Repeating description of duties

[DVMDream]

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I have worked in four different veterinary clinics in which my duties were all the same. I came up with a very shortened list of my duties as the character limit is way too low to include all duties (I am sure many people will agree 😉). My question is: Do you think it would look poorly to simply copy and paste the exact same list for each experience. I was thinking, "Why would it matter; the duties were the same for each clinic?" and the I started thinking, "Oh no they will see me as lazy to not change around my duties a little bit for each place." What does everyone else think; does it matter if I just copy and paste or should I try to change each list slightly?

 

[NStarz]

I would try to think of at least one thing that was different for each clinic. Maybe in one clinic you got to assist on a really cool surgery, or something like that. I personally wouldn't copy/paste.

 

[twelvetigers]

So, since you can't list all the duties... make a really complete list and divide them up and mention different ones at different clinics. You can keep the big things in each of them, if you want - assisting surgeries and the like - but say that you gave vaccines here, that you helped the clients there, and that you ran bloodwork there... that was as much as possible is mentioned all in all.

Just an idea!

At any rate, at least try to bring out a bit more of what you feel you benefited from the most at each different clinic. Don't copy and paste.

 

[milkmaid]

What I did was mention significant things I saw at each place, ie anal gland removal at A clinic, antifreeze poisoning at B clinic, debark at C clinic, equine cryptorchid castration at D clinic, etc. If I mentioned routine things (ie paperwork, restraint, vaccinations, assisting vet) then I tried to include it in a different way in each description. Reading hundreds of applications has to get extremely mind-numbing after awhile, so I attempted to make it a little more interesting.

 

[DVMDream]

Thanks for the replies. I definitely changed things around and included things that I hadn't in others. I would put significant things I had seen at each place, but it asked for description of duties and my official duties did not include to witness really cool things....that just happened along the way. 😉 Besides, I have seen so many really cool things that I would not know which ones I would want to put instead I am going to save those for the PS.

Thanks for the input! I am starting to get closer to being done! I can't wait until it is submitted and all I have to do is wait....

 

[Two]

I don't mean to jack your thread DVM Dream, but I have a couple questions (like I always do).

Are all of you guys vet techs? If you are, how long did it take for you to reach that if you started from kennel tech? If your not a vet tech & you are doing these things, did you just say you were a kennel tech on the VMCAS? I was talking to this guy from my chemistry class & he said that it doesn't take years (like I previously thought) to get trained as a vet tech if you know the right people. Also, if you switched from kennel to vet tech, how did that go? Did you boss just say "Your a vet tech now, here's a raise!" or was there a process?

 

[heylodeb]

I don't mean to jack your thread DVM Dream, but I have a couple questions (like I always do).

Are all of you guys vet techs? If you are, how long did it take for you to reach that if you started from kennel tech? If your not a vet tech & you are doing these things, did you just say you were a kennel tech on the VMCAS? I was talking to this guy from my chemistry class & he said that it doesn't take years (like I previously thought) to get trained as a vet tech if you know the right people. Also, if you switched from kennel to vet tech, how did that go? Did you boss just say "Your a vet tech now, here's a raise!" or was there a process?

I think that this completely depends on the clinic that you are working at.

I went from volunteer, to kennel help, to technician in about 9 months - however, I spent every second I could at the clinic working and "training" to become a technician. (I got paid for about 2 hours a week but was there around 20hrs/week since the vets said I could come whenever) Then one day, a tech got sick, there was no one to cover, and I was asked to clock in and work for her. It went from there...

Edit: I am not a "registered/certified" technician...that would take some schooling...

 

[Whyevernot55]

I don't mean to jack your thread DVM Dream, but I have a couple questions (like I always do).

Are all of you guys vet techs? If you are, how long did it take for you to reach that if you started from kennel tech? If your not a vet tech & you are doing these things, did you just say you were a kennel tech on the VMCAS? I was talking to this guy from my chemistry class & he said that it doesn't take years (like I previously thought) to get trained as a vet tech if you know the right people. Also, if you switched from kennel to vet tech, how did that go? Did you boss just say "Your a vet tech now, here's a raise!" or was there a process?

