How hard is it to be a vet tech with adhd?

[Maninthemoon]

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Hello, I am 26 years old and my name is Drew. I love animals and I've been thinking of going for being a vet tech for some time. I haven't entered the program to be a vet tech as of yet, just missed the sign up to. But anyway, I have had ADHD since I was a kid and it still is a nuisance to me today.. I find it hard to focus on certain subjects especially stuff like biology/sciences and math and that's a big thing vets need I'm pretty sure. I did bad in HS and them classes were my worse to. I'm presently scared to pursue to far cause I don't wanna risk going far into debt or something, which is why I'm asking this question here. Sorry if it seems silly or something. Just really feel like I need some answers from others who are going into this field and may have adhd to. Thanks!

 

[nyanko]

Hi, I've got ADHD too, combined type. I'm starting veterinary school in a month, and have never been through tech school, but here are some things to consider for education in general...

It can be quite challenging to go through any level of education with ADHD. The key for me (and I didn't figure this out until I was almost 28) was to figure out how to control the "bad" parts (inability to properly direct my focus and concentration) and how to channel the "good" parts (unconventional ways of seeing problems, crazy ability to multitask). Everyone's different, and there are the different subtypes. Are you seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist for your condition? Perhaps that's a good place to start...if you're averse to medical treatment for any reason you should at least be consulting with somebody about learning how to learn, and about any reasonable accommodations that can be made to assist you.

 

[Wolphcats]

I also suffer from ADHD (sorry future classmates, I keep moving while sitting in class 🙁 ). I agree with nyanko, find how to control your bad and make great use of your good. I also agree that you should find someone who can offer you support, whether it is a a psychologist/psychiatrist, a support group (your local chapter of CHADD), and/or a loved one. They will help you organize your life so that the symptoms of ADHD don't control it. Good luck!

 

[thearsonist]

I too have ADHD. Unlike the others, i take meds.
i've tried to resolve it on my own, but i constantly found myself sidetracked.
though my dose is on the low end (15mg BID) it's helped me tremendously in school and work.

best of luck.

 

[168135]

I suggest that you meet with someone at your local school.

I applied to a vet tech program in my area and it is very demanding. To my knowledge, this program is one of the best in the country and each year there is 100+ applicants for 24 spots.

You attend classes from 8 to 4 and are expected to do work in the clinic a couple of times a week after class. In the summer, you work full time at a clinic and have research projects on the side. I went through the orientation and the interview process. I have also talked to a recent grad of this program. She originally wanted to be a vet but didn't have the minimum experience. She found the program quite rigorous and she felt isolated from the students in other programs at that institution. She said she couldn't imagine doing that much work for four years instead of two. She also told me that 8 people dropped out along the way. BUT the program is very hands-on, the class sizes are small, the instructors are excellent and everyone supported each other.

I had looked into a couple of other vet tech programs at other schools. They didn't seem to be as hands-on, which made it more difficult to adjust if you were to get hired.

There are vet receptionist programs out there as well that you could look into.

 

[breenie]

I don't have ADHD, but I feel like maybe I can add something here...

While you might struggle with the schooling part of becoming a vet tech, I think the job might actually be better for you. At least in the clinic I worked in, it was very fast paced, and you had a million things to do, so there was never really a dull moment to get distracted and daydream. You were sort of forced to focus. 😉 Not all clinics are like that, and not sure if you like high pressure environments, but that was one of my experiences.

Maybe you should shadow a tech for a day or two and see if it seems like a setting where your ADHD would be a big hurdle or a little one?

 

[nyanko]

I too have ADHD. Unlike the others, i take meds.
i've tried to resolve it on my own, but i constantly found myself sidetracked.
though my dose is on the low end (15mg BID) it's helped me tremendously in school and work.

best of luck.

I take meds, and actually at a pretty high dose. Sorry if I gave the impression that I have an issue with it.

 

[that redhead]

...if you're averse to medical treatment for any reason you should at least be consulting with somebody about learning how to learn, and about any reasonable accommodations that can be made to assist you.

I agree especially with the part about "learning how to learn". I myself don't have ADHD insofar as I know, but my sister, father and boyfriend all have really bad ADD. My boyfriend was on all sorts of experimental medication (thanks to his stupid mother..) as a child and refused to take anything once he was no longer a minor. He saw a psychologist for a bit who had ADD as well, for the sole purpose of learning how he could function with ADD - learning to learn. I think that's really the most important part, and don't be too proud to try some medication, if nothing else works for you.

I'd say you can do just about anything if you can cope with it.

