Vet Experience question

[wyattsmommy]

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Ok, I've tried calling all the local vet clinics in my area and none have any jobs or volunteer work to offer me. Although, I have been able to observe and shadow at a few of them. Is observing/shadowing good enough to put down as "vet experience"?

Also, I don't plan on applying to schools until next fall (2010). If I still can't get a job at any of the vet clinics, do you think it would be ok to ask for letter of recommendations from the vets I observe/shadow? I just don't know if that would be appropriate or not, since I haven't "worked" for them.

Any advice or comments would be great!!

 

[tpad40]

Ok, I've tried calling all the local vet clinics in my area and none have any jobs or volunteer work to offer me. Although, I have been able to observe and shadow at a few of them. Is observing/shadowing good enough to put down as "vet experience"?

Also, I don't plan on applying to schools until next fall (2010). If I still can't get a job at any of the vet clinics, do you think it would be ok to ask for letter of recommendations from the vets I observe/shadow? I just don't know if that would be appropriate or not, since I haven't "worked" for them.

Any advice or comments would be great!!

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but shadowing or observing definitely should go under vet experience. I also think it would definitely be OK to ask for a letter of rec. from one of the vets you have shadowed, especially if you have put in enough hours with that veterinarian.

Whether it's "good enough" depends on the experience - the number of hours you shadowed, the diversity of your shadowing experience, etc.

You also may find that if you are reliable/helpful and shadow/observe on a regular schedule, that it may evolve into a paid position (you could give the vet a head up that you are looking for a job in the field).

Good luck!

 

[bmichs75DVM]

Yes, shadowing vets is definitely veterinary experience. You do not have to be paid (and most people are not paid) when getting their experience. I know I have roughly 1500hrs of vet experience with only about 400 of that paid.

I don’t know about all schools, but some require that you get a certain amount of experience with a single vet before you are allowed to apply (ie OSU required 80hrs with a vet to be able to apply). So, I would shadow a vet(s) as much as possible this summer before applying. Also, with the vets you have the most time with and feel you know the best, ask them to write you a LOR. This way they can write you a good letter because they know you a little more because you would have spent time with them.

 

[Truth74]

I completely agree that shadowing and volunteering count as vet experience. Yes, it would be great to get paid while getting experience, but in some areas, the saturation of eager employees is too high for everyone to get a job. The majority of my vet experience, before getting the job I have now, was in volunteering.

 

[sumstorm]

I counted shadowing as vet experience (and my shadowing was completly hands off/observation.) One of the vets I shadowed offered me a job, and after talking to vmcas, the working hours went in as a seperate vet experience. I also counted time spent working with a zoo vet when I was a zoo employee (bit more complicated situation.) Also remember that some schools want variety.

 

[wyattsmommy]

I really appreciate the comments! I definitey feel better about spending time observing knowing that I will be able to put it all down as "vet experience". Right now I am observing/shadowing at two different clinics, a mixed practice and a small animal practice! I'm also planning on volunteering at a zoo maybe this summer or next summer. Would this be a good idea? Would volunteering at a humane society be something I should do too?

Random questions:
When it comes time to apply through VMCAS, do you have to fill out a different application for each school or do you just do one application and then list the schools for it to be sent too?

When it comes to getting my letters of recommendations, do my references have to write a letter for each school I am applying to? Or do you use the same letters for each application?

Thanks!! 🙂

 

[sumstorm]

If the volunteer hours at a zoo or hs aren't supervised by a vet, they will be animal experience. Can still be valuable, but you might want to start trying to wrangle for vet opportunities in those environments now, because it might take a while to find the right 'in' to get those hours. It could be valuable, as it gives diversity and breadth of experience.

VMCAS is a single application that gets sent out to the schools you select. There are a few schools that do not participate in VMCAS, and if you applied to those, you would need to do a seperate application.

Letter of rec come in a couple of flavors. VMCAS has elors, where you can have up to 5. In that situation, the elor writer only has to write one elor, which is distributed to all the schools. These can get tricky because some schools are very specific on WHO writes elors, WHAT they write about, and how many they accept (ie if you submit 5, but they only accept 3, my understanding is they take the first 3 listed.)

Some schools request additional letters of rec if you have additional vet/research/etc experience. Also, if you go for joint programs (DVM/MPH or DVM/PhD) you are probably going to have to submit additional letters directly to the school. Also, if you have a situation that justifies additional info (say an illness that caused a really bad term) you might want to request to send additional documenting information (such as a letter from a doctor, or a mentor.)

 

[david594]

I really appreciate the comments! I definitey feel better about spending time observing knowing that I will be able to put it all down as "vet experience". Right now I am observing/shadowing at two different clinics, a mixed practice and a small animal practice! I'm also planning on volunteering at a zoo maybe this summer or next summer. Would this be a good idea? Would volunteering at a humane society be something I should do too?

Personally (having an interest in shelter medicine myself) I think the humane society would be a good idea. Many of your clients will have adopted animals so its good to know what types of places they are coming from. Its also a very different way that medicine is practiced, especially if the humane society has a full time vet. Consideration for procedures has less to do with finances and more to do with time and potential outcomes.

I personally think everyone who wants to do SA medicine should have exposure to private practice/GP, specialty/emergency and shelter medicine. Between the 3 you will encounter pretty much all aspects of veterinary medicine. And it will really help you understand the circle of animal life as you see individual animals going through each one.

Random questions:
When it comes time to apply through VMCAS, do you have to fill out a different application for each school or do you just do one application and then list the schools for it to be sent too?

VMCAS is pretty much a common app that most schools use.(everyone but Texas and Tufts) The majority of schools though also have a supplemental app where they ask for some additional information.

When it comes to getting my letters of recommendations, do my references have to write a letter for each school I am applying to? Or do you use the same letters for each application?

Thanks!! 🙂

Generally you will have all your references submit a generic LOR to VMCAS which will then go to all the schools you apply to. Some schools have other requirements for LOR outside of VMCAS that you have to consider.

 

[Truth74]

You may need to fill out separate applications for schools that do not use VMCAS, but there is a check list of schools in the application. You just fill out the VMCAS once, and check off where you want it sent. The same goes for the recommendation letters. You put the person's contact information into the form and VMCAS sends an e-mail to the writer. They write one letter about you, and that letter will go to any of the schools you indicate in the application.

Side note: There are individual supplemental applications that have to be filled out as well.