Back to pre-vet, which step to take next?

[princesspeach2]

Hi everyone,

I am 25 years old, non-traditional student. (Short background: went into college straight out of HS in 2011 with the goal of becoming a veterinarian or pediatrician. Failed first semester due to social anxiety/immaturity, dropped out 2nd semester. Worked full-time in food service for 4 years. Went back to community college in 2016 as pre-med, attended 3 semesters (mostly GEs/remedial prereqs) while working part-time, currently have a 4.0 GPA. Took spring 2018 off as I was moving. Have been volunteering in human medicine clinic settings, realized I want to go back to veterinary medicine)

Currently, I am working full-time as a restaurant shift manager, but I really do not like my job anymore. I transferred to a new chain location and it is nothing like my old location (I have been with this company for 5+ yrs), I have been constantly looking for a new job, and have found several "will train vet assistant positions." I'm also currently completing an online vet assistant course for personal knowledge (learning basic terminology, phone etiquette, how a practice runs, animal psychology, etc.)

Side note: I've been planning my classes, and it'll take another 2 years to complete prereqs to transfer as biology major.

Here are the paths I'm deciding between:

OPTION A
-Focus on applying for and obtaining a job as a vet assistant trainee at a veterinary clinic
-Once working set schedule, start volunteering at city animal shelter for animal experience
-Take 1-2 semester off of school to gain experience and confirm interest in veterinary medicine (or take online GE classes only)
------> Go back to school in spring/fall 2019 (keep volunteering, work PT)


OPTION B
-Stay at current job, go down to 2-3 days/wk
-Shadow a vet (to confirm interest)
-Start school in fall 2018
-Once have set school schedule, start volunteering at city animal shelter for animal experience

I would try to find a vet assistant job and go back to school this semester, but there aren't any positions that are weekend only. I figure that once I am working at a vet clinic for a few months- a year, it'll be a lot easier to go down to a schedule that will work with my classes vs. the other way around)

Thoughts?

Thank you kindly in advance!

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[ResoluteMike]

It depends on a lot of things. One of the ones folks focus on around here is financial. Veterinary assistants aren't always minimum wage, but they aren't much better either. I would recommend sticking with the higher paying job. You don't need thousands of hours of experience to get in.

You have time, so maybe consider the following.

1. Take a good look at the schools you plan on applying too, especially your in-state if you have one. Talk to admissions and find out what kind of experience they are looking for. I had no paid experience and only about 350-400 hours when I applied. I had good relationships with a few vets with 50-100 hours each and then a solid variety of experience in other areas. I built that up over about 3 years while working or going to school full time.

2. Experiences vary a lot. Shadowing can be more productive then working. When shadowing you aren't spending your time cleaning cages or folding laundry. You already have the work ethic as a shift manager, you just need to prove you have a good understanding of veterinary medicine.

3. Take a hard look at the finances. If you can be debt free or save money getting through undergrad you won't regret it.

4. Don't throw away your present for the future. If you have a good job with a solid work history, hang on to it. Vet school is a great plan A, but make sure you have a plan B to keep things going til you get there.

 

[princesspeach2]

It depends on a lot of things. One of the ones folks focus on around here is financial. Veterinary assistants aren't always minimum wage, but they aren't much better either. I would recommend sticking with the higher paying job. You don't need thousands of hours of experience to get in.

You have time, so maybe consider the following.

1. Take a good look at the schools you plan on applying too, especially your in-state if you have one. Talk to admissions and find out what kind of experience they are looking for. I had no paid experience and only about 350-400 hours when I applied. I had good relationships with a few vets with 50-100 hours each and then a solid variety of experience in other areas. I built that up over about 3 years while working or going to school full time.

2. Experiences vary a lot. Shadowing can be more productive then working. When shadowing you aren't spending your time cleaning cages or folding laundry. You already have the work ethic as a shift manager, you just need to prove you have a good understanding of veterinary medicine.

3. Take a hard look at the finances. If you can be debt free or save money getting through undergrad you won't regret it.

4. Don't throw away your present for the future. If you have a good job with a solid work history, hang on to it. Vet school is a great plan A, but make sure you have a plan B to keep things going til you get there.

Thank you so much for your response. To answer your questions:

1) I'm not sure which would be higher paying, I only make a couple dollars over minimum wage now (and raises are rare). The job as doctor assistant at a 24 hour animal hospital has benefits (401k, health/medical/dental insurance, paid time off, employee discount, etc.) whereas I have no benefits with my current food service job. At my current job, I also feel I am being taken severely advantage of at this location, and at the same time under utilized given my experience as a shift manager. Even if I didn't get a job at a vet clinic, I am looking/would still look for a new job.

2. You make a good point about shadowing. I will start searching more for shadowing opportunities.

3. Good advice. I'm lucky in that my boyfriend currently pays for a majority of our living expenses as he makes 5x what I do, and so far I have gotten financial aid for all my school expenses. We are working on building a savings account, but living in a very HCL area unfortunately as that is where his work is located.

4. I understand your point here, but it hard to feel like I am throwing anything away, so to speak, when I feel like I am just wasting years of my life working a dead end job. I do agree that I need to have a plan B though

Thanks for the advice!

 

[that redhead]

If you’re miserable at your current gig, go ahead and apply for the animal stuff. I would strongly encourage you to focus more on veterinary hours over animal hours- some shelters will have veterinary experience opportunities and others won’t. Not that volunteering at a shelter isn’t a worthy cause but it isn’t going to add as much to your qpllixation, especially if you have a lot of “human” hours to counter-balance and little to no vet experience. (As an aside, I’d eventually try to get some large animal experience as well to round out your application.)

Be prepared to answer why vet instead of physician - and the answer should not be “I love animals!” Take time to gain a better understanding of vet med before diving financially further into the coursework. Please really focus on the current economic climate in vet med- it’s a really big deal and so many people gloss over it because they think working as a vet will somehow erase those problems and they won’t mind living out of a cardboard box forever just to pay off their loans.

 

[ResoluteMike]

Thank you so much for your response. To answer your questions:

1) I'm not sure which would be higher paying, I only make a couple dollars over minimum wage now (and raises are rare). The job as doctor assistant at a 24 hour animal hospital has benefits (401k, health/medical/dental insurance, paid time off, employee discount, etc.) whereas I have no benefits with my current food service job. At my current job, I also feel I am being taken severely advantage of at this location, and at the same time under utilized given my experience as a shift manager. Even if I didn't get a job at a vet clinic, I am looking/would still look for a new job.

2. You make a good point about shadowing. I will start searching more for shadowing opportunities.

3. Good advice. I'm lucky in that my boyfriend currently pays for a majority of our living expenses as he makes 5x what I do, and so far I have gotten financial aid for all my school expenses. We are working on building a savings account, but living in a very HCL area unfortunately as that is where his work is located.

4. I understand your point here, but it hard to feel like I am throwing anything away, so to speak, when I feel like I am just wasting years of my life working a dead end job. I do agree that I need to have a plan B though

Thanks for the advice!

Hours for ECC aren't the greatest, but that sounds like a way better deal. That is what I am going to be doing this summer.

 

[princesspeach2]

If you’re miserable at your current gig, go ahead and apply for the animal stuff. I would strongly encourage you to focus more on veterinary hours over animal hours- some shelters will have veterinary experience opportunities and others won’t. Not that volunteering at a shelter isn’t a worthy cause but it isn’t going to add as much to your qpllixation, especially if you have a lot of “human” hours to counter-balance and little to no vet experience. (As an aside, I’d eventually try to get some large animal experience as well to round out your application.)

Be prepared to answer why vet instead of physician - and the answer should not be “I love animals!” Take time to gain a better understanding of vet med before diving financially further into the coursework. Please really focus on the current economic climate in vet med- it’s a really big deal and so many people gloss over it because they think working as a vet will somehow erase those problems and they won’t mind living out of a cardboard box forever just to pay off their loans.

I'm applying for a couple assistant jobs tonight and tomorrow, hopefully something works out. I am really excited to get into a new field and out of food service.

I don't really have a lot of "human" hours. I volunteered at a couple different hospitals for about a month each, and with a couple organizations on a one-off basis, so nothing really that I would put down. The only thing I am doing now that I plan to keep doing is volunteering at an acupuncture detox clinic/soup kitchen for homeless people, and it really isn't a clinical setting.

All my animal experience things are related from high school senior year (shadowing a vet for a day, volunteering at a city shelter as kennel attendant for stray kitten ward and dog walker for a year) so I definitely need more recent experience, both veterinary and general animal experience.

I am still a little confused on the whole veterinary vs animal experience. By large animal experience, do you mean large animal veterinary experience? Or just general experience?

I do want to say I understand the current economic climate in veterinary medicine. Neither of us care about buying a house, our car will last another 10-15 years easy, and we aren't planning on having kids. I know the debt will be hard, but we have talked about it a lot. The debt was one of the reasons I was considering human medicine rather than veterinary medicine before.

But I really do feel like veterinary medicine is a better fit for me. I love working with people, but I'd much rather work with people whose common goal is to help animals. I have spent the last two years thinking about careers (mainly going back and forth between vet med, human med, dentistry, and psychology) and what I want in a career. I have realized that I want to be able to work one-on-one with patients, to diagnose and prescribe treatment, work with my hands to some degree, and to alleviate suffering in a tangible way. While human medicine fits most of that criteria, at the end of the day, I want to work to help animals instead. I also like how with veterinary medicine, you have more options to do different things, you aren't locked into one thing. While I would never want to be a surgeon in human medicine because I really feel that I would enjoy primary care wellness exams and mild treatments, I like how veterinarians can do surgery as well as general practice. I like how a veterinarian can jump around between work settings, such as a group practice, shelter medicine, or a mobile spay and neuter clinic. I have no desire to go into zoo or wildlife medicine, I want to work with small animals.

