Description of Duties?

[MilkyWayAngel1]

I was wondering what they're looking for in the "description of duties" sections of the veterinary, animal, and work experience sections of the VMCAS? Just a list of what we did, or a paragraph? Do they want to know what we learned from each experience, or just what we actually accomplished?

And does the "480 character limit" include spaces, or no?

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[PrimalMU]

I was wondering what they're looking for in the "description of duties" sections of the veterinary, animal, and work experience sections of the VMCAS? Just a list of what we did, or a paragraph? Do they want to know what we learned from each experience, or just what we actually accomplished?

And does the "480 character limit" include spaces, or no?

I listed the most important parts of my job duties in bullet form (just as you would with a resume).

Yes, spaces are still considered characters.

 

[Whyevernot55]

I synthesized it into succinct phrases.

480 characters is VERY SMALL. I'd recommend writing out everything you've done in each position, THEN worry about condensing it to the 480 characters.

 

[PrimalMU]

I'd recommend writing out everything you've done in each position, THEN worry about condensing it to the 480 characters.

+1

Another point to make, the only part of the application that, in my opinion, should be written out in paragraph form is the personal statement. You should make the rest of the application as easy for the adcoms to read as possible. The easier it is for them to read the better they will be able to comprehend and assess your qualifications.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Just list what you did (job description). What you learned and such goes in your PS, not the experience section. If you did research, it might be good to put a short sentence at the top about the topic of your research, but you want to list your job descriptions and not results or overall concept.

Here's an example of what I put down for the one clinical experience I had:

*Microchipped, vaccinated, and performed health-checks
*Prepped animals for surgery by inducing anesthesia, intubating, shaving, and sterilizing.
*Monitored animals during surgery and recovery
*Tested animals for parvo, panleukopenia, FIV, and FeLV
*Assisted in radiography, euthanasia, and necropsies
*Ophthalmic, topical, oral, subcutaneous, and intramuscular treatments
*Shelter animals included: dogs, cats, chicken, rodents, rabbits, and occasional pigs and goats

 

[MilkyWayAngel1]

Ok, thanks for all of your help everyone! 🙂

 

[thedogisgreen]

definitely put a lot of specifics about what you have done and exactly how you helped, not just assisted, observed, etc.. detail is good, to the extent that you can with the space provided 🙂

 

[Armymutt25A]

How would you condense 3 years at a job into 480 characters? This is the simplified version of my actual annual evaluation:
-Communications Officer for a field artillery battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division.
- Responsible for all aspects of planning, designing, installing, maintaining and managing information networks to include communications links, computers, and other components of local and wide area networks
- Integrated tactical, strategic and sustaining base communications, information processing, and management systems into a seamless global information network

The original is over 900 characters. My plan at this point is to put the wide angle view here and the important gritty details in the PS. Ideas?

 

[BlacKAT33]

If i had a short description i wrote in sentences. If i had a ton of duties i listed them but separated it by commas to save space. They don't give enough room!!

 

[StartingoverVet]

How would you condense 3 years at a job into 480 characters? This is the simplified version of my actual annual evaluation:
-Communications Officer for a field artillery battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division.
- Responsible for all aspects of planning, designing, installing, maintaining and managing information networks to include communications links, computers, and other components of local and wide area networks
- Integrated tactical, strategic and sustaining base communications, information processing, and management systems into a seamless global information network

The original is over 900 characters. My plan at this point is to put the wide angle view here and the important gritty details in the PS. Ideas?

New version. 340 characters. Gives you another 140 to spice it up:

Communications Officer.
*Planned, designed, installed, maintained and managed information networks including communications links, computers, and components of local & wide area networks
*Integrated tactical, strategic & sustaining base communications, information processing, and management systems into a seamless global information network

Btw, for everyone. Carriage returns don't add to space. Use it liberally to make the presentation easier on the eye.

 

[Armymutt25A]

Thanks - makes room for the "capable of a no-notice, worldwide deployment within 18 hours of notification via parachute assault or tactical air assault operation." or not. 🙂

 

[168135]

I'm bringing up this thread again because I need some help! I'm applying to AVC, so I'm not dealing with the VMCAS. For each experience, I'm allowed a maximum of 100 words to describe my duties and responsibilities. My list of duties with VIDA looked like this when I shortened them:

• [*]Attended an 8-hour orientation which explained tropical medicine, suture and spay/neuter techniques, pharmacology, anatomy, mobile clinic process and large animal medicine.
  [*]Participated in 6 8-hour days of clinic with local veterinarians. Duties included:
  Taking patient histories, temperature, weight, full body exams, ect.
  Calculating and administering zolitiel, acepromecina, and xilicina.
  Participating in male and female dog/cat castrations.
  Monitoring animals for adverse effects from the anesthesia.
  Injecting antibiotics, analgesics, and vaccines.
  Admonishing de-worming and anti-inflammatory medications.
  De-wormed and provided vitamin therapy to cattle, horses and pigs.
  [*]Learned about local wildlife and rehabilitation with a veterinarian at the Managua zoo.

The rest of my veterinary experience is a lot more boring (LOTS of cleaning, some shadowing, being taught how to program the x-ray machie and develope film but never having to do it, restraining an animal or two, preparing slides, ect.) and I really don't know how to word it. This is what I came up with...

Observed spay/neuter surgery on dogs and cats and tumor removal surgery.
Attended appointments and observed diagnostics including radiography, microscopy and blood chemistry analysis.
Assisted staff by restraining animals for procedures.
Gave clinic tours to the public during an open house and prepared information on parvovirus.
Janitorial duties such as mopping, laundry, cleaning kennels, ect.

I asked the vet for some help but she's a busy woman and I'm impatient 😛

 

[hunterjumper12]

Just list what you did (job description). What you learned and such goes in your PS, not the experience section.

If you were shadowing a vet and not working at the clinic, would it be appropriate to write "learned to do such and such" in the experience section? If not, then what should you put? I didn't have any real duties, but was allowed to help out extensively and it was a very "hands-on" shadowing experience.

 

[168135]

I'm also going to add that describing my duties as a Dairy Queen employee is not going well either 😛

 

[Minnerbelle]

If you were shadowing a vet and not working at the clinic, would it be appropriate to write "learned to do such and such" in the experience section? If not, then what should you put? I didn't have any real duties, but was allowed to help out extensively and it was a very "hands-on" shadowing experience.

Sorry I wasn't clear. When I said that you should put "what you learned" in your PS, I meant things like "I learned that good veterinary practice doesn't always mean pushing the best and most expensive treatments" and such.

I think it's totally appropriate to say something like: "Learned client communication skills by observing _________"

 

[hunterjumper12]

Sorry I wasn't clear. When I said that you should put "what you learned" in your PS, I meant things like "I learned that good veterinary practice doesn't always mean pushing the best and most expensive treatments" and such.

I think it's totally appropriate to say something like: "Learned client communication skills by observing _________"

Ok, gotcha. I was starting to freak out there for a minute