Things I wish I knew before I started shadowing.

Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
ResoluteMike

ResoluteMike

Iowa State c/o 2021
Verified Member
10+ Year Member
Air Force
Joined
Aug 22, 2013
Messages
934
Reaction score
1,445
Members don't see this ad.
So, I am doing a presentation to a 4h veterinary camp later this month and one of the slides is going to be "Things I wish I knew before shadowing."

Stuff like "Don't ask questions the doctor can't answer in front of the client." and "Make sure to eat before surgery and for heaven's sake don't lock your knees and pass out!"

Humorous postings accepted, but any legit advice will get your name immortalized with your quote on the presentation.
 
"Be a wall flower in the exam room."
"Ask if you can bring a notebook to take notes."
"Be kind to the vet techs! They are the ones who perform practical tasks such as drawing blood, taking X-rays, and monitoring during surgery. You want to be their friend."
Soooo many more!!!
 
Its not all about seeing crazy procedures or learning technical skills, ask about what their day is like on average and things they like or dont like about the profession.

Pay attention to how the vet interacts with the clients and the patients just as much as the actual medical parts.
 
Pay attention to the differences in responsobilities of techniciana vs. vets! Both are very different career paths and if you love being a tech you may hate being a vet. And just because you dont like tech work doesnt mean you wont like being a vet.

Answering phones and getting client interaction in can be just as informative and beneficial as being in exam rooms. Dont think experience doesnt matter if your not following a vet or doing procedures the entire time
 
finnickthedog said:
Shadowing can be boring sometimes.

But seriously, I would have liked to know that in advance because I think I initially kind of expected it to be exciting all the time and it wasn't.
Click to expand...

I am an ECC junkie and working at the e-clinic isn't nearly as glamorous as I would expect from tv.
 
Ask the hospital where you’ll be shadowing about dress code. Seriously.

Some places I went were really lax and let you do a hoodie and scrub pants. Others said to wear really nice scrubs. Several other shadowers got yelled at for coming in street clothes.
 
DVMDream said:
"If the vet offers to show you something, x-rays for example, do NOT say 'yeah, I have already seen an x-ray' and then not show interest." -Anonymous A.ss.hole Vet
Click to expand...
Omg people do this???

I’ve done several neuters, and when my mentor asked if I wanted to come into her standard neuter I was like h*ck yes! It’s always a chance to learn from a new doctor!
 
cdoconn said:
Omg people do this???

I’ve done several neuters, and when my mentor asked if I wanted to come into her standard neuter I was like h*ck yes! It’s always a chance to learn from a new doctor!
Click to expand...

Had one guy while I was on externship who was shadowing (granted he was a vet tech shadow, but point still stands). He sat on a rolling chair for most of the day, spinning in circles, playing on his phone. He then came into surgery when we started to do surgery and kept getting too close to the surgery table/sterile field despite repeatedly being told to step back, he was finally told to leave. He proceeded to sit on the chair, spinning and playing on his phone. We had taken x-rays on something, can't recall what now but they were actually quite interesting, and asked if he wanted to see he went "nah, I've seen x-rays before." Ok, then. So then at the end of the day the head tech was going around showing him how they clean everything up and close down for the night and he goes "I didn't think I would have to clean, don't the assistants do that?" You want to see a tech of 30 years lay into someone's ass, do all of these things. Needless to say, he was not invited back again.
 
If you're confused about a task you're asked to do or where something belongs, please don't proceed.

I've probably wasted hours of my life at this point trying to find random things like a tonopen. Everything has a home!
 
DVMDream said:
Had one guy while I was on externship who was shadowing (granted he was a vet tech shadow, but point still stands). He sat on a rolling chair for most of the day, spinning in circles, playing on his phone. He then came into surgery when we started to do surgery and kept getting too close to the surgery table/sterile field despite repeatedly being told to step back, he was finally told to leave. He proceeded to sit on the chair, spinning and playing on his phone. We had taken x-rays on something, can't recall what now but they were actually quite interesting, and asked if he wanted to see he went "nah, I've seen x-rays before." Ok, then. So then at the end of the day the head tech was going around showing him how they clean everything up and close down for the night and he goes "I didn't think I would have to clean, don't the assistants do that?" You want to see a tech of 30 years lay into someone's ass, do all of these things. Needless to say, he was not invited back again.
Click to expand...
Oh jeez. Yeah no. All of those were terrible moves. Especially since the vet asked if he wanted to see something!
 
cdoconn said:
Oh jeez. Yeah no. All of those were terrible moves. Especially since the vet asked if he wanted to see something!
Click to expand...

