Volunteering with Vet Clinic/Hospital

[Mama070609]

For those who have done this... How would you go about volunteering your time at a location? Would you walk in and speak to someone in person? Would you give the particular location a call? What if a larger Vet Group with multiple clinics/hospitals under them is looking for Techs and Assistants and gives a number to call to reach the person in charge of hiring--might that be the same person you would speak to if you were interested in volunteering but not choosy about which of the locations you would be at?

I can apply for jobs, I can apply for schools, but I just don't know what is 'proper' for getting a volunteer position.

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[pressmom]

Well, I've done it both ways. One time I dropped off a letter and waited for them to call me, which they did. Another time I called and called until I got the vet I wanted to shadow and asked her directly. I would recommend, however, going directly (whether by letter, phone, or in person) to the vet you want to shadow (if you don't have a preference, go to the head of the practice) and ask them rather than the office manager or practice manager. Ultimately the vet, not the OM or PM, will be YOUR supervisor and therefore would make the decision as to whether or not he/she wants to take on a shadow.

Good Luck!

 

[Angelo84]

I have generally dropped off or mailed a cover letter and resume at all the places I have volunteered at. Figure out who you want to work with and address it specifically to them so it doesn't get tossed ie Dr. Smith. Then if you haven't heard anything is a week give them a call. Good luck.

 

[Mama070609]

Thank you both for your responses. I think I will update my resume, type up a cover letter, and take that in. That sounds like an excellent idea.

How do you choose which vet you would like to work under, though? I have previous interaction with a vet in this area (If I was living where I grew up, I know exactly which vet I would go to...). Would you go for a vet with a private practice, or a vet working in a hospital setting where several vets work?

I know, I'm asking tons of questions (hopefully not stupid questions)...

 

[InfiniVet]

Would you go for a vet with a private practice, or a vet working in a hospital setting where several vets work?

I'd go for both. Get as much varied experience as possible

 

[kate_g]

Do you know that this vet takes shadows? One good way to find vets to shadow is to ask the pre-vet advisors at your school (or the nearest university - just call and ask, they won't know you're not a student there!) for the names of local vets who have been particularly amenable to students shadowing (and whom students have reported as supportive and willing to teach).

I had particular vet in mind at a practice that I knew took shadows. I wrote a letter directly to him... And waited a good couple weeks before giving up on ever hearing back. I tried not to be offended that I didn't at least get a "no", it's a really busy practice. So then, I went to the front desk at a time that wasn't too busy, told the head receptionist that I knew they'd taken shadows before and was interested, and asked whether they had some standard procedure for applying. She told me that one particular vet there supervised all the shadows, and I should write a letter outlining my experience and reason for wanting to shadow and she'd give it to him. I got a call back the next day.

(The whole time I've been there, vet #1 never let on that he had any idea I'd contacted him, but I certainly didn't mention it to him or anything either.)

My point is, although I agree with Angelo and pressmom that going directly to the source could me most productive in many cases, it might actually be the case that the clinic has an established program for shadowing, especially if as you say it's a large multi-location outfit. And it can *never* hurt to get on the good side of the reception staff by asking how things should be done. If you think they're giving you the run-around or just seem unfamiliar with the shadow concept, then you should try a letter directly to the vet before giving up on that practice.

Oh, and as far as who to pick... You'll want a letter of rec out of this, so it would be best to stick with one vet at any given practice, so they get enough experience with you to write a detailed letter. If you volunteer each week with a different vet, nobody will know you very well in the end.

 

[Mama070609]

I'd go for both. Get as much varied experience as possible

What if you had to choose? I'm not sure I can fit in both, without sacrificing my family. I work full time in research (so sometimes my days are late), have children at home (thankfully we have a live-in nanny, so my hours can be odd), and I have to take care of the house (my husband helps, but he's working full time and training and studying for his upcoming Officer Candidate Course in the military). So, in essence, my life is like a circus juggling act!

 

[Truth74]

Hey there,
If the shadowing is one or two days a week, you can do both. It depends on how much volunteering you have time for, the number of jobs you have, and the school commitment you have (you and the kids). It can be done. You already know how to juggle. It's just more balls.

 

[ri23]

If you're worried about time, stick to one - whichever interests you. If they are both SA, I think more adcomms would like to see depth of experience at one clinic (not to mention a stronger LOR) than spreading yourself thin at two clinics that look at the same type of animals.

 

[Angelo84]

The other thing you can try if one is small animal and one large or exotic or something else (behavior) is only do it for a short period of hours. I have a large variety of experience behavior/shelter, zoo, large animal and only had 100 hours for some or 250 for the zoo I even worked with an alternative vet for a week 40 hours. I also had a long term job at a local small animal hospital (3000 hours over 5 years). So shorter time commitments are okay as long as you show commitment to the profession somewhere in your experiences. I felt that 100 hours was just long enough to get a good feel for the practice and the vet without feeling like I was getting in the way. And everyone was willing to write a letter of recc (required for Cornell)! The point of shadowing is to get a bunch of different views on what you can do as a vet after all! I don't know where you live if it's massachusetts I can PM you some practices you could call/ mail(ie places I volunteered with).

 

[kate_g]

The other thing you can try if one is small animal and one large or exotic or something else (behavior) is only do it for a short period of hours.

Yeah, actually... I had a couple of *really* short experiences - a single day riding along with a traveling radiologist and a single day volunteering with an anesthesiologist at a research facility. If these experiences came up at all in interviews, it was definitely not with any suggestion that they were too short or "didn't count" somehow. BUT... I also had significant long-term experience (and letters of recommendation!) elsewhere, so I think it was pretty clear that I had commitment to the field in general and that I was trying to fit in as much different stuff as I could manage with my schedule. So I agree that short "extra" experiences for breadth are great, but also being able to spend enough time with one vet so that they can write a detailed, personalized letter (e.g. with specific examples of things you did to show your dedication or skill) is also important.