Practical Skills/Experience

[MysteryCat]

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Hi all! I have been wondering about something lately. I have a couple of years left before I'll be applying and I already have about 1600 veterinary related experience hours, so I feel like I'm well on the way in that sense. The only thing is, I don't have any idea what types of "practical skills" should be practiced while gaining experience hours. I have grown a lot in my skills, and I can do quite a number of things confidently, but I was looking for some input from others to get a better idea of what is normal. I can of course restrain, I can set up IV pumps/fluids, give IV meds (with a catheter already placed), sub-q and IM injections, run BW and U/A's. I can prep for sx to a point (aside from anesthesia), and take TPRs/monitor, position for and take radiographs, and I am feeling better about reading them everyday, too! Does this seem like a good start? I guess I don't know if I should know how to place catheters and draw blood and things like that before vet school. I would love to learn, I just don't know how to approach the topic in either of my workplaces. Any advice or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

 

[orca2011]

Don't worry about it. I have many classmates who haven't done any of that. Some just learned how to give vaccines. Each school will teach you how they want you to do it anyways for clinics, so you end up learning what they want you to do anyway.

 

[MysteryCat]

That makes sense, I'm just in a perpetual state of feeling like I need to learn absolutely everything that I can. I'm really grateful for everything that I have learned, but I'm one of those people who feels like I'll never possibly be good enough. I probably should just take a chill pill. 😉

 

[musher]

Sounds like you're off to a great start to me! I have about the same number of hours. The only difference between the skills you have listed and mine are that you can position and take radiographs. While I can't do that well or comfortably yet, I do have blood drawing experience. I've only put in one catheter. You have well over the minimum number of hours recommended by most schools. If you don't feel comfortably with how many skills you've acquired, don't worry, you still have a couple of years before you apply.

 

[that redhead]

While you will get experience in school, I found my experiences before school to be SO helpful.

My suggestions would be to learn to draw blood and place an IV catheter and start learning about that anesthetic machine! Knowing the anesthetic machine already really helped me for anesthesia lab this past semester. Basic handling/restraint/where to give IM injections was good for my first year animal classes.

As for how to approach your boss(es), I would just be completely upfront about it: "I'd really like to learn how to/practice doing x/y/z!" If you're patient I'm sure they won't have any problem sneaking you a blood draw or IV on a slow day to start 🙂

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Frankly, you don't need ANY of those skills before school. You will be taught them in several courses beforehand and will sharpen them in clinics. Don't even worry about it. It may help to have done them before, but they are not necessary in the least

I had none of these when I entered vet school. I had never taken blood, never given an injection, nothing (strict state rules about volunteers and procedures).

 

[that redhead]

Frankly, you don't need ANY of those skills before school. You will be taught them in several courses beforehand and will sharpen them in clinics. Don't even worry about it. It may help to have done them before, but they are not necessary in the least

I had none of these when I entered vet school. I had never taken blood, never given an injection, nothing.

Very true, I just found my previous experiences really helped reduce the workload and stress for particular classes.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Very true, I just found my previous experiences really helped reduce the workload and stress for particular classes.

Totally. I just don't want people freaking out after reading about the OP and thinking they were super behind!

Mini rant/advice:

People with experience - please be gentle with your classmates who may not have as much as you. They may have lots of skills in other areas (say research, pharmacology, molecular biology, people skills, etc) that you don't; clinical experience is not the be-all and end-all of a good vet. Help them rather than criticize, and they just might help you back when you're struggling with clin path or biochem or something like that.

I had some people in school who acted like total douchenozzles around me when they found out how limited my clinical experience was (You don't know to do X Y and Z? You have all these research hours but only worked at a clinic for a month? You're going to be a horrible vet), and even in fourth year would stick me with scutwork and constantly criticize (and not in the constructive way) my catheter technique, restraint, whatever.

That's ok now, though. I'm shortly going to be the specialist whose expertise THEY need 😉

Karma, bishes.

 

[KCgophervet]

Totally. I just don't want people freaking out after reading about the OP and thinking they were super behind!

Mini rant/advice:

People with experience - please be gentle with your classmates who may not have as much as you. They may have lots of skills in other areas (say research, pharmacology, molecular biology, people skills, etc) that you don't; clinical experience is not the be-all and end-all of a good vet. Help them rather than criticize, and they just might help you back when you're struggling with clin path or biochem or something like that.