 

[DVMDream]

I am still a little confused on the whole veterinary vs animal experience. By large animal experience, do you mean large animal veterinary experience? Or just general experience?

Both. Large animals= cows, pigs, goats, sheep, etc, think farm animals
Equine experience is also good.

Having experience with general handling and husbandry as well as some insight into the medicine of these animal are both a good idea. That isn't to say you HAVE to have vet experience with these animals, but the more experience you do obtain with more species, the better your application looks.

I do want to say I understand the current economic climate in veterinary medicine. Neither of us care about buying a house, our car will last another 10-15 years easy, and we aren't planning on having kids. I know the debt will be hard, but we have talked about it a lot. The debt was one of the reasons I was considering human medicine rather than veterinary medicine before.

I never cared about buying a house, until I was 29, living with parents and looking to move out. Then suddenly you start looking, apartments are just as much as renting (at least in this area) and renting is as much as mortgage. Might as well get that mortgage so that you can get some value out of what you are putting in. I just bought a house a few months ago (was not easy with the student loan debt) and it has already increased in value by $10k. So this is nice. I get it doesn't make sense now or you don't want that now, I didn't either 5 years ago, but that changes. The kid thing, yeah, I agree with you, don't want kids. Don't plan on changing my mind on that. Don't ever expect anyone else will change their mind on that. But some people do. As for the car... your car should last another 10-15 years, that doesn't mean it will. Don't rely on that. You never know when you will need a new vehicle. Heck even just vehicle trouble can be difficult to afford with a vet salary.

But I really do feel like veterinary medicine is a better fit for me. I love working with people, but I'd much rather work with people whose common goal is to help animals. I have spent the last two years thinking about careers (mainly going back and forth between vet med, human med, dentistry, and psychology) and what I want in a career. I have realized that I want to be able to work one-on-one with patients, to diagnose and prescribe treatment, work with my hands to some degree, and to alleviate suffering in a tangible way. While human medicine fits most of that criteria, at the end of the day, I want to work to help animals instead. I also like how with veterinary medicine, you have more options to do different things, you aren't locked into one thing. While I would never want to be a surgeon in human medicine because I really feel that I would enjoy primary care wellness exams and mild treatments, I like how veterinarians can do surgery as well as general practice. I like how a veterinarian can jump around between work settings, such as a group practice, shelter medicine, or a mobile spay and neuter clinic. I have no desire to go into zoo or wildlife medicine, I want to work with small animals.

I can tell you that there are many times I can't relieve suffering in this job and that the animal's owner WON'T let me euthanize to ease that suffering. Or I can ease suffering, sometimes with a few simple treatments and the owner can't afford it or, again, won't allow it. You can work with people who have a common goal to help animals without being a vet and going the route of being a human doctor, dentist, optometrist, etc. So then you are appeasing both your desire to help medically as well as work to help animals. Do so by volunteering with a shelter or rescue. Or being a foster for animals. There are many things you can do to work to help animals without having to make it your career. I can tell you that once you make animals your entire career, you start to look at them much differently. If animals are a hobby, don't make your hobby your work, because then it is no longer a hobby. Hopefully that makes sense.

 

[princesspeach2]

Both. Large animals= cows, pigs, goats, sheep, etc, think farm animals
Equine experience is also good.

Having experience with general handling and husbandry as well as some insight into the medicine of these animal are both a good idea. That isn't to say you HAVE to have vet experience with these animals, but the more experience you do obtain with more species, the better your application looks.



I never cared about buying a house, until I was 29, living with parents and looking to move out. Then suddenly you start looking, apartments are just as much as renting (at least in this area) and renting is as much as mortgage. Might as well get that mortgage so that you can get some value out of what you are putting in. I just bought a house a few months ago (was not easy with the student loan debt) and it has already increased in value by $10k. So this is nice. I get it doesn't make sense now or you don't want that now, I didn't either 5 years ago, but that changes. The kid thing, yeah, I agree with you, don't want kids. Don't plan on changing my mind on that. Don't ever expect anyone else will change their mind on that. But some people do. As for the car... your car should last another 10-15 years, that doesn't mean it will. Don't rely on that. You never know when you will need a new vehicle. Heck even just vehicle trouble can be difficult to afford with a vet salary.



I can tell you that there are many times I can't relieve suffering in this job and that the animal's owner WON'T let me euthanize to ease that suffering. Or I can ease suffering, sometimes with a few simple treatments and the owner can't afford it or, again, won't allow it. You can work with people who have a common goal to help animals without being a vet and going the route of being a human doctor, dentist, optometrist, etc. So then you are appeasing both your desire to help medically as well as work to help animals. Do so by volunteering with a shelter or rescue. Or being a foster for animals. There are many things you can do to work to help animals without having to make it your career. I can tell you that once you make animals your entire career, you start to look at them much differently. If animals are a hobby, don't make your hobby your work, because then it is no longer a hobby. Hopefully that makes sense.

I just wanted to say that I really appreciate all the time you took with your thorough response.

Oh, I also like teaching, which goes for both human medicine and animal medicine.

I should have clarified that I knew what large animals were, just was confused on whether you were referring to general large animal experience (such as husbandry help) vs. large animal veterinary experience. Either way, thank you for the clarification.

I can understand your point about the whole house thing. We (both turning 26 this year) have had our own place for the last 7 years now, going from a one bedroom apartment in our home state to a tiny bachelor in a very HCOL area, and currently reside in a larger studio apartment (in another HCOL area, where we plan to stay for another 4-6 years), so we will just be happy to go back to a one bedroom apartment I feel. I know we could change our minds as well, but neither of us have wanted to be rooted down somewhere by buying a home. Depending on his work location, there is also a good chance of us not living in an area where we can afford to buy a house, even if we wanted to. I know that is a lot of "ifs" though. You make a good point about the car though, cars are unreliable and expensive to maintain.

I think I was just trying to respond in advance to the posts where I see people say how if they care about buying a fancy car, buying a nice home, having kids, and go on expensive vacations then they should not go into veterinary medicine.

In the cases where the owners won't allow you to euthanize or can't afford/won't allow treatment, do they at least allow/afford pain medicine/palliative medicine to keep the animal more comfortable? I ask out of genuine curiosity. That has been a concern of mine, as I've witnessed first hand a family member who let our family pet suffer for far too long because they didn't want to euthanize, but thought that even if someone wouldn't euthanize their animal who was suffering, that they would at least allow palliative measures to minimize pain? Am I naive in this thinking?

Would you mind elaborating on "you start to look at them differently?" How so?

One issue that I forgot to mention that I should have that I have with human medicine is body fluids. Body fluids from animals doesn't bother me at all. In humans, feces, urine, blood, pus, etc. doesn't bother me at all, but phlegm and vomit do. I'm still uncertain as to whether that is something that can be overcome with exposure or not, which was another reason I went back to veterinary medicine after having to clean up vomit in the bathroom at work (it was mainly just liquid from a drink too, but I gagged the whole time. Granted, I know that typically doctors aren't the ones who clean up vomit, but they do get puked on).I also don't find babies to be be as cute as I would a baby snake or spider even, but that is probably very minor in the list of considerations of choosing a field to go into (I do adore toddlers and younger kids though).

On the other side of the coin though, I have less of a problem with causing pain in humans then I do with animals (for example, I can't trim my dog's nails because it makes me nervous and watching youtube videos of animals at the vet getting poked with needles makes me cringe more than watching people getting a shot, but I feel like part of that is from the animals reaction compared to person's or even child's non-reaction for the most part), but I do feel like that is something that can be overcome through exposure and proper knowledge as well.

I also have decided against dentistry as I do not like how it is all procedural and very tedious. While I would be interested in doing some surgery as a vet, I would not be happy if that was the only thing I did.

I also feel like I have the tendency to choose one very minor thing in the grand scheme of things, focus my fear on it, and then let it decide whether or not I go into a career. It also seems that every career I look into (from general dentist, general pediatrician/physician, veterinarian, marriage and family therapist, social work, child psychologist, etc.) to research the pros and cons of the profession, people post the whole "if there is something else you are interested in for a career, do that instead, this career isn't worth it" I just go endlessly back and forth between professions, wasting my life in indecision. Everytime I decide on something to start trying to go for (start the volunteer/ec/shadowing for), either someone talks me out of it, or I talk myself out of it.

I also feel like that once I finally land a shadowing opportunity (or work in the environment in a hands on position, rather than a non-clinical volunteer) in both human and veterinary medicine, that I will want to work in that field. I feel like that I am one of those people who once they actual take concrete steps in working in a certain field, I will enjoy that career more than the career not traveled. It just is difficult since all the careers I'm interested involve years of preparation and several hundred hours of experience.

I know it is naive to say, but I really think that after shadowing more, I really could enjoy human (mainly general pediatrics. I know it isn't the same as in person shadowing, but I've watched one pediatrician's day in life videos and I could see myself happily in his shoes, performing wellness exams and treating strep, ear infections, and warts) or veterinary medicine equally. I will be excited by working in a career that actual has worth, versus my current job. I just have that type of personality, if that at all makes sense.

I do realize that with the salary of a human doctor (even a lower salary such as pediatrics or family medicine), that I can use that money to help animals still, but in a different capacity than a veterinarian.

The other part of me is like, you only have one life, why not at least try for veterinary medicine.