 

[AprilShowers]

I feel like I can give a little insight as well as I have a friend who is ADHD and currently going through a vet tech program. She has a lot of challenges keeping focused on her classwork, but she has done fairly well so far. The real challenge she has faced has actually been working in a clinic setting. She has can multitask, but still has the ability to get sidetracked and forget what had just been doing. This led to some significant communication problems between herself and her superiors. Granted, she is still rather young (23). I really think it depends on your maturity and how well you've learned to manage your ADHD.

 

[nyanko]

Yeah, and also as I said dependent on exactly what subtype and even individually what sort of symptoms a person has. Before I really learned how to manage them (with the help of medication), I made a lot of "careless" mistakes in my work. Sure, I could do a million things at once, but without writing them all down I would definitely forget things, leave one thing to start another without finishing the first and then not go back to the first, etc..

When I was a tech I pretty much just wrote all over my hands, kept post-its everywhere and generally made a huge mess of things in order to remember to do everything I had to do. Thinking back, it was quite chaotic and definitely a good thing that none of the stuff I forgot to do or did incorrectly bordered on negligence.

 

[beautyvuitton]

For those who suffer from ADHD and got into vet school, was this ever brought up in your interview? I'm not sure if I suffer from ADHD, but maybe I do. I thought vet school (as well as Med school, pharmacy school) avoided individuals with any sort of learning disorder, as think this may affect an individuals success in the field (another vet's words, not my own personal opinion).

 

[Maninthemoon]

Wow, thanks for all the support guys, didn't know I'd get so many replys, makes me glad to hear from so many, but any who.
I also have a bit of social phobia/anxiety, (whichever it was called again). I used to take Ritalin when I was a kid to, but after my parents took me off of it my schooling started to fall apart. I couldn't concentrate and couldn't get to interested in harder subjects. Kids were cruel in my school so I distanced myself and never got the help I needed so my HS transcript kinda stinks which is something I need to send to the vet tech program here when I apply.

I don't have much money right now so I doubt I can see a psychologist at the moment. Don't have but 2 good friends that live near me to, so I'm kinda in a rut, but still trying. Always dreamt of being something like a vet tech so I could help animals, they take my mind off of everything else whenever I play with my dogs or cat.

I'm more scared of failing and having to still pay the huge amount and end up in debt cause my math and sciences were the worse, but that might of been my adhd since I was taken off meds.

 

[breenie]

I'm more scared of failing and having to still pay the huge amount and end up in debt cause my math and sciences were the worse, but that might of been my adhd since I was taken off meds.

Vet tech school is far less expensive than veterinary school, and there is a lot less emphasis on the sciences. Maybe look into a local program?

 

[nyanko]

For those who suffer from ADHD and got into vet school, was this ever brought up in your interview? I'm not sure if I suffer from ADHD, but maybe I do. I thought vet school (as well as Med school, pharmacy school) avoided individuals with any sort of learning disorder, as think this may affect an individuals success in the field (another vet's words, not my own personal opinion).

Take this with an ocean's worth of salt, but the first time I applied I did not mention it in my app or interview. I didn't get in that year, but brought it up at my file review and was told that basically if I can show that I've learned to manage/overcome it, it would probably be okay to include it when discussing my prior academic history.

Obviously there are caveats there. It did affect my academics, but I didn't use it as an "excuse." I did include it on last cycle's app. However, I made sure it was clear that I knew I had only myself to blame for my early academic experiences, but that I had learned a lot from them. I touched on specific areas that I've been able to improve in since my "past life" and provided examples of how my approach to school and life in general have changed.

If you feel like being asked about it in an interview would freeze you up, I wouldn't mention it. I was confident that if I had to discuss it at an interview, I could do so. And it wasn't really brought up at my interview. My prior grades weren't directly addressed, though I did get this line of questioning:

Interviewer : "What was the hardest question that you were asked at your unsuccessful interview two years ago?"

Me 😳: "I was asked to explain the discrepancy between my quantitative GRE score and my prerequisites GPA and I had no idea what to say."

Interviewer : "Well, how would you answer that now?"

Me 😱: "Well, uhh, I didn't really think of that, because obviously my work since then answers it for me...I don't even really think I'm the same person as I was back then. In fact, I was just going to launch into a detailed explanation of how disappointed I was at the A- I got in my first graduate class because I've gotten all A's since then and I was..."
(in my head: Oh crap oh crap shut up you ***** you're rambling...)

Interviewer : "Yeah, you're right, it's not really important anymore is it?"

I forget what the point of that was. Oh! Yeah, if you have something to explain and you have a valid reason, go for it. But I think to avoid the stigma/prejudice you have to actually show that despite the condition you CAN do well. Nobody's just going to believe that you will if you don't prove it.

