What good is a RVT's knowledge, doesn't it go to waste?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

spicykimchi

Inactive
10+ Year Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2010
Messages
169
Reaction score
0
I am frustrated, and it's because of what I am in love with. I am in love with horse and dog anatomy. I have been for years. I have a bunch of books on anatomy, which I study. I deeply desire to get more involved with anatomy. I want to interact with all the muscles, tendons, vessels etc. I've come to know! I love them and want to know everything about them: even the insignificant details no one cares about. I am absolutely driven to become an expert in this field.

But sometimes I wonder why.

What good is this knowledge ever going to do me or anyone else? Isn't a DVM the only professional that truly uses this knowledge? I don't want to be a DVM. The honest words spoken on this forum have made me far too aware of the harsh realities of vet school and life as a vet.

I considered becomming a RVT, as they have to learn anatomy, but I don't think they go as deep into learning it as I would like, nor do they use the knowledge much in their actual job. And that's not to mention the fact I don't like the prospect of dealing with hordes of ungrateful clients.

Is there any career/degree I could pursue, or am I destined to stay a bundle of good, but useless knowledge? Encouragement is appreciated, but so is giving me the cold, hard truth, whatever it might be.

Members don't see this ad.
 
Last edited:
Is there any career/degree I could pursue, or am I destined to stay a bundle of good, but useless knowledge? Encouragement is appreciated, but so is giving me the cold, hard truth, whatever it might be.

Well. Consider going into training (in the performance areas, like equine)? Or what about physical therapy/rehab? Or perhaps research?

Is there a significant difference between an RVT and a CVT (up here in MN I'm only familiar with CVT)? Or is it the same thing?

I keep reading about hordes of ungrateful clients from people talking about all the negative aspects of the vet job, but .... I'm taking it with a grain of salt. I've spent a lot of time shadowing, and it seems to me that more clients are grateful, sincere, friendly people than are ungrateful, angry, and frustrating. There are definitely negative experiences, but they only loom really big in your rear-view mirror if you focus on them to the exclusion of everything else.

For every 'difficult' client I've worked with doing rehab, there are 2 or 3 that are interesting, friendly people who dutifully go home and do the exercises we ask them to do with their pet. I let the annoying clients roll off my back, and I take satisfaction in working with the good ones.
 
What good is this knowledge ever going to do me or anyone else? Isn't a DVM the only professional that truly uses this knowledge? I don't want to be a DVM. The honest words spoken on this forum have made me far too aware of the harsh realities of vet school and life as a vet.

Is there any career/degree I could pursue, or am I destined to stay a bundle of good, but useless knowledge? Encouragement is appreciated, but so is giving me the cold, hard truth, whatever it might be.

Don't let the words of others, no matter how accurate or well-meant, make the decision for you. No one would be going into veterinary medicine if it meant only dealing with ******* clients all day. Instead, if its something that interests you, pursue it through shadowing or volunteering to form your own opinion.

As for the anatomy - the first thing that comes to mind you could find a place in research or get a post-graduate degree and teach it to others.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Consider contacting the professors who teach anatomy and physiology at your university, or try to get contact information for the professors who teach anatomy at several of the vet schools. They may be able to give you a better idea of what you can use anatomy as a specialty for. Research is definitely always an option, especially in the realm of comparative medicine. Teaching at a college/graduate level may also be an option for you. Both of the anatomy professors we've had so far do nothing but teach. You may also find that you like pathology/histology type jobs because of their heavy reliance on knowing what "normal" looks like. Never fear, there is ALWAYS a use for knowledge, you just have to find it.

I second taking people's description of the job and crappy clients with a grain of sand. Everyone's experiences are different. For myself, I have yet to feel truly, uncontrollably overwhelmed by vet school, but there are people out there who decide half way through that the stress isn't worth it. I've seen new grads who can't get enough of the work they do, and new grads who go home crying every day. The list goes on...
 
I considered becomming a RVT, as they have to learn anatomy, but I don't think they go as deep into learning it as I would like, nor do they use the knowledge much in their actual job. And that's not to mention the fact I don't like the prospect of dealing with hordes of ungrateful clients.

Is there any career/degree I could pursue, or am I destined to stay a bundle of good, but useless knowledge? Encouragement is appreciated, but so is giving me the cold, hard truth, whatever it might be.

