Some Random Q's re: the profession

[NStarz]

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This is kind of a mishmash of questions that have been coming to me ever since I've thought about pursuing this career. I wanted to know everyone's thoughts on these:

1) Do adcoms, veterinarians, and the leaders of the profession like for vets to volunteer their time and services? I have always been an avid volunteer and part of the reason I want to go into the profession is because there is so much opportunity to do good: S/N clinics, international trips, disaster relief, etc. I understand that there is a business side, and that you can't be giving everything away or your services wouldn't be worth anything. Basically what I want to know is that if I say "I would love to volunteer with a wildlife rehab or a spay/neuter clinic" to the "what do you plan to do with your DVM" that they think I don't understand the economics of the profession.

TL; DR: Do adcoms like to see their future veterinarians interested in volunteer work?

2) Also, are adcoms more likely to go with someone who seems committed to maintaining the status quo or one who is likely to push the envelope? I've never been content with leaving things the way they are, and I think that monotony leads to complacency, which is usually not a good thing. I don't want to come off appearing as though I am a know-it-all about being a practicing veterinarian, but challenging the status quo is a part of my personality. Should I tone it back for the adcoms, or is this something they'll look favorably upon?

TL; DR: Is a desire to challenge long-maintained beliefs desirable for the veterinary profession?

 

[deleted266066]

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[moosenanny]

I think in both instances it matters how you present yourself -- it is more important how you say it than what you are saying. If you are genuinely passionate about both volunteer work and changing the profession, then these topics would be great to discuss because they look for passion in interviews! Just be careful you don't come off as naive or like a know-it-all, respectively. If you talk about volunteering in the context of donating some of your time, between the demands of employment and your personal life, then it shows you are dedicated and realistic too. If you talk about not settling for the status quo in a humble way, then that should be fine.

 

[nyanko]

2) Also, are adcoms more likely to go with someone who seems committed to maintaining the status quo or one who is likely to push the envelope? I've never been content with leaving things the way they are, and I think that monotony leads to complacency, which is usually not a good thing. I don't want to come off appearing as though I am a know-it-all about being a practicing veterinarian, but challenging the status quo is a part of my personality. Should I tone it back for the adcoms, or is this something they'll look favorably upon?

TL; DR: Is a desire to challenge long-maintained beliefs desirable for the veterinary profession?

The first one I won't comment on, as I think it's been covered.

This one I think I know a little more about.

It's absolutely good to question and challenge things, but it's not good to alienate people or make them feel like their ways of thinking or methods of doing something are invalid, even if you think they are. It's easy to do informally, but professionally it is a pretty inappropriate and counterproductive way to get anything done.

Basically what I've learned through years and years of being the type who tends towards disagreeing just for the sake of disagreeing and trying to find a better way to do literally everything....is that sometimes you just have to know when to back down. It's all about choosing your battles, and whether the limiting factor is keeping a professional relationship intact, your own knowledge and ability to persuade others of the merit of your way, or another limitation, sometimes it's just not worth it. Adcoms are also very big on people knowing what their limitations are and knowing when to ask for help. If they think you're too hell bent on rocking the boat, they might think that you wouldn't be able to admit when you're in over your head, and that would be a bad thing.

So I'd say let it shine through that you like to shake things up, but if you're going to do so, use an example that demonstrates it in a positive and collaborative light. Don't BE a know-it-all and they won't see you as one, basically.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I think in both instances it matters how you present yourself -- it is more important how you say it than what you are saying. If you are genuinely passionate about both volunteer work and changing the profession, then these topics would be great to discuss because they look for passion in interviews!

👍👍👍

I think these are both qualities that should come off implicitly based off of stories you share in your interviews (which I'm guessing what these questions are about). If you explicitly say "I am a good person and I loooove to volunteer, and I am one to push the envelope and instigate change," you'll probably end up sounding like a douche, so I wouldn't do it. Stick to concrete examples from your life, because if you simply try to describe yourself without context, you're more likely to sound like you're describing the person you want to be, or the type of person you think adcoms are looking for. Neither is any good.

Be especially careful with the envelope pushing thing, as there are 2 types of people that fall under that category IMO: proactive people who are inquisitive and grab opportunities that come their way to make positive change, and annoying people who are likely to question authority for the sake of questioning authority when they don't even understand the situation. You don't want to sound like the latter.