Yeah, he was interested more in a vet tech position, but still, it applies. You should be interested in what will be your job. My techs can't read rads (minus holy **** that isn't normal or that is definitely broken) but they show interest, ask what I am seeing, etc. Even as a tech, you will never "read" the radiographs, but these are still your patients and you should have interest in their diagnosis and prognosis.
 
Be prepared with snacks and drinks that will last your entire shift. I would take it even further and suggest things that don't require space in their fridge or use of their microwave (you don't know how much time you'll have, or if you'll be hogging the only microwave - stick with simple things like granola bars, apples, PBJ, etc.).
Dress appropriately, and have a change of clothes (or at least a set of scrubs) to change into in case something messy happens.
Know what you are - and are NOT - allowed to do. Some places allow shadows (vs. volunteers) because they are allowed to do NOTHING but observe. There is a significant difference in liability for a clinic the minute they allow a non-employee to assume ANY responsibility. Respect that boundary, wherever it is.
No one but the doctor can provide a diagnosis or prognosis. Even offhand comments - "Oh I bet he'll be fine," "my dog had that and it was no big deal," - can turn into a huge headache for the doctor later. Even when you're just trying to make polite conversation with a client, be conscious of these things. Even if a client asks bluntly what you think, the best thing to say is along the lines of "I'm just learning about the whole process, so that question is best answered by the doctor."
Respect the hours you've been assigned. Arrive promptly. And when you're done.....leave. Unless you're explicitly invited to stay later, or if something is happening that you really want to see (and you ask permission to do so), leave. It can be exhausting (especially for introverts) to have someone there all day.
Be prepared to shadow any and every aspect of the clinic. So have an idea of what you might want to ask of the vets, the techs, the owners, the receptionists, etc.
 
ResoluteMike said:
So, I am doing a presentation to a 4h veterinary camp later this month and one of the slides is going to be "Things I wish I knew before shadowing."

Stuff like "Don't ask questions the doctor can't answer in front of the client." and "Make sure to eat before surgery and for heaven's sake don't lock your knees and pass out!"

Humorous postings accepted, but any legit advice will get your name immortalized with your quote on the presentation.
Click to expand...
Be kind and courteous to everyone (animals included) that you interact with. Vet med is a VERY small community.

(This seems like a general PSA. But I couldn’t help myself, @ResoluteMike )
 
Don’t feel obligated to continue if it doesn’t work out for whatever reason. I wasted a year of my life volunteering for a jerk who yelled every single one of his instructions, even the first time he told us to do anything. He shouldn’t have taken on interns because he had no interest in teaching(which is fine, but then don’t take any on). He told me his goal was to make all his interns cry at least once (and no he wasn’t kidding).
 
This is typically easier said than done, but don't take it personally if a doctor (or tech, for that matter) asks you to move, leave, or to not participate in a procedure. This happened to me while I was shadowing an avian vet; she had me watch her do a blood draw on a budgie when she completely blew the vein and blood splattered everywhere. She then yelled "Get the hell out of my way, Elkhart!" in a bit of a frenzy. She apologized to me shortly afterwards, letting me know that she was just stressed/frustrated and having a bad day. It's easy to find yourself thinking that you did something wrong when that sort of thing happens but it usually isn't anything that you did.
 
DVMDream said:
"If the vet offers to show you something, x-rays for example, do NOT say 'yeah, I have already seen an x-ray' and then not show interest." -Anonymous A.ss.hole Vet
Click to expand...

cdoconn said:
Omg people do this???

I’ve done several neuters, and when my mentor asked if I wanted to come into her standard neuter I was like h*ck yes! It’s always a chance to learn from a new doctor!
Click to expand...

