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

[ajs513]

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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.

A couple things to add to that. If you’re going to try to overcome your fear of fractious animals, follow around the person at your office which is least afraid of fractious animals. For me it’s my vet. For you it might be a senior tech. They often are least afraid and don’t put up with any bs from the patients. See how they handle the animals. Also, worst comes to worst, use a large towel to fold in half and throw it onto the cat. If it’s a large dog, pull the leash through the gap at the hinge of the door and have someone hold the leash tight. Open the door to sandwich the dog between the wall and the door. This is pretty similar to how large animals are restrained, but actual restraint apparatuses are used for them whereas you have to get crafty with small animals. If you don’t want to go that route, never be afraid to ask an owner if they can muzzle their dog. At the end of the day, it’s their pet acting up and people are typically more embarrassed that their pet was so misbehaved that even the vet staff couldn’t handle it than they are afraid to muzzle their dog. Obviously you’ll get the odd person who thinks it’s ridiculous you can’t magically charm their pet, but that’s not super common.

Regarding being able to do new things and learn, don’t just take experience as it’s given to you. Be very adamant about trying new things. If they don’t think you’re ready, that’s fine. But eventually they’ll see how eager you are to learn and let you do things. I know a lot of people who spent a couple years working at a hospital and never drew blood. I know some people that were taught to draw blood a couple months after starting. It all depends on how big the hospital is, how busy they are, and how much the staff want to offload their responsibilities. I love teaching people how to do things because that means when I have days off (I work three long shifts a week) I can come back and things aren’t just sitting around waiting to be done by me. Some people like to be the only ones to do things because it makes them less expendable. There aren’t tons of people like that, but they definitely exist. More often than not, though, you’ll find people who want to teach you because it makes everyone’s lives easier.

 

[FutureFelineVet]

They often are least afraid and don’t put up with any bs from the patients. See how they handle the animals. Also, worst comes to worst, use a large towel to fold in half and throw it onto the cat.

At the end of the day, it’s their pet acting up and people are typically more embarrassed that their pet was so misbehaved that even the vet staff couldn’t handle it than they are afraid to muzzle their dog.

This is a big misinterpretation of animal behavior. The vast majority of animals that are deemed “fractious” at the vet are not “misbehaving” or “acting up,” they’re incredibly stressed out and/or terrified. They try to bite or scratch because essentially they’re trying to protect themselves. Resorting to restraining methods that further stress out the animal not only potentially lead to harm to the patient and/or the restrainer(s), but also leave a lasting impact on the animal’s future visits to the vet. This is a rather large topic in the veterinary community right now, especially with movements like Fear Free and Cat Friendly gaining prominence. Several years ago, Sophia Yin also published a wonderful book on Low Stress Handling. Using proper handling techniques (low stress/fear free/cat friendly) make a huge difference, along with chemical restraint if needed. We will often send home Gabapentin prior to visits if needed, or if the patient is in clinic and is incredibly stressed, give injectable sedatives.

Also, I feel like there should be a little bit more empathy for the owners here. Yeah, I definitely see owners get embarrassed all the time when their animal tries to bite or scratch us. Again their pet isn’t “acting up,” it’s probably terrified. I usually explain this to the owner and also tell them to not feel bad, and usually relay the story of my own cat who has to come in on Gaba to even be touched. We can’t fully control an animal’s behavior, whether we like it or not.

The whole point of this post is, animal behavior is so important to understand and such an important part of our jobs. It really does a disservice to both the animals and clients to write off an animal as “bad” or “misbehaving.”

 

[ajs513]

This is a big misinterpretation of animal behavior. The vast majority of animals that are deemed “fractious” at the vet are not “misbehaving” or “acting up,” they’re incredibly stressed out and/or terrified. They try to bite or scratch because essentially they’re trying to protect themselves. Resorting to restraining methods that further stress out the animal not only potentially lead to harm to the patient and/or the restrainer(s), but also leave a lasting impact on the animal’s future visits to the vet. This is a rather large topic in the veterinary community right now, especially with movements like Fear Free and Cat Friendly gaining prominence. Several years ago, Sophia Yin also published a wonderful book on Low Stress Handling. Using proper handling techniques (low stress/fear free/cat friendly) make a huge difference, along with chemical restraint if needed. We will often send home Gabapentin prior to visits if needed, or if the patient is in clinic and is incredibly stressed, give injectable sedatives.

