RANT HERE thread

[Tech_Penguin]

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I'm so sorry to here about your TMJ pain! I struggled with TMJ very much up until my first year of vet school it got so bad my jaw was locking constantly.

I saw an amazing doctor who custom made me a special night guard, RXed muscle relaxers, and worked with me on jaw exercises.

Glad to know someone else gets it! I tried a lot of things over the years, like a nightguard, PT, meds 😵‍💫 but the only thing that really helps is bi-monthly Botox or an annual arthrocentesis, which I'm too broke for rn even with insurance. 😅 I'll probably just get it when I go back home during NYE

it seems as though there is some deeper rooted concerns and issues with your workplace..and might be time for a change.

Honestly, I've started to feel this way. I recently heard from vet students that this clinic has a notorious reputation for its high turnover rate, and online reviews say that management isn't supportive at all, which I'm starting to see. The most senior employee in the department has been there for almost 2 years. It's a shame, I really like all my other coworkers/doctors and most of the owners seem appreciative, but the issues and suggestions that can be reasonably addressed are consistently overlooked. But I have an interview at a specialty hospital next week, so I'm looking forward to that!

EDIT: Can any shelter or community clinic vets weigh in? Is 10 minutes for wellness exams ($30) and 20 minutes for sick appointments ($45) normal?

 

[alyssa13]

11 weeks into term one and i'm hitting a slump. i only have one real friend, no established study group, and a whole lot of stress. we finished our second module and took the exam last monday and i did slightly worse than i did on exam one which has bummed me out, then started our third module of the term and i feel so lost in it. i found it so difficult to concentrate and felt like i was just falling so much more behind after every lecture and now its nearly sunday and my "weekend to catch up" has not been as efficient as i thought it would be 😕im finding it hard to find the motivation to keep pushing myself to study and im finding it especially difficult as i've primarily been a self studier and i dont have anyone there with me to push me to pay attention or to motivate me im realllyyyyy hoping the motivation finds me sooner rather than later this last week was a rough week and i do notttt want it to cause a downward spiral for the last 5 weeks of the terms but man it shook me up i just need to get my head back into it this week somehow 😕

 

[supershorty]

I'm only hydrated today because of this thread lol

 

[JaynaAli]

EDIT: Can any shelter or community clinic vets weigh in? Is 10 minutes for wellness exams ($30) and 20 minutes for sick appointments ($45) normal?

I'm not in practice, but this is not super uncommon. Its definitely on the low side and not ideal...I think most vets probably want 30 minute appointments especially for sick patients (and maybe even more for sick, depending on your workup capabilities in-house). But reality is, even low cost clinics are a business and when you're charging less per pet, you have to see more patients in the same amount of time to make the same revenue. So though it's not ideal, this is how a fair number of clinics operate. And a lot of places will say they have 30 minute appointments, but then proceed to double book the vet without approval or things like that. I'm not excusing it and longer appointment times would likely be more enjoyable for everyone, but this isn't uncommon.

 

[finnickthedog]

I'm only hydrated today because of this thread lol

I'm still not as hydrated as I should be, but I more hydrated than I would have been.

I don't know why drinking water is such a struggle for me.

 

[supershorty]

I'm still not as hydrated as I should be, but I more hydrated than I would have been

This is a more accurate description of my status than my saying I'm hydrated.

Drinking water is also a huge struggle for me. I do slightly better with a water bottle that marks off time intervals, but now I've covered all of those with stickers so...

Spoiler: This one is my favorite

 

[Kodiak-Bear]

crashing out over how some people during lecture just giggle and talk (to the point where people multiple rows up are turning around),, as if the people around them aren't trying to listen and learn

Oh my god I just saw this and i know EXACTLY who you are talking about. Sick of sitting in the back near them </3

 

[apoptosis09]

Oh my god I just saw this and i know EXACTLY who you are talking about. Sick of sitting in the back near them </3

There's (almost) always space at the front. Just saying 😃

 

[catsandsnakes]

Oh my god I just saw this and i know EXACTLY who you are talking about. Sick of sitting in the back near them </3

AHAH I am chronically late to class so I sit in the back bc I know there's always seats available,, but literally any time they're having a giggling fit and people start turning around to glare at them I get the worst second hand embarrassment

someone on wednesday turned around and told them to be quiet and it made me so happy

 

[Stroganoff]

This is a more accurate description of my status than my saying I'm hydrated.

Drinking water is also a huge struggle for me. I do slightly better with a water bottle that marks off time intervals, but now I've covered all of those with stickers so...

