Job Shadowing! Advice please!!!

[ondyne]

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Sorry for the length of this but I'm just trying to give as much info as possible.

So I started my first day job shadowing at an animal care hospital. I have to complete 100 hours of observation for the vet tech program at my college. When i first arrived I was given a tour and the rules. As rules go, i'm not allowed to help clean, touch any of the animals unless given permission, and I must stand out of the way when they are with patients (which is pretty much common sense). They also do not want me having conversations with the pets' owners because they want the client in and out. I find it very awkward to just stand there and not be hands on and i feel in the way all the time. It seems the vets and cvts do not mind me there at all because they have had many people shadow before. What kind of scared me was when the manager told me that a previous shadow basically just stood there quietly, asking no questions, seeming uninterested, therefore on the recommendation form they said the shadow was not the right candidate for the program. I'm scared because I'm a very shy and quiet person and sometimes it comes off as being bored and uninterested. I also have a hard time initiating conversations. How do I show my interest? I payed lots of attention when they told me things and asked a few questions but not much. Every time i was alone with the vet he was doing paperwork and I felt it was just the wrong time to be asking questions. It's funny because i was set up with a cvt and a veterinarian but sometimes one or both would leave the area and I never knew which one to follow.(I felt dumb asking). They are all very nice, helpful and love to explain how things work but the silence is horrible, especially when I don't have any questions.
Now I know this was only the first day and it was just full of check ups. They said tomorrow would be a lot more interesting because of the surgeries scheduled. I feel as though in time, i will warm up to the staff more and feel less awkward but right now i'm just anxiety-ridden. If any one can give any advice, good questions to ask, or just tell me your experience that would be greatly appreciated!

 

[lailanni]

I had a preceptorship like that (time we're required to spend at a private practice during our 4th year in my program). It really annoyed me since I was supposed to be "interested" but mostly supposed to stay out of the way and not slow down the system.

My best suggestion would be to ask if there's anything you can do to help - and ask it a lot. Sooner or later they'll let you do something. I found that the best time to ask a question was immediately following the exam - after the client had left but before we saw another patient.

I'm not sure there's any "good" questions to ask. Just ask whatever you find odd, confusing, or interesting.

I'm sure they'll warm up to you eventually, it may just take some time.

 

[Tegan05]

Give it some time. My first time shadowing in the SA clinic, I didn't know what to do and felt super awkward. But once I caught on, I was able to be helpful, ask questions, and help out a lot. I ended up getting a good deal of experience hours and a great LOR from the experience, so it worked out!

I would just make a point to ask if there is anything you can do to help. Keep a notebook and write down interesting things you see or hear, and any questions you might have. At the end of the day or during a slow period or break, then you have your questions written down and can ask.

 

[Frozenshades]

It'll take some time, both for you to get used to being a shadow, and for you and the staff to become more friendly. I completely understand your fears about not wanting to bother them with questions and comments, but I think you'll find as you get to know the staff better that they'll be happy to help. You gotta figure that if they've had many shadows before and continue to agree to it, they're probably not bothered by it. Just use your best judgement about timing, people are plenty capable of talking and working with their hands at the same time.

I think lailanni's suggestion of looking for ways you can help out is good. A SA clinic I shadowed at (and ended up being employed at for a while), was the same deal where shadows can't handle the animals, so they started letting me help out with some of the cleaning and their in house lab work, SNAP tests, fecal floats, ear cytologies, CBC, etc. Little things, but it makes you feel more involved with the staff and the cases and hopefully gets their attention that you're pitching in (or at least trying to!)

 

[EngrSC]

We always have shadows at the vet hospital I work at. We don't allow them to touch any animals because they aren't on our liability insurance, i.e. it would be really bad if they got bit.

Anyway, we had one shadow recently who literally just sat there on a stool and every 5 minutes would go into the break room and play around with her phone. It irritated us all so please, DON'T DO THIS! Watch from nearby when something is going on and ask questions afterwards if you have any. If you're tempted to use your phone just leave it in the car. Nothing is more annoying than a shadow that is completely uninterested.

We had another shadow recently who was interested but was completely inappropriate with asking questions. She would ask a question every 5 minutes, I kid you not, and would interrupt conversations between us and the vet(s). Don't do this either! She also wanted to bring her foster dogs in for treatment because she's seen employees bring their pets in and that put the vets in a really awkward position. Essentially our office manager asked her to leave and she cried. It was not good.