Also, I feel like there should be a little bit more empathy for the owners here. Yeah, I definitely see owners get embarrassed all the time when their animal tries to bite or scratch us. Again their pet isn’t “acting up,” it’s probably terrified. I usually explain this to the owner and also tell them to not feel bad, and usually relay the story of my own cat who has to come in on Gaba to even be touched. We can’t fully control an animal’s behavior, whether we like it or not.

The whole point of this post is, animal behavior is so important to understand and such an important part of our jobs. It really does a disservice to both the animals and clients to write off an animal as “bad” or “misbehaving.”

The issue is that yes, a lot of animals that are fractious are just scared. However, there are a lot of animals that are just very poorly trained and the owners make it worse by yelling and trying to step in when staff are handling their pets. This is mainly for dogs, but I’ve seen it with cats too. Fear free is obviously important, but some pets simply can’t be restrained using gentle techniques and can’t be sedated by just giving gabapentin. It’s controversial to say, but there are some animals that really are just bad. There are humans who are extremely mentally ill, and the same is true about some animals.

My point in saying what I said in my original comment was that no matter how fractious an animal is, you can always do what needs to be done for the appointment one way or another. If you have a 200 lb king shepherd trying to rip your face off and the owner really doesn’t want it fully sedated, you use the door method. It’s pretty much that simple.

 

[SkiOtter]

If you have a 200 lb king shepherd trying to rip your face off and the owner really doesn’t want it fully sedated, you use the door method. It’s pretty much that simple.

lol if the owner doesn’t want it sedated they can see a different vet

 

[ajs513]

lol if the owner doesn’t want it sedated they can see a different vet

I would agree with you if my experience didn’t consist of one/two doctor practices. A bad review or two can ruin business. You do what the owner wants you to do, within reason, to avoid that. I’ve had people badmouth other practices countless times saying that they couldn’t handle their pet and told them to go somewhere else, and that we had no problem handling their pet. The truth is, it’s always difficult handling their pet. We just do it with a smile and keep our bleeding, scratched up arms angled so they can’t see. It’s easier that way.

 

[SkiOtter]

I would agree with you if my experience didn’t consist of one/two doctor practices. A bad review or two can ruin business. You do what the owner wants you to do, within reason, to avoid that. I’ve had people badmouth other practices countless times saying that they couldn’t handle their pet and told them to go somewhere else, and that we had no problem handling their pet. The truth is, it’s always difficult handling their pet. We just do it with a smile and keep our bleeding, scratched up arms angled so they can’t see. It’s easier that way.

Uh no
That’s not okay. You should not be getting INJURED just to appease a client with an animal who needs to be sedated for everyone’s safety, INCLUDING the animal.

 

[ajs513]

Uh no
That’s not okay. You should not be getting INJURED just to appease a client with an animal who needs to be sedated for everyone’s safety, INCLUDING the animal.

In a world where google and yelp determine if you stay in business, that’s unfortunately not the case.

 

[FutureFelineVet]

The issue is that yes, a lot of animals that are fractious are just scared. However, there are a lot of animals that are just very poorly trained and the owners make it worse by yelling and trying to step in when staff are handling their pets. This is mainly for dogs, but I’ve seen it with cats too. Fear free is obviously important, but some pets simply can’t be restrained using gentle techniques and can’t be sedated by just giving gabapentin. It’s controversial to say, but there are some animals that really are just bad. There are humans who are extremely mentally ill, and the same is true about some animals.

My point in saying what I said in my original comment was that no matter how fractious an animal is, you can always do what needs to be done for the appointment one way or another. If you have a 200 lb king shepherd trying to rip your face off and the owner really doesn’t want it fully sedated, you use the door method. It’s pretty much that simple.

