Question about volunteer experience at clinics.

[jessikt]

I have a question about shadowing/volunteering at clinics.

Those of you who have completed enough time at clinics to gain entry into Vet school, what exactly were you doing at the clinics? Were you working or volunteering? Part time? Were you able to work as vet techs/assistants without getting a certificate from a college? Or is it recommended that you do?

I am just wondering because I did a very brief (one day...) shadow last year at a clinic and I just felt like I was in the way! (The people at the clinic did not make me feel that way, I just wanted to be more useful) and I will probably be taking a semester off do do my pre-reqs at an adult high school for a Biology undergrad this fall so I was wondering if I should also do a part-time vet assistant program at my local college while I've got this (sort of) free time.

Thanks!!

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[jkq202]

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[jessikt]

How do you go about getting the shadowing "job" though? Do you contact the vet saying that you are a student interested in becoming a veterinarian and looking to gain some experience?

Thanks!

 

[jkq202]

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[twelvetigers]

Visit a clinic and ask nicely - perhaps explain your situation. As for being in the way, give it some time! I had to actually fight to get hired at a clinic due to money/time issues... I finally was hired, and I've been there about a month and a half... I still feel like I'm in the way sometimes, and I freakin' work there. Just offer to help, ask what you can do, or if it's too much at the moment, just go stand in the corner and observe. Ask questions when you can.

Good luck though, and as I said on the other thread you made, ask if you have any more questions.

 

[parietal]

Hi again, jessikt!

What I did was stop by lots of vet offices in my area with a resume and ask if it would be possible to set up a time to shadow. Most of the offices made it really easy, a handful were rude or never got back to me but they were the rare exception.

I shadowed at a bunch of clinics before settling on a couple to intern at and found the experience varied a lot. The small-town clinics were delighted to have an extra set of hands, and once I demonstrated that I was familiar with basic animal restraint and behavior, they let me help out a lot. Unfortunately, they had a lot of pretty basic cases: a ton of heartworm tests, ticks and spay/neuters.

I had less chance for hands-on stuff at the bigger clinics, but I also got to see a lot more. The local animal ER was the best for this: I learned more the first day I shadowed there than I had in the months worth of shadowing I did previously. But I was glad I had done the smaller stuff first; I didn't feel like such an idiot and could actually talk somewhat intelligently with the on-duty emergency vet.

So be brave, schedule shadows at smaller clinics first or ones where you or your parents are clients, move on to the bigger stuff, and then maybe set up an internship so you can dig a little deeper when you find a clinic or specialty that you like.

Good luck!

 

[AstroFish]

I just graduated college, needed a full-time job, and wanted experience for Vet School. I called every vet office within daily travelling distance. I ended up getting a position at a place that was hiring but hadn't yet put ads out.

Get a resume together highlighting your interest and background with animals, and just ask shelters and hospitals. I don't have a lot of experience looking for jobs in this area, but that's what worked for me.

Good luck!

 

[cozycleo]

Sorry to hijack. I just mailed out a letter with my resume last week to a local emergency clinic in my area. Would it have been better to go in person and ask to speak to someone instead?

I have an appointment for my kitties next month and I plan to talk to my vet about this as well, but the emergency clinic works better for my schedule. How long should I give them to respond before I follow up?

 

[Serendipity4]

Cozycleo, I'm not sure about the answers to your questions -- I'm sorry!

As for jessikt's question... I started off when I was 14 as a paid kennel assistant. I worked for the same place for 5 summers in a row doing that, then spent one summer getting paid working with the groomer, and then my last 2 summers before applying to vet school I shadowed at the place (and didn't get paid). When I shadowed, I did everything from laundry and cleaning to answering phones, being in the room with the vet, or assisting in surgery. Now that I'm in vet school I finally got the nerve to ask a clinic to pay me for doing tech-like work -- hooray!

If you want to just shadow, most clinics seem pretty open to letting people do that. In fact, when I've be in an appointment with my own pets and have mentioned that I wanted to be a vet, they've offered to let me come in and watch without me saying anything (and one guy offered me a job... sorta...) As for feeling in the way, I COMPLETELY understand!!! When I shadowed, I generally started out feeling as if I was in the way, and I mostly stood off to the side and said nothing. As others have said, I'd try to learn how to do ANYTHING (e.g. clean up the exam room after it had been used), and then I'd try to do that whenever I saw it needed to be done. Gradually, I learned to do more and more until I roughly felt as if I was actually helping (most of the time, anyways )

Good luck!

 

[PrimalMU]

Sorry to hijack. I just mailed out a letter with my resume last week to a local emergency clinic in my area. Would it have been better to go in person and ask to speak to someone instead?

I have an appointment for my kitties next month and I plan to talk to my vet about this as well, but the emergency clinic works better for my schedule. How long should I give them to respond before I follow up?

I would definitely give them a call, even if its just to make sure that they got your resume and letter. Ask to talk to the hospital manager and see if he/she has had a chance to read your letter and whether they might be able to work with you to get some experience.

 

[Trilt]

I shadowed at a bunch of clinics before settling on a couple to intern at and found the experience varied a lot. The small-town clinics were delighted to have an extra set of hands, and once I demonstrated that I was familiar with basic animal restraint and behavior, they let me help out a lot. Unfortunately, they had a lot of pretty basic cases: a ton of heartworm tests, ticks and spay/neuters.