I know I need to shadow though. I was unsuccessful at physician shadowing last year, but I did find a pre-med summer internship program with shadowing that I was considering applying for before I went back to considering veterinary medicine. I didn't want to potentially take the spot of someone who is certain they want to go into human medicine. I also have been delaying applying for the vet assistant job, as despite my hatred for my current job, it would limit other opportunities working somewhere else.

Sorry for the giant wall of text, I can't sleep because my mind is racing trying to figure out my life, and your advice was very helpful and thought provoking.

Did you ever consider human medicine?

 

[KCgophervet]

Just going to reply to a couple of things you mentioned here

In the cases where the owners won't allow you to euthanize or can't afford/won't allow treatment, do they at least allow/afford pain medicine/palliative medicine to keep the animal more comfortable? I ask out of genuine curiosity. That has been a concern of mine, as I've witnessed first hand a family member who let our family pet suffer for far too long because they didn't want to euthanize, but thought that even if someone wouldn't euthanize their animal who was suffering, that they would at least allow palliative measures to minimize pain? Am I naive in this thinking?

I have a really strong painful memory from vet school on emergency when a couple brought in their ~6 mo kitten who was diagnosed with an incurable fatal condition and was in pain and crying. The owners refused to euthanize despite the grave prognosis. After that discussion was over (and the vet had brought in the social worker on site to discuss further with the clients, who still adamantly refused), the offer of pain meds to at least ease the kitten's passing were brought up. The couple refused because they no longer trusted the vets and thought they'd give the kitten an overdose of the pain medications to euthanize it without their permission. It was horrible and heart wrenching to see them walking out the door with their suffering kitten knowing it was going to die in pain. So my answer to you is no, they don't necessarily allow pain medicine either.

I know it is naive to say, but I really think that after shadowing more, I really could enjoy human (mainly general pediatrics. I know it isn't the same as in person shadowing, but I've watched one pediatrician's day in life videos and I could see myself happily in his shoes, performing wellness exams and treating strep, ear infections, and warts) or veterinary medicine equally. I will be excited by working in a career that actual has worth, versus my current job. I just have that type of personality, if that at all makes sense.

My vote would be to look into it more (which it sounds like is your plan) and then make your decision. Your general quality of life will likely be better going the human med route (but I will say that human pediatrics is probably the closest to vet med - patients bite, can't always tell you what hurts or what feels wrong, and have to rely a lot on the "parents" to provide proper care and treatment).

 

[DVMDream]

I think I was just trying to respond in advance to the posts where I see people say how if they care about buying a fancy car, buying a nice home, having kids, and go on expensive vacations then they should not go into veterinary medicine.

Skip "fancy". Heck, you can't afford fancy in this profession. You can barely afford any house or any car or any vacations. That is what we mean. We aren't even discussing fancy. I have a Hyundai Elantra, that is as fancy pants as I am going to get. And that is far from "fancy".

In the cases where the owners won't allow you to euthanize or can't afford/won't allow treatment, do they at least allow/afford pain medicine/palliative medicine to keep the animal more comfortable? I ask out of genuine curiosity. That has been a concern of mine, as I've witnessed first hand a family member who let our family pet suffer for far too long because they didn't want to euthanize, but thought that even if someone wouldn't euthanize their animal who was suffering, that they would at least allow palliative measures to minimize pain? Am I naive in this thinking?

Not always. Have sent home many animals with an AMA form. Had someone refuse to euthanize a 5 day old puppy that was agonal breathing on exam. Despite explaining in every way I knew how that this puppy was actively dying in that moment and was suffering, the owner refused to believe me. Elected to take it home to "a friend who knows dogs." Happens frequently. People believe John Smith down the road who "knows dogs" or their breeder or groomer or heck even pool maintenance worker over you, a licensed veterinarian.

So, no, I can't always get people to even take pain control home to keep the pet comfortable.

Would you mind elaborating on "you start to look at them differently?" How so?

As in, I borderline dislike most dogs now. The vast majority of the public should never be allowed to own a dog. I see way too many terrified, unsocialized, aggressive, nightmare dogs. You can't correct people, they get offended. I try to explain at puppy visits about proper dog handling, training, socialization and it just falls on deaf ears. Then the owners blame it on that the dog was "abused before they got it." Nope, you have had it since 8 weeks old, you didn't treat it like a damn dog, you treated it like a porcelain human that would break if you so as much allowed it to touch the ground or so as much told it "no" in any way, shape or form.

As in, it used to be nice to discuss animals with other people. Now, I would rather talk about farts than anything to do with an animal ever. I deal with animals all day, every day, I don't want to discuss them in casual conversation outside of work anymore.

On the other side of the coin though, I have less of a problem with causing pain in humans then I do with animals (for example, I can't trim my dog's nails because it makes me nervous and watching youtube videos of animals at the vet getting poked with needles makes me cringe more than watching people getting a shot, but I feel like part of that is from the animals reaction compared to person's or even child's non-reaction for the most part), but I do feel like that is something that can be overcome through exposure and proper knowledge as well.

I don't get too many dogs that really care about a vaccine. Some do overreact, but most don't. Human children though for vaccinations, where are you seeing non-reactions. They usually cry like crazy.

I also have decided against dentistry as I do not like how it is all procedural and very tedious. While I would be interested in doing some surgery as a vet, I would not be happy if that was the only thing I did.

Dentistry is becoming very common in veterinary medicine. Very common. Full mouth extractions happen often because people don't prioritize dental care for their pets. We are just starting to get people to understand that dental care is important for the health of their pets. So we regularly see dogs and cats with teeth that are just insanely painful and basically rotting out of the skull.

I also feel like I have the tendency to choose one very minor thing in the grand scheme of things, focus my fear on it, and then let it decide whether or not I go into a career. It also seems that every career I look into (from general dentist, general pediatrician/physician, veterinarian, marriage and family therapist, social work, child psychologist, etc.) to research the pros and cons of the profession, people post the whole "if there is something else you are interested in for a career, do that instead, this career isn't worth it" I just go endlessly back and forth between professions, wasting my life in indecision. Everytime I decide on something to start trying to go for (start the volunteer/ec/shadowing for), either someone talks me out of it, or I talk myself out of it.

I also feel like that once I finally land a shadowing opportunity (or work in the environment in a hands on position, rather than a non-clinical volunteer) in both human and veterinary medicine, that I will want to work in that field. I feel like that I am one of those people who once they actual take concrete steps in working in a certain field, I will enjoy that career more than the career not traveled. It just is difficult since all the careers I'm interested involve years of preparation and several hundred hours of experience.

You can't do either one of the above. I know easier said than done. You can't just decide to zone in on a fear and allow that one fear to let you miss out. And you can't just go "well I have decided to shadow/work in/explore Y, so I am staying with Y and can't move on to Z." You can put aside fears and even have fears become non-issues. You also can explore Y with an open mind and decide, hmm, I like these things, but don't like these things, let me check out Z and see how that compares.

I know it is naive to say, but I really think that after shadowing more, I really could enjoy human (mainly general pediatrics. I know it isn't the same as in person shadowing, but I've watched one pediatrician's day in life videos and I could see myself happily in his shoes, performing wellness exams and treating strep, ear infections, and warts) or veterinary medicine equally. I will be excited by working in a career that actual has worth, versus my current job. I just have that type of personality, if that at all makes sense.

The thing is if you could enjoy both equally (and get actual shadowing experience) then most of us would say stick with the human side, because at the very least, you will bring in more money and be able to live a more comfortable life. Watching YouTube where most of what is uploaded is the fun and exciting part of a career doesn't really portray how things go. That pediatrician may have posted some cool things but he also probably left out the mother who screamed at him for coming in late. Or the parent who allowed the kid to draw on the walls. Or the father who screamed at him for not looking at the kid and knowing exactly what is wrong. Etc, etc, etc. YouTube is nice to see some aspects, but can guarantee those are all the "fun"/"cool" things and does not show any of the bad.

The other part of me is like, you only have one life, why not at least try for veterinary medicine.

Why not try for human medicine? Or to be an astronaut? Or to travel all of Europe? Or to win the lottery? Or.... Or.... Or... And on and on and on. You have one life, why not try everything? Can't think like that. You have one life, take the time to really consider all options and decide what really does fit best for you. There is no rule that you have to be settled in a career by the age of 30. You have time to really figure out what fits you the best.

Did you ever consider human medicine?

Yes, I did. For a very brief period in time, but ultimately decided there was only ever one aspect of human medicine I would consider and after further thought it would take a lot of training to get to that point. And, even then, there was no guarantee I would end up in that one, very specialize niche. Add in that I realized I can't really deal well with human bodily fluids and I opted to not take that route.[/QUOTE]

 

[Vannandy]

As in, I borderline dislike most dogs now. The vast majority of the public should never be allowed to own a dog.

[/QUOTE]

lol there are some veterinary students who I'd say shouldn't be allowed to own a dog. How they exhibit the exact same self-destructive pet owning behaviors as people who've seen terrible client/patients before is beyond me (I live with a barking terrier who's owner doesn't walk it, constantly rewards with treats for no reason, and doesn't reprimand after it does something wrong.)

 

[DVMDream]

lol there are some veterinary students who I'd say shouldn't be allowed to own a dog. How they exhibit the exact same self-destructive pet owning behaviors as people who've seen terrible client/patients before is beyond me (I live with a barking terrier who's owner doesn't walk it, constantly rewards with treats for no reason, and doesn't reprimand after it does something wrong.)

There are vet students that shouldn't be near a dead cockroach, but that's an entirely different topic .

 

[princesspeach2]

Skip "fancy". Heck, you can't afford fancy in this profession. You can barely afford any house or any car or any vacations. That is what we mean. We aren't even discussing fancy. I have a Hyundai Elantra, that is as fancy pants as I am going to get. And that is far from "fancy".

