- Joined
- Aug 8, 2009
- Messages
- 812
- Reaction score
- 5
I really envy the folks on here who have a legitimate mentor.
At every pre-vet job I've had, it's a constant battle to make sure that I get at least 30 minutes of weekly exposure to anything that isn't tech work. I know it counts, and its ultimately useful experience, but, christ... there's no need to give me the gasface, like I'm wasting your time, any time I ask for clarification of anything that's actually veterinary in nature. They know why I'm there. If they don't want to fill that role, don't hire me.
I guess for me, the biggest question is then, what HAVE they hired you for?
YOU took the job to get veterinary experience.
THEY hired someone to do tech work. (Just going off your post). Therefore time spent outside this role IS taking away time from what you're being paid to do, and if you get to observe/spend heaps of time with the vet instead of doing other things, the other techs might see this as favouritism, and that you're not pulling your weight.
I understand the frustration, and I do feel they should be more than willing to teach (because ultimately it would make you a better tech too) but I guess I feel that fulfilling what they hired you for needs to be your first priority. Shadowing is the best way to spend 1-1 time with the vets, IMHO. If people want to shadow, I think it should be done on their days off.
I was extremely lucky to get an awesome SA mentor - in fact, he's why I went to vet school at all. But when I wanted 1-1 time, I came in on my days off - I don't think its fair for someone to pay me to mainly watch.
Obviously what I'm saying doesn't apply to just small bits of teaching - everyone should be willing to teach anyone something.
MY RANT:
Cat shelter near me went out and trapped some feral cats on public land. They were feral and had ringworm, so they were euth'd. (This shelter does an amazing job but still have to euth 6000 cats every year due to lack of resources - I don't have a problem with the decision they made).
Aparently many people of the general public do. 😕 Because "they own a feral cat"(uh no you don't, you own one that was slightly scared of humans) and "ringworm is so treatable" (yeah sure, you go bath those feral cats) and because "*I* would have taken them!" (if your so committed to cats why do they still have to euth so many?!).
Now people are coming out and saying that there is no evidence to suggest feral cats kill/eat wildlife. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!?!?! 😕😕😕😕




AAARRRGGGHHH!!! The poor cat haven!!! 🙁