Need advice on possible job offers - help!

[Cornish]

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Hi everyone,

I am currently applying for jobs now and had two interviews last week. Both places want me to come back (one on Tuesday and one on Wednesday) so they can get a better feel for me and if I fit in. I would glady take either position, but if both offer me work I am at a loss for which one to take.

The first one is a private practice with 3 vets. I would be a part-time vet assistant and would be doing basic work around the clinic and working the front desk. I would go into appointments to restrain and give out medication. The best thing about this place is the personal time I would get with all the vets and I would be involved in all aspects of the practice.

The second is in the radiology department at a huge hospital with 60 vets and 300-400 staff. I would be working part-time with hyper-thyroid cats and also taking X-Rays. This place does everything and has lots of stuff going on, although I am guessing I will be fairly confined to my department.

Do you guys have any advice for which to take? I want to apply to vet school next year but I don't know which one will be better. Any comments would be very welcomed!

Thanks,
Cornish

 

[hoodle]

WHich gives you more money? Which have nicer people?

If money/social dynamics isn't the issue, I'd say it depends on your interests. Is this the only experience you'll have had before applying?

Do you want to go into small animal practice, or do you want to go into speciality or research work? Whichever situation is more akin to your eventual goals will probably be more satisfying and informative.

 

[david594]

I currently work in the exact first environment you described and I really love it. And when i say exact I almost wonder if you are interviewing at the clinic I am at as they are looking to hire and match your description exactly.

Either could be not great, or totally awesome. If the small clinic only has you restraining animals and working the front desk it could be a so so experience. Or if the hospital has you just taking x-rays and you never get to talk with the doctors and see explanations for what is in the x-rays you may not get tons out of it. On the other hand if the doctors are willing to work with you and help teach you stuff it could be amazing.

 

[soxbox]

cornish,

I started off working for a small 2 doctor practice and did that for a year doing everything from front desk to assisting in surgery.... I got paid ok I guess... around $11 an hour... but that was not with any holidays, sick days, or health insurance... I did learn a lot and will always be appreciative of that job (I actually stayed working Saturdays for 4 years there after I left full time)

then I took a job at a teaching hospital as a radiology tech... the pay was better... $14 an hour with super duper bennies!! Now here are the pluses of being a radiology tech... you get to interact with almost all depts of the hospital (except maybe dermatology!!) ... youll get to see cool orthopedic surgery cases, lots of cardiac stuff, the special procedures are really neat too... so that was really cool... you get to learn your anatomy pretty well and can take quite fantastic radiographs which will be useful later in vet school and then perhaps later on in your career.

Now for the biggest minus (at least for me)... It was a job that I plateaued in about 6 months... I got all the positioning down, had gotten the techniqes down pat and never had to look at the technique chart, and got really tired of doing the same thing over and over again... We did about 30 cases a day and usually 15 were dog thoracic rads... then a few cat thoracic rads... and then maybe a few neat ones thrown in... We only did OFAs 2 days a week (thank goodness!!)... We also would not be in the room for anything larger than a cat... so 90% of the time we had to use sandbags as our restraints holding down the dogs... that was quite a challenge!! And since a lot of the patients were sick, the clinicians were hesitant to sedate them which made the job very frustrating!!! (though I can completely understand their hesitation)

It looks like the radiology job you mentioned wasnt 100% radiograph taking... so breaking it up with the hyper-thyroid cats might make this a great job! You will also build your professional network by leaps and bounds! I now know over 50 vets that I worked with almost every day which is pretty cool!! They were all really supportive last year when I was applying to vet school and had tons of advice to give me...

good luck in whatever job you choose!!

 

[chris03333]

Hi everyone,

I am currently applying for jobs now and had two interviews last week. Both places want me to come back (one on Tuesday and one on Wednesday) so they can get a better feel for me and if I fit in. I would glady take either position, but if both offer me work I am at a loss for which one to take.

The first one is a private practice with 3 vets. I would be a part-time vet assistant and would be doing basic work around the clinic and working the front desk. I would go into appointments to restrain and give out medication. The best thing about this place is the personal time I would get with all the vets and I would be involved in all aspects of the practice.

The second is in the radiology department at a huge hospital with 60 vets and 300-400 staff. I would be working part-time with hyper-thyroid cats and also taking X-Rays. This place does everything and has lots of stuff going on, although I am guessing I will be fairly confined to my department.

Do you guys have any advice for which to take? I want to apply to vet school next year but I don't know which one will be better. Any comments would be very welcomed!

Thanks,
Cornish

Are you going to apply to vet school? Do you have small animal hospital experience already?

If the answers to those questions are yes then take the radiology position. One thing that makes people stand out in vet school apps is variety (and uniqueness of) experience. Trust me there are a whole lot of people who have the experience you describe in the small animal hospital, but very few as a radiology tech. 👍

 

[sofficat]

i agree with what everyone said. if this is your first animal clinic/tech job then i would go with the small clinic. that way you get familiar with vet med. if you start off at a specialty clinic then you are prob less likely to interact with the drs to teach you. it is also a lot more intimidating in that setting if you are a newcomer to the field. that is what i have discovered. sm clinic drs are so helpful and very willing to sit down with you and teach. good luck with your decision.