Having a job in vet school

[LDK_93]

To those of you who are currently in veterinary school or have graduated: what is your opinion/experience on holding down a job during vet school? (I looked for other threads relating to this question and was surprised that I could not find any--I am sorry if I missed one!)

I have heard a lot of mixed things about it. One person I talked to said she had several jobs her first three years of vet school and that it really wasn't hard to juggle them. Other people have suggested saving working for summer and focusing just on school during the school year.

I realize that this answer is probably different for every person and depends on your time-management skills, but I would love to hear some advice from people who either had jobs through vet school or chose not to, and why.

I will be a first-year vet student this fall and just want some opinions before I make my own decision!

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[SocialStigma]

I chose not to have a job during vet school (although I did work over the summer break) because I thought it would impact my grades. I knew that I wanted to specialize in surgery before I started vet school and wanted to maximize my chances of obtaining an internship and residency. I think if I wasn't interested in pursuing an internship/residency, I may have tried to work a part time job. Then again, maybe not. Vet school can be very time-consuming and draining, and there were days that I couldn't bring myself to do anything productive after class because I didn't have the energy.

 

[CalliopeDVM]

I thought of vet school as my job! Seriously, I knew people who held down jobs in vet school, but they were very, very part time jobs........in the range of 4 or 5 hours a week. I honestly don't think more than that is possible without early and tragic burn out, because the volume of new material is so large.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Maybe I'm the exception....I worked 1-2 part time jobs all through vet school - minus fourth year, of course - 10 to 20 hrs a week (some of it was weekend). I worked evenings at a corner store/gas station, was a lab animal husbandry tech, then an emergency/overnight clinpath lab tech. The latter actually boosted my application a bit for residency.

I probably should have limited it to one job in hindsight, though. If you are not used to balancing jobs with school (I also worked similar jobs all through high school and college, so I was more comfortable with it) I would not attempt it as a first year.

Everyone's different.

 

[Minnerbelle]

It really depends on the person. Some people need to be vet students 24/7. Others do better when they have other things to focus on.

For those that work, sometimes the on campus jobs that allows flexibility in hours, or works around your schedule is best.
Others want life totally outside of school

It was rare for me to work/volunteer less than 20 hours per week doing things outside of vet school. Otherwise I think I would have gone crazy

Previous threads:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/working-while-in-vet-school-advice-needed.827871/

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/working-part-time-while-in-vet-school.1123823/

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/employment-during-vet-school.889686/

 

[Lab Vet]

I picked up a job the summer of my first year, and have continued with it weekends/holidays throughout the school year. The hours are flexible, and the experience is in field. Overall, it's a win-win for my employer (I grant the lab relief services), as well as for me. I'm leaving today for an OOS summer fellowship, and will pick this job up when I return to Raleigh in August. For incoming vet students, I highly recommend that you do not secure employment until after your first semester. You have no idea how you'll handle the demands of veterinary school, and a job may put you into a hole from which you can't escape. If things go well for you, and you believe you can handle the added responsibility of a job- by all means, go for it. My best buddy works at the clin path lab at school, and I have several acquaintances who work as surgery/treatment techs at the vet school, as well as at local practices. Like most things with vet school (and adulthood generally), there are many possibilities- you just have to go out there and find them. I got my job by asking around for faculty that needed assistance with their animal projects. It worked out. Remember, the worst people can say his no.

 

[LDK_93]

Thank you for your answers, guys! It's good to see that people have done a variety of things. I think I will probably attempt to work after my first semester or so, if I think I can handle it, and see where it goes! (Tutoring people might be the solution for me.)

 

[bradleyyoung04]

I didn't work after my first year, although I wish I had thinking back on it, as the subsequent years following were tough (needless to say).

 

[LetItSnow]

You got the important part, which is that it differs for everyone.

The one piece of advice I would give is to look for job in/around vet school or the teaching hospital. People there are more understanding if you need to juggle your schedule due to school than a typical not-vet-school-related job.

Flipside, some people say the last thing they want is a job around vet school because they just want something totally not vet related.

I took a job as a student icu tech in the hospital. It played a role in leading to my post-school employment. So, working in vet school could potentially have pay off down the road. Probably not huge odds of it, but definitely a possibility. Also, working in the hospital made 4th year slightly easier - I already knew the staff, the computer system, etc.

I worked about 10-15 hrs/week.

 

[Trilt]

I really valued the very part time job that I continued from before vet school - one or two weekends a month, got to do something completely unrelated to vet med (butterfly exhibit docent) and just took my mind off everything. Also my sloth time. I would have probably enjoyed another job on campus just to keep me more grounded and get my feet wet in the hospital, but that just never ended up happening.