Can't emphasize this point enough as a dumb*** who basically did this once. Our pre-vet club was doing some parasitology stuff, which was something I had experiencing doing. I was offered to go second looking at slides and stuff with a veterinary parasitologist. I said something to the effect of, "I've done this before, so the rest of the club can go first." Major foot in my mouth moment that caused issues. Just take the opportunity and run with it. Even if you don't mean to sound like an ass, you do.

On that same note, if you screw up, own it. Don't hide it or pass the blame. Own the mistake, learn from it to prevent it from happening again, and move on.
 
Elkhart said:
This is typically easier said than done, but don't take it personally if a doctor (or tech, for that matter) asks you to move, leave, or to not participate in a procedure. This happened to me while I was shadowing an avian vet; she had me watch her do a blood draw on a budgie when she completely blew the vein and blood splattered everywhere. She then yelled "Get the hell out of my way, Elkhart!" in a bit of a frenzy. She apologized to me shortly afterwards, letting me know that she was just stressed/frustrated and having a bad day. It's easy to find yourself thinking that you did something wrong when that sort of thing happens but it usually isn't anything that you did.
Click to expand...


I did this to an employee once. Sweet as pie employee. I felt like an dingus. I had a dog I was putting under anesthesia. Damn thing wouldn't go under. We finally got intubated and on machine but another tech had forgotten to fill with isoflurane. Ran to cabinet to grab both the iso and propofol because now dog is waking up trying to chew tube out. This other tech was standing in front of the cabinet ask her to move and she slowly starts moving. I'm all "move right now, like quickly, come on!!"

Felt like an dingus but dog needed attention and she was right in the way. I did apologize later. Doesn't help it was a common occurrence for people to congregate around that cabinet and block it.
 
Elkhart said:
This is typically easier said than done, but don't take it personally if a doctor (or tech, for that matter) asks you to move, leave, or to not participate in a procedure. This happened to me while I was shadowing an avian vet; she had me watch her do a blood draw on a budgie when she completely blew the vein and blood splattered everywhere. She then yelled "Get the hell out of my way, Elkhart!" in a bit of a frenzy. She apologized to me shortly afterwards, letting me know that she was just stressed/frustrated and having a bad day. It's easy to find yourself thinking that you did something wrong when that sort of thing happens but it usually isn't anything that you did.
Click to expand...
When every drop of blood is a significant amount of the animals' blood volume, it's especially stressful! Haha.

One I'll add: Know that some people you won't make happy, and some vets are grumpy dinguses just like some people are grumpy asses.

I am a good volunteer. I've been told this my whole life - it's the good girl scout work ethic, haha - I put my phone away, I always double check dress code, I volunteer to clean, I ask and then organize things that haven't been done in years, I'm a borderline annoyingly cheerful person IRL, etc, yada yada. I still had a vet that got on my ass endlessly and led me to eventually stop shadowing because she was being such a bitch. I was perplexed by it at the time, asked for feedback, and the two techs at the clinic told me they didn't know what was up with her and thanked me for my work and I'm still fb friends with one of them 8ish years later. People are people and some of them are just not the nicest. All you can do is be your best you.

(but just remember... you meet one dingus, you met an dingus. If everyone you meet is an dingus, you might be one... :laugh:)
 
Last edited:
If you feel like you're getting lightheaded or like you're going to pass out, SIT DOWN. Don't wait until you go down.

It happens to everyone at some point and it's nothing to be embarrassed about, but passing out into a sterile field or during an emergency can make it a lot more complicated. No one will judge if you say "I need to sit for a moment" or you need to go get some water/fresh air/whatever.
 
WhtsThFrequency said:
Before you leave for the day, always ask people if anyone needs help with anything before you peace out. This type of consideration wins you major brownie points.
Click to expand...
We have shadows for an online assistant program regularly. The last one - who we hired BEFORE she was done the shadowing requirements - asked on the first day if she should take the trash out with her. I think everyone's love of her increased 25% in that split second haha.
 