Oh, and do yourself a favor and go see a mental health professional if you think you might have major problems concentrating to the point where it affects your day to day life negatively for a long time. It can be a symptom of soooooooooooo many different psychological and mood disorders that it should definitely be something you take seriously and prioritize. Good luck!

 

[LVT2DVM]

When I was a tech I pretty much just wrote all over my hands, kept post-its everywhere and generally made a huge mess of things in order to remember to do everything I had to do.

That describes me to a T. But hey, what ever works for ya-Right?

My biggest issue in vet school has been re-training myself to sit still and focus during lectures. After working in the clinic for so long, I was used to moving around, thinking about 500 things at once. After an hour or two in a chair, I just wanna scream! So I started taping the lectures. that way if I start to loose focus and can go back and catch whatever I missed. Totally saved me. Thank god for technology.

To those contemplating a medical education with ADHA, don't feel discouraged, you are not alone. You just have to find the right "tools" to get thru it. Sometimes it takes time to figure those out, but don't give up.

 

[thearsonist]

For those who suffer from ADHD and got into vet school, was this ever brought up in your interview? I'm not sure if I suffer from ADHD, but maybe I do. I thought vet school (as well as Med school, pharmacy school) avoided individuals with any sort of learning disorder, as think this may affect an individuals success in the field (another vet's words, not my own personal opinion).

Interestingly enough, it was never asked in my interview.
If you're not sure what's going on with you, you should definitely talk to your doctor. like Nyanko said, if it's deeper than "standard" ADHD, definitely see a professional.

Regarding schools avoiding individuals, I'm not exactly sure what you classify as a learning disorder. I have ADHD. I don't have a disability with "learning" I just tend to get bored and my mind wanders if not focused. Yes, vet schools want applicants who excel in academics and knowledge of vet med, but (most) won't hold it against you because you have ADD/ADHD. However, using it as an excuse WILL definitely hurt you. "Yeah, i got a C- because i can't really focus." not something they want to hear.

 

[Tobysgirl81]

Vet tech school is far less expensive than veterinary school, and there is a lot less emphasis on the sciences. Maybe look into a local program?

Your prerequisites may not be as intensive to get into tech school, but your classes are MOST DEFINITELY science intensive. Pre-reqs usually require basic biology and chemistry, along with microbiology. Anatomy and Physiology is first year, first semester in most tech schools and is a complete weedout class. Plus, pharmacology and radiology are very math intensive courses. I could go on and on, but tech school is definitely science heavy, especially if you traditionally struggle a bit!

I think it can be done, though I didn't answer here because I personally do not have ADD or ADHD and didn't figure my answers would be relevant.

 

[reachforthesky]

I just completed my first year of college(7 more years at least woohoo!). I have found simple tricks to help me primarly in class as I also have ADHD! A good tool to have is a recorder: I find especially during lecture my mind running along the ceiling watching the lights flicker....or the fan spin....etc. This will then give you an easy way to go back and listen to lecture if you just blanked out that day. Especially if the subject or professor is a complete bore.

I've become a library addict: as in doing homework, reading, studying,etc. My adhd really gets me going at home plus my procrastonation. I easily blast through my studies by hanging out at the library where its quiet. To me thats the key: extreme limit of external stimuli when you really are working to focus.

Really its just practice and for all of us in and going in this field its just a challenge we have to manage in order to be good dr's or techs!

 

[beautyvuitton]

Nyanko and Thearsonist,
thanks for your response. Seriously I don't what's the matter with me, I doubt it's ADHD--I do have friends who suffer from this and their symptom's are nothing that I suffer from. Unfortunately I don't know what my problem is, I seem to lack concentration when reading at times (typically dense non-science material-like the MCAT/GRE reading comp). Not sure what to do about it, I have always done alright in school, 4.25 GPA in High school, 3.5 ish in college, but sucked at standardized exams. I guess I just suck at reading. Weird. 🙁

 

[thearsonist]

Nyanko and Thearsonist,
thanks for your response. Seriously I don't what's the matter with me, I doubt it's ADHD--I do have friends who suffer from this and their symptom's are nothing that I suffer from. Unfortunately I don't know what my problem is, I seem to lack concentration when reading at times (typically dense non-science material-like the MCAT/GRE reading comp). Not sure what to do about it, I have always done alright in school, 4.25 GPA in High school, 3.5 ish in college, but sucked at standardized exams. I guess I just suck at reading. Weird. 🙁

don't let it bother you too much. there are some textbooks i absolutely hate to read, and end up forcing myself to read it. It's natural to feel overwhelmed with excessive reading, especially when it's something that you're not interested in. From your most recent post, I would definitely encourage you to talk to your doctor, and see what their opinion is.

best of luck.