I’ve been on both sides of this. I used to work in a dog/cat practice where every cat was scruffed and dogs that were terrified were flung down onto a table and were held down by four people as they howled and fought to get free. We did whatever (and I regret it immensely) because we had to “do what needs to be done.” It’s a bad way to practice medicine IMO.

I do what’s best for the animal.

It’s pretty much that simple.

 

[ajs513]

I’ve been on both sides of this. I used to work in a dog/cat practice where every cat was scruffed and dogs that were terrified were flung down onto a table and were held down by four people as they howled and fought to get free. We did whatever (and I regret it immensely) because we had to “do what needs to be done.” It’s a bad way to practice medicine IMO.

I do what’s best for the animal.

It’s pretty much that simple.

When the best thing for the animal is to be euthanized because it’s a danger to itself and others, but the owner really doesn’t want to do that, then what do you do? And if the owner doesn’t want to sedate the dog because she thinks it’s wrong to do that and is afraid the dog will die from sedation, what do you do? You can’t just fire the client (well you technically can, but see above). So you do basically do whatever the owner is okay with you doing. You do everything you can to keep yourself safe; muzzling the dog, restraining it in a way that it can’t injure you, being quick and deliberate.

In a 20 doctor corporate hospital you can practice medicine 100% by the book with no room for nonsense. That’s all well and good. But otherwise, it’s not black and white.

 

[SkiOtter]

In a world where google and yelp determine if you stay in business, that’s unfortunately not the case.

When the best thing for the animal is to be euthanized because it’s a danger to itself and others, but the owner really doesn’t want to do that, then what do you do? And if the owner doesn’t want to sedate the dog because she thinks it’s wrong to do that and is afraid the dog will die from sedation, what do you do? You can’t just fire the client (well you technically can, but see above). So you do basically do whatever the owner is okay with you doing. You do everything you can to keep yourself safe; muzzling the dog, restraining it in a way that it can’t injure you, being quick and deliberate.

In a 20 doctor corporate hospital you can practice medicine 100% by the book with no room for nonsense. That’s all well and good. But otherwise, it’s not black and white.

My vet is a 2 doctor practice. It can be done.

 

[ajs513]

My vet is a 2 doctor practice. It can be done.

I’m not saying it absolutely can’t be done. But it definitely muddies the waters. Where I work now, the doctor just bought out the practice from a vet who wasn’t well-liked. So everything for now is being done to make clients happy. Otherwise, we would have continued to make unsustainable revenue. Turning around 13 years of bad business is extremely difficult without appeasing clients.

 

[FutureFelineVet]

My vet is a 2 doctor practice. It can be done.

Same. Currently at a two doctor practice, at a slightly larger 4 doctor practice before.

 

[SkiOtter]

I’m not saying it absolutely can’t be done. But it definitely muddies the waters. Where I work now, the doctor just bought out the practice from a vet who wasn’t well-liked. So everything for now is being done to make clients happy. Otherwise, we would have continued to make unsustainable revenue. Turning around 13 years of bad business is extremely difficult without appeasing clients.

Yeah but you’re saying small practices HAVE to appease every client to stay in business and if the client doesn’t want to do what’s safest for the pet and the staff that you don’t. Which is not true. You tell them they can take their dog elsewhere if they don’t like your practices. My vets won’t risk their safety or the staffs safety just to appease the client who absolutely refuses to sedate.

 

[FutureFelineVet]

Yeah but you’re saying small practices HAVE to appease every client to stay in business and if the client doesn’t want to do what’s safest for the pet and the staff that you don’t. Which is not true. You tell them they can take their dog elsewhere if they don’t like your practices. My vets won’t risk their safety or the staffs safety just to appease the client who absolutely refuses to sedate.

To add onto this, I feel like owners should be given a little more credit as well. In probably 90% of the cases we see where a patient needs to be sedated in order for them to be examined or have diagnostics done, the owners are usually very receptive (especially when it comes from the doctor). Most owners don’t want to see their animal insanely stressed out and are pretty understanding.

