experience options?

[summerbailey]

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Hey guys,

So basically I was working as a vet tech for the last 3 months, but just quit due to the fact that it was such a horribly abusive place. It has been my only formal experience outside of volunteering for a shelter and a short stint at a low cost spay/neuter place. I've racked up probably close to 500 hours for SA, 10 hours of farm animals, and maybe 10 hours of exotics, which is obviously nothing spectacular...So my question is whether you think I should just try to vet tech again or should I try to gain some other experience. My main reservation here is that I don't want to look uncommitted to admissions since I only worked full time for 3 months, but at the same time I know how important it is to have diversified experiences. Advice?

 

[heylodeb]

Varied experience is important for most schools so if you can do "other" things that would be great.

However, it is also important that you have a substantial amount of experience in the area that you are hoping to go in to. Is small animal your top choice right now? As long as you have GOOD reasons for why you left (I also worked as a tech at a not so ideal place for only 3 months and then ran away screaming as fast as I could...) than it should not be a bad thing if you have a positive looking work history after the fact.

 

[david594]

Advice?

Keep in mind you will need at least one letter of recommendation from a veterinarian. And most people would normally use the one they have the most experience with for that since they know them the best.

So you are probably going to need to find another vet to work with if the last experience didn't really end well.

 

[Tco87]

I second David's advice. It's more important that you have a solid letter of recommendation from a veterinarian who's worked with you for a decent amount of time than significant diversity of experience. Obviously if you can get both, that would be ideal, but if it's one or the other I recommend you focus on finding a vet in your field of interest that will be able to write you a beneficial letter of recommendation.

 

[summerbailey]

Well I can get a good letter of rec from one of the vets there, but I don't know if adcoms would weigh her opinion less because she just graduated and I would be the first person who she has written about for vet school admissions. In fact, that place was so bad that she is quitting too and moving to a different clinic. I am hoping that I can just shadow her since the new clinic has more large animal facilities and will try to keep that connection alive.

So far, I am presented interested in just doing small animal, but like I'm trying to keep an open mind since my experiences are so limited. I would like to do more research type stuff (I've only worked with stem cells), but my university seems pretty limited to insects studies or doing basic stuff like maintaining a mice colony. As far as getting more variety goes, I feel like I'm stuck....=/

 

[jtom]

I would be very open to fields other than small animal. When I decided to pursue veterinary medicine, I was all small animal, never even gave other animals a second thought. I started shadowing but was only allowed to at a mixed animal practice and after going out in the field one day, I wanted to be a large animal vet.

 

[favhrnstr]

I would like to do more research type stuff (I've only worked with stem cells), but my university seems pretty limited to insects studies or doing basic stuff like maintaining a mice colony. As far as getting more variety goes, I feel like I'm stuck....=/

Research is research, and many schools look VERY favorably on that experience. If it's with animals, even better because it gives you "lab animal" experience, but research without animals is still very valuable for your critical thinking. Don't worry about getting vet research experience if you can't; I'd think very few people could do that as an undergrad anyhow based on university/education level restrictions.

...but at the same time I know how important it is to have diversified experiences.

Get enough variety that you can talk about those other fields a bit, plus. But, not all schools look for tons of variety as a major selling point. For example, I've heard that Penn likes to see major focus on one aspect; even their supplemental app asked what track you wanted and how many hours you had IN THAT TRACK. Also, you need to be able to discuss in your personal statement how you will fit into the profession and what your career goals may be, and the more hours you have in your area, the more specific you will be able to be

Perhaps a job in SA tech would be good, while you can volunteer/shadow some other areas? I don't know your life specifics, but admissions councils also realize that sheltering and feeding yourself is essential, so if work prevents you from getting thousands and thousands of hours like some people around here, don't fret! Lots of people work outside vet med and get their hours other ways. (Besides, applying is freaking expensive, and you'll need to pay for that haha!)

Well I can get a good letter of rec from one of the vets there, but I don't know if adcoms would weigh her opinion less because she just graduated and I would be the first person who she has written about for vet school admissions.

First of all, DEFINITELY keep in touch with her and try to shadow her so she can get to know you even better. If you're applying to the school she just graduated from, they might know she's only been out a year (by next app cycle). Other schools won't. Even so, her newness means she can speak to your ability to handle today's coursework, maybe more than someone who graduated 30 years ago. And I doubt they'll have any clue that it's the first letter she's written. (Though to be safe, you might want to be very specific about what you want in that letter!)

(Forgive my novel... just trying to help!)

 

[summerbailey]

I actually quite enjoyed and appreciated your novel favhrnstr =P and thanks to everyone else too. I guess now I am just stuck trying to even get a position doing something, but there are plenty of other forums for that.

Here comes the clinic blitz!