My story is similar to heylodeb - I am not a registered tech, but I can do technician things, and most people would call me a tech. Although technically (😉) I'm a veterinary assistant. I started out cleaning things, and holding animals for exams, and all of my training was "on the job." My boss would say "want to learn to do this? time to learn!" and I would. Now I'm one of the head techs. It sort of happens by diffusion.
On the VMCAS, I list myself as a vet assistant, because I'm not legally a technician, but my description of duties includes things like blood draws, cysto, prepping and monitoring and scrubbing in on sx, setting IVs, tubing for sx, x-rays, lab work, etc etc etc. The fun part is trying to fit it all into my description of duties! 😉

 

[DVMDream]

I don't mean to jack your thread DVM Dream, but I have a couple questions (like I always do).

Are all of you guys vet techs? If you are, how long did it take for you to reach that if you started from kennel tech? If your not a vet tech & you are doing these things, did you just say you were a kennel tech on the VMCAS? I was talking to this guy from my chemistry class & he said that it doesn't take years (like I previously thought) to get trained as a vet tech if you know the right people. Also, if you switched from kennel to vet tech, how did that go? Did you boss just say "Your a vet tech now, here's a raise!" or was there a process?

Feel free to jack my thread! I don't mind!

I started off as a kennel assistant (nearly got fired because I was really shy and quiet; but quickly came out of my shell) did kennel work for 9 months and then got moved up to veterinary assistant. Started off doing receptionist type things and then trained on the job. I am not technically a technician, but I do everything a technician does. So my list of duties were things similar to whyevernot55's. Blood draws, labwork, skin scrapes, ultrasonic dental prophylaxis (say that 3 times fast 😉), fecal floatations, entubation, sx prep and anesthesia monitoring and the occasional scrubbing in, xrays, going over treatment estimates with clients (and listening to them complain about prices), etc.

There was a slight process with being moved up...it takes a little while to learn things (and I did not get an automatic raise). But, it is a fairly quick learning curve and before you know it you become a "head technician". Which is a good/bad thing (way more responsibility; like having to get on to the other techs for not getting the hospital cleaned because if it is not clean it is your ass that gets written up.)

 

[crittergal]

It also can vary greatly depending on the type of practice you work in (i.e. single doctor mixed animal practice vs. multidoctor specialty hospital) as well as the state you are working in.

 

[smilesoup]

My story is similar to heylodeb - I am not a registered tech, but I can do technician things, and most people would call me a tech. Although technically (😉) I'm a veterinary assistant. I started out cleaning things, and holding animals for exams, and all of my training was "on the job." My boss would say "want to learn to do this? time to learn!" and I would. Now I'm one of the head techs. It sort of happens by diffusion.
On the VMCAS, I list myself as a vet assistant, because I'm not legally a technician, but my description of duties includes things like blood draws, cysto, prepping and monitoring and scrubbing in on sx, setting IVs, tubing for sx, x-rays, lab work, etc etc etc. The fun part is trying to fit it all into my description of duties! 😉

Uh oh! Do you think it'd a problem if I called myself a tech on VMCAS, even though I wasn't "legally" a tech? I basically did the same thing techs were asked to do...

 

[twelvetigers]

If you're in a state that doesn't designate that specifically, I don't think so. It would be obvious if you were a licensed or registered tech so they probably assume you mean the other. Plus, a lot of clinics do call their workers 'technicians' - the head tech may or may not be licensed, but that is their title nonetheless.

 

[heylodeb]

If you're in a state that doesn't designate that specifically, I don't think so. It would be obvious if you were a licensed or registered tech so they probably assume you mean the other. Plus, a lot of clinics do call their workers 'technicians' - the head tech may or may not be licensed, but that is their title nonetheless.

agreed - I don't THINK the vet schools will care too much about this.