- If someone starts teaching you something you already know, don't stop them or interrupt them because they won't ever bother to teach you anything again.
- If there's a doctor or tech who makes your life hard, discreetly find out when they work and volunteer at different times. It will make your life easier.
- If you want more hands-on work, find out when the clinic is shorthanded and be available then if you can.
- Don't hesitate to jump in to clean, do laundry, etc. The dirtier the job, the more appreciated you will be.
- If you get asked to come observe in surgery, cross your arms firmly and keep your hands tucked away until directly instructed otherwise.
- If you get asked to do something, don't hesitate to jump in with enthusiasm, but also ask for direction if you haven't done it before. Ex. "can you do this?" "yep! just walk me through it!"

I volunteered 12 hours a day at an emergency and specialty clinic to get my hours to apply for vet school. Mostly I was a free janitor and it was emotionally draining to be literally ignored all day as I mopped, wiped, cleaned up poop, and did all the laundry for free. But, I needed the hours. After some time, people noticed that when I was there, the laundry room was spotless. I realized how shorthanded they were on emergency hours, and started volunteering in evenings/nights and not during the day, when they really needed me. If a dog sprayed an exam room with liquid feces, I was there to deal with it.

In the end, showing interest and being reliable, helpful, friendly, and teachable is the most important thing. Getting to see how a vet clinic works is very valuable, and being in the presence of veterinary people is even more valuable in terms of additional opportunities (I got an additional SUPER helpful job opportunity by learning about it from an intern at the practice).
 
hygebeorht said:
- Don't hesitate to jump in to clean, do laundry, etc. The dirtier the job, the more appreciated you will be.
Click to expand...

I want to touch on this a bit. Generally, yes, please jump in to help with these tasks, but holy hell ask first. Don't go mopping the lobby before close. Ask what cleaner needs to be in the mop bucket. Ask what we use to clean the laundry. In general, ask first, then do.

Because there is a giant difference in how we clean that exam room that just had an infectious disease in it vs the one that didn't.
There's a giant difference in how the clinic is cleaned at night if parvo or kennel cough have been in the building.
We don't want the entire clinic mopped with the bleach water that was used in the parvo room.
Infectious laundry and non-infectious laundry are handled and cleaned differently.
Surgical laundry is handled differently.

And so on and so on and so on.

So, yes, helping with cleaning is great, wonderful, we will LOVE you for it. But holy hell ASK FIRST, learn how, then do. Don't just "jump in" as things can easily get jumbled up and then we are stuck having to clean everything as though it has been contaminated by an infectious disease.


Also, when you go to ask about these tasks for the love of all that is holy do NOT ask the vet. I have no ****ing clue how the laundry is divided back in the laundry room. I have no clue where the cleaning supplies are kept. I can take out the trash and mop with the already filled bucket if the staff needs that kind of help, but I don't prepare this crap and I don't do the laundry. So don't ask the vets, we really have no idea. Go ask the techs/assistants.
 
These are gonna sound super bitchy, and these are probably covered elsewhere but:
1) Don't talk in the exam room unless specifically spoken to. Seriously. No cutesy stories about your dog, no opinions on what it is, no nothing. Stand there. Listen. Take notes if you want (encouraged). Stay out of the way. Ask me questions in my office later. And if you consistently have zero questions, I assume you aren't paying attention.
2) Shadowing sometimes means homework. This is more true for my practicum students than straight up shadows, but it can still apply to shadows. Want me to like you? Do your homework. If I tell a vet/tech student, "Hey, we're on surgery tomorrow, so study up on your anesthetic drugs", and then I ask them what class of drug hydromorphone is and they say "painkiller"? Yeah, I'm gonna be salty and unimpressed as ****. You don't need to be a walking Cote, but you do need to show me that you're doing more than just existing. I love to teach, but only for people that want to learn and prove it.
3) You may be occasionally asked to go get food or coffee. This is an extremely important task. Seriously, if we're slammed and me and my techs can't get food, you as the shadow are the least useful person but you can make yourself incredibly valuable by doing a food run. Don't take it as an insult.
4) Before leaving for the day, ask "Anything else I can do before I leave?" This tiny gesture shows you want a working relationship with the staff and you're not just there for your own benefit. Chances are they'll say no, but the offer is appreciated.

DVMDream said:
Also, when you go to ask about these tasks for the love of all that is holy do NOT ask the vet. I have no ****ing clue how the laundry is divided back in the laundry room. I have no clue where the cleaning supplies are kept. I can take out the trash and mop with the already filled bucket if the staff needs that kind of help, but I don't prepare this crap and I don't do the laundry. So don't ask the vets, we really have no idea. Go ask the techs/assistants.
Click to expand...