Whatever you do in life, you are going to meet people who are ungrateful, that get angry and try to put you down. It doesn't matter whether you are flipping burgers at a fast food joint, working as a CEO or providing veterinary care to animals. It is all part of life and interacting with people. Not many jobs out there require zero human interaction.

As for being an RVT (which is the same as a CVT and LVT, I think it differs by state), there are many opportunities to expand your knowledge, or even specialize. Although you might not be using all of your anatomy knowledge every day in the profession, you will be using that information - it just might be on a more "big picture scale". And when a vet tells you that she/he thinks a dog's cranial cruciate ligament is torn, get an xray or set up an MRI, you better know where to be taking the picture or which joint to put on the MRI form. Techs definitely use knowledge of anatomy in their jobs.
 
Well.

I keep reading about hordes of ungrateful clients from people talking about all the negative aspects of the vet job, but .... I'm taking it with a grain of salt. I've spent a lot of time shadowing, and it seems to me that more clients are grateful, sincere, friendly people than are ungrateful, angry, and frustrating. There are definitely negative experiences, but they only loom really big in your rear-view mirror if you focus on them to the exclusion of everything else.

For every 'difficult' client I've worked with doing rehab, there are 2 or 3 that are interesting, friendly people who dutifully go home and do the exercises we ask them to do with their pet. I let the annoying clients roll off my back, and I take satisfaction in working with the good ones.

So true. It's all too easy to remember the mean and difficult clients, and forget about the majority of good natured, well-intentioned clients.

And yes, like others have been saying, don't let all the negative things about vet med that people point out in the forums dissuade you from going to vet school! It's good to know what the bad is, and these forums are certainly useful for getting an honest assessment of the not-so-glamorous of vet med, but don't forget that it's a wonderful field with many rewarding aspects! We're not just slaves to punishment; we're all going to vet school for a reason: because we love vet med.
 
It's also important to note that having a knowledgeable vet tech is one of those wonderful things that makes vets really really happy. I don't know how many times I've filtered through a client's 20 minute long story, used what I know to pick out the important things and translate it into medical relevance, given a dr the two sentence synopsis, to which the dr gives a two sentence reply, gone back to the client and given a 20 minute discussion of what to do. Ultimately saving the doc 40 minutes that they were able to use to get something else done.

Tech knowledge should never go to waste.
 
Last edited:
Have you taken coursework in anatomy yet? Do that, get a bachelors in some biological science, find professors doing research in anatomy, go to graduate school, do anatomy research/teach anatomy....

Nobody in the world knows and actually applies more useless knowledge and minutiae about insert-field-here than those who hold an academic graduate degree in and do research in that field. Your freaking weird obsession with muscles or whatever will feel right at home with all the other crazies in graduate school.

Signed,
person with freaking weird obsession with DNA and heredity
 
Have you taken coursework in anatomy yet? Do that, get a bachelors in some biological science, find professors doing research in anatomy, go to graduate school, do anatomy research/teach anatomy....

Nobody in the world knows and actually applies more useless knowledge and minutiae about insert-field-here than those who hold an academic graduate degree in and do research in that field. Your freaking weird obsession with muscles or whatever will feel right at home with all the other crazies in graduate school.

Signed,
person with freaking weird obsession with DNA and heredity

Thread hack!
Nyanko, you made my day a little better. :p
/end Thread hack
 
There are a lot of variables that impact how a particular vet practice works...and who their clientelle is. I've worked in clinics where maybe 5% of clients were problems, and clinics where 70% were problems. There are differences in regions, cultural affects, and financial stability.

Don't let what any of us say about the negative aspects affect your decision. Instead, get experience, and make your own decisions based on your experiences (the more diverse, the better, in this case.)

However, if anatomy or physiology or any other aspect of medicine is truely your passion, really consider becoming an anatomist. However, I would recommend contacting several anatomists and talking to them about their jobs to develop a better understanding of the field...you might even find a mentor. The book 'what color is your parachute' is really great for describing how to do informational interviews and find mentors.

Finally, if you want to tech, there are techs that do a reasonable amount with anatomy. In undergrad, we have one that does all kinds of sample preps (thin slicing, plastination, articulations) for the anatomy course. In our lab animal department, there are a couple of Purdue tech grads that routinely teach special species anatomy (as part of other courses.) I know a tech who specialized in anatomical illustration (took extra courses at Purdue.) However, if you are really passionate, pursue a grad program.
 
