I just want to first of all express my level of disgust for this profession. I am sorry to anyone who is still in school and has visions of this being a happy career. It is for some people but you really have to be a specific type of person to get that satisfaction. I have been in practice for 2 years. My dream has been to become a zoo/aquarium vet or get involved with field research. I tried very hard to land an internship in exotics to give myself an “in” towards a competitive residency. Fate has played a cruel trick, however. After 2 years of absolutely loathing general practice and pretty much deciding I was ready to throw in the towel and search for a completely new and unrelated career, I got a random email from the director of a program I had applied to the year before:
“Hi XYZ,
I have a spot in our current intern program and I thought you were a prime candidate. I wanted to offer it to you.
thanks,
Dr.ABC”
I looked at this email and didn’t know what to think. I didn’t answer for a few days. I had a hard think. I had just left toxic job number 4 and my level of trust in veterinary practices had grown thin. But I thought this would be a chance for me to finally embark on the journey I had dreamed of since the fifth grade. So after a week or so, I asked to speak with him. We talked about the program. I would be doing a research project. I would do rounds, journal club, necropsies- this program was going to prepare me for a residency, as per Dr. ABC. Their current intern had stayed on for 2 years. I thought if she stayed that long, it is probably a good program. So, I accepted.
i was finally excited about something in my profession for the first time since prevet. I had the motivation to study again and work through CE. It was great and I could only imagine the possibilities. My last 2 days at my apartment, I packed my car full to the brim, threw away what I couldn’t fit in the car, then drove across the country with my guinea pigs and dog, with a sense of hope. All this during the middle of a pandemic and riots happening in the streets.
I arrived to the city. i came in to visit the practice a few times before the program started. They seemed like nice people. Lots of exotics, although they had cats and dogs coming in. I thought it would be a good learning experience. Then I started. I had 3 days of shadowing. Then I was thrown into a full schedule of cat/dog appointments and no time to even shadow on exotics. They were routine appointments- ear infections, UTIs, puppy vaccines... it didn’t stop either. This was the scoop day after day. We had a vet student extern come and shadow with us. She was allowed to see the exotics appointments, handle the animals, learn about cases. I just got shuffled into my next appointment and had no time. I tried to speak with management about this- asked if I could have learning opportunities. She replied, “Unfortunately not. We are very busy and need you to be a doctor.” The unfortunate thing is- I am not paid as a doctor. I am not even paid a technician salary at this practice and McDonald’s literally pays about the same or better. I will get an occasional hamster or rabbit thrown into my schedule, but this is NOT an internship. It is slave labor. I bring in $3000-5000 per day to this practice and don’t even get $600 a week. I actually saw more exotics and learned more working at Banfield (but I will NEVER go back there). I just feel utterly betrayed. Once again I moved across the country for an opportunity that just wanted to exploit me. I finally had some hope. I stuck my neck out and tried to trust, and I got my head chopped off. I am once again searching for a new career outside of vet med. it is not my calling.
“Hi XYZ,
I have a spot in our current intern program and I thought you were a prime candidate. I wanted to offer it to you.
thanks,
Dr.ABC”
I looked at this email and didn’t know what to think. I didn’t answer for a few days. I had a hard think. I had just left toxic job number 4 and my level of trust in veterinary practices had grown thin. But I thought this would be a chance for me to finally embark on the journey I had dreamed of since the fifth grade. So after a week or so, I asked to speak with him. We talked about the program. I would be doing a research project. I would do rounds, journal club, necropsies- this program was going to prepare me for a residency, as per Dr. ABC. Their current intern had stayed on for 2 years. I thought if she stayed that long, it is probably a good program. So, I accepted.
i was finally excited about something in my profession for the first time since prevet. I had the motivation to study again and work through CE. It was great and I could only imagine the possibilities. My last 2 days at my apartment, I packed my car full to the brim, threw away what I couldn’t fit in the car, then drove across the country with my guinea pigs and dog, with a sense of hope. All this during the middle of a pandemic and riots happening in the streets.
I arrived to the city. i came in to visit the practice a few times before the program started. They seemed like nice people. Lots of exotics, although they had cats and dogs coming in. I thought it would be a good learning experience. Then I started. I had 3 days of shadowing. Then I was thrown into a full schedule of cat/dog appointments and no time to even shadow on exotics. They were routine appointments- ear infections, UTIs, puppy vaccines... it didn’t stop either. This was the scoop day after day. We had a vet student extern come and shadow with us. She was allowed to see the exotics appointments, handle the animals, learn about cases. I just got shuffled into my next appointment and had no time. I tried to speak with management about this- asked if I could have learning opportunities. She replied, “Unfortunately not. We are very busy and need you to be a doctor.” The unfortunate thing is- I am not paid as a doctor. I am not even paid a technician salary at this practice and McDonald’s literally pays about the same or better. I will get an occasional hamster or rabbit thrown into my schedule, but this is NOT an internship. It is slave labor. I bring in $3000-5000 per day to this practice and don’t even get $600 a week. I actually saw more exotics and learned more working at Banfield (but I will NEVER go back there). I just feel utterly betrayed. Once again I moved across the country for an opportunity that just wanted to exploit me. I finally had some hope. I stuck my neck out and tried to trust, and I got my head chopped off. I am once again searching for a new career outside of vet med. it is not my calling.