 

[ajs513]

Yeah but you’re saying small practices HAVE to appease every client to stay in business and if the client doesn’t want to do what’s safest for the pet and the staff that you don’t. Which is not true. You tell them they can take their dog elsewhere if they don’t like your practices. My vets won’t risk their safety or the staffs safety just to appease the client who absolutely refuses to sedate.

I’m not saying that every practice needs to operate that way, or that practices that do operate that way need to take that stance toward every client. I’m saying that it’s a lot more complicated than “restraint=bad. Sedation=good” for extremely fractious animals. There are tons of confounding variables that we as students haven’t even begun to experience so we can’t say there’s just one way things should be done. In vet school you learn how to practice proper medicine. In practice you learn different ways to achieve the same goal. Debates about how things should be done exist for a reason. Otherwise there wouldn’t be debates about it.

 

[ajs513]

To add onto this, I feel like owners should be given a little more credit as well. In probably 90% of the cases we see where a patient needs to be sedated in order for them to be examined or have diagnostics done, the owners are usually very receptive (especially when it comes from the doctor). Most owners don’t want to see their animal insanely stressed out and are pretty understanding.

I really feel like my point is being misconstrued. Both of you ARE right. Most of the time owners do what we want them to do and what’s best for their animals. However, there are fringe cases where they don’t, and that’s when things stop being black and white.

 

[SkiOtter]

To add onto this, I feel like owners should be given a little more credit as well. In probably 90% of the cases we see where a patient needs to be sedated in order for them to be examined or have diagnostics done, the owners are usually very receptive (especially when it comes from the doctor). Most owners don’t want to see their animal insanely stressed out and are pretty understanding.

Yep most are good about it. But if they don’t want to do what’s safest for everyone involved, they can find somewhere else to go.

 

[FutureFelineVet]

I’m not saying that every practice needs to operate that way, or that practices that do operate that way need to take that stance toward every client. I’m saying that it’s a lot more complicated than “restraint=bad. Sedation=good” for extremely fractious animals. There are tons of confounding variables that we as students haven’t even begun to experience so we can’t say there’s just one way things should be done. In vet school you learn how to practice proper medicine. In practice you learn different ways to achieve the same goal. Debates about how things should be done exist for a reason. Otherwise there wouldn’t be debates about it.

All restraint is not bad. I don’t just let animals flop around nor do I sedate every single one that comes in the door. My whole point is that it’s important to read and interpret animal behavior, apply proper restraining methods, and that chemical restraint should be used only when needed. There have been multiple studies showing how we restrain is important.

 

[ajs513]

All restraint is not bad. I don’t just let animals flop around nor do I sedate every single one that comes in the door. My whole point is that it’s important to read and interpret animal behavior, apply proper restraining methods, and that chemical restraint should be used only when needed. There have been multiple studies showing how we restrain is important.

And I agree with you 100% on that. That’s not where we’re disagreeing.

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

A couple things to add to that. If you’re going to try to overcome your fear of fractious animals, follow around the person at your office which is least afraid of fractious animals. For me it’s my vet. For you it might be a senior tech. They often are least afraid and don’t put up with any bs from the patients. See how they handle the animals. Also, worst comes to worst, use a large towel to fold in half and throw it onto the cat. If it’s a large dog, pull the leash through the gap at the hinge of the door and have someone hold the leash tight. Open the door to sandwich the dog between the wall and the door. This is pretty similar to how large animals are restrained, but actual restraint apparatuses are used for them whereas you have to get crafty with small animals. If you don’t want to go that route, never be afraid to ask an owner if they can muzzle their dog. At the end of the day, it’s their pet acting up and people are typically more embarrassed that their pet was so misbehaved that even the vet staff couldn’t handle it than they are afraid to muzzle their dog. Obviously you’ll get the odd person who thinks it’s ridiculous you can’t magically charm their pet, but that’s not super common.