Spoiler: This one is my favorite

View attachment 411176

*sips water passive-aggressively*

 

[Stroganoff]

Glad to know someone else gets it! I tried a lot of things over the years, like a nightguard, PT, meds 😵‍💫 but the only thing that really helps is bi-monthly Botox or an annual arthrocentesis, which I'm too broke for rn even with insurance. 😅 I'll probably just get it when I go back home during NYE

Oh interesting! I got diagnosed with TMJ in 2005 so I've just lived with it. It's worse in the left side. At least there's no pain or like hardcore locking (since 2009-2010 New Year's Day). Didn't know arthrocentesis was an option. Wonder If there's such a procedure for c-spine vertebrae, since it's my #1 quality of life thing that's affected my breathing + sleep + ability to function.

TMJ sufferers unite! *click click pop*

 

[battie]

Can any shelter or community clinic vets weigh in? Is 10 minutes for wellness exams ($30) and 20 minutes for sick appointments ($45) normal?

I purposely didn't work in a clinic as a baby doctor despite it being my highest paying offer with the best overall schedule (130k + production, 3.5 days per week; used to be in the big box store that wasn't orange). Because I simply didnt think I could practice good medicine and have a good relationship with the clients (since I thought I would like GP 🤣).

There's a discussion about this on VIN right now actually; the 20 minutes kicking our butts thread. Basically everyone agrees that shorter appointments suck if you 1) have needy clients and 2) are understaffed. There is one old timer on there that does 30 appts. in a single day, but has an army behind him as far as staff that are super in sync.

I would absolutely not want a wellness less than 20min so I could make friends with the client. I would absolutely not want a sick pet less than 30 cause I want to actually do the things if I have the equipment. And then, if necessary, transfer the kiddo to ER/specialty.

But as Jayna said, if you're in a low cost clinic where the name of the game is to just get the animals *any* healthcare, you still gotta pay the bills. A $30 exam? When I was in GP, I would have had to see 3-4 patients/hr (and actually doing things like vaccines) to pay for myself, the tech, and the supplies to keep the lights on. I worked in a bougie part of Denver and the wellness exam was 65, the sick appt. was 85, and the ER appt. was 105 I think.

 

[pp9]

EDIT: Can any shelter or community clinic vets weigh in? Is 10 minutes for wellness exams ($30) and 20 minutes for sick appointments ($45) normal?

I purposely didn't work in a clinic as a baby doctor despite it being my highest paying offer with the best overall schedule (130k + production, 3.5 days per week; used to be in the big box store that wasn't orange). Because I simply didnt think I could practice good medicine and have a good relationship with the clients (since I thought I would like GP 🤣).

There's a discussion about this on VIN right now actually; the 20 minutes kicking our butts thread. Basically everyone agrees that shorter appointments suck if you 1) have needy clients and 2) are understaffed. There is one old timer on there that does 30 appts. in a single day, but has an army behind him as far as staff that are super in sync.

I would absolutely not want a wellness less than 20min so I could make friends with the client. I would absolutely not want a sick pet less than 30 cause I want to actually do the things if I have the equipment. And then, if necessary, transfer the kiddo to ER/specialty.

But as Jayna said, if you're in a low cost clinic where the name of the game is to just get the animals *any* healthcare, you still gotta pay the bills. A $30 exam? When I was in GP, I would have had to see 3-4 patients/hr (and actually doing things like vaccines) to pay for myself, the tech, and the supplies to keep the lights on. I worked in a bougie part of Denver and the wellness exam was 65, the sick appt. was 85, and the ER appt. was 105 I think.

So I have not worked in GP/shelter, but coming from ER where I was basically seeing anywhere from 5-15 appointments per hour (because who knows really), seeing that many 'appointments' in rapid fire only works if the doctor is efficient and the support staff are also efficient/there are enough/they know what they are doing. It takes the right kind of personalities for that to go well, and I'm not surprised to hear about high turnover. Plenty of people find that kind of work load/style too overwhelming and stressful. And if the clinic is staffed with undertrained/underexperienced assistants, it's not going to go well.

But, the goal of ER is not bonding, right? I would think that a community/shelter/low cost practice might be the same, unless they are really going for a GP vibe. But in my experience, they aren't, because they might see their clients once every few years. Or once at most, honestly, and they're usually really trying to cram people in the doors both from a revenue perspective, but also the fact that they would otherwise be booked out for months

 

[soupshark]

11 weeks into term one and i'm hitting a slump. i only have one real friend, no established study group, and a whole lot of stress. we finished our second module and took the exam last monday and i did slightly worse than i did on exam one which has bummed me out, then started our third module of the term and i feel so lost in it. i found it so difficult to concentrate and felt like i was just falling so much more behind after every lecture and now its nearly sunday and my "weekend to catch up" has not been as efficient as i thought it would be 😕im finding it hard to find the motivation to keep pushing myself to study and im finding it especially difficult as i've primarily been a self studier and i dont have anyone there with me to push me to pay attention or to motivate me im realllyyyyy hoping the motivation finds me sooner rather than later this last week was a rough week and i do notttt want it to cause a downward spiral for the last 5 weeks of the terms but man it shook me up i just need to get my head back into it this week somehow 😕

It took me a while to find my friends and that only constitutes like, 2.5 people. One of those people I consider a close friend and if I feel like I need group studying, she's the person I go to. I think that's a pretty normal experience even if it doesn't seem that way. Appearances can be deceiving. Not to mention there are always going to be cliques in every stage of life which can skew your perception of how other people in your class are doing friend-wise.