I have one classmate that kept working her retail job all the way through fourth year (would literally leave 12-14 hour shifts on Internal Medicine to do a couple hours at the mall ) and I think that was crazy, but if it's what you're used to and works for you, all the power to ya.

 

[DVMDream]

Like everyone else has stated, it just depends on what you want to do and how will you can balance everything. No real right or wrong thing to do here. Get used to vet school for a semester and then decide what you want to do. I did not work for the first two years (granted I couldn't get a job easily because of that whole visa thing/being in a different country).

I did work a bit the second semester of my third year at a bakery on campus. The hours were perfect at first, maybe about 10-12 hours per week. Then they began slashing hours like crazy and I was down to working 4 hours overnight (midnight to 4AM) every other weekend and I decided it just wasn't worth it at that point. So I quit.

It was nice to not be working because I could focus on school or things I wanted to do. But it would have been nice to have some additional income, it just wasn't even a possibility the first two years and by the time I did find something third year, it didn't work out well. And then there was no point in getting something right before starting clinics fourth year.

A job is possible, just have to be able to balance it all out. Just like with anything else.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Like everyone else has stated, it just depends on what you want to do and how will you can balance everything. No real right or wrong thing to do here. Get used to vet school for a semester and then decide what you want to do. I did not work for the first two years (granted I couldn't get a job easily because of that whole visa thing/being in a different country).

I did work a bit the second semester of my third year at a bakery on campus. The hours were perfect at first, maybe about 10-12 hours per week. Then they began slashing hours like crazy and I was down to working 4 hours overnight (midnight to 4AM) every other weekend and I decided it just wasn't worth it at that point. So I quit.

It was nice to not be working because I could focus on school or things I wanted to do. But it would have been nice to have some additional income, it just wasn't even a possibility the first two years and by the time I did find something third year, it didn't work out well. And then there was no point in getting something right before starting clinics fourth year.

A job is possible, just have to be able to balance it all out. Just like with anything else.

That's so.....domestic. I never knew you had it in you, DVMD.

 

[DVMDream]

That's so.....domestic. I never knew you had it in you, DVMD.

Yeah, I've discovered I'm good at throwing pre-made cookie dough and pre-made sub bread onto cooking trays. I'm expecting my most amazing baker in the world award any day now, I've worked so very hard for it.....

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Yeah, I've discovered I'm good at throwing pre-made cookie dough and pre-made sub bread onto cooking trays. I'm expecting my most amazing baker in the world award any day now, I've worked so very hard for it.....

And it's damn cheaper than a DVM

 

[Shepherd Lover]

I attend Purdue and a lot of my classmates have jobs through the school. Some work in the clin path lab, some work as radiography techs, and some work as representatives for pet food or pet drug companies. As was stated above, students usually only work 4-5 hours a week so the money is minimal but helpful IMO. I actually work as a pet food representative and I LOVE IT.


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[LBK]

I worked 16-25 hours a week through my first year, as well as doing a daily sport, and my grades have been in the upper half of the class. It all depends on your personal study/sleep needs. I'll likely have to back off in continuing years, but it's been fine so far.

 

[Caia]

From the other side of the fence, I'm someone that did some work for the university in undergrad which worked out great but in vet school, not so much.

Maybe a job that is actually flexible during finals would help, but while I enjoyed working most of the semester, the inability to get shifts covered during finals really ended it for me.

I'm going to try again this year but just with volunteering my time instead.

 

[Log8]

I'm an American studying in Brazil, and in my off time, I teach English. It's fun, pretty easy work most of the time, and right now I'm pulling about 10 hours a week giving classes (plus about 1 or 2 hours in the car). I'm just about to finish up my 4th semester, and I am going to have to cut that number in half just about. I think I can swing 4 - 5 hours a week, but 10 was hard this semester for me, and the coming semesters I KNOW are going to be worse.

(counterpoint: I really didn't use what free time I DID have wisely this semester. 10 and up CAN be done, you just have to know/accept that whatever time is left over to you kind of absolutely has to be spent studying. Which kind of sucks sometimes.)

 

[Truth74]

I worked about 20 hours a week and full-time during the summer at the Animal Poison Control Center for the entire time up until I had to leave for rotations. They were so awesome and flexible, they made it easier for me to work.
If you don't have a job that can be flexible, it makes it way harder.

 

[iamapm]

Maybe I'm the exception....I worked 1-2 part time jobs all through vet school - minus fourth year, of course - 10 to 20 hrs a week (some of it was weekend). I worked evenings at a corner store/gas station, was a lab animal husbandry tech, then an emergency/overnight clinpath lab tech. The latter actually boosted my application a bit for residency.

I probably should have limited it to one job in hindsight, though. If you are not used to balancing jobs with school (I also worked similar jobs all through high school and college, so I was more comfortable with it) I would not attempt it as a first year.

Everyone's different.

Probably made you a better employee!