Experience for vet school - World Vets

[may730]

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I would just like to recommend the World Vets IVM program to pre-veterinary students looking to get experience for vet school. Not only is it very fulfilling to help the animals, but I learned so much in only a week. Even as a pre-veterinary student with not much experience, I was able to put in catheters and endotracheal tubes and prepare the animals for surgery. I learned so much. I highly recommend it.

http://worldvets.org/volunteer/upcoming-projects/

 

[Felixor90]

And I'd recommend pre-vets save the $1,250 for vet school application fees and interview trips.

 

[battie]

And I'd recommend you save the $1,250 for vet school application fees and interview trips.

I wasn't going to say anything, but since you brought it up, it is a very good point. I also feel that as more and more people do this, it is less and less of a "unique" experience.

But to each their own. I'm not going to tell people that they shouldn't do what they want with their money, but I'm not above saying that there are a bunch of things pre-vet students have to spend money on and probably not a lot of money to spread around.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I was going to say, if it's tech skills you wanted to try... if you look for them at the right places, you can find places to do the for free (or even get paid to do them) in the states. I was able to intubate, induce, monitor anesthesia, prep for surgery, and tip feral cat ears since I was like 17 without shelling out money to do that on my free time. And after a while they let me do it for a full summer during college while paying me $12 per hour back in 2006.

And honestly, getting to do that stuff on a limited number of animals over a week or so will not really help you out much in vet school...

If you have cash to burn and want to do this as a "vacation" of sorts, sure why not. But I don't think it's the best or most efficient way to get good experience.

 

[bunnity]

I was going to say, if it's tech skills you wanted to try... if you look for them at the right places, you can find places to do the for free (or even get paid to do them) in the states. I was able to intubate, induce, monitor anesthesia, prep for surgery, and tip feral cat ears since I was like 17 without shelling out money to do that on my free time. And after a while they let me do it for a full summer during college while paying me $12 per hour back in 2006.

And honestly, getting to do that stuff on a limited number of animals over a week or so will not really help you out much in vet school...

If you have cash to burn and want to do this as a "vacation" of sorts, sure why not. But I don't think it's the best or most efficient way to get good experience.

I did very similar stuff, also for free, right down the street from my house at the local shelter. And got a great LOR out of it and am still friends with the vets and staff there. No need to go halfway across the world.

 

[onisteverina]

If money isn't an issue and you aren't already working as a tech... especially in areas that don't allow unlicensed people to perform basic tech skills.. I think it is worth it. I went on one of these trips and enjoyed the experience.. more so for the cultural aspect and working a couple days in the local clinic doing community outreach. I was already working as a tech so the clinical skills part wasn't that big of a deal for me.. It is really interesting to see how things are done when funding and resources are very limited. I also have maintained contact with several doctors that were there.. and this was when World Vets first started their IVM program (3 years ago?)

 

[Puffins]

I think this program can be helpful if you are interested in doing international work as a vet because it gives you an opportunity to see how medicine is practiced in other cultures. I think it also gives perspective on potential differences in the human-animal bond across cultures. If I could afford it, I would do a program like this in a heartbeat, although I'd prefer to work with livestock/large animals. Then again, I am interested in public health and that is mainly why these programs appeal to me. I think* these programs offer many learning opportunities beyond learning technical skills...

*I could be wrong, I've never done a program like this

 

[Caia]

I think this program can be helpful if you are interested in doing international work as a vet because it gives you an opportunity to see how medicine is practiced in other cultures. I think it also gives perspective on potential differences in the human-animal bond across cultures. If I could afford it, I would do a program like this in a heartbeat, although I'd prefer to work with livestock/large animals. Then again, I am interested in public health and that is mainly why these programs appeal to me. I think* these programs offer many learning opportunities beyond learning technical skills...

*I could be wrong, I've never done a program like this

This. My trip was great for gaining some perspective on what we have here and what vet med is like in a developing country.

I also used it as a vacation though and probably wouldn't have been able to see Machu Picchu without going.

The experience was great, but that was not the only consideration. Sometimes you need to get out of your own country.

(They do make you become a member and keep silently charging you if you don't remember to cancel the membership though )