It's also normal to feel less motivated and find it hard to catch up. vet school is one of the most rigorous programs there is and regardless if it seems that way or not, everyone is feeling it. I feel behind for every exam but when I actually talk to other people in my class, they say the same thing. Motivation probably won't come to you because you are overloaded with information, so discipline and routine are better approaches. Set small, attainable goals when studying like 'study one deck of cards then take a 15 minute break.' And actually take a break. Step away from your study space and think about/do something completely unrelated. Take a day off on the weekend to do absolutely nothing school related. You'll feel so much better when going to study the next day.

You're doing great even though it doesn't feel like it. Vet school doesn't really operate with us being human beings in mind, so try to be gentle and understanding with yourself. You're not alone, that's for sure!

 

[battie]

And the cliques also have major drama. There was a friend group that had drama after two of them dated and then broke up. The class of 2019 had some drama too but I was not connected to that.

So just because people have big friend groups now, doesn't mean they will be stable unfortunately

 

[soupshark]

And the cliques also have major drama. There was a friend group that had drama after two of them dated and then broke up. The class of 2019 had some drama too but I was not connected to that.

So just because people have big friend groups now, doesn't mean they will be stable unfortunately

Yeah this is something I learned back in high school. A couple of good friends is so much better than a handful or more of half-baked relationships. You'll feel more supported when you have good people who really care about you in your life.

 

[pp9]

And the cliques also have major drama. There was a friend group that had drama after two of them dated and then broke up. The class of 2019 had some drama too but I was not connected to that.

So just because people have big friend groups now, doesn't mean they will be stable unfortunately

Man I'm trying to think if I even remember what you could be referring to here

 

[_rae_]

I’m scheduled 6-12 pm Friday and Saturday every other week. Instead of 12 hours, I’ve worked 22 in the past two days and I have two exams due Tuesday, as well as a surgery trip to prep for. I know I can “just leave” but I’m not punishing my managers by doing that, I’m just punishing my coworkers. I’m really over it.

ETA: JK ONE OF THE EXAMS IS DUE TONIGHT

 

[katiemcat]

And the cliques also have major drama. There was a friend group that had drama after two of them dated and then broke up. The class of 2019 had some drama too but I was not connected to that.

So just because people have big friend groups now, doesn't mean they will be stable unfortunately

Why has this also happened in my class LOL

 

[honeypot999]

Started leaving my apartment to go to school. Got in the car and noticed it was broken in to by someone.

Guess whose not going to school today?

 

[_rae_]

I quit my job yesterday. I’ve had a new job lined up for a week or two but it isn’t guaranteed to start until February. I was going to try to stick it out but after this weekend I couldn’t. I’ll be done at the end of November, and I’m hopeful I can start my new job sooner 🤞🏻

 

[honeypot999]

Reminder: don’t send administration aggressive and rude emails trying to get them to change something while asking the entire class to sign this email.

That is crazy work and keep my name off of that.

 

[battie]

Reminder: don’t send administration aggressive and rude emails trying to get them to change something while asking the entire class to sign this email.

That is crazy work and keep my name off of that.

Literally a third of my class during COVID clinics signed a "petition" to allow curriculum changes. As if the school can just do that without the AVMA coe signing off in it.

Spoiler alert. Nothing changed

 

[honeypot999]

Literally a third of my class during COVID clinics signed a "petition" to allow curriculum changes. As if the school can just do that without the AVMA coe signing off in it.

Spoiler alert. Nothing changed

our coating ceremony got moved up a week, so it wasn’t during spring break. Then admin realized we had a final that following Monday, so they already said they would move the final.

So I don’t know what more they expect out of admin.

 

[battie]

Toddler Bats has had a major regression with poop potty training. Like so bad. He has now pooped outside of the toilet for 7 days in a row; this morning was on the carpet in a random corner of the upstairs living room.

It's so frustrating and defeating to potty train.

