For the most part, I've been loving clinics! And it's pretty awesome that I've really gotten to know a bunch of my classmates that I really had no reason to get to know otherwise. Overall my rotation mates have been amazing both in terms of attitude and knowledge. We all have a long long ways to go before we are individual competent veterinarians, but I love that we're at a point where if allowed to work as a rotation group we are pretty on the money.
but there is always a BUT. Once in a while, there is someone who is not only super self-centered and egocentric, but also feels the need for constant validation. The person who dodges the boring cases, the menial labor, the paperwork, treatments, etc... but is the first to jump on an exciting case/procedure. The person who doesn't care that others haven't had the chance to participate in an endoscopic procedure, but keeps taking them (they can because they're available and on high alert since they've case dodged precisely for this purpose) with the rational that s/he "loves" endoscopy! The same person feels the need to "supervise" everyone else who are all super busy carrying an uneven caseload. The second someone else's case gets interesting, they're there to loudly narrate what's going on as if it's their case... and criticizes the student in charge about everything from patient handling to technique to their knowledge. And for some twisted reason, they think they are oh so helpful and wonders why no one (including clinicians) appreciates all their effort and expertise. To top it off, they can't seem to stop telling you how they think they're great, and then asks you to affirm.
For the most part, most of my classmates are great and I love working with them or at least feel neutral about them (i.e. can't ever see my self being friends, but we have a perfectly respectful working relationship and we can count on each other). But so far my friends and I have identified 3-4 of these asshats, and it really really sours your experiences on that rotation when they are on with you. The more classmates I get into casual conversations with, the more it kind of spills out that others feel the same exact way about the same exact people. At first, we tend to tip toe around the subject, but then when it becomes obvious that we're talking about the same people doing the same thing, we have this
moment, and all the deets come spilling out. And then it always ends with an "omg i felt like such a b**** for feeling this way, but i'm glad you feel the same!" We all feel kinda horrible about being catty and gossipy about classmates like this, but then in the end we decide that it is quite cathartic and that it wouldn't be necessary unless they weren't such donkeyholes in the first place.
can't imagine why?