I had some people in school who acted like total douchenozzles around me when they found out how limited my clinical experience was (You don't know to do X Y and Z? You have all these research hours but only worked at a clinic for a month? You're going to be a horrible vet), and even in fourth year would stick me with scutwork and constantly criticize (and not in the constructive way) my catheter technique, restraint, whatever.

That's ok now, though. I'm shortly going to be the specialist whose expertise THEY need 😉

Karma, bishes.

Thank you for this. I have absolutely zero experience drawing blood, vaccines, catheters, etc in anything larger than a mouse. I do have PLENTY of experience in mouse work, because most of my experience is lab-based.

Slightly worried about douchenozzles since I will be starting this year with no clinical skills to speak of.

Ah well, I'll just have to learn fast!

 

[MysteryCat]

Totally. I just don't want people freaking out after reading about the OP and thinking they were super behind!

Mini rant/advice:

People with experience - please be gentle with your classmates who may not have as much as you. They may have lots of skills in other areas (say research, pharmacology, molecular biology, people skills, etc) that you don't; clinical experience is not the be-all and end-all of a good vet. Help them rather than criticize, and they just might help you back when you're struggling with clin path or biochem or something like that.

I had some people in school who acted like total douchenozzles around me when they found out how limited my clinical experience was (You don't know to do X Y and Z? You have all these research hours but only worked at a clinic for a month? You're going to be a horrible vet), and even in fourth year would stick me with scutwork and constantly criticize (and not in the constructive way) my catheter technique, restraint, whatever.

That's ok now, though. I'm shortly going to be the specialist whose expertise THEY need 😉

Karma, bishes.

Oh, I would never want to make anyone feel bad about something that they didn't know. I've had that happen to me, and it sucks! I just wanted to know what the majority of applicants already knew! I am used to always feeling like the underdog, or like I don't know enough, so I'm trying to protect myself from that, I guess. I still feel like I couldn't possibly ever be good enough for vet school. Confidence could be build through building skills, I think. 🙂

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Thank you for this. I have absolutely zero experience drawing blood, vaccines, catheters, etc in anything larger than a mouse. I do have PLENTY of experience in mouse work, because most of my experience is lab-based.

Slightly worried about douchenozzles since I will be starting this year with no clinical skills to speak of.

Ah well, I'll just have to learn fast!

They are few and far between, but they do exist. It's best to just ignore them, as there are always going to be people who are in love with themselves in vet school. However, on the flip side, there were also lots of people who had been techs or assistants for YEARS who helped me an immense amount.

Funny story:

As students, we got entitled to a free bloodwork set on our animals (some company or other donated the $). I asked another first year who had been a tech for a long time to come to my house and help me get blood from my dog. She asks me if I would feel better restraining or drawing, and I said restraining (since I barely even knew how to do that!)

So I kneel down and she instructs me how to hold my dog, and I'm a little confused. Then she pulls out the needle and goes for her neck.

I go "WHOA! Why are you gonna stick that big needle in my dog's NECK?" 😱

She looks at me, confused, and goes "Um...you take blood from the jugular" 😕

"The WHAT?"

"The jugular...that's how we always do it?" 😕

"Isn't that...dangerous??"

"No..."

"Oh....."

The one clinic I had worked at was cats-only, and they only did blood draws via a teeny tiny butterfly cath in the saphenous. I had NO idea and felt so silly

She sort of became my mentor for the rest of the year in terms of clinic stuff. Super nice lady.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Oh, I would never want to make anyone feel bad about something that they didn't know. I've had that happen to me, and it sucks! I just wanted to know what the majority of applicants already knew! I am used to always feeling like the underdog, or like I don't know enough, so I'm trying to protect myself from that, I guess. I still feel like I couldn't possibly ever be good enough for vet school. Confidence could be build through building skills, I think. 🙂

Oh absolutely, I didn't mean to imply that you (or anyone on here!) would, it just reminded me of a few bad apples I ran into.

Don't let the whole "I'm not good enough" go too far, or else you'll be in for a nasty case of "imposter syndrome" during school. People come from ALL experience levels you are already more advanced than average 🙂

 

[cs5910]

If it makes you feel better, I have never seen a cow in real life... Except from maybe the highway. If pre-vet experience is what helps you pass vet school, I guess I will be failing all the large animal rotations/classes!