Have you taken coursework in anatomy yet? Do that, get a bachelors in some biological science, find professors doing research in anatomy, go to graduate school, do anatomy research/teach anatomy....
Nobody in the world knows and actually applies more useless knowledge and minutiae about insert-field-here than those who hold an academic graduate degree in and do research in that field. Your freaking weird obsession with muscles or whatever will feel right at home with all the other crazies in graduate school.
Signed,
person with freaking weird obsession with DNA and heredity
Nope, I have not taken any anatomy classes yet, though I would, given the opportunity and slightest excuse! I'm at a community college right now and all we have is human anatomy. Human anatomy is OKAY but my heart beats for animal anatomy. If I transfered to Cal Poly, I could take not only animal anatomy but other classes I drool over (like biochemistry) but I've felt like I shouldn't do that because it would be a waste. With all this talk about people who get degrees and can't get a job, I want to choose a degree with care.

Doesn't a veterinary reseach or veterinary teaching job requrie a DVM or PhD? I was looking for something that just wants a bachelors. Anyone know of anything that's more than scrubbing beakers?

I also feel like what someone mentioned might be true. I will paraphrase: I will never succeed in any job if I do not learn how to feel comfortable dealing with all types of people, even the mean, scary ones. At risk of sounding like a baby for saying this, I feel so helpless. How can I do that? I think I have a genetically shy temperament. I don't know have any idea how to change that and the people I've asked don't have any idea either. I've even Googled for answers before. It only served to confuse me. I haven't the foggiest clue what to do. It's embarassing to even post this. I feel like I should have figured out by now how to be brave.

Another reason I don't want to be in vet med is I don't even have the confidence to call a veterinary hospital and ask if I could shadow/volunteer! At risk of sounding like a baby once again, I'm crying just thinking about doing that. You're all probably thinking: How does she ever expect to amount to anything if she can't even make a sissy-lala call to a vet hospital to ask to shadow?

I don't know, I don't know...
 
There are a lot of variables that impact how a particular vet practice works...and who their clientelle is. I've worked in clinics where maybe 5% of clients were problems, and clinics where 70% were problems. There are differences in regions, cultural affects, and financial stability.

Sumstorm makes a good point. I'd also like to add that YOU are a variable, too.

The guy who didn't want to give his cat pain meds post-declaw? I found him irritating and irrational when I tried to explain why he should give them even though the kitty was being quiet and not acting painful in his opinion. The dairy farmer who has an unnecessarily high SCC who never takes your advice on how to get it down might irritate some other people.

But you might understand where both of these clients are coming from, and it's a place of well-intentioned ignorance. Personally, I find the problematic farmers a little easier to deal with than the neurotic dog-mamas, but that's a reflection of my own personality, not theirs. You have to be realistic about your own tolerance, people skills, and perspective.

Also, I grew up in horse culture. I have a numb spot for the screeching, frantic, demanding equine client. They just don't get me as ruffled up as other types of clients do, since I grew up dealing with those people (and understand where they're coming from a little better).

Vet med isn't all money problems, heartbreak, and non-compliant clients. You've gotta figure out for yourself if it's right for you.
 
hey spicykimchi...
forgive me if i sound a little forward, but are you korean american? (or just korean?) i'm going off of what your user name is. i am korean american and i find that sometimes the culture clashes a lot with what i want to do or how i interact with people. i've found several cultural challenges to me pursuing my goals.

PM me if you want to talk more in depth :)
 
Members don't see this ad :)
There are a lot of variables that impact how a particular vet practice works...and who their clientelle is. I've worked in clinics where maybe 5% of clients were problems, and clinics where 70% were problems. There are differences in regions, cultural affects, and financial stability.

Don't let what any of us say about the negative aspects affect your decision. Instead, get experience, and make your own decisions based on your experiences (the more diverse, the better, in this case.)

However, if anatomy or physiology or any other aspect of medicine is truely your passion, really consider becoming an anatomist. However, I would recommend contacting several anatomists and talking to them about their jobs to develop a better understanding of the field...you might even find a mentor. The book 'what color is your parachute' is really great for describing how to do informational interviews and find mentors.

Finally, if you want to tech, there are techs that do a reasonable amount with anatomy. In undergrad, we have one that does all kinds of sample preps (thin slicing, plastination, articulations) for the anatomy course. In our lab animal department, there are a couple of Purdue tech grads that routinely teach special species anatomy (as part of other courses.) I know a tech who specialized in anatomical illustration (took extra courses at Purdue.) However, if you are really passionate, pursue a grad program.

