Clinical Rotations: what to expect?

[ItalianVet]

Hello everyone,

I was just wondering if any of you guys could give me any advice or suggestion for my clinical rotations that I'm going to start in about a week. As you can probably understand from my forum name I'm a foreign vet and I'm doing the clinical rotation for licensing purposes.
I am excited but also very nervous. I met already some of the professor (they were all great) and searched around to gain as much information as I can about what to expect from the clinical rotations. Even if I feel a lot more informed right now I would like to hear more info and input from other students.
Thanks for any reply.

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[WhtsThFrequency]

Time management is one of the most important factors. Juggling multiple patients and appointments all day can get very rough. I recommend keeping either a small notebook or a set of index cards.

Getting enough sleep. Yes, there will be some blocks where you will be pulling 14-16 hour days continuously, plus being on-call or dealing with emergencies. Making sure to eat well is also important. Always having a stash of granola bars and things like that help when you are running from surgery to surgery.

Some rotations are very low key - this varies by school. For example, radiology is an 8-5 type of deal at VMRCVM. Surgery is another matter.

Never answer a question with simply "I don't know". If you don't know, say "Well I don't know right now, but I will go and look that up and get back to you."

Support your "teammates" and be nice to the techs. These are the people that will help you through everything. No man is an island in fourth year - you all lean on each other heavily. Especially the techs - they are the lifeblood of these institutions as much as the students are!!!

Even if you are having a rotation you have no interest in, or do not know much about, be as positive as you can. Clinicians appreciate enthusiasm.

Some clients are crazy. If you find yourself being disrespected, bring it to the attention of the resident or clinician. Most are more than willing to take over. You may be a student, but you don't deserve being talked down to.

NEVER give your personal phone number to ANY client, even if their dog is in ICU and they are terrified. I made that mistake once because I felt awfully bad for a critical case of mine that had an extremely anxious, crying owner, and was woken up all through the night from her calling.

 

[givemedvm]

i started my clinics in Feb of this year. just bring your positive attitude and a smile....do whatever clinicians ask of u...a small notebook is a must...can be bought at walmart $1...keep it your pocket to take quick notes...and anything that clinicians mentions...so what school are u completing ur clinical yr???

 

[missDVM2B]

Hi! I am also Italian and I am planning on coming to the US after graduation.. which program are you doing? How does it work? 😀

 

[Tricolorbadness]

I recommend keeping either a small notebook or a set of index cards.

I understand the notebook but how would you use the index cards?

 

[Bill59]

Some others

Bring food. Eat when you can, don't count on getting a lunch/dinner break. If you pass out in surgery from hypoglycemia you may break asepsis. This will annoy the surgeon.

Be on time if not early. Don't leave until the team's work is done. Don't be "The Missing Student", the one nobody can ever find.

Always have the necessary equipment -- pen, thermometer, stethoscope, bandage scissors, whatever. If the doctor asks for a lead rope, she wants to see you handing her a lead rope, not everyone looking at each other like they've never heard of a lead rope.

It bears repeating .... Be nice to the technicians. Piss off a tech early on and your life will be hell for the next year. Clean up after yourself and treat them like the experienced, knowledgeable members of the team they are. They aren't doctors but they are way more important in keeping the hospital going than you are.

Read. Read up on cases and procedures, the night before if possible. If there's a phacoemulsification scheduled for 9 am it would probably be good if you knew what a phacoemulsification was.

Think. Don't get so bogged down in getting all your tasks done that you lose sight of the bigger picture. Why am I doing this protein:creatinine ratio? Why did he ask if I had done a rectal? Does this differential list or treatment plan make sense? In a year or so you are going to be making these decisions, now is the time to get this sorted out in your mind.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I mean the little sets of index cards that come spiral bound together, like a spiral bound notebook. I find them smaller and easier to flip through than fussing with thin pages.

 

[ItalianVet]

Thank you so much for all of the replies and advice; they have been very helpful. Hopefully, the advice will keep coming. I will be starting my clinical rotations at Iowa State University next week for the the PAVE Program. Thanks again!

 

[missDVM2B]

Awesome! Keep us Posted 😀

 

[VeganSoprano]

Check out the blog "My Vet School Days". (Google it and it should be one of the first hits.) Its author is just finishing her last year at ISU so the last year of posts should be very helpful.

 

[Tricolorbadness]

I mean the little sets of index cards that come spiral bound together, like a spiral bound notebook. I find them smaller and easier to flip through than fussing with thin pages.

Excellent! Thanks!!

 

[twelvetigers]

Check out the blog "My Vet School Days". (Google it and it should be one of the first hits.) Its author is just finishing her last year at ISU so the last year of posts should be very helpful.

http://ejh345.wordpress.com/

One of my favorites. She just adopted the cutest puppy!

 

[Angelo84]

Clinics are fun! Long days not much sleep and yet very satisfying! If you are starting off with small animal I recommend the small animal medical differential diagnosis book by Thompson. It is very nice when it is 6am and you are trying to come up with just one more differential for your soaps. It doesn't have any mechanisms it is just lists and it fits nicely in a lab coat pocket. I second the recommendations for a sturdy small notebook. I used one page per patient per day to keep things relatively organized.

Otherwise go in with an open mind and a positive attitude. Also be nice to the techs they have lots to teach you and can make your life so much easier.

Good luck!

 

[CookieBear]

Clinics are fun! Long days not much sleep and yet very satisfying! If you are starting off with small animal I recommend the small animal medical differential diagnosis book by Thompson. It is very nice when it is 6am and you are trying to come up with just one more differential for your soaps. It doesn't have any mechanisms it is just lists and it fits nicely in a lab coat pocket. I second the recommendations for a sturdy small notebook. I used one page per patient per day to keep things relatively organized.

Otherwise go in with an open mind and a positive attitude. Also be nice to the techs they have lots to teach you and can make your life so much easier.

Good luck!

I'll be living small animals and exotics until November. I think I might follow your recommendation and get the Thompson book. It looks good! (And I'm also a book hoarder).

 

[alliecat44]

Just wanted to revive this thread and say I LOVE CLINICS!! It is so so much fun. Definitely makes sitting in lecture all those years worth it--it's so rewarding to have your own patients and be involved in things. Wow!! So much fun. Way sleep-deprived, but way way fun. 🙂 Yay!

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Hurrah clinics! 😀

 

[VeganSoprano]

ItalianVet, I wanted to add that if you went to Perugia then you should be very confident in the quality of the education you received. I know two vets from there who work in the US (one Italian and one American) and both are truly excellent doctors. You should be very well prepared for clinics.