Regarding being able to do new things and learn, don’t just take experience as it’s given to you. Be very adamant about trying new things. If they don’t think you’re ready, that’s fine. But eventually they’ll see how eager you are to learn and let you do things. I know a lot of people who spent a couple years working at a hospital and never drew blood. I know some people that were taught to draw blood a couple months after starting. It all depends on how big the hospital is, how busy they are, and how much the staff want to offload their responsibilities. I love teaching people how to do things because that means when I have days off (I work three long shifts a week) I can come back and things aren’t just sitting around waiting to be done by me. Some people like to be the only ones to do things because it makes them less expendable. There aren’t tons of people like that, but they definitely exist. More often than not, though, you’ll find people who want to teach you because it makes everyone’s lives easier.

Please do not follow this advice

I’m not saying that every practice needs to operate that way, or that practices that do operate that way need to take that stance toward every client. I’m saying that it’s a lot more complicated than “restraint=bad. Sedation=good” for extremely fractious animals. There are tons of confounding variables that we as students haven’t even begun to experience so we can’t say there’s just one way things should be done. In vet school you learn how to practice proper medicine. In practice you learn different ways to achieve the same goal. Debates about how things should be done exist for a reason. Otherwise there wouldn’t be debates about it.

I am hoping penn teaches fear free handling so you can be enlightened just a little

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

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?

I worked at a low cost nonprofit clinic in Indiana. The cost of living in the area was extremely low. Vets were paid $40 per hour.

 

[katashark]

@ziggyandjazzy, FYI you get some nice animal behavior lectures sprinkled throughout the curriculum. 🙂 not as much as I would like, but still quite a few! 🙂

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

@ziggyandjazzy, FYI you get some nice animal behavior lectures sprinkled throughout the curriculum. 🙂 not as much as I would like, but still quite a few! 🙂

We got fear free certified last quarter! I think it is new to the curriculum but I very much enjoyed it as I think people too often overlook the mental well-being of patients

 

[vetmedhead]

It's important to meet our patients where they're at and do our best for them to have peaceful, stress-free, productive visits with us. Lots of adages about going slow to go fast and so on, but it's important to remember that fear free handling is as much about our safety as the safety of our patients.

I do a lot of training in animal handling in our kennel staff and the first thing I always teach them is that you ALWAYS have the option to disengage from handling an animal if they are making it clear to you that there is no safe option for continuing. This can be hard to remember sometimes as we get task oriented and focus on XYZ thing we need to do, but sometimes taking a huge step back and planning on ways to take another tack are hugely helpful both for the patient and for us, and with an added bonus of giving us a chance to cool off and approach an animal with a level head rather than growing frustration.

This isn't WWE, this isn't medieval times, and there's a point where it's simply unacceptable to feel that pinning an animal down is really the best thing you can do for your patient or your client. I think we as a profession need to be mindful about communicating to clients why things like sedation are so important, and drawing a line with them if they are unwilling to take steps to help you keep veterinary visits safe and painless for all parties involved.

 

[vetmedhead]

I will also add that I work a lot with aggressive/reactive animals with known (and sometimes extensive) bite histories - and yes, they can still be handled easily and responsibly with good planning and teamwork. Muzzles, sedation, (properly used) catch poles, towels, time etc are all amazing tools to have on hand to help you work with these animals in a way that keeps everyone safe and still allows for your patients to get the care they need

 

[vetmedhead]

And... I think handling skills are things we are all growing in all the time. Many of the most valuable handling lessons I've learned were because of mistakes that I made in my own handling of animals. On some level that's okay because part of the process is identifying areas for improvement and being willing to experiment and update strategies within reason.

 

[hiellen]

It's important to meet our patients where they're at and do our best for them to have peaceful, stress-free, productive visits with us. Lots of adages about going slow to go fast and so on, but it's important to remember that fear free handling is as much about our safety as the safety of our patients.

