Experience - Does This Count??

[Iain]

When I started this venture I was unsure if I was going to go the veterinary medicine route, or the M.D. route - I have volunteered in both.

I have decided to pursue human medicine mainly because animals although they feel pain they do not suffer the mental anguish of being sick, having an operation, or the prospect of death - I think that is an aspect I would naturally be good at and find very rewarding.

I have both veterinary and hospital volunteer experience. While I volunteered at the hospital I made beds, chatted with families, collect food from the kitchen, filed paperwork, and occasionally got observe actual medicine (a few traumas, 1 chest x-rays being performed, etc) but with patients privacy, and hospital procedures they really keep you away from a lot of the goings on. At the animal hospital none of the barriers are there - I can observe everything, and assist where able. I get to see all the x-rays, and ultrasounds while the vet explains the goings on to the owners, observe surgery (laproscopic, athroscopic, orthopedic, abdominal) see the delivery of bad news/tough decision, a uterus being flushed, assist the interns with such things as removing catheters/staples, administering medication/fluids, feeding the foals, and when an emergency comes I have earned enough respect from the vets to have a look, poke, feel -

These veterinary experiences have been fabulous and I have provided me the opportunity to observe things and be in situations that I will encounter in my career, yet would be unable to do as a volunteer at a human hospital. My question is will these be perceived as beneficial while I apply? Or will it raise more questions about why I am not pursuing veterinary medicine? I already have over 100 hours of time volunteering in the emergency room at a locla hospital, and that will be increasing, but until I am med student I will not get these opportunities I am getting today.

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[AppleseedCast]

I'd say definately list it. You can talk about how you ultimately decided to stick with human medicine. Your volunteer experiences with animals could show that you at least didn't rule out veterinary medicine until you tried it out.

 

[mj1878]

There was a girl in my interview group that did the same thing, and it didn't really come up as an issue. They asked how they thought it helped prepare her for studying human medicine, and she gave a good answer(although I don't remember the substance of the answer!)

I don't think you have anything to worry about.

 

[FDoRoML]

Just be prepared to make a strong, logical, and well-thought-out argument as to why you don't want to go to vet school. Many interviewers will ask if you don't explicitly state it somewhere on the app. Some schools didn't really bother me about all my animal experience b/c I had about 2 years of shadowing experience, too. BUT, other schools asked either directly -- "so, with all of these years working with animals and having so much experience in vet med and surgery, why do you want to fo to medical school instead of vet school?" or in a kind of roundabout (underhanded?) way-- "so, tell me about managing the health of so many (animals) and other things you do in your job; how do you think they prepared you for med school?"

Of course, the key to interviewing at med school is to practice answering every possible question so nervousness won't take over and make you say things you don't mean or don't want to say... so prepare the answer and, if nobody ever asks the question, all you are out is tiem prepping for yet another question.

 

[DoctaJay]

When I started this venture I was unsure if I was going to go the veterinary medicine route, or the M.D. route - I have volunteered in both.

I have decided to pursue human medicine mainly because animals although they feel pain they do not suffer the mental anguish of being sick, having an operation, or the prospect of death - I think that is an aspect I would naturally be good at and find very rewarding.

I have both veterinary and hospital volunteer experience. While I volunteered at the hospital I made beds, chatted with families, collect food from the kitchen, filed paperwork, and occasionally got observe actual medicine (a few traumas, 1 chest x-rays being performed, etc) but with patients privacy, and hospital procedures they really keep you away from a lot of the goings on. At the animal hospital none of the barriers are there - I can observe everything, and assist where able. I get to see all the x-rays, and ultrasounds while the vet explains the goings on to the owners, observe surgery (laproscopic, athroscopic, orthopedic, abdominal) see the delivery of bad news/tough decision, a uterus being flushed, assist the interns with such things as removing catheters/staples, administering medication/fluids, feeding the foals, and when an emergency comes I have earned enough respect from the vets to have a look, poke, feel -

These veterinary experiences have been fabulous and I have provided me the opportunity to observe things and be in situations that I will encounter in my career, yet would be unable to do as a volunteer at a human hospital. My question is will these be perceived as beneficial while I apply? Or will it raise more questions about why I am not pursuing veterinary medicine? I already have over 100 hours of time volunteering in the emergency room at a locla hospital, and that will be increasing, but until I am med student I will not get these opportunities I am getting today.

You have had experiences that MOST premeds will never have. You have no idea how many premeds have really good shadowing experience in the hospital (its alot). The experience you had in the vet hospital will be a breath of fresh air to your interviewer and probably the person who is reading your secondary app. List it proudly, but just be sure that you make it clear that human medicine is what you are interested in. Clearly relate your animal experiences to what youactually want to do.