Tell my "small-town" clinics to be more like yours. Of the five veterinary clinics within a half hour drive of my home, not a single one of them would even think about a minor volunteering with them. Ugh. </bitter>

 

[david594]

Tell my "small-town" clinics to be more like yours. Of the five veterinary clinics within a half hour drive of my home, not a single one of them would even think about a minor volunteering with them. Ugh. </bitter>

Your pretty much out of luck until you turn 18. A veterinary clinic is an OSHA nightmare. Between the radiation, chemicals, bio-hazard material and sharps and minor wouldn't be allowed to really do anything in a clinic.

It may be better to ask about "shadowing" than "volunteering". Either one would be a foot in the door, but from the clinic point of view, a person looking to shadow would be less of a commitment.

 

[jkq202]

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[TurtleLover]

I just graduated with a B.S. in Biology and have 7.5 months of kennel experience (paid) and was looking for a job as a vet tech/assistant to gain more experience working with the doctors and actually in the medical field of it, not just cleaning all the time. So I applied to about 15 clinics all around where I live and it took me a month to get hired....and I only heard back from one clinic. And I got put to work in the kennel two days and up in tech 1 day a week. It seems like no one is willing to train someone with no tech experience to be a tech, they all want experience. It is so frustrating because we need the experience to get into vet school, but no one is willing to give it unless you have worked there a really long time or get lucky. I am so frustrated because I just want to work as a tech, I have no been a kennel tech for 7.5 months and I feel that is sufficient time and experience to be trained as a tech...am I wrong here? Why is this so hard? I don't even know if I should bother re applying this year since I am not getting the experience I was told I needed to gain to improve my application. Is working as a technician really that important and highly regarded? Or is kennel technician still ok to have?

 

[lailanni]

I am so frustrated because I just want to work as a tech, I have no been a kennel tech for 7.5 months and I feel that is sufficient time and experience to be trained as a tech...am I wrong here? Why is this so hard? I don't even know if I should bother re applying this year since I am not getting the experience I was told I needed to gain to improve my application. Is working as a technician really that important and highly regarded? Or is kennel technician still ok to have?

I'm not sure you're using the term 'tech' in the usual sense.

There are Techs and there are assistants.

A Tech is a licensed veterinary technician. Becoming a LVT or RVT requires that you attend a special Tech school to earn the certification. Tech School is usually 2 years of specialized training. In some places you can be grandfathered in after X amount of years.

An Assistant requires no special training. They assist the Techs and Doctors.

So it sounds to me you want to be an assistant.

I could see why some places would turn you down if you are applying for specifically a Tech job without the Tech LVT or RVT certification. Try applying as an assistant, you're certainly qualified.

You do not have to be a tech to get vet experience or to get into vet school. It is however valuable to have vet/clinic experience. Let the clinics know you're a pre-vet student hoping to assist and they may be more able to get you some hands on non-kennel work.

 

[twelvetigers]

The "vet tech" title is used loosely here in Oklahoma... vet assistants and vet techs are nearly synonymous in conversation. You have to say "LICENSED vet tech" to make things clear. It just depends on where you are from!

Try to finish your kennel work quickly (but thoroughly) and then ask if there's any other stuff for you to do... that might work. Worth a shot, perhaps? You could always just tell the manager/vet that you'd like more non-kennel experience if possible and see if that helps. Just keep doing the kennel part well, and work towards other things...

 

[david594]

A Tech is a licensed veterinary technician. Becoming a LVT or RVT requires that you attend a special Tech school to earn the certification. Tech School is usually 2 years of specialized training. In some places you can be grandfathered in after X amount of years.

Same old argument. A "Tech" is a tech. A RVT or LVT is a Technician who went through some licensing or registration. Some states recognize and require the RVT or LVT status to work as a tech, others don't.

If you live in a state that doesn't recognize or require it then Joe Schmoe down the street can legally do any tech stuff that a RVT or LVT can do. They may not have formal training in it, but they are still allowed to legally do it.

I'm a bad person. I live in one of those evil states that require no licensing for techs. I am a tech. I'll take your pets x-rays, draw you pets blood, place its catheter and monitor its anasthesia. Its my job.

 

[lailanni]

Yeah, the different rules in different states does add to the confusion. Where I'm from, we observe the Tech/assistant difference for all the legal reasons. Legal-schmegal.

Anyhoo, if you're in a state that does observe the tech/assistant difference you won't (legally) get a tech job without the cert. You'd just be an assistant. So it's just one more terminology to keep in mind when scouting out a place to work.

Out of curiosity, which states don't require the 2year cert to be a tech?

 

[david594]

I can only say for sure that Massachusetts doesnt.

 

[twelvetigers]

Oklahoma is a negatory - I'm a "Joe Schmoe" - but to be fair, I don't do anything with a needle except vaccines. But the other two techs do, and have for many years.

I can also say that Arkansas doesn't have the distinction because my friend worked there and got to do lots of things.

 

[pyxystyx]

California doesn't.

Although, I've found a lot of places require and/or look very highly upon licensed technicians.