I do a lot of training in animal handling in our kennel staff and the first thing I always teach them is that you ALWAYS have the option to disengage from handling an animal if they are making it clear to you that there is no safe option for continuing. This can be hard to remember sometimes as we get task oriented and focus on XYZ thing we need to do, but sometimes taking a huge step back and planning on ways to take another tack are hugely helpful both for the patient and for us, and with an added bonus of giving us a chance to cool off and approach an animal with a level head rather than growing frustration.

This isn't WWE, this isn't medieval times, and there's a point where it's simply unacceptable to feel that pinning an animal down is really the best thing you can do for your patient or your client. I think we as a profession need to be mindful about communicating to clients why things like sedation are so important, and drawing a line with them if they are unwilling to take steps to help you keep veterinary visits safe and painless for all parties involved.

I was able to attend VMX this year and met Dr. Marty Becker (who created fear free for those that didn’t know) and spoke with him extensively about it. I work in a 4 dr practice where we only have two exam rooms (in the process of building a much much larger facility) and we are unable to spend the time doing many of these things everyone mentions above because we’re trying to see as many patients as possible. It seems like it would take much longer but he’s actually shown that a dr, by themselves, can perform a very thorough exam in 15 minutes with no tech. It was completely mind blowing to me because uh hello who is going to protect the dr from getting scratched or bitten?? It sounds absolutely insane for a dr to do vax and painful exams without a holder. But he has the proof and I just sat there in awe in his lectures like omg why do we handle animals the way we do? Why do we immediately jump to getting rough and want to take them out of the room so owners don’t see us trying to get blood, etc? Why is it so hard to just say “hey we need to sedate your dog because they hurt and we’re not going to get accurate rads”; Becker doesn’t give the option, which I asked about profit loss or cost concerned clients, he said so far it’s worked for him and if they don’t want to pay it they can go elsewhere (still some concern to me here). There are clinics having to turn new clients away because the method has proven that owners are more compliant and come in more often and are willing to spend more money, simply because their pet isn’t stressed. He also said it only costs approx 50 cents to 1 dollar more a patient- and most of that is in treats.

We as a community have to start doing what is the best for the animal because when it comes down to it, we’re doing them and owners a disservice by performing mediocre exams, getting incorrect lab work due to stress (something I hadn’t even thought about) and scarring them for life to where it’s going to take more time to see them every visit and owners just aren’t going to come in when they need to. He said all schools in the next 10 years will teach fear free, I think about 16 do now? So in ~20 years there won’t be any other way to practice medicine. I’m currently trying to head start it in my clinic, uphill battle but even in the last month of being able to implement some things here and there, I’ve definitely seen a change in some pets we’ve had issues with previously and much happier clients.

If anyone has the time to read his book, “From Fearful to Fear Free”, I highly recommend it!

 

[princesspeach2]

I just wanted to update you all as you have all been so wonderfully helpful. I really appreciate all the time you've taken to give me advice.

I have now been at my clinic for close to 6 months, and I have to say that I currently do not feel like veterinary medicine is the right career for me. On paper it seems that it would be the perfect fit for me, but after spending more time with the vets, I've realized that I am just not as interested as I thought I would. Nor do I think that human medicine is the right fit for me.

I actually have been shadowing a physical therapist, and am really excited about the profession. As an older student who will be over 30 by the time I get my bachelor's, a 3-year program is greatly appealing to me. I really love how it is very hands-on with human patients, and the variety of places and populations you can work with. I know that it is similar to veterinary medicine that it is hard on your body, but at least you have the knowledge on how to care for your body to help prevent it. The day-to-day life also just seems like a good fit for me. The cost for schooling and starting salary is a lot more balanced than veterinary medicine for the schools that I am interested in as well.

This will probably be my last post on this thread, so I just wanted to say thank you to everyone again! 🙂

Also, the fear free handling was really interesting to read about. Thank you for all the information!

 

[DVMDream]

I just wanted to update you all as you have all been so wonderfully helpful. I really appreciate all the time you've taken to give me advice.

I have now been at my clinic for close to 6 months, and I have to say that I currently do not feel like veterinary medicine is the right career for me. On paper it seems that it would be the perfect fit for me, but after spending more time with the vets, I've realized that I am just not as interested as I thought I would. Nor do I think that human medicine is the right fit for me.