 

[LaDoctorFutura]

yeah, list it. one of my experiences was shadowing a dentist, when I was on my dental tangent, and it was never an issue. not one question.

 

[KittycooMD]

When I started this venture I was unsure if I was going to go the veterinary medicine route, or the M.D. route - I have volunteered in both.

I have decided to pursue human medicine mainly because animals although they feel pain they do not suffer the mental anguish of being sick, having an operation, or the prospect of death - I think that is an aspect I would naturally be good at and find very rewarding.

First of all, congrats on deciding between the two! I think your compassion and interest in medicine/people will make you an excellent doc
I have a huge amount of respect for vets, and even considered becoming one a few times, but my love of people kept bringing me back to the MD.

Only thing I want to disagree with you on is what you say about animals not suffering "the mental anguish of being sick." Yes they may not have a prospect of death, but how do we really know that? You, in your shadowing have seen numerous cases of cancer and suffering and death in critters...didn't you see the sadness and pain in their eyes? Can you honestly tell me that they don't feel anguish? Ok, so they may not think about it in the same way humans do, but animals are smarter than people give them credit for. Just my 2 cents!

Still though, yay for bringing another doc with a bright future over to the MD side!

 

[MiesVanDerMom]

First of all, congrats on deciding between the two! I think your compassion and interest in medicine/people will make you an excellent doc
I have a huge amount of respect for vets, and even considered becoming one a few times, but my love of people kept bringing me back to the MD.

Only thing I want to disagree with you on is what you say about animals not suffering "the mental anguish of being sick." Yes they may not have a prospect of death, but how do we really know that? You, in your shadowing have seen numerous cases of cancer and suffering and death in critters...didn't you see the sadness and pain in their eyes? Can you honestly tell me that they don't feel anguish? Ok, so they may not think about it in the same way humans do, but animals are smarter than people give them credit for. Just my 2 cents!

Still though, yay for bringing another doc with a bright future over to the MD side!

i agree. i read an article about this recently. i think it was "psychology today"? research is showing animals have a lot more emotions etc. than previously thought.

i also considered and rejected the vet route. just throwing that out there...

 

[Iain]

Only thing I want to disagree with you on is what you say about animals not suffering "the mental anguish of being sick." Yes they may not have a prospect of death, but how do we really know that? You, in your shadowing have seen numerous cases of cancer and suffering and death in critters...didn't you see the sadness and pain in their eyes? Can you honestly tell me that they don't feel anguish? Ok, so they may not think about it in the same way humans do, but animals are smarter than people give them credit for. Just my 2 cents!

What animals do not understand is what is wrong with them, and their prognosis. Yes very sick animals do feel rather sorry for themselves, and are in extreme pain, but they are not having sleepless nights waiting for a biopsy result, worrying about who is going to look after their children if they die, or the pain of the chemotherapy they are about to endure - this more personal side can only be found in human medicine.

I also do not think animals know about death - when we put a horse to sleep at the hospital I have never seen a horse show any reaction to a dead horse already there, in fact they will literally stand over it. I think it is in their herd, they are confused but do not understand death per se.

I also jumped a dead cow in a field - this was many years ago back in England!!!

 

[FDoRoML]

I also do not think animals know about death - when we put a horse to sleep at the hospital I have never seen a horse show any reaction to a dead horse already there, in fact they will literally stand over it. I think it is in their herd, they are confused but do not understand death per se.

Well, I agree with them not understanding what precisely is wrong, and not having the "luxury" of having a doc tell them their %chance to live. But, I don't agree that all animals do not have a concept of death. Actually, there have been field studies and lab studies that show some animals (mainly non-human primates and dogs were studied) grieve.

But that's not the point of your post, and I don't want to turn a post on SDN into a long philosophical ethology discussion.

So, just take my advice and have a concise reason for choosing b/c ~7/10 interviewers would probably ask about it in one way or another. I would articulate how you fit into your reason (that animals don't face death the way humans do) b/c simply saying that could be taken a number of ways. E.g. Are you saying animals are less deserving of your work? Will it be less fulfilling than human med? Are you saying YOU want to be the one to break the news to a terminal patient? Why? Are you saying you think your gifts are best suited to dealing with people and why? Think about what kind of physician you want to be (yeah, you can say you want to do oncology or FP to make your point-- they won't hold you to it once you're in med school!!), and explain how you fit that and how you see yourself there instead of vet med.

Anyway, I'm babbling yet again. Hopefully you catch my drift.