Should this count as vet experience?

[Pandacinny]

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I asked this as part of another thread last year, but thought I'd give more details and get more opinions this year.

I spent two years working at an animal shelter with a wonderful veterinarian. She would often send animals out to specialists. When she did, I was almost always the one who took the animals to the other doctor's office. Sometimes, this amounted to little more than sitting in the waiting room - especially for specialists who we didn't see an awful lot.

There were some specialists, though, that we took multiple animals to, sometimes multiple times. These specialists would generally take me back with them to hold the animal or just watch while they examined them. They would go out of their way to explain their diagnosis, treatment options, and etc to me and a couple in particular always made sure I learned something new while I was there.

Can I count this as separate veterinary experience, or is this too much like taking your own pet to the vet? What do you guys think? (Of course, I would only include the specialists I saw multiple times - not the waiting room visits!)

 

[VAgirl]

I'd count it. It sounds just like shadowing. It sorta sounds like you'd want to count it under the shelter stuff you were already doing with the other vet, though. But you'd know that better than we would. And as long as it makes sense/is easy to follow on your app, I think you could list it either together or separate.

 

[pupsforseeing]

I agree with VAgirl. I would probably count it, but under the same experience as the shelter stuff and then just explain in the description what you did with the specialists.

 

[DreamComeTrue09]

I agree, count it 🙂 Be sure to explain these unique opportunities in which you not only restrained the pets for the veterinarian but got to hear about the vets diagnosis and treatments

 

[FlyOnTheWall]

Include it with the Shelter experience, not a separate entry. We get annoyed when we see multiple entrees for basically the same job.

 

[Thought Hammer]

I started volunteering under an RVT at an animal shelter and was wondering if this would count? The vets work only on weekdays but I volunteer on Saturdays when only the RVT is present. I've read on the forums and the internet that vet experience counts only if you work under a vet.

Practically speaking, I do vet requests (check dogs), treat animals, assisting the RVT via restraining animals. More often though, I might do inventory, clean the kennels, or organize papers. I say this because I'm not sure what other volunteers (under vets) do.

 

[bonaparte]

I started volunteering under an RVT at an animal shelter and was wondering if this would count? The vets work only on weekdays but I volunteer on Saturdays when only the RVT is present. I've read on the forums and the internet that vet experience counts only if you work under a vet.

Practically speaking, I do vet requests (check dogs), treat animals, assisting the RVT via restraining animals. More often though, I might do inventory, clean the kennels, or organize papers. I say this because I'm not sure what other volunteers (under vets) do.

This year I called VMCAS and asked them essentially the same thing (worked in a wildlife clinic on days when there was no vet present) and they told me, yes, list it under veterinary experience. However, my experience was very hands-on in terms of animal restraint and administration of medications.