I actually have been shadowing a physical therapist, and am really excited about the profession. As an older student who will be over 30 by the time I get my bachelor's, a 3-year program is greatly appealing to me. I really love how it is very hands-on with human patients, and the variety of places and populations you can work with. I know that it is similar to veterinary medicine that it is hard on your body, but at least you have the knowledge on how to care for your body to help prevent it. The day-to-day life also just seems like a good fit for me. The cost for schooling and starting salary is a lot more balanced than veterinary medicine for the schools that I am interested in as well.

This will probably be my last post on this thread, so I just wanted to say thank you to everyone again! 🙂

Also, the fear free handling was really interesting to read about. Thank you for all the information!

Nice to hear an update! I just want to say reading back on this thread it was a nice change to have someone come in, take our advice to heart, follow through, gain experience, spend more than a few weeks getting experience and really decide for themselves if this is the right path.

I'm glad you've found something that seems to fit for you and I wish you the best.

Will try to remember this thread to send other prevets starting their journey as an example of why we recommend gain experience in vet med first but also explore multiple career options. Thanks for being so willing to listen, follow through and keep updating this thread. I think it'll help a number of people in the years to come. 🙂

 

[Cephal0pod]

I just wanted to update you all as you have all been so wonderfully helpful. I really appreciate all the time you've taken to give me advice.

I have now been at my clinic for close to 6 months, and I have to say that I currently do not feel like veterinary medicine is the right career for me. On paper it seems that it would be the perfect fit for me, but after spending more time with the vets, I've realized that I am just not as interested as I thought I would. Nor do I think that human medicine is the right fit for me.

I actually have been shadowing a physical therapist, and am really excited about the profession. As an older student who will be over 30 by the time I get my bachelor's, a 3-year program is greatly appealing to me. I really love how it is very hands-on with human patients, and the variety of places and populations you can work with. I know that it is similar to veterinary medicine that it is hard on your body, but at least you have the knowledge on how to care for your body to help prevent it. The day-to-day life also just seems like a good fit for me. The cost for schooling and starting salary is a lot more balanced than veterinary medicine for the schools that I am interested in as well.

This will probably be my last post on this thread, so I just wanted to say thank you to everyone again! 🙂

Also, the fear free handling was really interesting to read about. Thank you for all the information!

Thanks for sharing, all the best to you!

 

[princesspeach2]

Well I have another update for you all. I am starting to think I spoke too soon. I have continued working at the veterinary clinic since my last post (I did try looking for a job at a physical therapy clinic, but was unsuccessful), and am now approaching my one year anniversary. I have started to gain confidence in my skills, which has translated into a major increase in job satisfaction. I have also got to do a lot more things, such as assist with surgery set up and prep, watch surgeries, nail trims on anesthetized animals, giving fluids, have dealt with more animal body fluids, and work with more upset/fractious animals. I hate to say it, but I'm really enjoying it! I have been in the process of getting prepared to take the VA test, and eventually train to be a tech assistant.

Unfortunately, I actually am moving back to my home state (I am excited to move overall), and was lucky that one of the doctors I work with (without me prompting or asking at all, after hearing that I was applying to kennel and reception positions) told me to look at any clinics I would be interested in working at, then give her the list. (She actually pulled up google maps, looked up my address, and went through clinics websites with me giving me her opinion and to see if she knew any of the vets!)

I found one that would be close to my new apartment that had no job postings, sent them a cold email with my cover letter and resume, and within an hour of sending it, they responded to set up a phone interview the next day. I told the doctor I worked with this the following day, she asked for the name, and to my utter disbelief, called them before my phone interview to tell them to hire me! I only found out when the person who interviewed me told me and said that she wanted to offer me the position; since that is incredibly rare for another vet to call a vet clinic to tell them to hire someone and because she was really impressed by my cover letter.