I didn't notice this post until after I made my last one, but thanks, I always like to see it when you reply to a thread (not that I don't value the replies of others). You always give me good ideas.
 
hey spicykimchi...
forgive me if i sound a little forward, but are you korean american? (or just korean?) i'm going off of what your user name is. i am korean american and i find that sometimes the culture clashes a lot with what i want to do or how i interact with people. i've found several cultural challenges to me pursuing my goals.

PM me if you want to talk more in depth :)

Nah I'm white as it gets but Korean food is awesome, lol. I should put a picture of some Kimchi on my avatar.
 
I also feel like what someone mentioned might be true. I will paraphrase: I will never succeed in any job if I do not learn how to feel comfortable dealing with all types of people, even the mean, scary ones. At risk of sounding like a baby for saying this, I feel so helpless. How can I do that? I think I have a genetically shy temperament. I don't know have any idea how to change that and the people I've asked don't have any idea either. I've even Googled for answers before. It only served to confuse me. I haven't the foggiest clue what to do. It's embarassing to even post this. I feel like I should have figured out by now how to be brave.

Okay...unfortunately, as sucky as it sounds, the only way to get used to it is to do it. I used to be shy as heck. I have a work-study job now in a department full of PhDs and I've had to radically get used to introducing myself, interacting with professionals, and in general just getting used to make small talk.

Put yourself in the situation where you have to. It's the only way you're going to get better - there's no magic formula. I used to think I have a "genetically shy temperament" too. Turns out I don't - and I'm far more comfortable in professional settings due to it. It's terrifying at times, I mean - my boss is hoping I'll start going to professional conventions soon this year. I'm TERRIFIED. But I know I can do it, and I'll make her proud that I'm linked to her name. (Dorky, I know.)

Take a deep breath, practice calling the clinics, pick up the phone, and do it. It's really that simple. You feel exhilarated afterwards, like you're crazy adrenaline rushed, but it gets easier each time you do it.

Best of luck. :)
 
Sumstorm makes a good point. I'd also like to add that YOU are a variable, too.

The guy who didn't want to give his cat pain meds post-declaw? I found him irritating and irrational when I tried to explain why he should give them even though the kitty was being quiet and not acting painful in his opinion. The dairy farmer who has an unnecessarily high SCC who never takes your advice on how to get it down might irritate some other people.

But you might understand where both of these clients are coming from, and it's a place of well-intentioned ignorance. Personally, I find the problematic farmers a little easier to deal with than the neurotic dog-mamas, but that's a reflection of my own personality, not theirs. You have to be realistic about your own tolerance, people skills, and perspective.

Also, I grew up in horse culture. I have a numb spot for the screeching, frantic, demanding equine client. They just don't get me as ruffled up as other types of clients do, since I grew up dealing with those people (and understand where they're coming from a little better).

Vet med isn't all money problems, heartbreak, and non-compliant clients. You've gotta figure out for yourself if it's right for you.

Amazingly, if a pet owner is merely annoying, I just ignore whatever is annoying about them. I've learned that what I cannot change, I am best off ignoring. Gives me a heck of a lot more peace than if I get upset about it. It also gives me more time to focus on what I CAN change.

And usually I can see that the person went through a reasoning process to reach whatever decision it was that they made. I respect that.

You know, really, people in general like me. Maybe it's because in general, I like them, and that comes across in the help I offer and the respect I give to their opinions. Sometimes I can use that to my advantage...I'm a sneaky little devil that can word things just perfectly to get the person to agree with what I'm saying :laugh:
 
With all this talk about people who get degrees and can't get a job, I want to choose a degree with care.

Doesn't a veterinary reseach or veterinary teaching job requrie a DVM or PhD? I was looking for something that just wants a bachelors. Anyone know of anything that's more than scrubbing beakers?

