owns the clinic but I'm probably going to be watched by the vet techs. I don't think the vet'll actually be watching me scrub cages or anything. But, a vet is in charge of the clinic, and he does technically oversee me.

I didn't mean the vet (or even vet tech) would watch you scrub every cage.

But, for at the clinic I work at, our vets/vet techs check on and want updates on our boarders (mainly the ones who are medicated, or who have health problems, or for any boarder that is doing something out of the ordinary). The kennel workers are also veterinary assistants at my hospital. Because of this, we are continually dividing our time between working in the kennel and working in the hospital helping/assisting/observing the techs and vets (which, to me, means veterinary experience). I guess once you find out exactly what your duties are, it will make it easier to classify. I'd say that if you are assisting (or observing) in the clinic in addition to your kennel duties, then count it as veterinary experience. If your duties are purely in the kennel where you are walking and cleaning dogs all day, I'd count it as animal experience.

I guess if you have any questions, call your individual school's to get their advice. Good luck!

 

[Ashlee]

Hahaha, yeah. I guess they wouldn't literally mean that .

Well--regardless--I plan on observing some stuff and asking tons of questions--even if it means during off hours. So, hopefully it will be vet experience.


Thank you very much for taking the time to answer me! I guess I'll find out tommorrow!

I didn't mean the vet (or even vet tech) would watch you scrub every cage.

But, for at the clinic I work at, our vets/vet techs check on and want updates on our boarders (mainly the ones who are medicated, or who have health problems, or for any boarder that is doing something out of the ordinary). The kennel workers are also veterinary assistants at my hospital. Because of this, we are continually dividing our time between working in the kennel and working in the hospital helping/assisting/observing the techs and vets (which, to me, means veterinary experience). I guess once you find out exactly what your duties are, it will make it easier to classify. I'd say that if you are assisting (or observing) in the clinic in addition to your kennel duties, then count it as veterinary experience. If your duties are purely in the kennel where you are walking and cleaning dogs all day, I'd count it as animal experience.

I guess if you have any questions, call your individual school's to get their advice. Good luck!

 

[Minnerbelle]

so then my kennel experience would also be vet experience? since I'm technically working for a vet even though he's not watching me or working with me?

Hmm... I guess that's where it gets kinda tricky. I guess I would highlight the "working with" in my last statement. "Working for" might not exactly do it, depending on the situation. Extreme case scenario, but if you were hired by a vet to just pet sit his dog... then that's not really vet experience.

I would follow rachroo's advice on your kennel situation. If you don't know your exact job description is yet, then I'd wait a little before you settle on the category. If it turns out that you really don't have much contact with the vet other than "good morning, how's your day?" and your actual work doesn't have any impact on the prognosis of the patient, then I think you're just setting yourself up for scrutiny by the adcoms to call it vet experience.

Disclaimer: I'm not especially familiar with exactly what the role of the kennel staff is in a clinic, so I might not be the best reference.

 

[SaintSamson]

Hey,

Thought I'd add my two cents. (Um, even tho applying to vet school is a couple years off for me, lol).

I guess you could consider my current position at the SA vet hospital as the 'kennel position'. Since I have a large amount of animal experience, I would consider my time working as a 'kennel' worker as veterinary experience. Although I primarily clean, clean, clean, I have learned a bit about restraining, holding off for blood draws, gotten to watch some surgeries, and the veterinarians are not just helpful, but like to quiz us as well. The position means learning about various things that are part of the veterinary world. I am mostly watched over by the vet techs.
Also keep in mind that if you stay with that job long enough, there is a very high likelihood that you will be offered opportunities or positions that deal directly with veterinary medicine and the patients.

IMO, it's veterinary experience ... oh, and I recommend (when they ask) that you tell them you're planning to become a veterinarian and to ask questions when they're not busy. A lot of times they will try and educate you on medical stuff when they have the chance.

 

[thereservoirdog]

I didn't want to start another thread for this, but I'm having trouble figuring out if one of my experiences counts as animal or veterinary. It was a summer field research project with a wildlife biologist. He has a PhD, so I'm leaning towards putting it under veterinary, but I'm not sure. Basically what I did was go out into the field, trap small animals, anesthetize them, and collect data.

 

[DVMorBust]

I didn't want to start another thread for this, but I'm having trouble figuring out if one of my experiences counts as animal or veterinary. It was a summer field research project with a wildlife biologist. He has a PhD, so I'm leaning towards putting it under veterinary, but I'm not sure. Basically what I did was go out into the field, trap small animals, anesthetize them, and collect data.

I had a very similar position in which I went into the field, trapped snakes, and measured/sexed/weighed/marked/released them. I counted it as animal experience, because while the researcher was doing research, my capacity was really more a field assistant and data collector - there wasn't much analysis.

The experience I did count as veterinary was in a genetics lab, where I was participating (and doing the brunt of the work on) a project, and had a much more active role in planning, carrying out, and analyzing what was going on.

So, although they were both research gigs, I divided them out based on what I was gaining from the experience - simple animal handling vs. much more dynamic problem solving/research.

Hope that helps!

 

[thereservoirdog]

perfect, thanks