I will be working as an outpatient room tech (similar to a VA) at a much larger hospital. I will be taking a TPR, and then staying in the exam room with the doctor during the examination, and then give the client any doctor instructions, so it will be similar, but a little different then to what I do now. I also will be working nights, holidays, and possibly graveyard shifts, which I am fine with 🙂 I was brutally honest with my skills and lack of skills, but the interviewer said she thinks I would be a good fit for the position.

I am so incredibly grateful to the doctor who went out of her way to help me find a good job in my home state. Another doctor also told me she knows a vet in a nearby city, so to let her know if I was interested. I have been truly lucky to work with such amazing people.

Needless to say, I will be staying in veterinary medicine for the foreseeable future. Something that my interviewer said when I told her about how I started interested in veterinary medicine, then went back to it after 8 years is that "it is in your blood." I think she may be right. I really wanted to like PT more, and initially I did, but seeing more procedures and gaining more skills/responsibilities really piqued my interest more in vet med. We also have a third year vet student at our clinic, who I have been talking with. I am definitely not ruling out other careers, but I am planning on staying at this clinic til I finish my bachelor's, and to at least take all the classes needed for vet school since +/- 1-3 classes, the prereqs for vet vs pt vs other health fields are the same.

 

[princesspeach2]

Well time for an update! I guess the foreseeable future was shorter than I have predicted as I have left vet med for the time being, and will be working as a special education aide at a middle school this year! 😀

The vet clinic in my hometown was drastically different than the one I worked at previously. I did not realize how great I (and everyone else) had it at the other clinic, and it definitely was an eye opening experience to see how things work at another vet clinic.

I knew going in that I would probably have to work some cruddy shifts, but I was not expecting the expectation of having to stay 1-4 hours late every day, having to work closing shifts and then an open shift the following day, having to take a "working lunch" in order to not have to stay even later, the massive responsibility the technicians have, and the relative little training given.

The technician starts the day with filling out very detailed laminated treatment sheets, makes an estimate based off what we think the patient will need, rooms, obtains a history, preps everything for the doctor/start treatment (vaccines, draw blood, nt, manually collect fecal etc), restrain for the exam), fill the prescriptions (they did their own compounding), run the labs, and check out the client, all in the 20-40 minute time period. They also solely complete the entire SOAP (except it is divided into two seperate documents, basically one is the subjective and the other the OAP), call backs (at least 20-30 per person per day), prescriptions (they are filled first, then the doctor approves it) and helping with dishes, laundry, etc. Basically, they do the roles of the VA, RVT and TA's, reception, and part of the DVM and Kennel role as well at my prior clinic. They are "well-utilized."

I'm assuming this is how it is at most clinics though.

They were more lenient with their restraint and muzzling as well. I was called out several times by the people training me when using proper safe restraint (Sophia Yen, proper lateral restraint) that I am being excessive with my restraint. I would ask for a muzzle and be told that one is not needed. I would scruff a cat and be told later it was excessive to scruff the cat (in situations where I have been told to scruff before)

I did get to watch a spay surgery from start to finish, which was really neat.

I definitely learned a lot being in the rooms during the exams, and would have got to learn a lot, but it was just too much and too stressful of an environment for the relative low pay, unpredictable and long hours, not feeling safe due to lack of restraint/muzzles, on top of the fact that there is no public transport that would get me to the clinic (the route shown was a detour route). I just did not feel it was a good fit for me.

I know myself enough to know that working an environment that is THAT fast-paced is not where I do best, and being under that constant stress and pressure will make me sick.

I applied for several jobs with the school district, completed several interviews, and was hired at a school that I am INCREDIBLY excited to work at. The environment is the warm and cheerful place like my old clinic was, and just from the interview I know it will be a good place for me. The people I am working with are incredibly kind and seem wonderful. Even though I have no experience (I am signed up for a couple classes, and the school provides detailed training), I felt FAR more comfortable there than I did at the vet clinic.

I'm taking a break from vet med for the time being, and planning on volunteering at an animal shelter again to see if I would rather just get my animal fix that way.

I'm happy to be exploring a different path, especially one that I have flirted with several times.