So that brings me to a great shadow we had recently. She would stand off to the side whenever something was going and would grab us anything we needed. She always asked how she could help and if we didn't have anything she would make herself busy. She was always cleaning counters or changing out the laundry or folding and putting away towels. She was on the quieter side but she just seemed grateful to be there.

 

[GellaBella]

. When i first arrived I was given a tour and the rules. As rules go, i'm not allowed to help clean, touch any of the animals unless given permission, and I must stand out of the way when they are with patients (which is pretty much common sense).

I think everyone has given great advice EXCEPT for the fact that I think many ppl missed the above bolded part. OP can't even help clean, so while I think that asking if she can do anything to help is excellent, I don't think she can just 'make herself busy' as its been basically forbidden from the get go.

I shadowed a vet where I was in a similar situation as you - and was told not to clean etc. It was awkward at first because like you I didn't know who I should follow when ppl walked out of the room, I didn't have many questions at first and didn't want to interrupt the vet when it seemed like he was busy between clients. So many times I felt like I was just standing there awkwardly watching someone clean and wanting to help but not being allowed to.

What I did was bring a notebook and take notes on the case as I stood out of the way in appointments. I didn't interact with clients unless they spoke with me. I felt very out of place at first, but eventually I learned to read the vets/vet techs better, and I realized that there were times when I could ask questions that weren't disruptive to the vet (as others mentioned, between cases, when they bring a patient into the back to work on it etc).

Eventually I felt completely comfortable with the vet and he obviously felt more comfortable with me and would ask me to hold an animal for him or grab something for him from another room and we would discuss things candidly. He wrote me an AMAZING letter of recommendation that I'm certain helped get me into vet school.

So I'd say do as you're told, stick it out and just try to read the vet and the situation a little bit. If they seem happy to answer your questions and it seems like an appropriate time - ask! if you ask and they seem too stressed to answer just pay attention to what they were doing and realize that's not a good time for future reference. and you can always ask the vet directly whether they would prefer you save any questions you have until later in the day.

 

[EngrSC]

and you can always ask the vet directly whether they would prefer you save any questions you have until later in the day.

Yes, ask if it's a good time before you ask the question. If not, jot it down and save it for later 🙂

 

[wolfspeaker]

Watch what drawers or rooms the Vets and Techs grab things from. File it away in your brain. That way, down the road, if they suddenly ask you if you can go grab something for them, you know where it is! The power of observation. 😀

 

[Trematode]

Once you start shadowing surgeries, it will be a lot easier to ask questions. It does take a few days to get to know the staff and be comfortable asking them questions or asking to help.

I am sort of a shy person too. I recently had a shadowing interview for a receptionist position. The staff were too busy for me. I offered to put away files for them because I just stood around taking notes and feeling awkward. I was not offered the job because "I was too quiet". Luckily for me, I shadowed/volunteered before in 3 different clinics, so I tried not to let it bother me. I took notes, asked questions and attempted to help them out.

If you are unsure of your expectations, clarify it with someone. If you're expected to shadow appointments and see the vet wander off to one, ask politely if you can watch. I find with some vets, you have to be proactive.

 

[deli]

All of this is great advice, but I just wanted to add in one thing - smile! You don't have to be extroverted and bubbly, but a friendly attitude goes a long way. Make eye contact, and thank them for their time and effort. I agree it will take time to get more comfortable around everyone, but a pleasant demeanor goes a long way.

 

[sumstorm]

Also, ask about what you are seeing.

IE you see a snap test being done, ask what it shows, ask if there is anything you can read more about it (ie the insert.) you see a fecal float performed, ask how they ID parasites (most places have a chart) and ask if they will show you how they perform it. You don't need to ask a thousand questions, but this is the stuff you will be doing, so the more you learn now, the better an idea you will have in the future. And just asking questions like this will show your interest...and it will help the staff remember 'oh, yeah, that person has never seen demodex, we should show her this slide!'

