Dont have anyone else to talk to...

[akitavet]

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I hate to bore you all with my problems, but I need some advice

I have been working 3 weeks at my first animal health experience job. I was hired as a veterinary nurse at the emergency center. They hired me knowing that I had a BS and MS in Chemical Engineering, but knew nothing about handling animals other than pet and show experience.

Well today, the first day of week 4, the nursing supervisor (who btw is a total bitch to me all the time and applied 3 times to vet school and never got in and resents me for even trying) pulls me aside and says basically that I have been doing a bad job and I need to learn all of the skills to handle critical patients by the end of next month or they will fire me. She says she doesnt know how to talk to me because I have all this education and no experience in the field. THEN, she tells me that instead of watching and learning with her, that I have a whole list of housekeeping chores that I need to be working on. She refuses to train me frequently, but this time she flat out told me that she didnt want me follow her around and learn anything! She wants me to spend all my time completing this cleaning/stocking checklist and somehow learn all of the handling stuff without anyone training me. On top of all of this, they want to pay me at a level 1 (out of 6) but they want me doing at least level 3 work by the end of next month.

So...I got an offer from a therio vet (that I really like and would love to work with) for part time. I am thinking of taking it. My concern is that it will look bad that I only stayed at the other job a month. What do you guys think! Do you think Im being a baby, or do you think this kind of crap is totally not worth it when I can build hours elsewhere.

 

[InfiniVet]

totally not worth it when you can build hours somewhere else!

 

[aggiegolf]

I'd quit and take the other job.

 

[RazorDoc2010]

definitely take the other job...don't let your first one ruin you on the field! I was in a similar situation, and just came to the realization that I can get similar experience in a much better environment. good luck.

 

[pressmom]

At my first job (which I kept for two years) the doctors were wonderful, but the other techs were horrible to me. The head tech couldn't go to vet school either, and they all constantly made fun of me. (I was the only one going for vet school.) I remember the most hurtful time: I shared a birthday with one of the other techs (it was on the calendar) and I was working on my birthday. The other girl got a cake and a card (it wasn't even a co-cake) and one of the techs put the cake under my face and said, "I guess you don't get one." Also, I got nothing when I left after two years, not a cake, card or anything. I learned so much from the doctors, but there were days I went home and cried. I stayed for so longs for the LORs. One of the docs had a very good history of getting people in. (And I got in!)

But anyway, you're so soon it and if you know you don't like it, don't stay!!!! Go for the other job!!! The clinic I work at now is so supportive. I learn so much everyday and the other techs and I get along so well. I just wish it had been that way all along.

 

[Emio]

its unanimous... get the F out.

you sure as hell don't need that discouragement, and having the spine to say "i don't need this" might be a fun thing to talk about at interviews. "...remember that one TERRIBLE job i had when i first started?? oh maaaaan, glad i got out of THAT one."

 

[ShelterGirl]

Not worth it.

It doesn't sound like you're getting very good experience there (i.e. completing cleaning checklists), the supervisor is making it miserable, and it doesn't sound like it would be easy to get a good LOR there.

If any adcoms ask you why you quit after a month, just tell them you got an offer you couldn't refuse from this great place in a field you're super-interested in 🙂

p.s. Yay! Another ChE!

 

[Keygirl1]

do you live in NJ because this sounds an awful lot like the awful b**** i worked for, lol. i was at my job as a vet tech for 8 months, a new supervisor was hired and she was horrible. i ended up leaving after a couple months because i couldn't take it. she was very negative to me and the other tech who was applying to vet school. i felt like crying every day after work, so i knew i had to leave. do yourself a favor, take this other job!

 

[twosoakers]

i agree about it not being worth it. go with someone who wants you.

my small animal veterinary experience was nine months at a local veterinary hospital here in indiana. i made the mistake of stating i was vegetarian and asking questions whenever animals were euthanized because i like knowing the full story, and i wasn't acclimated to the influx of euthanasias. several of the techs/assistants and one of the doctors lumped me as a 'peta activist,' so much so that the doctor (one of the four--two of the others wrote my professional recommendations) told me flat out he thought i'd make a poor veterinarian when i requested a recommendation from him.

the same assistant who labeled me such (who also didn't apply to vet school and didn't finish a degree and was assistant to the doctor who said i'd make a poor veterinarian) took me aside and told me that i was 'using' the facility as a 'stepping stone,' while others made their livings working there. she also accused me of making myself appear 'better than' the techs who were working there to make a living (regardless of the fact that a vet student and a pre-vet student were working there in order to gain experience, and probably most importantly because i didn't like travis tritt). but because of the schools' expectations, i stuck it out.