I also feel like what someone mentioned might be true. I will paraphrase: I will never succeed in any job if I do not learn how to feel comfortable dealing with all types of people, even the mean, scary ones. At risk of sounding like a baby for saying this, I feel so helpless. How can I do that?

hmmm....lets start with some concepts; there is no way to know what career paths will serve you well years ahead of time. My husband went to school for aerospace engineering; quite literally the man is a rocket scientist (and can learn my vet material faster than I can...but doesn't retain it.) He works in technology security for fortune 100 companies because the jobs for aerospace engineers just didn't exist. He took his passion and applied it, along with his skills, to another area. I had a lot of the same fears, and my mentor told me 'there is always a place for the best in any profession' and a decade later, I know that is true, and I have seen folks create amazing careers out of things most folks would never think viable. The other thing I have learned is that part of success is seeking oppurtunities and then pushing to learn, grow, and develop.

Teaching jobs will require a DVM or PhD (with a few rare exceptions.) Vet research may require a BS or MS, depending on experience, skill sets, and networking.

As for learning how to deal with people, there are actually classes on this. leadership courses, conflict resolution courses, etc. Also, toastmasters is a group that can teach you skills to improve communication. I know it can feel impossible, but it is possible to improve your ability to deal with others despite shyness. Its a skill that you can learn, just like you can learn to dissect a cadaver with good technique, or perform surgery, or monitor anesthesia. We tend to think of it as a trait...and that traits aren't changable, but this is one that you can work on, and start taking steps to improve. My suggestion is to find someone who you admire, that does what you want to do (doesn't even have to be the same profession) and spend time around them. model what they do. ask them how they do it (lots of people like to talk about themselves) and ask them to help you figure out how to grow in the directions that you want.
 
Nope, I have not taken any anatomy classes yet, though I would, given the opportunity and slightest excuse! I'm at a community college right now and all we have is human anatomy. Human anatomy is OKAY but my heart beats for animal anatomy. If I transfered to Cal Poly, I could take not only animal anatomy but other classes I drool over (like biochemistry) but I've felt like I shouldn't do that because it would be a waste. With all this talk about people who get degrees and can't get a job, I want to choose a degree with care.

Doesn't a veterinary reseach or veterinary teaching job requrie a DVM or PhD? I was looking for something that just wants a bachelors. Anyone know of anything that's more than scrubbing beakers?

I also feel like what someone mentioned might be true. I will paraphrase: I will never succeed in any job if I do not learn how to feel comfortable dealing with all types of people, even the mean, scary ones. At risk of sounding like a baby for saying this, I feel so helpless. How can I do that? I think I have a genetically shy temperament. I don't know have any idea how to change that and the people I've asked don't have any idea either. I've even Googled for answers before. It only served to confuse me. I haven't the foggiest clue what to do. It's embarassing to even post this. I feel like I should have figured out by now how to be brave.

Another reason I don't want to be in vet med is I don't even have the confidence to call a veterinary hospital and ask if I could shadow/volunteer! At risk of sounding like a baby once again, I'm crying just thinking about doing that. You're all probably thinking: How does she ever expect to amount to anything if she can't even make a sissy-lala call to a vet hospital to ask to shadow?

I don't know, I don't know...

I wanted to answer this because I am also a painfully shy person and I have a weird fear of making telephone calls :laugh:

All my life I've been shy and it's something I've learned to work with in my professional career. I've really had to work at putting myself out there and making myself interact with people.

What I did to start working through this issue is to start putting myself in situations where I had to interact with people. For example, when I started college the second time around (first time didn't go very well but that's another story) I was determined to get involved on campus. So, I went through sorority recruitment and joined a sorority. It was really terrifying at the time but one of the best decisions I've ever made because I learned a lot of people skills. I put myself in leadership positions so that I would have to be out there interacting with people. Some I liked, and some I didn't, and some became my best friends. But I learned how to get along with all of them.

I also hate making phone calls. I don't know why and it goes for all phone calls unless someone I know really well is on the other end. It's not like the pizza co is going to yell at me for ordering a pizza or anything but I would still rather order online or have my husband call. Weird I know, but i've learned to deal with it. For most phone calls I try to do them first thing in the morning if I can but now I can just pick up the phone and call people. I still don't like it, but I can do it. I make follow up calls to clients all the time at work now. It definitely gets easier to make yourself do things that are uncomfortable.

What I did was to start small and think of something that I wasn't doing because of shyness and then taking baby steps until I had accomplished the task. So, if you want to call a clinic about shadowing. You might hold the phone and rehearse how the conversation might go until you feel confident to actually make the call. Then give yourself a deadline pick up the phone and make the call. No matter how the conversation actually goes, be proud of yourself for getting out of your comfort zone.