Carry a notebook and jot down your thoughts, ideas, questions. Even now, after a case, I ask 'what are the most important details I can take away from this case?' and sometimes I get great insights that would have sailed right past me. If there are things you imagine being really challenging for you, ask about them. I heard that a particular tech was brilliant at talking about online pharmacies regarding heartworm prevention, so I asked her to share what she said and how she said it, because I will be having that discussion as well. If there is a cat whisperer, ask her if she can tell you about her techniques, even if she can't have you practice. As you learn about things, start asking 'can I get X for you?' IE 'can I get you a 3cc syringe?' for a blood draw or if you notice the room a tech is about to go into is an eye issue 'can I get you the eye kit?' Just being helpful is contributing, and contributing increases the positive experiences others have with you.

 

[Hotfillyky]

Everyone has given you excellent advice!

So I am going to second a few things here: smile, carry a notebook for questions (and answers), be observant, try to be as helpful as you can w/o breaking the rules, and relax....you are there to learn. Everyone is nervous at first.

From the clinic aspect, it is tough to have new/strange ppl in your clinic. It feels as though you need to be on your best behavior. I tend to be pretty outspoken so when I am quiet my coworkers think I am upset about something (even if they KNOW it is because there is a noob). I would rather be asked questions (even if you think it may be stupid) because that tells me you are interested. I've been in the field for 11 yrs and I still ask questions. Sometimes, I think I know why but verbalizing it makes it more definitive for me.

BTW, the only stupid question is the one you don't ask.

Just my $0.02.

 

[ondyne]

Thanks everyone for the great advice! I've been shadowing there for two weeks now. After every shadow I thank the vet and the cvts. I even told them how I felt in the way and the cvts said that I'm not at all in the way and even ask me if i'll be coming back the next day. It's still very awkward for me because I don't have very many questions to ask. The vet loves questions but the only time I have them is during surgeries and very seldom after pet exams because most of the cases have been the same or just check ups. Most of the time I just stand around quietly watching the cvts clean/prep animals for surgeries. I find that the cvts talk to me more than the vet. I stand there thinking "say something" "someone ask me a question" (Maybe they are just still getting used to having someone there) Again, I'm the type of person that needs someone to initiate the conversation. The worst was when I was in the exam room and the vet left to grab something and I stayed in there. The pets owner said "you don't look happy" Thing is I was happy, but I guess my quietness makes people think I don't want to be there. So now I tend to smile more because I guess my serious face scares people haha.

I feel as though they are getting more comfortable. ie: making jokes and asking me to bring them things.


Bringing a notebook is a really great idea, because I can't begin to tell you how many times I've had a question and couldn't remember what it was when the time was appropriate.

 

[485501]

If you find yourself without a question related to the case at hand, you can always ask things like "how did you decide to pursue veterinary medicine?" "what are some of the most rewarding/difficult aspects of the job?" "what do you think of specializing vs. general practice?" "Do you have any advice on how to talk to clients like you just did?" etc. I ask a lot of those sorts of questions while shadowing and volunteering, and the answers have heavily contributed to my opinions of the field.

I hope you keep having a good time there!

 

[Trematode]

I asked the vets and the techs about their job. When I went in for my vet tech interview, I asked the vet and the tech interviewing me why they chose the path they did (and got an acceptance into the program) so I second that advice!

Smiling is awesome.
Also, the staff really appreciate it when you tell them thanks.
If you are ever stuck in an awkward situation with a client like that, just smile and try to make small-talk. If a client tells you that you look upset, just laugh it off and tell them that you haven't been volunteering long.

Good job by the way!

 

[sumstorm]

If your stuck with a client, ask how they got their pet.

I think you are worried about the quality of your questions. Really, at this point, you are a newbie, so you have a ton of leeway on what you ask.

Ie 'what does that monitor tell you? Why did you choose that tube instead of the other one? How did you know? What are you listening for? What are you feeling for?"

One of the hardest things is to know 'normal' so routine exams are awesome to ask questions about. How do you know the eyes are normal? The ears? The legs? What are you looking for when you examine eyes? Feet? Etc?

 

[kakurubird]

If your stuck with a client, ask how they got their pet.

👍

Most owners love to talk about there pets. "How long have you had Fluffy?" or "Have you had Spot since he was a puppy?" or even "Does Rex know any good tricks?"
Or, if it's a less common breed, I love to bring that up. Something like, "we don't see many berger picards here. What made you choose that breed?" Gets the owner talking and you can learn about the less common breeds.