How to get vet experience

[katetu2]

Hello!
I am struggling to get veterinarian experience. I have been shadowing a vet, but I feel like that is not enough on an application. Everywhere that I’ve applied to become a vet tech or vet assistant needs experience or certification. Are there any other ideas to get vet experience?

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[JaynaAli]

You don’t necessarily need paid experience. I’d argue that shadowing can be more informative about the actual job of a vet because as a paid staff member you have duties to perform, and those duties are not ones you will (or should, anyway) have to do as a veterinarian. Paid experience is great but having lots of shadowing hours is fine too.m

As for how to find experience, just keep applying to positions. For shadowing, I’d ask to shadow one day (low commitment for both parties) and if it goes well, ask if you can come back before you leave. Be willing to drive a bit. Talk to the vet you take your own pets to or that family members use. Talk to trusted advisers and friends and see if they know people. For my only paid clinical vet experience, my mom worked with the vet’s father in law and they helped make connections. For my main pre-vet experience in a diagnostic lab, my pre-vet advisor was married to a pathologist…she knew the lab needed someone and despite them usually only hired 2nd and 3rd year vet students, she convinced them to take a chance on me as a 19 year old pre-vet and hire me as a lab tech. That one experience fully changed the course of my life and is why I specialized in pathology.

 

[Kiki_1717]

Hello!
I am struggling to get veterinarian experience. I have been shadowing a vet, but I feel like that is not enough on an application. Everywhere that I’ve applied to become a vet tech or vet assistant needs experience or certification. Are there any other ideas to get vet experience?

I gained a lot of valuable veterinary animal experience by seeking out internship and externship opportunities at many different places (most were unpaid, unfortunately). One was at my local zoo, even though I didn't plan to work with zoo or exotic animals in the future. It turned out to be a unique and great experience for me (this one was a paid 4-month internship!!). Additionally, I contacted multiple veterinary clinics both in my home state and outside, even up to 3 hours away, and asked if I could shadow their veterinarians for a few weeks during my winter break, spring break, and summer break. The diverse and varied experiences I gained through these opportunities caught the attention of many vet schools when they reviewed my application.

 

[Jess Monster]

During the school year volunteer at rescues/ shelters that have on-site veterinary staff and/or find paid work on campus in labs that use animals. In the summer, look for programs that prioritize training students for possible veterinary/ animal husbandry careers - many programs can be found through federal or state agencies that routinely hire veterinarians, also many colleges have summer programs geared toward research.

See if you have any Banfield clinics around- I know my market is always hiring assistants and hosting student interns (they have a new program for high school and undergrad students - “NextVet”).