I will never be a talkative, social butterfly type person. But I have learned to put myself out there. It's a simple concept. Essentially you push yourself a little bit each day and over time those social interactions get easier. It is possible to be shy and to learn to work effectively with other people. And it is true, any career you go into, you're going to have to work with people in some way shape or form.

And yes, in vet med there can be clients that are hard to deal with, but that's just people and I don't think there is any career path that won't have someone like that somewhere.

Good luck :luck: Feel free to PM if you want.
 
I also feel like what someone mentioned might be true. I will paraphrase: I will never succeed in any job if I do not learn how to feel comfortable dealing with all types of people, even the mean, scary ones. At risk of sounding like a baby for saying this, I feel so helpless. How can I do that? I think I have a genetically shy temperament. I don't know have any idea how to change that and the people I've asked don't have any idea either. I've even Googled for answers before. It only served to confuse me. I haven't the foggiest clue what to do. It's embarassing to even post this. I feel like I should have figured out by now how to be brave.

Another reason I don't want to be in vet med is I don't even have the confidence to call a veterinary hospital and ask if I could shadow/volunteer! At risk of sounding like a baby once again, I'm crying just thinking about doing that. You're all probably thinking: How does she ever expect to amount to anything if she can't even make a sissy-lala call to a vet hospital to ask to shadow?

I don't know, I don't know...

Coming from someone who is very very shy, you just have to force yourself to do it. (I used to have difficulty calling my non-immediate family members!) The biggest key to getting past a shy personality is honestly deciding not to let it hinder you. It's still very difficult, but once you make up your mind to get past it, it becomes easier. As much as it made me wanna pass out sometimes, I started forcing myself into situations I knew would scare me. Took a public speaking class, made myself call that vet clinic and ask for a position, started conversations with random people in starbucks no matter how awkward. I'd give myself a reward for every time I got through something like that. (For me it was Chick-fil-a milk shakes. :D) The more I practiced, the better I got, and now I can manage the nasty clients without even flinching. If you do decide to do something like a speech course, talk to a doctor about possibly taking meds. There are anxiety meds that you can take before you know you are going to be in a nervous situation without having to take them all the time, to help with shakes and blood pressure type reactions.

For the shadowing/calling vets thing, you might also consider starting with indirect correspondence. Write up an letter introducing yourself, your interest in getting exposure to vet med, and your willingness to shadow. Then fax it or send it snail mail to people. If they call you back, at least you won't have time to work yourself into a tizzy before hand.
 
I think a PhD in Animal Physiology would be right for you. You can then spend long days in the lab studying what you love. With publications you can become better known and more respected. Even eventually the expert you want to be.

http://www.campusexplorer.com/colleges/major/FE772ACA/Biology/16F435C2/Animal-Physiology/

As with any graduate study, it is more important that you find a graduate adviser that is doing research that you are interested in than finding the exact title of the program.
 
Physiology != Anatomy though

They are two different fields...

I know that. But if she is passionate about tendons I feel like there is a chance that she could study like some biochemical structure of them in relation to their function blahblah etc. . And as I said, the degree name is not always 100% accurate to what is studied. A professor related to a physiology department may do some anatomical-related research. If she is looking for a place to advance her knowledge graduate school is an option but there is not an "Animal Anatomy" higher degree program that I know of. Research of interest could also probably be found with an "Animal Science" degree.

(btw I am totally making the assumption that the OP is female)
 
You're right in that the "subject" of your degree often doesn't mean anything - a lot of schools are adopting a more interdisciplinary approach right now.

For example, my MS is technically under the Animal Biology graduate group here at UCDavis (Animal Bio = run by animal science dept.), but the professor I work(ed) for is under the School of Veterinary Medicine, and my research is in behavioral and quantitative feline genetics.

I guess my point is that the OP needs to be looking not at graduate PROGRAMS in particular at this point, but more at the actual part of the field he/she is interested in and what research is going on in that part. Honestly, when selecting a graduate program FIRST pick mentors you'd want to work for THEN look at their program/group affiliations.

For instance: the comparative pathology graduate program at UCD contains a really really wide range of disciplines that a person could work in...
 
Another reason I don't want to be in vet med is I don't even have the confidence to call a veterinary hospital and ask if I could shadow/volunteer! At risk of sounding like a baby once again, I'm crying just thinking about doing that. You're all probably thinking: How does she ever expect to amount to anything if she can't even make a sissy-lala call to a vet hospital to ask to shadow?