Point of this rant, you are fine with any and all that you learn. Pre-vet experience is supposed to be for exposing you to what you will be getting into for the rest of your life, should you be accepted. NONE of the adcoms expect you to be perfect "Mini-Doctors" when you matriculate... Otherwise, there would be no point to vet SCHOOL. Soak in what you can, learn as much as you can about the ethics and dynamics of client interactions (i.e. really understand that its not all sunshine and roses), and pick up some useful skills on the way. You sound like you have some great experience, enjoy it!

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

If it makes you feel better, I have never seen a cow in real life... Except from maybe the highway. If pre-vet experience is what helps you pass vet school, I guess I will be failing all the large animal rotations/classes!


Point of this rant, you are fine with any and all that you learn. Pre-vet experience is supposed to be for exposing you to what you will be getting into for the rest of your life, should you be accepted. NONE of the adcoms expect you to be perfect "Mini-Doctors" when you matriculate... Otherwise, there would be no point to vet SCHOOL. Soak in what you can, learn as much as you can about the ethics and dynamics of client interactions (i.e. really understand that its not all sunshine and roses), and pick up some useful skills on the way. You sound like you have some great experience, enjoy it!

Excellent synopsis 👍

 

[MysteryCat]

I'm already sure that I'll have to fight off the "imposter syndrome", but I'll continue to arm myself with knowledge, and do everything that I can to be awesome. 😉 You guys are pretty great for advice! I do think that I'd like to learn blood draws at least, just because.

Oh! I've never handled a cow before. I'm an ex-rodeo kinda girl, so I've been around them, but have NO idea how to actually handle them. Just the ponies. 🙂

 

[LetItSnow]

Thank you for this. I have absolutely zero experience drawing blood, vaccines, catheters, etc in anything larger than a mouse. I do have PLENTY of experience in mouse work, because most of my experience is lab-based.

Slightly worried about douchenozzles since I will be starting this year with no clinical skills to speak of.

Ah well, I'll just have to learn fast!

See, you're already ahead of where I was when I started. I don't think I had ever drawn blood or put a catheter in anything, including mice. 🙂

Since you're starting at UMN, my advice for someone like you (i.e. like me a few years ago):

1) Join VeTouch and participate. VeTouch is a once/month free clinic we host for urban Minneapolis. I haven't missed one since I started vet school. Too many students don't come because they feel like they aren't prepared. Don't be them. Now that I've been there a few years I'm in that phase where I pass clients in the hallway and they remind me that I saw them last year. It's gratifying when they want to see you again. Anyway, for every client you'll take history, do client education, examine their animal, construct your treatment plan (we have some limited ability to dx and tx problems; we're not just a vaccination clinic), execute it, write the discharge, rinse/lather/repeat. It's good experience.

2) Join SIRVS. I have not missed a SIRVS trip. It's based on RAVS (google it), but run by UMN students to serve the MN reservation community. We do a mix of wellness and spay/neuter clinics.... maybe 3-4 trips/yr? I got enough surgical experience through SIRVS, RAVS my first summer, AAHA, and a clinic I hang at that second-year surgery lab was really boring.

3) Consider applying for one of the blood donor gigs. We hire three people from every first-year class (so that there's 9 of us in the program all the time; no 4th years). You'll be (eventually) responsible for setting up the appointments, doing a quick PE on the animal, drawing some lab blood (usually jugular), placing a saphenous (back leg) catheter for replacing fluid volume, and drawing 500ml via a jug stick. For people who lack venipuncture experience, you get comfortable really quick. As a bonus, you get to know the hospital staff.

4) Look for the good opportunities to participate in studies in the hospital, or jobs, or whatever. I'm working ICU this summer, and it's been awesome so far. I feel like I'm ramping up super fast.

Don't worry about the physical skill stuff. Look for opportunities like the ones I described, but don't sweat it. You'll get chances here 'n there to pick things up, and you've got summers to go on trips or take jobs or hang at clinics.

 

[LetItSnow]

I had some people in school who acted like total douchenozzles around me when they found out how limited my clinical experience was

The best part is when douchenozzles fall flat on their face because they were Just So Sure about something that they never stopped to consider alternatives. It really screws with them when a case presents looking very clearly like one thing and then turns out to be more perplexing.

 

[MysteryCat]

The best part is when douchenozzles fall flat on their face because they were Just So Sure about something that they never stopped to consider alternatives. It really screws with them when a case presents looking very clearly like one thing and then turns out to be more perplexing.

Ultimate revenge. Be better than them. 😉