I'm not a car person, so to me, our Honda Civic is "fancy" since it is newer, and I hate flying/travel due to motion sickness, but that is besides the point obviously. I do see now more the depth of the effect that the debt has on a person though.

Not always. Have sent home many animals with an AMA form. Had someone refuse to euthanize a 5 day old puppy that was agonal breathing on exam. Despite explaining in every way I knew how that this puppy was actively dying in that moment and was suffering, the owner refused to believe me. Elected to take it home to "a friend who knows dogs." Happens frequently. People believe John Smith down the road who "knows dogs" or their breeder or groomer or heck even pool maintenance worker over you, a licensed veterinarian.

So, no, I can't always get people to even take pain control home to keep the pet comfortable.

Thank you for this insight. I was not sure how common of an occurrence this was, and now I am seeing that seems to be something that vets deal with fairly frequently. I know there is a similar comparison in pediatrics with parents not wanting to vaccinate or use medical treatments, or signing their kids out AMA, but I feel like it is a slightly different situation as well.

As in, I borderline dislike most dogs now. The vast majority of the public should never be allowed to own a dog. I see way too many terrified, unsocialized, aggressive, nightmare dogs. You can't correct people, they get offended. I try to explain at puppy visits about proper dog handling, training, socialization and it just falls on deaf ears. Then the owners blame it on that the dog was "abused before they got it." Nope, you have had it since 8 weeks old, you didn't treat it like a damn dog, you treated it like a porcelain human that would break if you so as much allowed it to touch the ground or so as much told it "no" in any way, shape or form.

As in, it used to be nice to discuss animals with other people. Now, I would rather talk about farts than anything to do with an animal ever. I deal with animals all day, every day, I don't want to discuss them in casual conversation outside of work anymore.

Oh wow. I do agree that the vast majority of people should never be allowed to have a dog. Dogs are far more work than people realize, and even though I grew up with dogs, that is vastly different from owning your own dog. It is sort of surprising to hear how much you dislike talked about animals outside of work., but I can understand why you would feel that.

I don't get too many dogs that really care about a vaccine. Some do overreact, but most don't. Human children though for vaccinations, where are you seeing non-reactions. They usually cry like crazy.

Meh, this is probably more of a personal opinion thing for me than a factual thing. Hearing a dog, cat, or other animal yelp in pain and flinch/attempt to bite/try to get away from whatever is causing them pain affects me (sends daggers to my heart), but hearing and seeing a child cry from shots or try to get away does not bother me. I feel empathetic for them, and feel like the process should be as stress free as possible, but I am far more emotionally removed from humans as compared to animals. I guess that is what I meant by non-reactions? I don't like to see humans in pain or scared either (I think all efforts should be made to make it as scary and pain free as possible of course), but I am emotionally detached from it more. I guess overall, I far more logical with humans, and emotional when it comes to animals.

Dentistry is becoming very common in veterinary medicine. Very common. Full mouth extractions happen often because people don't prioritize dental care for their pets. We are just starting to get people to understand that dental care is important for the health of their pets. So we regularly see dogs and cats with teeth that are just insanely painful and basically rotting out of the skull.

I would have no problem doing dentistry in veterinary medicine, as it is a component to general health and well being, if that makes sense. Just doing teeth, day in and day out, for 30 years, teeth and oral care alone, does not sound enjoyable.

You can't do either one of the above. I know easier said than done. You can't just decide to zone in on a fear and allow that one fear to let you miss out. And you can't just go "well I have decided to shadow/work in/explore Y, so I am staying with Y and can't move on to Z." You can put aside fears and even have fears become non-issues. You also can explore Y with an open mind and decide, hmm, I like these things, but don't like these things, let me check out Z and see how that compares.

I know, you are right. You writing it out like you did was really helpful. I've been struggling greatly with how to approach exploring different fields, and how you put it really simplified it for me. You were spot on about everything. I am going to try to put aside my fears in both professions, and actually go out and experience things in person, versus doing it behind the computer screen. I think I am just so desperate to finally decide on something and progress in life that I feel like I don't have the time to explore different things. I'm going to work on that more.

The thing is if you could enjoy both equally (and get actual shadowing experience) then most of us would say stick with the human side, because at the very least, you will bring in more money and be able to live a more comfortable life. Watching YouTube where most of what is uploaded is the fun and exciting part of a career doesn't really portray how things go. That pediatrician may have posted some cool things but he also probably left out the mother who screamed at him for coming in late. Or the parent who allowed the kid to draw on the walls. Or the father who screamed at him for not looking at the kid and knowing exactly what is wrong. Etc, etc, etc. YouTube is nice to see some aspects, but can guarantee those are all the "fun"/"cool" things and does not show any of the bad.

You are definitely right about the whole youtube thing. I agree 100% that it shows all of the positive side of medicine, and none of the negative things. (such as getting yelled at, all of the paperwork and charting, dealing with insurance, etc.) After all, besides the fact that it is a youtube video (which is meant to be fun and exciting to promote it), people are on the their best behavior typically when being filmed. I was more referencing how I read how so many pre-meds/medical students think that doing wellness exams, diagnosing strep and ear infections, and treating warts is incredibly boring and they have no desire to do that. I know I need to get actual shadowing experience.

Why not try for human medicine? Or to be an astronaut? Or to travel all of Europe? Or to win the lottery? Or.... Or.... Or... And on and on and on. You have one life, why not try everything? Can't think like that. You have one life, take the time to really consider all options and decide what really does fit best for you. There is no rule that you have to be settled in a career by the age of 30. You have time to really figure out what fits you the best.

You know what, you are 100% right about this too. I'm seeing that my thinking has been detrimental so far. Here I've been putting myself down for not being settled in a career by now, or for not just choosing something and sticking with it, but that actually hasn't been productive, which I am seeing now.

Yes, I did. For a very brief period in time, but ultimately decided there was only ever one aspect of human medicine I would consider and after further thought it would take a lot of training to get to that point. And, even then, there was no guarantee I would end up in that one, very specialize niche. Add in that I realized I can't really deal well with human bodily fluids and I opted to not take that route.

I'm just curious, if you feel like sharing, what was that aspect? Human bodily fluids are grosser than animals, I agree with that.

Thank you again for all your feedback. I really, really, appreciate it.

 

[princesspeach2]

Just going to reply to a couple of things you mentioned here


I have a really strong painful memory from vet school on emergency when a couple brought in their ~6 mo kitten who was diagnosed with an incurable fatal condition and was in pain and crying. The owners refused to euthanize despite the grave prognosis. After that discussion was over (and the vet had brought in the social worker on site to discuss further with the clients, who still adamantly refused), the offer of pain meds to at least ease the kitten's passing were brought up. The couple refused because they no longer trusted the vets and thought they'd give the kitten an overdose of the pain medications to euthanize it without their permission. It was horrible and heart wrenching to see them walking out the door with their suffering kitten knowing it was going to die in pain. So my answer to you is no, they don't necessarily allow pain medicine either.


My vote would be to look into it more (which it sounds like is your plan) and then make your decision. Your general quality of life will likely be better going the human med route (but I will say that human pediatrics is probably the closest to vet med - patients bite, can't always tell you what hurts or what feels wrong, and have to rely a lot on the "parents" to provide proper care and treatment).

Wow, that is terrible. Poor kitten.

I have found it to be quite funny the similarities in both veterinary and pediatric medicine. Apparently, I am trying to avoid a profession where I can directly communicate with the patients, and want to go through the "middle man".

I am going to start looking into more opportunities for shadowing both professions.

 

[princesspeach2]

It is funny how when I started this thread, my intention was to figure out the best way to start the pre-vet journey. Now, I'm back to trying to decide between the two professions again. I hope it is okay to keep posting on this thread, even if it now turns more into a journey to explore and consider both fields. Oh the irony.

This whole thread has given me a lot to think about, and I feel a lot more clear headed about things, so I am thankful for everyone who has participated so far. See another pro for veterinarian medicine, you all are just so nice! (I know there are nice people in other professions, but internet forum wise, everyone over here seems to be a lot friendlier) I have been stressing myself out very much trying to figure out what path to take in life, to the point where I can't sleep because my brain won't shut off. I'm really grateful for the advice I've been given.

My new plan is to take concrete steps in shadowing both professions. I am going to start with human medicine first, to help offset any innate and initial bias for veterinary medicine. Either way, I need shadowing hours, so that is the most important thing to focus on right now.

 

[SkiOtter]

Meh, this is probably more of a personal opinion thing for me than a factual thing. Hearing a dog, cat, or other animal yelp in pain and flinch/attempt to bite/try to get away from whatever is causing them pain affects me (sends daggers to my heart), but hearing and seeing a child cry from shots or try to get away does not bother me. I feel empathetic for them, and feel like the process should be as stress free as possible, but I am far more emotionally removed from humans as compared to animals. I guess that is what I meant by non-reactions? I don't like to see humans in pain or scared either (I think all efforts should be made to make it as scary and pain free as possible of course), but I am emotionally detached from it more. I guess overall, I far more logical with humans, and emotional when it comes to animals.

How are you going to deal with giving animals vaccines if you cannot stand hearing the occasional animal yelp?

(I know there are nice people in other professions, but internet forum wise, everyone over here seems to be a lot friendlier)

We are very welcoming to other professions here! (But yes, pre-allo is a dumpster fire)

 

[DVMDream]

I'm just curious, if you feel like sharing, what was that aspect? Human bodily fluids are grosser than animals, I agree with that.

Thank you again for all your feedback. I really, really, appreciate it.