I don't know, I don't know...

You can always send them an email along with a cover letter/resume or something along those lines. I did that with several vet hospitals, actually. You can say everything you want in the email, in exactly the manner you wish to say it, without having your shyness get in the way.
 
I guess my point is that the OP needs to be looking not at graduate PROGRAMS in particular at this point, but more at the actual part of the field he/she is interested in and what research is going on in that part. Honestly, when selecting a graduate program FIRST pick mentors you'd want to work for THEN look at their program/group affiliations.

True dat.
 
You can always send them an email along with a cover letter/resume or something along those lines. I did that with several vet hospitals, actually. You can say everything you want in the email, in exactly the manner you wish to say it, without having your shyness get in the way.

You could even do it the old fashioned way and send an actual letter via snail mail. It looks very personal but it let's you stay at a distance. They will most likely not take the effort to respond if the answer is "no" and then you can just pretend it got lost in the mail and not have to worry about it. :D
 
Hmm, I am actually taking a speech class this semester. I wanted to take public speaking (I am selectively shy and actually like getting up in front of people) but it was full so I opted for group discussion instead. I guess I'm going to be assigned to a group and we learn to communicate with eachother...or something like that. I'll find out next week! Do you guys think this group discussion class will help me? Or should I take public speaking next semester? Either way is fine with me.
 
Hmm, I am actually taking a speech class this semester. I wanted to take public speaking (I am selectively shy and actually like getting up in front of people) but it was full so I opted for group discussion instead. I guess I'm going to be assigned to a group and we learn to communicate with eachother...or something like that. I'll find out next week! Do you guys think this group discussion class will help me? Or should I take public speaking next semester? Either way is fine with me.

I consider myself a quiet person and I loved my public speaking class. It was probably one of my favorite classes in undergrad.

Our final was to give a protest speech (topic of our choosing) in the central square of campus. You got bonus points if people not in the class would stop and join the group to listen. It was kind of fun to be constructively yelling about your topic and having a crowd go "YEAH!!"

The only way to get better is to practice. Don't worry about what other people think.
 
I consider myself a quiet person and I loved my public speaking class. It was probably one of my favorite classes in undergrad.

Our final was to give a protest speech (topic of our choosing) in the central square of campus. You got bonus points if people not in the class would stop and join the group to listen. It was kind of fun to be constructively yelling about your topic and having a crowd go "YEAH!!"

The only way to get better is to practice. Don't worry about what other people think.

Ahhhh kill me now. I can't imagine doing that.
 
I consider myself a quiet person and I loved my public speaking class. It was probably one of my favorite classes in undergrad.

Our final was to give a protest speech (topic of our choosing) in the central square of campus. You got bonus points if people not in the class would stop and join the group to listen. It was kind of fun to be constructively yelling about your topic and having a crowd go "YEAH!!"

The only way to get better is to practice. Don't worry about what other people think.

That is awesome. I wish my speech class had done that. I can think of quite a few things I'd love to get people riled up over. ><
 
I'm definitely NOT shy, but it's still difficult to approach and speak to people that are 'deciding' something about me... interviewers, potential employers. That has to be hard for almost anyone, I would think. I hate feeling judged, and in most situations I will openly resent it, but when it's for something like a job... it's kinda necessary. But, it sucks.
 
I'm shy, but in a massively bizarre way. It tends to surprise people because I also have a long history of horse shows, theatre, public speaking, and I have no issue giving opinions in class. So the way I explain it to people is this: I can talk to anyone in any situation as long as I feel like I have some sort of validation. So speeches, singing, drama, class discussions, interviews... All of that is reasonably easy for me. I feel I have a "right" to be talking, if you will. I get nervous during interviews, because I'm being judged, obviously, but it's more of a generic "butterflies in the stomach" feeling.

When it comes to meeting people... That I really struggle with, to the point of verging on panic attacks. The thought of talking to people in my classes besides lab partners is terrifying. I've never gotten the hang of 'small talk'. So, meeting people at parties, coffee shops, etc just does not work for me.
 
I noticed that you mentioned that you just want to do your bachelor's - I'd really encourage you to look into a kinesiology degree combined with going to physical therapy school. THe most frustrating part is that you are learning all about humans the whole time. However, after you are done, you can move on to physical therapy with animals.