 

[battie]

LOL. WEVE MOVED ONTO TUMMY ACHES AND MASSIVE DIARRHEA

 

[fingermonkey]

Honestly I'm trying my best to stay positive but I can’t handle the anticipation of getting into vet school or not.

 

[purrlywhites]

I moved from 4/8s to 4/10s when do I adjust to this FT thing 😴😴

 

[battie]

I moved from 4/8s to 4/10s when do I adjust to this FT thing 😴😴

3/12s is where it's at 😎

 

[JaynaAli]

I moved from 4/8s to 4/10s when do I adjust to this FT thing 😴😴

It definitely takes time to adjust! But you will with time. You may not notice for a while but then one day you’ll be like, oh, this is easier than it used to be.

I’m a fan of my 5/5ish schedule. Though I am working 6-7 days a week now (by choice for more money) so I guess it’s a 7/5. But I love being able to start early and be done around noon to have the rest of the day free. Though I know that wouldn’t work for most vets in clinical work.

 

[Kodiak-Bear]

There's (almost) always space at the front. Just saying 😃

I think I am too established in the back at this point. Maybe next semester

 

[Kodiak-Bear]

AHAH I am chronically late to class so I sit in the back bc I know there's always seats available,, but literally any time they're having a giggling fit and people start turning around to glare at them I get the worst second hand embarrassment

someone on wednesday turned around and told them to be quiet and it made me so happy

I was there for the wednesday situation. Did you see the after scenario tho??

 

[battie]

I was there for the wednesday situation. Did you see the after scenario tho??

👀

 

[supershorty]

I was there for the wednesday situation. Did you see the after scenario tho??

alright one of you has to come to my office and tell me the tea bc I'm nosy

 

[SkiOtter]

alright one of you has to come to my office and tell me the tea bc I'm nosy

And then you need to pls tell bats and I bc we are also nosy bitches

 

[JaynaAli]

Just post it. We all want to know. Bahaha.

 

[vampyrica]

Just post it. We all want to know. Bahaha.

retweet

 

[vampyrica]

also- off topic, the demonization of gap years is so outdated. it’s quite literally not the end of the world if you choose to take time off, or have unexpected gap years. there is nothing wrong with it. life is way too short to hyperfixate on having to take time away from education to take care of yourself, save money, get more experience, fix your grades etc.

normalize that gap years are normal. thank you for coming to my ted talk.

 

[honeypot999]

our coating ceremony got moved up a week, so it wasn’t during spring break. Then admin realized we had a final that following Monday, so they already said they would move the final.

So I don’t know what more they expect out of admin.

Update: the dean sent an email was professionally like “get over it, the world doesn’t revolve around you”

 

[catsandsnakes]

I was there for the wednesday situation. Did you see the after scenario tho??

Omg no I didn't, plz spill 🙏

 

[supershorty]

I just want everyone to know that @apoptosis09 knows where my office is, and I have a kettle. Come give me tea.

(but not today, I'm off campus at a retreat thing)

 

[breezywonton]

...i would like the tea too plz

 

[fauna]

failed my OSCE. feel like complete ****.

 

[battie]

Update: the dean sent an email was professionally like “get over it, the world doesn’t revolve around you”

More people need to hear this on a more regular basis. I have a vivid memory of my husband (then just friend, but best friend) looking at me with irritation and saying, "Not everything is about you!" I can't even tell you what it was. But it's a core memory that upset me at the time; but damn it's done me some good since then. I wonder if husband remembers 🤔

Eta: husband doesn't even remember the conversation, let alone the topic; but isn't surprised this happened

failed my OSCE. feel like complete ****.

I'm so sorry 😔 That truly sucks.

 

[soupshark]

retweet

retweeting x2 because I also want to know! Lol

 

[apoptosis09]

Omg no I didn't, plz spill 🙏

Same bc I sit in the front 🥲

 

[apoptosis09]

I just want everyone to know that @apoptosis09 knows where my office is, and I have a kettle. Come give me tea.

(but not today, I'm off campus at a retreat thing)

Took me a couple tries but I did find it eventually 😂

 

[katiemcat]

failed my OSCE. feel like complete ****.

I’m so sorry friend. Happens to plenty of people though, don’t be too hard on yourself.

 

[apoptosis09]

failed my OSCE. feel like complete ****.

I havent got my scores back yet but also pretty sure I'm going to have to redo at least one skill 😬
Ironically have felt really solid like my clinical skills so far lol. Test nerves are something else though 😅

 

[mw1356]

I havent got my scores back yet but also pretty sure I'm going to have to redo at least one skill 😬
Ironically have felt really solid like my clinical skills so far. Test nerves are something else though 🥲

was so nervous during mine that my hands were shaking on skills that you definitely need steady hands to do 🤠

Same bc I sit in the front 🥲

same 😃