The reason being is that I could only see myself in one very specific niche of human medicine... pediatric oncology. Trying to break into one very specific, very narrow niche of human medicine is difficult. Not only that, I decided I couldn't emotionally handle that job after reading more into it and reading more specifics about treatments, diagnostics, and the suffering those kids do endure. I came to the realization that 1. there is no guarantee I make it into that super specific niche of medicine and 2. after further research, I decided I couldn't handle the emotional impact of that job.

 

[princesspeach2]

How are you going to deal with giving animals vaccines if you cannot stand hearing the occasional animal yelp?

We are very welcoming to other professions here! (But yes, pre-allo is a dumpster fire)

I didn't mean to imply that because I don't like hearing animals yelp, I could never cause them a quick moment of pain to help them. I more just wanted to imply that I am more emotionally involved when it comes to animals over people, but not to the detriment of not being able to do my job, I believe. I mean, my dog hides and cowers when I have to do ear medicine, and it is so pitiful, but I still give her the ear meds as I know it is necessary to help her in the long run.

You very much are!

 

[dyachei]

I thought about human med for a brief moment before becoming a vet. I often wish I had, retrospectively.

Here's the thing about this profession, it's emotionally draining. But it's also physically draining. We are a much more physical profession than most other health professions (PT might be the exception). What does that mean? Well, people are more likely to have to quit or find non-clinical jobs on getting out of school earlier than they would like. The number of large animal vets becoming small animal vets is high. The number of small animal vets with joint issues is also high. I know that means nothing to you as of this moment. It didn't to me, either. But I see it brought up from normal individuals all the time. With a connective tissue disease, that problem is just more prevalent earlier for me. I talk to vets in their 50s trying to find a way to keep working as they can't afford to retire but are in pain daily.

 

[princesspeach2]

I thought about human med for a brief moment before becoming a vet. I often wish I had, retrospectively.

Here's the thing about this profession, it's emotionally draining. But it's also physically draining. We are a much more physical profession than most other health professions (PT might be the exception). What does that mean? Well, people are more likely to have to quit or find non-clinical jobs on getting out of school earlier than they would like. The number of large animal vets becoming small animal vets is high. The number of small animal vets with joint issues is also high. I know that means nothing to you as of this moment. It didn't to me, either. But I see it brought up from normal individuals all the time. With a connective tissue disease, that problem is just more prevalent earlier for me. I talk to vets in their 50s trying to find a way to keep working as they can't afford to retire but are in pain daily.

This is actually something I have been concerned about (along with the fact that if your hands get injured, you are screwed since veterinarians do a lot of surgery and need their hands). My current job is much more physical than at my prior location, and I am often sore and get injured fairly regularly as well. I'm in decent shape and fairly active too, it is just a physically demanding job. The physical demands of dentistry/dental hygiene were another reason I have decided against dentistry, as I've read similar things about dentists quitting clinical practice because their bodies are in constant pain. I had not read about veterinarians being in daily pain from the physical demands of job, so thank you for your input. I will definitely take that into consideration as well.

 

[princesspeach2]

Hi everyone! Small update. I have a phone interview coming up for a kennel assistant position at a veterinary hospital! Not the one that I mentioned above, but another place. I applied last night, and she called today. Any tips? It is a no experience required position, the office manager said she was impressed by my cover letter and resume (I don't have a lot of experience, but I did a good job at showing how the skills gained working in food service are transferable to the skills a kennel assistant needs in my opinion) I feel that I interview decently. I looked up the clinic's website and yelp to learn more about them.

I also decided to stop marking off careers before experiencing them in person, and just recently did an interview and a working interview for a dental office assistant trainee too (position was close to my home and would have paid great). I got to shadow the dentists, hygienists, and assistants. It was very eye opening and interesting (I got to see a lot of neat stuff!), but definitely made me realize that I have no desire to go into dentistry (for humans at least!)

It also made me realize that I was wrong on my earlier assumption that I would be enamored by any job that isn't a food service job. Nope, not in the slightest. My fear of shadowing and falling in love with the first field I shadowed is completely unfounded.

 

[princesspeach2]

Sooo in case anyone was wondering (or more because I am feeling so happy and excited, so wanted to share) my phone interview went great! I thought she was going to ask the more typical interview type questions (ie- what are your strengths, weaknesses, etc.) but it was far more casual. It is for a 30-35 hr a week, working 3-4 10 hour shifts a week, on Saturday's, Sunday's, and then a couple week days. She really seemed to like me, and told me at the start that she was really impressed by my email, cover letter, and resume, and that I earned brownie points for clearly reading the entire ad (evident in my email title- Why I would make the perfect kennel attendant) and even told me "Thank YOU for applying." a couple times. She was very cheerful and enthusiastic sounding like myself, so I am feeling very good so far. I am super excited for my in person interview this Thursday!

 

[EB73674]

Been reading through this thread all morning, congratulations! Hope you love this job and that it helps you truly figure out what you want out of life!

 

[princesspeach2]

Been reading through this thread all morning, congratulations! Hope you love this job and that it helps you truly figure out what you want out of life!

Awww thank you! I hope so too!

 

[princesspeach2]

I got the job! Although I definitely need to work on my interview skills, they liked me enough to have me come back for a "working interview" (shadowing due to liability) the same day! I will be a kennel assistant, and cross-trained as a receptionist.

I have to say though, after shadowing the kennel assistant (watching her do laundry, dishes, take out the trash, and general cleaning), and learning more about the day-to-day responsibilities, it felt like volunteering back in high school, just "on steroids." It didn't seem like a job in the sense that my current job is a job, and the pace was much slower than food service too, which surprised me. I felt so happy when I was at the clinic, and am super excited (and nervous too!) to start in 2 weeks!

I never felt the way I felt there with any of the hospital or human-clinical volunteering I did. I was so happy to be there!

I'm definitely not going to jump the gun and say I am going to be a veterinarian though. I am going to wait until I start at the clinic, and shadow at different clinics on my days off. I do feel like though at this point, if not veterinary medicine, than I am considering psychology (LCSW, LMFT, masters in school counseling, etc.) teaching, or something in the medical field, but perhaps at a lower-level than MD/DO (PA, nursing, physical therapy, speech language pathology, etc. I am definitely taking a step back, and exploring things more.

I'm still uncertain as to whether I want to be around human body fluids, but animal fluids are not a problem.

 

[princesspeach2]

Oh my golly 2 days in and I freaking LOVE this job! Highlight of today: I got to hold a kitten today (just to prevent her from jumping down) and helped restrain a dog for a nail trim (I held the back legs down, the other vet tech held down the front end.)

It still doesn't seem like actual work to me. The pace is much slower than food service. Yesterday I did paper work, got another tour of the place, and then spent the rest of the shift doing laundry, sweeping, mopping, trash, taking dogs out to go potty, and that was about it. Today was a larger cleaning day, so we spent the day scrubbing surgery, treatment area, and the radiology/lab room down from top to bottom, along with the normal laundry, spot sweeping, taking dogs out, trash, etc.

One of the RVT's was really nice to stop and explain some things that I was curious about in the lab (what they were testing, how it worked, what vials were for what)

Tomorrow is the deep clean day, which I'm excited for, as it is something new to learn! Time really flies by, which is a big difference.

While I am quite happy cleaning, doing laundry, taking out the trash, and the other kennel assistant duties, I am very excited to learn (and be able to do) more. I am looking forward to my receptionist training, and am exploring what vet assistant and tech programs are around me in case I want to go that route.

 

[princesspeach2]

Hi everyone! In need of a bit of guidance.

I am really loving working in veterinary medicine. I really can't imagine myself in any other career now that I'm working in the vet field. I've had the chance over the last week to observe the veterinarians and vet tech's, which has slowly given me a better picture of the responsibilities and day-to-day life of each.

I've even decided looking into becoming an RVT. Unfortunately, the only AVMA accredited Associate's degree program near me is at a private, for-profit school (Carrington College), and costs a whopping 34K (they do have FAFSA, which would knock off approximately 8K max). Their credits don't transfer to any school except for Devry online university (which I have no desire to attend).

At this point in my life, I would eventually rather work as an RVT then as a kennel attendant/receptionist, but long-term, I really feel like I want to do the work of a veterinarian. The diagnosing and performing surgery (after seeing it more in person) are what I feel I ultimately want to be able to do. I'm trying to keep an open mind though, and could see myself enjoying working as tech for a few years at least.

For the sake of this question, I feel I should add that I have used up 2.5 years of my lifetime pell grant funds, leaving only 3.5 years left. To transfer to a 4-yr college as a declared science major, I would have to take 5 more semesters of community college (due to the chem, bio, math, and physics sequences). To transfer as a declared non-science major, I need 2-3 semesters of credits (most of my credits are non-transfer due to catching up, so this is just to wrack up my credits to the 60 min).

I've met with an advisor at Carrington, gotten a tour of the campus, spoke with one of the vets who lead the program, met with other staff, and it sounds really great (except for the hefty price tag of course).

The reason I want to do the RVT program is because it would give me a fall back career in case I decide I want to be done with school, give me the opportunity to learn things in a school setting versus on the job (I know I would be practicing "on the job" during the school, but learning in a school setting first and then applying is what I prefer), it would help me feel more confident as I would be taught basic things that would make work easier, would allow me to have an increase in pay, and for part of the program, you travel to a different clinic each week and volunteer hands-on so you can see how different clinics run, which I feel like would be an invaluable experience. It would be easy to build connections with several different veterinarians as well. It would also give me a taste of what it is like to be in a fast pace, non-stop learning environment that similar to how it would be in vet school, to confirm I would want to do that.