I put a lot of research into this career path when I was considering alternate careers to vet med. The classes were interesting, there was enough "science" to keep my brain working but enough "fun" classes to allow you not to go crazy. of course..I went back to my bio degree but that's besides the point.

Anyway - physical therapy is a masters degree but it doesn't involve a thesis and is very practical use of your understanding of anatomy.

Of course, with your fascination, research/PhD seems more fitting but wanted to throw the PT idea out there since you mentioned you didn't want to do as much school.

There's my .02!
 
I'm shy, but in a massively bizarre way. It tends to surprise people because I also have a long history of horse shows, theatre, public speaking, and I have no issue giving opinions in class. So the way I explain it to people is this: I can talk to anyone in any situation as long as I feel like I have some sort of validation. So speeches, singing, drama, class discussions, interviews... All of that is reasonably easy for me. I feel I have a "right" to be talking, if you will. I get nervous during interviews, because I'm being judged, obviously, but it's more of a generic "butterflies in the stomach" feeling.

When it comes to meeting people... That I really struggle with, to the point of verging on panic attacks. The thought of talking to people in my classes besides lab partners is terrifying. I've never gotten the hang of 'small talk'. So, meeting people at parties, coffee shops, etc just does not work for me.

I am similar, actually. I mentioned (I think in this thread) that I am selectively shy. Most of it involves feeling like I can't back up what I'm talking about, that I'm not "educated enough" yet. This is similar to your feeling like you need a "right" to be talking.

If I think I can defend what I'm talking about, I'm very bold.

And speaking to people who have the power to decide something for me bothers me as well. It's because I feel like I'm going to be asked questions in subjects in which they have much more knowledge than I, and they will have the advantage. I feel like my comparative (to them) ignornance makes me vulnerable: vulnerable because they can come up with tactics to which I am blind, tactics that can make me stumble over my words and back me into the proverbial corner.
 
Last edited:
Have you taken coursework in anatomy yet? Do that, get a bachelors in some biological science, find professors doing research in anatomy, go to graduate school, do anatomy research/teach anatomy....

Nobody in the world knows and actually applies more useless knowledge and minutiae about insert-field-here than those who hold an academic graduate degree in and do research in that field. Your freaking weird obsession with muscles or whatever will feel right at home with all the other crazies in graduate school.

Also, because I didn't read the thread all the way through before...shyness can be overcome as others have said. I was the same as you: painfully shy about certain things but able to perform ballet solos on stage for a full house. When I went to college I forced myself to work on it. I auditioned for plays (scary) I talked to people (scary!) I made lots of amazing friends who couldn't believe it when I said I wasshy.

It's funny cause when I look back I was shy because I for some reason thought I wasn't worthy...like I didn't have something to contribute and people would be judging me for that. But now I realize that that's so silly. Of course I have something to contribute and I've become very good at speaking to people and making them feel comfortable. I think I'm goog at listening and reading body language which makes me pretty good at figuring out what people need to feel more comfortable. Anyway, long story short, I've been called a social butterfly and I can work a holiday part full of big wig phd/mds like no ones business.

All thanks to pushing myself outside of my comfort zone a little at a time.


Signed,
person with freaking weird obsession with DNA and heredity

:thumbup:

Haha nyanko and I always think the same.

Go get a graduate degree and become an anatomy professor. You can teach veterinary students their anatomy and see it year after year.

Seriously. If you live minutiae and desire nothing more than to fill your brain with what other people think is worthless crap (no offense!). Grad school in an anatomy related project will float your boat.

Good luck
Dr. GellaBella
Obsessed with microbiology and molecular genetics and all things infectious disease
 
Last edited:
There's a little story I heard as a scout many years ago, and the same theme has run true for the past 25 years of my life. I'll paraphrase a bit here.

I have a box of stuff at home (ok, truth be told I have several, but let's not get distracted by details - hell, we'll call my garage a "box"). In my box, I have several random items - screws, nails, washers, bits of wire, tape, glue, odd lengths of wood, etc. Some of it has been with me, though never used, for 20 years, but I know they are still in there. I occasionally need something from that box, and I have to rummage around until I find it. Everytime I do, I see what else is in the box, and remember that it's there.

Everything you learn in life goes into the box called your brain. You don't use the knowledge everyday. Sometimes you'll go a decade without accessing it, but when an emergency pops up, you'll be glad it's there.
 
Top