on one of my last days there, before returning to school, i asked to observe an amputation of a heeler i was adopting (chased the wrong farm truck). one of the techs was already pissed at me because when the dog came in, she cared for it, but her husband wouldn't let her have it. pissed regardless of the fact that i gathered all of the money to pay for the surgery from local dog owners and my own pocket, as the neuropathy in his front left leg was so severe that he'd begun chewing on it (and only the doctor performing the surgery helped financially by graciously halving the cost of the four-hour procedure). anyway, the same assistant told me that i wasn't doing 'my job' and hadn't been doing it and was leaving the doctor that i was assisting hanging (although the doctor had granted me permission to observe the surgery for a short time). i ended up bawling like a little bitch (nothing like working with a bunch of women miserable in their own lives for one reason or another, and still feeling that childish need to fit it). i quit the day after.

it was a nightmarish experience, but somehow it didn't turn me off from vet med. just taught me how not to treat my staff and how to manage a place.

really, you don't need to take any ****, pressmom. we're all too old for that. if people want to be miserable, that's what they're going to do, and they'll try to step on you to make themselves feel better, rather than addressing and fixing their own inadequacies. being in the midwest is doubly difficult, as very few people desire to question their values--they only like to impose them (and if you're not one of them--and you can't stand travis tritt--god help you).

 

[CookieBear]

Two things:

1) To the original poster: ditto the above; get the hell out; you can do better. Don't take that crap!

2) I'm from NY. Who the hell is Travis Tritt? (Rhetorical question. If I get curious, I'll google him... no worries.)

 

[twosoakers]

travis tritt is the anti-christ. wow. you can't see that i typed ****. that's funny.

 

[CookieBear]

See, this is what I found when I google imaged "Travis Tritt".

Now, it wasn't the first image that came up, but, aren't we all supposed to be a little creative here anyway?

'Nuff said. 😀

(I think this might actually be "Cash" as in Johnny Cash?)

And apologies to any country or Tritt fans. You can PM me if you'd like to spout off about U2. 😛

 

[Capella]

Never been a fan...he used to have quite a few songs on the radio though.

 

[akitavet]

It makes me feel a lot better. The hours and pay sucked anyway. I found a place where I fit in much better (even if it is a litle bit of a drive), and the part time gives me the opportunity to do more large animal stuff. I have 150 hours to show for this time, so I cant really complain about that.

YAY! I get to quit! I will be talking to the hospital administrator though and telling her what transpired. Since Im still in training, I dont expect to give 2 weeks notice.

 

[philomycus]

Okay, I probbaly the biggest loser on here now. How are all of 'yall making these cool, kicka** smilies??? I'm soooo out of the loop...

I wanna play !!! Wahahahahahah !!!!!

 

[ratbandit]

I ditto the above comments. I also worked at a vet clinic for about a month and then quit - nobody even asked me about it, you can always say you left for a better experience. While I was taking out the trash in the vet's office (garbage women is not my job btw) she got pissed b/c her trash can was occupied by me and threw some glass syringe bottles and other garbage from her lunch on the floor next to me, expecting me to pick it off the ground and throw it away when I put the new bag in! I threw the garbage bag on her desk and then realizing what I had done, knew I was going to be fired and went straight to my manager and quit. Didn't even give a reason. So glad I peaced out of that job. Seriously, you don't have to take the bs.

 

[Angie09]

How will the adcomms even know that you left this job? If you've only been there a month, you're going to have tons of time to build hours and get LORs from your other opportunity, so I would run like heck and forget this ever happened! No matter how great the doctors there are, your same-level colleagues can make your life suck, as other people have already attested. And not that infrequently, for whatever bizarre, twisted reason, people like this woman are liked by and have influence with their superiors, which could make things even worse. Just go. Work hard, do well at the other place, and if you have enough hours there don't even mention having worked here if you're worried about the short duration. Or, mention it and be honest about why -- you didn't want to learn how to mop floors, you wanted to learn about medicine.

 

[JumptheMoon]

its unanimous... get the F out.

you sure as hell don't need that discouragement, and having the spine to say "i don't need this" might be a fun thing to talk about at interviews. "...remember that one TERRIBLE job i had when i first started?? oh maaaaan, glad i got out of THAT one."

I'm with Emio! This sounds like a terrible experience and I'm so sorry that you had to deal with those people Akita, but I don't see why you need to avoid mentioning the experience in applications/interviews - you did NOTHING wrong!! You had a sh**tty experience, but at least you have something to show for it: hours in a small animal clinic, and probably more importantly, you've learned how NOT to run a practice and treat co-workers. Honestly I think it shows a lot of strength of character and dedication to the field that this job didn't turn you off of vet. med. altogether! 👍

 

[KittenKiller]

So...I got an offer from a therio vet (that I really like and would love to work with) for part time. I am thinking of taking it. My concern is that it will look bad that I only stayed at the other job a month.

Dont worry about this at ALL. Just dont put it on your resume.

The truth is, its really hard to get a job thats willing to train you when there are so many competent, careerist vet techs out there. But there are some, it just takes a lot of hunting and persistence AND dont be afraid to be clear about what you want and what you're willing to accept, otherwise you'll just spend your time frustrated at a job that doesnt fit you.