What is holding me back is that if I ultimately end up going to vet school, I'll already be at least ~24k in debt, plus the fact that I would have to waste the remaining pell grant funds on CC classes, which would leave me nothing left for the 4-yr college, which is approx 13.5K per year, so another 27K on top of the potentially 200k for vet school. Which is a LOT of debt.

If I don't go to vet school, I worry that the loan payments will be greater than the increase in salary as an RVT. I live and plan to live in a HCOL area for the next 5-10+ years, so I benefit in that at least.

My question, do you think attending this RVT school would be a wise or unwise decision?

 

[Nalra095]

Hi everyone! In need of a bit of guidance.

I am really loving working in veterinary medicine. I really can't imagine myself in any other career now that I'm working in the vet field. I've had the chance over the last week to observe the veterinarians and vet tech's, which has slowly given me a better picture of the responsibilities and day-to-day life of each.

I've even decided looking into becoming an RVT. Unfortunately, the only AVMA accredited Associate's degree program near me is at a private, for-profit school (Carrington College), and costs a whopping 34K (they do have FAFSA, which would knock off approximately 8K max). Their credits don't transfer to any school except for Devry online university (which I have no desire to attend).

At this point in my life, I would eventually rather work as an RVT then as a kennel attendant/receptionist, but long-term, I really feel like I want to do the work of a veterinarian. The diagnosing and performing surgery (after seeing it more in person) are what I feel I ultimately want to be able to do. I'm trying to keep an open mind though, and could see myself enjoying working as tech for a few years at least.

For the sake of this question, I feel I should add that I have used up 2.5 years of my lifetime pell grant funds, leaving only 3.5 years left. To transfer to a 4-yr college as a declared science major, I would have to take 5 more semesters of community college (due to the chem, bio, math, and physics sequences). To transfer as a declared non-science major, I need 2-3 semesters of credits (most of my credits are non-transfer due to catching up, so this is just to wrack up my credits to the 60 min).

I've met with an advisor at Carrington, gotten a tour of the campus, spoke with one of the vets who lead the program, met with other staff, and it sounds really great (except for the hefty price tag of course).

The reason I want to do the RVT program is because it would give me a fall back career in case I decide I want to be done with school, give me the opportunity to learn things in a school setting versus on the job (I know I would be practicing "on the job" during the school, but learning in a school setting first and then applying is what I prefer), it would help me feel more confident as I would be taught basic things that would make work easier, would allow me to have an increase in pay, and for part of the program, you travel to a different clinic each week and volunteer hands-on so you can see how different clinics run, which I feel like would be an invaluable experience. It would be easy to build connections with several different veterinarians as well. It would also give me a taste of what it is like to be in a fast pace, non-stop learning environment that similar to how it would be in vet school, to confirm I would want to do that.

What is holding me back is that if I ultimately end up going to vet school, I'll already be at least ~24k in debt, plus the fact that I would have to waste the remaining pell grant funds on CC classes, which would leave me nothing left for the 4-yr college, which is approx 13.5K per year, so another 27K on top of the potentially 200k for vet school. Which is a LOT of debt.

If I don't go to vet school, I worry that the loan payments will be greater than the increase in salary as an RVT. I live and plan to live in a HCOL area for the next 5-10+ years, so I benefit in that at least.

My question, do you think attending this RVT school would be a wise or unwise decision?

If you're dead set on becoming a veterinarian then going to tech school to become an RVT will be a waste of money. It would more smart to invest more time into your classes and focus on getting good grades and experience working in the clinic so that you could apply and attend an In-State school for optimal tuition or at least a school that would allow for IS after a year.

 

[EB73674]

The points you bring up are legitimate ones - vet school, on top of undergrad debt, is a very, VERY hefty debt load to take on. It's no joke, and requires a lot of thought. Getting your RVT education & licensure will be a lot less money, and (likely, although I don't know your specifics) more doable to repay student loans on a reasonable schedule. You also never know what the political climate will bring, with more and more governmental action being considered for student debt relief, especially for those getting technical degrees. If you want to be a veterinarian, and don't think you'd be happy long term as an RVT, stick with that shorter & cheaper educational path. Taking on veterinary school debt has to be because you would NOT be happy doing ANYTHING else.

 

[that redhead]

If you want to be a veterinarian, commit yourself to that wholeheartedly now. You can easily fall back into tech work if it doesn't work out at any point on your vet school path, and depending what state you're in, you wouldn't need to be an RVT to do that work.

That being said, you've been in vet med for...a week? Shadowing the same people at the same facility. With all due respect, I really don't think that's enough time to know for sure what you really want right now. Great to be thinking about the future, absolutely, but I'd encourage you to give it a little more time before making such a big financial decision. And consider getting some time in a couple other settings - maybe a surgical specialty or a rehab facility?

 

[PrincessButterCup]

That being said, you've been in vet med for...a week? Shadowing the same people at the same facility. With all due respect, I really don't think that's enough time to know for sure what you really want right now. Great to be thinking about the future, absolutely, but I'd encourage you to give it a little more time before making such a big financial decision. And consider getting some time in a couple other settings - maybe a surgical specialty or a rehab facility?

This.

I loved my first clinic job for a full 6 months. There were a lot of reasons I fell out of love, but I would never have encountered those things if I hadn't stayed as long as I did. (I ended up working there for 3.5 years . . .) I worked in a second small animal hospital and liked it well enough at first, but started dreaming about leaving after about 3 months. Give yourself some time. You don't have to make up your mind to be in this field forever after just a few experiences.

I also echo the importance of getting a variety of experience. I worked in a veterinary diagnostic lab for two years and LOVED it, but clinic life is very much not for me. Clinics can be so different from each other, as well, so it's great to get your feet wet with shadowing/volunteering and expand your frame of reference.

 

[princesspeach2]

If you want to be a veterinarian, commit yourself to that wholeheartedly now. You can easily fall back into tech work if it doesn't work out at any point on your vet school path, and depending what state you're in, you wouldn't need to be an RVT to do that work.

That being said, you've been in vet med for...a week? Shadowing the same people at the same facility. With all due respect, I really don't think that's enough time to know for sure what you really want right now. Great to be thinking about the future, absolutely, but I'd encourage you to give it a little more time before making such a big financial decision. And consider getting some time in a couple other settings - maybe a surgical specialty or a rehab facility?

You know what, I agree with you entirely. 2 weeks *probably* isn't enough time to go making giant financial and educational decisions I think I am still just getting used to working somewhere where I am not miserable, and that excitement is clouding my judgement a bit.

To be honest, I am probably still in the honeymoon stage of working somewhere new as well. I'm going to keep an open mind, but to focus on gaining more experience at a couple different settings, and revisit what the heck I want to do in about 6 months on the field I think. Thank you for grounding me back to earth!

 

[princesspeach2]

This.

I loved my first clinic job for a full 6 months. There were a lot of reasons I fell out of love, but I would never have encountered those things if I hadn't stayed as long as I did. (I ended up working there for 3.5 years . . .) I worked in a second small animal hospital and liked it well enough at first, but started dreaming about leaving after about 3 months. Give yourself some time. You don't have to make up your mind to be in this field forever after just a few experiences.

I also echo the importance of getting a variety of experience. I worked in a veterinary diagnostic lab for two years and LOVED it, but clinic life is very much not for me. Clinics can be so different from each other, as well, so it's great to get your feet wet with shadowing/volunteering and expand your frame of reference.

I agree with you. I think I am just so enthusiastic about this job that I still have the rose-colored glasses on at this point, since it still is so new. I am going to focus on expanding my frame of reference, as you so elegantly put it.

 

[princesspeach2]

The points you bring up are legitimate ones - vet school, on top of undergrad debt, is a very, VERY hefty debt load to take on. It's no joke, and requires a lot of thought. Getting your RVT education & licensure will be a lot less money, and (likely, although I don't know your specifics) more doable to repay student loans on a reasonable schedule. You also never know what the political climate will bring, with more and more governmental action being considered for student debt relief, especially for those getting technical degrees. If you want to be a veterinarian, and don't think you'd be happy long term as an RVT, stick with that shorter & cheaper educational path. Taking on veterinary school debt has to be because you would NOT be happy doing ANYTHING else.

I have been talking to other RVT's, and looking more into career paths for RVT's. In my mind, I thought it was a very dead-end career, but I am seeing that there is actually a lot of potential growth. I've been looking on indeed job postings, and have seen positions for being an instructor at a technical school, running a program at an animal shelter, shelter medicine practitioner, etc. There are actually a lot of leadership positions for experienced RVT's, which I had no idea the degree of versatility.

Generally though, I am realizing that I need to broaden my experiences more as well before I can confidently make such a large decision.

 

[that redhead]

You know what, I agree with you entirely. 2 weeks *probably* isn't enough time to go making giant financial and educational decisions I think I am still just getting used to working somewhere where I am not miserable, and that excitement is clouding my judgement a bit.

To be honest, I am probably still in the honeymoon stage of working somewhere new as well. I'm going to keep an open mind, but to focus on gaining more experience at a couple different settings, and revisit what the heck I want to do in about 6 months on the field I think. Thank you for grounding me back to earth!

It’s quite refreshing to have someone listen to the advice of others on this board and be so gracious about things I’m glad you’re enjoying your job so much!

 

[princesspeach2]

It’s quite refreshing to have someone listen to the advice of others on this board and be so gracious about things I’m glad you’re enjoying your job so much!

Well, I feel like it would be silly to dismiss advice and guidance from people who have more experience. Me too!