THIS. DOCTORS KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT HOW THEIR CLINIC RUNS. Don't ask us how the printer works, or where the extra paper towel is or how much cleaner goes in the bucket. Hell, most days I can't even find the ophthalmoscope.
 
-STOP USING YOUR DANG CELLPHONE!! I don't care if you "aren't doing anything" at the moment. FIND something to do. Sit down and write some observations in a notebook. Strike up a conversation with the techs. Watch the techs if the doctor is busy or is on lunch break or whatever. I am so embarrassed for the people who shadow at our hospital and whip out their phones to text in between every little task. Leave your phone in your car if you don't think you can handle this. It makes you look unprofessional and uninterested.

-Also, don't brag about being pre-vet to the techs, other clinic professionals, etc. It's annoying and can come off the wrong way. And, not to be harsh, but you aren't in vet school yet and in reality the RVTs are much higher on the totem pole than you at this point. Treat them with respect and learn as much from them as you can, not just the doctor.

-show enthusiasm for literally everything, but don't act fake.....if that makes sense. Be true to yourself but also realize that you are lucky to have this position. Don't act like you're just there to get hours for your application.

-I would try to focus on more overarching ideas/issues than trying to memorize how the doctor ties a certain suture. You will be taught all the technical skills you need to know in vet school. Try to gain information about the intangibles.....how the doctor delivers bad news. How the doctor utilizes the skills of the techs and receptionists. Try to figure out what causes any stress in the hospital and how you think you could try to alleviate that stressor in the practice you work in someday. I guess what I'm saying is that I see many shadowers trying to memorize dosage calculations and such, when I think there are more important issues they should be focusing on.

-this has already been mentioned but basically, if you want to help out with something or ask a technical question, go to the techs first. The vet I work for probably has no clue where we keep extra syringes, prob doesn't know how to efficiently insert a catheter anymore....etc. Like others have said, vets and techs have very different jobs and people often confuse who does which tasks.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Last edited:
Go around and get to know everyone. The phlebotomist needs just as much love as the doctor.

Watch the social interactions between patients and care providers. More often than not people forget shadowing isn't all about the procedures and what the doctor does, it's also about how the entire hospital/clinic is managed and how day to day operations are run.


Sent from my LGUS997 using SDN mobile app
 
vethopeful_2 said:
-I would try to focus on more overarching ideas/issues than trying to memorize how the doctor ties a certain suture. You will be taught all the technical skills you need to know in vet school. Try to gain information about the intangibles.....how the doctor delivers bad news. How the doctor utilizes the skills of the techs and receptionists. Try to figure out what causes any stress in the hospital and how you think you could try to alleviate that stressor in the practice you work in someday. I guess what I'm saying is that I see many shadowers trying to memorize dosage calculations and such, when I think there are more important issues they should be focusing on.

Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
Click to expand...

I think this is suuuuuper important. I feel like when I first started shadowing I wasn't as observant of client interactions, different communication styles, etc and was more focused on "What is this drug/disease/etc" - more 'hard facts' type things. But I definitely thing that you should take advantage of all opportunities to become a better communicator and learn what ways of delivering bad news, having hard financial conversations, etc work best. You can learn all the facts in school or write down the questions you want to ask for a time when it's less busy.

I also recommend bringing a little notebook and writing down questions to ask during down time. That way, you aren't sitting there twiddling your thumbs when there's a break in appointments. I also always forget everything unless I write it down, so this way I know I can get answers to all my questions.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
  • Question Question
Should I just give up? what now?
2 3
Replies
101
Views
9K
DVM882029
D
maryjbrn
What should I aim for? How can I improve?
Replies
1
Views
812
leopardgecko
leopardgecko
S
WAMC - Lower GPA, I believe extensive experience?
Replies
1
Views
834
BunnyFluffy
BunnyFluffy
L
WAMC/How can I improve my application
Replies
2
Views
1K
CeeGee14
CeeGee14
R
WAMC and how can I improve?
Replies
0
Views
749
raspberry123
R
Top