EmERge - BluePearl

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

jmo1012

SGU (NCSU) c/o 2015!
10+ Year Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2011
Messages
3,453
Reaction score
1,333
My cynical brain just thinks it's a nice way to pay vets less while they're producing less and getting into the swing of thing... and to staff less favourable locations with a multi-year contract agreement.

On another note, didn't know Hanel had left the school; her lectures were fun.
 
It is an interesting concept. Though I think 3 yrs is a long time to commit to something like that. If the program was in my backyard, I'd totally be game. But uprooting my life for that long....nope.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I am not too cynical about the salary, though 30k is abysmal. I am just wondering if they have a plan in place to be sure that the clinicians you are "learning from"are fully into the program and really interested in guiding you. There is absolutely nothing worse than to get stuck with a vet who is being forced to teach/guide when they did not want to.
 
My cynical brain just thinks it's a nice way to pay vets less while they're producing less and getting into the swing of thing... and to staff less favourable locations with a multi-year contract agreement.

On another note, didn't know Hanel had left the school; her lectures were fun.
I feel the same way about it. Why would a training program with less pay entice me to be an ER doc, when new grads are getting paid the market value outside this program?

I get that they're aiming at the new grads who might not feel ready to hit the ground running in the ER, but idk. At least the pay isn't terrible for too terrible long.
 
As someone directly going into ER after school I also have mixed feelings about this.

On one hand, the total salary for the year (I think I calculated it to be ~58K) is at least better than an internship, and it appears to be a decent program to get someone who wants to do ER but doesn't want to do an internship on their feet. I wonder if you get to pick where you go afterward, or they just place you in a hospital that needs someone....

However, as excited as I am to learn on the job, I'm not sure I could do 4 more months of "school" (lectures, wetlabs, "writing" fake discharges/treatments). Maybe I'm just bitter, but I really tired of being treated as a clueless student ("well why don't you look that up and report back to the class?") instead of a soon to be colleague.

I mean, overall it sounds like a step in the right direction for those who choose not to do internships, though the thought of potentially being stuck somewhere for 3 years is a little scary.
 
I guess here's my thing; consider the alternate:

You graduate and you start a job at an ER. Maybe @LetItSnow can give a lil more personal experience, but I'm assuming to an extent there is an "onboarding" period for most places where you're still finding where everything is, learning the general ways things work at this particular clinic, have other ER vets available (either in person or at least on the phone within access) and aren't expected to be performing like a vet with several years of ER experience... because that's absurd, as you're not. You're probably working your butt off figuring everything out and quickly get more "up to speed," where the routine emergencies are simple but the less routine require consultation. During the very beginning maybe you're getting paid more than you're "worth." but that's something that has always been accepted as the cost of hiring a new person and getting that staffing filled. You've generally got a one year contract but either side can break with appropriate notice/etc.

With this program... you do more wetlabs and lectures just like you just did in vet school, and you get paid like crap during that. Then it seems like you're kinda "shadowing" for a couple weeks? Eventually you start working overnights with an "official" version of the unofficial mentorship/help that generally exists, and you continue getting paid less than a typical GP. Eventually you're paid OK (still less than I was paid for my first year out in GP and generally Blue Pearls are in bigger cities, yeah?), but in return for getting paid less and some mentoring, you're supposed to stay with the company for three years, total. They don't discuss how they pick locations or what downsides there are if you decide to not stay with them, of course. You don't get credit for an internship because it's not one.

I would never choose this program over finding a clinic that is aware I haven't worked emergency (or "I'm a new grad" or whatever is appropriate). Because, why? I could get paid more and probably develop my skills faster in a "real job" with more flexibility. People learn by doing. You can shove fluids lectures at me till kingdom come but it's using that information that makes it stick. If you don't know how to do something, you look at a consult or a youtube video in a couple secs->minutes as appropriate, and then you do it. Honestly, imo, if you don't like winging things occasionally, don't work in vet med. :laugh:
 
I guess here's my thing; consider the alternate:

You graduate and you start a job at an ER. Maybe @LetItSnow can give a lil more personal experience, but I'm assuming to an extent there is an "onboarding" period for most places where you're still finding where everything is, learning the general ways things work at this particular clinic, have other ER vets available (either in person or at least on the phone within access) and aren't expected to be performing like a vet with several years of ER experience... because that's absurd, as you're not. You're probably working your butt off figuring everything out and quickly get more "up to speed," where the routine emergencies are simple but the less routine require consultation. During the very beginning maybe you're getting paid more than you're "worth." but that's something that has always been accepted as the cost of hiring a new person and getting that staffing filled. You've generally got a one year contract but either side can break with appropriate notice/etc.

With this program... you do more wetlabs and lectures just like you just did in vet school, and you get paid like crap during that. Then it seems like you're kinda "shadowing" for a couple weeks? Eventually you start working overnights with an "official" version of the unofficial mentorship/help that generally exists, and you continue getting paid less than a typical GP. Eventually you're paid OK (still less than I was paid for my first year out in GP and generally Blue Pearls are in bigger cities, yeah?), but in return for getting paid less and some mentoring, you're supposed to stay with the company for three years, total. They don't discuss how they pick locations or what downsides there are if you decide to not stay with them, of course. You don't get credit for an internship because it's not one.

I would never choose this program over finding a clinic that is aware I haven't worked emergency (or "I'm a new grad" or whatever is appropriate). Because, why? I could get paid more and probably develop my skills faster in a "real job" with more flexibility. People learn by doing. You can shove fluids lectures at me till kingdom come but it's using that information that makes it stick. If you don't know how to do something, you look at a consult or a youtube video in a couple secs->minutes as appropriate, and then you do it. Honestly, imo, if you don't like winging things occasionally, don't work in vet med. :laugh:
I completely agree with everything above. Even if I was offered this in the same city that I will be working ER full time (with a full time pay), I would still pick the full time ER job every time.
 
Conversation on VIN indicates that the program may also have a quite restrictive non-compete that covers a lot of the country...
Is that even legal??? Geez that would be awful
 
That would never stand up in court. I love when I see those, cracks me up.
I mean generally not, but if they pushed it Blue Pearl has a lot more resources than your standard mostly-new grad. I honestly hope that's just hearsay because if there is actually a non-compete that covers more than their local area that drops my respect for the company a whole freaking lot.
 
Top