 

[twosoakers]

Okay, I probbaly the biggest loser on here now. How are all of 'yall making these cool, kicka** smilies??? I'm soooo out of the loop...

I wanna play !!! Wahahahahahah !!!!!

hahahha when you graduate from vet school, i want to hear you go Wahahahahahahah!!! that would be hysterical.

over on the righthand side, when you compose a message, are the smilies. you click on "more" and there are a bunch of weird ones, including:



and that crazy dancing banana.

 

[twosoakers]

it feels really good to know that i wasn't the only one with the crappiest veterinary experience ever. nine months at that place did a number on my self-esteem, and i told them that. the employee management there was awful. the veterinarian who told me i wouldn't make a good one was very hands-off and didn't like confrontation (it'll just blow over. sure.) they picked me down to the bone. when i confronted the head tech about it, she just said the techs and assistants who've been there for some time sometimes pick someone and just, yes, 'pick them apart.' she did not offer to defend me (she had her own criticisms of me) and did not offer to act like a manager and rectify the situation. her advice was for me to sit down and listen to all of the criticisms they had of me to help them work through it (which is what i did the first time around). i quit a half-hour later.

i was the only employee not to get a going-away dinner that everyone attended. the only employee not to get a card wishing me well. because of conservative values, i was completely ostracized (god, indiana can suck!).

i was terrified to talk about it during any of my interviews because i thought it would make ME look badly.

anyway, i'm v.p. of our town dog park, and was volunteering last week at purdue svm's springfest, and that assistant rolled her ass up to our table and said, 'i guess congratulations are in order.' and i said, 'it's about time.'

bleh on her.

 

[mochavet]

Ah, yes. I think we all have found ourselves in a similar situation as this. For me, I stuck it out at a miserable clinic for two weeks and then said the hell with it (same thing, got constantly picked on by the receptionists/techs). It wasn't worth it. Good for you for getting out! If you don't want to, don't list the bad experience on your application. It was such a short time period that it is not going to matter. Good luck in the future!

 

[JIKJen124]

I seemed to have this sort of luck when it came to my non-veterinary jobs... Assistant #7 in 5 years... I should have known to run then!

 

[Hobiecat1642]

At the first clinic I worked for, I was the youngest person there. I did the basic animal care stuff, but it seemed like my most important daily responsibility was to record and retrieve everyone's lunch orders from the pizza place across the street. One time, about I week after I started, one of the vets walked by and told me that if I were a certified tech, I would have already finished staining the microscope slides that I had been working on. How is that a helpful comment? Anyway, don't let it get you down. My next job was much better, so hopefully your next job will be an improvement.

 

[Vet2be2012]

I agree! Get out of there! I had this experience last year! I already had tons of vet experience, but no way to track down the vets for the LORS! so, I specifically worked for a vet last year before applying. He was a major As.....! I didn't cry after work, I cried during work! Once in front of a customer, during surgery, and of coarse, in front of him! I never had such a bad experience working for anyone in my life! He was so mean! When I left, I didn't even tell him I was leaving. I just never came back and never called him again. Of coarse, I never got what I did it for in the first place, my LORS! And this is probably a good reason I didn't get into a couple of the vet schools I applied too! It's just not worth it. You won't get anything from this vet. And on top of it, they will question why you worked there and never got a letter from them. they did with me🙁 Just remember, it's not worth $7 to $8 an hour to be treated like that! There are other ways to get your experience in a much more pleasant environment!

 

[medtechv79]

At my first job (which I kept for two years) the doctors were wonderful, but the other techs were horrible to me. The head tech couldn't go to vet school either, and they all constantly made fun of me. (I was the only one going for vet school.) I remember the most hurtful time: I shared a birthday with one of the other techs (it was on the calendar) and I was working on my birthday. The other girl got a cake and a card (it wasn't even a co-cake) and one of the techs put the cake under my face and said, "I guess you don't get one." Also, I got nothing when I left after two years, not a cake, card or anything. I learned so much from the doctors, but there were days I went home and cried. I stayed for so longs for the LORs. One of the docs had a very good history of getting people in. (And I got in!)

But anyway, you're so soon it and if you know you don't like it, don't stay!!!! Go for the other job!!! The clinic I work at now is so supportive. I learn so much everyday and the other techs and I get along so well. I just wish it had been that way all along.

geez....props to you for staying so long in a crappy environment...u have such perserverance!!! No wonder u got into vet school =) I hate to say it but sometime I think people who put other ppl down are usually very unhappy with their lives and have a little jealousy as well. Maybe these techs didn't have college degrees and only HS or associates degrees?

its better now b/c yer pursuing a better future anyway and they're probably still stuck in that same job b**ching about other coworkers as usual right!
yer story is pretty inspirational!