Reflecting more on the past couple weeks, I also think part of the "I want to be a vet now!" was from feeling sort of bad about myself and very "low" compared to everyone else (after a particularly rough day, when a bunch of small things just piled up- starting with spraying the doctors with water accidently during a procedure). I felt kind of like screw this, I'll just become a vet, then no one will look down on me and I won't be annoying everyone constantly and will actually know some things so this won't be so overwhelming (which actually wasn't happening, I was just perceiving things wrong- ie thought I was annoying a coworker, later overheard her tell someone how much she liked me, etc).

It wasn't a good mindset to have obviously, and that evening I realized how I was taking things wrong, and to keep looking at mistakes as a chance to grow instead of taking it as a reflection of my work ethic and who I am. It was just a little rough going from a 5+ yr leadership position and knowing more than my GM in food service, to my current position where everyone is my boss and I know practically nothing.

I'm doing much better though now, and am starting to feel less overwhelmed as I learn and do more. I'm also learning things that I worked up in my head to be difficult and stressful (such as restraining animals for nail trims and blood draws) is such a non-issue when actually doing it.

I'm not 110% on being a veterinarian currently though. I really have been enjoying reception (since I have a really cheerful personality, it is a great fit for me) but I also am enjoying working hands-on with the animals. I love the animals, but I really love interacting with the people, both the clients and staff.

I'm also loving the extra time with my SO, only working 4 days a week, and having a weekend day off.

I still am considering shadowing other veterinarians, but right now, I am content with what I am currently doing for the time being. I'm going to go to a couple of classes for the RVT program on their open days so I can get a better idea if I am interested in the program. I'm enjoying though not having the constant worry of exams and studying, volunteering, and shadowing, and just being able to enjoy life a bit. I really had no clue how miserable and draining my old job was for me.

I'm really trying to get out of the mindset that being a veterinarian is the "best", everything else is "worse", and just focus on what is the best fit for me. Veterinary receptionist and veterinary assistant are careers as well, along with RVT, not just veterinarian. It is hard though, I feel like my mind is constantly fighting me, but I'm trying. LOL

Thank you again everyone for your advice so far!

 

[wildlifer]

If you want to be a veterinarian, commit yourself to that wholeheartedly now. You can easily fall back into tech work if it doesn't work out at any point on your vet school path, and depending what state you're in, you wouldn't need to be an RVT to do that work.

That being said, you've been in vet med for...a week? Shadowing the same people at the same facility. With all due respect, I really don't think that's enough time to know for sure what you really want right now. Great to be thinking about the future, absolutely, but I'd encourage you to give it a little more time before making such a big financial decision. And consider getting some time in a couple other settings - maybe a surgical specialty or a rehab facility?

Just wanted to chime in on this piece. I had wanted to be a vet practically since I was young (like most applicants). I didn't have the mindset to apply until 2 years ago. I gave it a shot but was rejected. I took that rejection as a sign that it wasn't meant to be and to be honest, my already broke wallet couldn't endure that much more in student debt.. I have two undergrad degrees and am still paying on those loans.

I've been working as a non licensed tech at a small animal practice for nearly 3 years. I'm actually getting ready to apply for eligiblity to sit for the VTNE so that I can become licensed, potentially giving me opportunities down the road should I move or decide I want a change. Sure being a technician wasn't the ultimate goal and there are still days where I wonder what it would be like to be on the other side of the exam table, but it just isn't in my cards and that's ok. There are pros and cons to being a technician, just like there is being a veterinarian. Don't rule anything out until you've given yourself the chance to explore opportunities.

 

[that redhead]

I'm not 110% on being a veterinarian currently though. I really have been enjoying reception (since I have a really cheerful personality, it is a great fit for me) but I also am enjoying working hands-on with the animals. I love the animals, but I really love interacting with the people, both the clients and staff.

If reception work is something you enjoy, there is definitely room for growth as an office manager or hospital manager for a larger hospital if you wanted. You might also consider being a company representative to present new products to hospitals - you get to travel around and interact with a lot of people that way, too.

 

[wildlifer]

If reception work is something you enjoy, there is definitely room for growth as an office manager or hospital manager for a larger hospital if you wanted. You might also consider being a company representative to present new products to hospitals - you get to travel around and interact with a lot of people that way, too.

Yeah those product reps seem to have a good gig. Something I've thought of should I get tired of clinical work. Especially since at the clinic I'm at they have dubbed me as the "lab guru" as I'm always the one that seems to troubleshoot when a machine isn't working or what not lol.

So to the OP certainly look into those type of jobs as well.

 

[EB73674]

Yeah those product reps seem to have a good gig. Something I've thought of should I get tired of clinical work. Especially since at the clinic I'm at they have dubbed me as the "lab guru" as I'm always the one that seems to troubleshoot when a machine isn't working or what not lol.

So to the OP certainly look into those type of jobs as well.

Just chiming in here, a very good friend of mine was a rep for Zoetis in between taking her classes for her CVT degree. She LOVED it, and after she worked for 7 years as a (pretty incredible) tech, she now works as a veterinary pharmaceuticals rep. One of the former doctors at my practice also ended up ditching clinical practice to work for Merck. There is more in the veterinary world than teching/réception for those that are good with people!

 

[princesspeach2]

Hi everyone! Almost 5 months in now.

I still work mostly as a receptionist, and only work in the back one day a week. I am now being trained as a VA now.

Still enjoying being a receptionist, but really like the client interaction of rooming patients and being on my feet more.

However, I am still really anxious when restraining animals/holding off the vein after blood draws. (I moved from solely being secondary restraint to primary restraint, or secondary on fractious/aggressive animals). I am not sure if this is due to lack of experience (given that I only work in the back 1 day a week, and on a given day, I may help restrain 5-10 animals).

It is a combination of worry that I am not doing it right, fear of getting bitten, and fear of harming the animal. Fractious animals still make me really nervous. Is this something that will get better over time with more practice? I worry a lot about getting bit, is that normal (particular concern is injuries that cause lifetime problems, such as one of the vets I work with who can't type normally partially due to a bite injury, or getting bit on the face)? I have an anxious personality in general, which could be playing a huge factor.

I still am unsure on whether or not I actually like working with animals in a veterinary setting.

Just curious, how often do veterinarians do restraint themselves? The vets at my clinic mentioned how they were never taught restraint techniques for the most part, and it seems to me that the techs/kennel/vas are the ones who primarily do restraint.

 

[Awallace28]

Hi everyone! Almost 5 months in now.

I still work mostly as a receptionist, and only work in the back one day a week. I am now being trained as a VA now.

Still enjoying being a receptionist, but really like the client interaction of rooming patients and being on my feet more.

However, I am still really anxious when restraining animals/holding off the vein after blood draws. (I moved from solely being secondary restraint to primary restraint, or secondary on fractious/aggressive animals). I am not sure if this is due to lack of experience (given that I only work in the back 1 day a week, and on a given day, I may help restrain 5-10 animals).

It is a combination of worry that I am not doing it right, fear of getting bitten, and fear of harming the animal. Fractious animals still make me really nervous. Is this something that will get better over time with more practice? I worry a lot about getting bit, is that normal (particular concern is injuries that cause lifetime problems, such as one of the vets I work with who can't type normally partially due to a bite injury, or getting bit on the face)? I have an anxious personality in general, which could be playing a huge factor.

I still am unsure on whether or not I actually like working with animals in a veterinary setting.

Just curious, how often do veterinarians do restraint themselves? The vets at my clinic mentioned how they were never taught restraint techniques for the most part, and it seems to me that the techs/kennel/vas are the ones who primarily do restraint.

Most of the time veterinarians do not restrain, but they still generally know how to in case there comes a need for them to. From my experience the fear of fractious animals will go down with time. I think it comes with learning techniques of how to keep yourself safe, but of course there is still always that risk. Large fractious dogs still make me nervous because they are the ones that can do quite a bit of damage, so I don’t blame you that. As far as not doing it right, the vet will tell you if you’re not doing it right, then you can fix it. Otherwise, you probably are doing it right.

With the hurting the animal by restraining them, you’re not going to hurt them if you do it right. Sometimes you have to put your whole body weight on an animal to prevent them from hurting themselves. They’re resilient little creatures, and they’ll be fine. Of course I have minimal experience, but I’ve never seen an animal get hurt by restraint. It usually happens when they are not restrained enough and try to jump off the table or wiggle too much and hit themselves on something. So basically my advice is to trust yourself that you are doing it right. You will get more comfortable the more you do it even though it is scary sometimes.

However, no one will blame you for backing down from a challenge. If you don’t feel like you can restrain an animal enough to make everyone safe, then definitely let someone know. Definitely know your limits when it comes to fractious animals because it’s not worth it to risk your safety and the vet’s safety. I know that I’m not the strongest person, so I probably can’t hold down an angry German Shepherd by myself, but give me an angry cat and I’m fine.

So yeah basically fractious animals are not fun but a very real part of the job. You will get more comfortable with them the more you do it, but I feel like a healthy fear of them is still ok because it keeps you on your toes and keeps you safe.

 

[that redhead]

Hi everyone! Almost 5 months in now.

I still work mostly as a receptionist, and only work in the back one day a week. I am now being trained as a VA now.

Still enjoying being a receptionist, but really like the client interaction of rooming patients and being on my feet more.

However, I am still really anxious when restraining animals/holding off the vein after blood draws. (I moved from solely being secondary restraint to primary restraint, or secondary on fractious/aggressive animals). I am not sure if this is due to lack of experience (given that I only work in the back 1 day a week, and on a given day, I may help restrain 5-10 animals).

It is a combination of worry that I am not doing it right, fear of getting bitten, and fear of harming the animal. Fractious animals still make me really nervous. Is this something that will get better over time with more practice? I worry a lot about getting bit, is that normal (particular concern is injuries that cause lifetime problems, such as one of the vets I work with who can't type normally partially due to a bite injury, or getting bit on the face)? I have an anxious personality in general, which could be playing a huge factor.

I still am unsure on whether or not I actually like working with animals in a veterinary setting.

Just curious, how often do veterinarians do restraint themselves? The vets at my clinic mentioned how they were never taught restraint techniques for the most part, and it seems to me that the techs/kennel/vas are the ones who primarily do restraint.

In general, I rarely ever restrain animals anymore. I have a good tech staff who do all of my blood, nail trims, etc. However, sometimes I do need to help restrain so it’s important that we know how. But if it’s a ferocious dog or cat...I’m not the one restraining, I’m the one poking it with drugs

 

[EB73674]

In my experience in my specific practice, our docs will generally get samples while techs restrain. If we have the staff available, 1 tech will restrain while another gets the sample, while doctors work on notes/phone calls/another appointment/etc. Every practice and likely every day will be different. I would say that discomfort while restraining fractious animals is normal, especially at first, but it is often something that will need to be overcome to an extent. But my doctors restrain to some extent almost daily, and it actually tends to be more likely a doctor will restrain if a patient is fractious. If you don't feel safe restraining a fractious animal, it's likely a) you haven't been taught how to restrain properly & don't have a feel for what safe restraint is, or b) the animal should actually be restrained different, ie. chemical restraint, muzzle, e-collar, etc. It is incredibly unlikely you'll hurt an animal by restraining, but that comfort is definitely something that comes with experience. As for holding off on blood draws...unless they have a clotting disorder, don't worry about it! Meaning, hold off for a good 15 seconds, but don't panic if you miss or you don't get your finger on it the second the needle pulls out. That's what peroxide is for! It's incredibly unlikely for a vein to produce enough pressure to bleed them out or anything so long as you're paying attention.

So, tl;dr, don't assume that vets don't restrain and you can skip over that comfort level in practice. My biggest advice is ASK FOR HELP - if you don't feel comfortable restraining a pet, either ask for pointers on how to restrain better, or watch closely while someone else restrains. Being new and not having much experience, it's DEFINITELY okay to ask for help & guidance. You just need to be willing to try what folks are suggesting to implement, even if it feels weird at first.

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

Idk how relevant this is but we learned fear free techniques this quarter. After reflecting back about restraint at a previous clinic I worked at, I feel they used way less chemical restraint then they should have. I feel like there are many situations that could be helped by a little drugs. So to the OP, is the clinic you work at hesitant to do chemical restraint?

 

[princesspeach2]

Wow everyone, thank you so much for your replies.

I have to say, I really was expecting to come back to replies telling me that it is stupid I am so afraid when restraining, and that I am just not cut out for veterinary medicine (probably because I have been thinking that myself), or some variation of that.

I really appreciate all the advice given to me.

@Awallace28 -It is nice to know that a fear of fractious animals is normal, and to be nervous around large fractious dogs is also normal. I really was thinking that I was the only one who was nervous.You do make a good point that an animal could be hurt if they are not restrained well enough and hit something or jump. One thing that I definitely have no problem doing is voicing concern if I am unsure that i can safely restrain an animal. I'm not very strong either, but I have been trying to work out to help.

@that redhead -Good to know that even if you normally don't restrain, you still have to occasionally

@EB73674 -The practice that I work at is pretty similar. The techs try to do as much of the restraint/samples as possible, because the doctors have other things they need to do. It is helpful to know that discomfort restraining animals is normal, and I do realize I need to overcome it. Part of me wonders if I will overcome it with more practice and experience (to some extent), while the other part of me wonders if it is worth it to feel so stressed and anxious all the time (and if I would be happier in another field, especially one with less debt and better pay the higher you move up). I know only time will tell though, and still put in 110% at work and always have a positive attitude there.

Sometimes I feel that I like the animals less than my other coworkers (particularly the receptionists) because they get so excited by all the animals they see and want to say hi all of them, while I am more reserved, but I also think this could potentially because I also realize that I am more aware of when an owner is trying to teach their puppy manners, anxious dogs, and nervous cats, so I give them their space rather than going up to them or letting them jump all over me. I realize I am also probably overthinking this too, I am prone to overthinking.

Back to above though, I feel that it is definitely a). My work does not seem to hesitate to use a muzzle, towel neck wrap, or chemical restraint if needed.

For holding off after a blood draw, what causes the vein to burst or bad bruising? Is it directly associated with not holding the vein properly after the draw?

I've watched a ton of animal restraint videos at work (part of training), but have definitely done a lot more watching rather than doing. I ask for help a lot in how to adjust or to confirm my restraint is okay, my coworkers are really great at being patient and helping me learn.

@ziggyandjazzy I am still pretty green obviously, but to me it doesn't seem like that. Owner's are given medicine to give their dog prior to appointment, even had someone come in and told to come back another day after giving meds prior to the appointment, and the "mad cat box" is used frequently after non-chemical restraint isn't enough or for those special kitties who automatically need to be drugged before handling.

I really think it is just me and my lack of experience and limited practice.

 

[princesspeach2]

Another question I have, unrelated to the one above.

For veterinarians that work at low-cost spay neuter clinics, low-cost surgery clinics, low cost mobile clinics, etc. (ones that are working directly with underserved populations for the most part) are they paid? Are they paid significantly less than other veterinarians? How does it all work?

 

[MixedAnimals77]

Another question I have, unrelated to the one above.

For veterinarians that work at low-cost spay neuter clinics, low-cost surgery clinics, low cost mobile clinics, etc. (ones that are working directly with underserved populations for the most part) are they paid? Are they paid significantly less than other veterinarians? How does it all work?

This is going to vary alot based on how it's set up. Some places it's a donate your time thing like in my hometown low cost spray and neuter clinic. At my old clinic it was an off shoot of the main clinic so once a week an associate would go out on the mobile clinic but it is just part of their job so they recieved their normal contract money but to fund it for discounted price was through grants. Overall if you're ONLY working in a very financially constrained area it is probably going to impact salary to some extent.

 

[EB73674]

Wow everyone, thank you so much for your replies.

I have to say, I really was expecting to come back to replies telling me that it is stupid I am so afraid when restraining, and that I am just not cut out for veterinary medicine (probably because I have been thinking that myself), or some variation of that.

I really appreciate all the advice given to me.

@Awallace28 -It is nice to know that a fear of fractious animals is normal, and to be nervous around large fractious dogs is also normal. I really was thinking that I was the only one who was nervous.You do make a good point that an animal could be hurt if they are not restrained well enough and hit something or jump. One thing that I definitely have no problem doing is voicing concern if I am unsure that i can safely restrain an animal. I'm not very strong either, but I have been trying to work out to help.

@that redhead -Good to know that even if you normally don't restrain, you still have to occasionally

@EB73674 -The practice that I work at is pretty similar. The techs try to do as much of the restraint/samples as possible, because the doctors have other things they need to do. It is helpful to know that discomfort restraining animals is normal, and I do realize I need to overcome it. Part of me wonders if I will overcome it with more practice and experience (to some extent), while the other part of me wonders if it is worth it to feel so stressed and anxious all the time (and if I would be happier in another field, especially one with less debt and better pay the higher you move up). I know only time will tell though, and still put in 110% at work and always have a positive attitude there.

Sometimes I feel that I like the animals less than my other coworkers (particularly the receptionists) because they get so excited by all the animals they see and want to say hi all of them, while I am more reserved, but I also think this could potentially because I also realize that I am more aware of when an owner is trying to teach their puppy manners, anxious dogs, and nervous cats, so I give them their space rather than going up to them or letting them jump all over me. I realize I am also probably overthinking this too, I am prone to overthinking.

Back to above though, I feel that it is definitely a). My work does not seem to hesitate to use a muzzle, towel neck wrap, or chemical restraint if needed.

For holding off after a blood draw, what causes the vein to burst or bad bruising? Is it directly associated with not holding the vein properly after the draw?

I've watched a ton of animal restraint videos at work (part of training), but have definitely done a lot more watching rather than doing. I ask for help a lot in how to adjust or to confirm my restraint is okay, my coworkers are really great at being patient and helping me learn.

@ziggyandjazzy I am still pretty green obviously, but to me it doesn't seem like that. Owner's are given medicine to give their dog prior to appointment, even had someone come in and told to come back another day after giving meds prior to the appointment, and the "mad cat box" is used frequently after non-chemical restraint isn't enough or for those special kitties who automatically need to be drugged before handling.

I really think it is just me and my lack of experience and limited practice.

So it sounds like it’s just lack of experience, which is definitely something that can be improved - great that your coworkers are supportive & want to help you learn! Hematomas & bruising do typically happen if a vein isn’t properly held off after a blood draw, but it can also happen when a dog moved a lot during the draw or has very sensitive tissues. It should be avoided if possible, but it’s not the end of the world if it happens.

 

[princesspeach2]

So it sounds like it’s just lack of experience, which is definitely something that can be improved - great that your coworkers are supportive & want to help you learn! Hematomas & bruising do typically happen if a vein isn’t properly held off after a blood draw, but it can also happen when a dog moved a lot during the draw or has very sensitive tissues. It should be avoided if possible, but it’s not the end of the world if it happens.

You are 110% correct, that is what the issue was. Since gaining more experience, I am happy to say that I am growing more confident, and spend less time worried about fractious animals then I did before. Today was the first day that I wasn't nervous for my VA shift today, but actually excited (since I still work reception most of the time). I didn't get to hold off any veins or help with blood draws, but I did get to poke the needle in for subq fluids today, and learned how to give insulin! I also got my dosimeter badge, just have to take the test and I'll be able to help with restraint for rads. I really am lucky to have such supportive co-workers who are willing to help me learn.