What is the least stressful Veterinary environment you have experienced?

[Gr8teful]

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I understand a certain level of stress is inherent in this field. Just curious, what is the least stressful Veterinary environment you have experienced? What do you think made it less stressful than others?

The SA clininc I worked at was run by a psycho who thrived on stress - are they all like that?
The wildlife center I worked at had a busy vet who always had something to do, and was living on site in a remote location, seemingly having sacrificed having a family and "normal" relationship.
The university research lab I worked at was busy, but with a calm environment. I was doing necropsies and being in the lab (aka "dungeon") and constantly handling dead animals was emotionally taxing. This would have to be the lowest stress environment I have found.

I have a friend in SA that says you just get used to it. I have another friend in shelter med that says that having less client interaction and not being on call reduces the stress of her job.

What have you found?

 

[DVMDream]

There is absolutely no simple answer to this.

The stress level even within the clinic can vary every minute. Everything can be calm, peaceful and relaxed one minute, dealing with normal appointments such as allergies, ear infections, vaccinations, etc. Then suddenly a dog is hit by a car and things get busy, people are running around, the stress increases. Or a critically ill patient comes in. Or you hit a busy point in the schedule and the lobby is filled with cranky clients.

I have had full days in a SA clinic that were nearly stress-free. Just the normal appointments, the occasional gripe from a client about cost, no emergencies and no deaths.

I have also had a day where upon walking in the clinic there were two seizing dogs waiting for us, vet had not arrived yet as techs come in 30 minutes before the vet. Have to take the dogs back to the treatment area and call the vet on the phone and get them heading over early while attempting to keep the pets stable with the limited things we can do. All while this is going on the normal appointments for the day are arriving early and people are walking in because of various reasons wanting to be seen right away.

The stress levels vary every day, sometimes even during the day. I don't think there is necessarily a single area of vet med that is the least stressful, every area is going to have its own little stressful moments and issues. You just have to decide what you can handle.

 

[that redhead]

Research environments are pretty calm. Emergency scenarios are relatively infrequent and there isn't the pressure of keeping appointment times, which I think is a big stressor for small animal vets (client might not feel like you spent enough time, next client is angry you went over, etc). Any job dealing with the general public all day when you have a schedule to keep will be stressful.

My time with an equine ambulatory vet was also pretty chill. The only stressful part was the client was always there asking questions - usually not a problem, but sometimes an annoyance.

My experience with small animal clinics has been the most stressful. Again, I attribute most of it to having time constraints.

 

[twelvetigers]

Not vet school.

 

[DVMDream]

Not vet school.

I still remember the thread you posted when you finally got accepted. Seems like forever ago...

 

[wildcatj]

The best/least stressful practice I worked in was strictly veterinary ophthalmology office. The office was run like a well oiled machine, everyone got along EXTREMELY well despite everyone having some odd quirks. Clients understood our pricing and were happy to pay for our services. The two doctors were fantastic, practiced great medicine, and seemed to love what they were doing. There aren't a ton of absolutely dire emergencies in ophtho, worse case scenario you need to enucleate. No euthanasias except for odd circumstances. Minus the fact that eyes are gross, ophtho is still friggin awesome. Every veterinary ophthalmologist I met is really satisfied doing what they do. I'm seriously considering specializing.

 

[twelvetigers]

I still remember the thread you posted when you finally got accepted. Seems like forever ago...

Jah... many moons. I remember feeling that way.... barely. I still have my acceptance letter framed (in the envelope, not open to read). So there's that...

Doesn't mean I don't hate the building I'm sitting in right now.

But my hate is more apathy than anything these days, so I'm also hungry, and that's diluting it a bit. So right now I'm just vaguely grumpy. It fluctuates.

It'll be worse next week - two exams and two surgeries and two days of radiology clinics.

 

[DVMDream]

Jah... many moons. I remember feeling that way.... barely. I still have my acceptance letter framed (in the envelope, not open to read). So there's that...

Doesn't mean I don't hate the building I'm sitting in right now.

But my hate is more apathy than anything these days, so I'm also hungry, and that's diluting it a bit. So right now I'm just vaguely grumpy. It fluctuates.

It'll be worse next week - two exams and two surgeries and two days of radiology clinics.

Yeah, I get slightly depressed every morning on the bus ride to the school. I am grumbling about having to start an hour earlier for lecture tomorrow. And the fact that we have more lectures than usual. Thursdays are cruddy for us.

I wish I had surgeries... we get a whopping 1/2 a spay or 1/2 a neuter in final year. So desperately trying to find an externship that will allow me some surgical experience.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Research lab = zero stress from my point of view.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I understand a certain level of stress is inherent in this field. Just curious, what is the least stressful Veterinary environment you have experienced? What do you think made it less stressful than others?

The SA clininc I worked at was run by a psycho who thrived on stress - are they all like that?
The wildlife center I worked at had a busy vet who always had something to do, and was living on site in a remote location, seemingly having sacrificed having a family and "normal" relationship.
The university research lab I worked at was busy, but with a calm environment. I was doing necropsies and being in the lab (aka "dungeon") and constantly handling dead animals was emotionally taxing. This would have to be the lowest stress environment I have found.

I have a friend in SA that says you just get used to it. I have another friend in shelter med that says that having less client interaction and not being on call reduces the stress of her job.

What have you found?

I agree with optho. Maybe derm as well.

And research - but bench research, not pathology/necropsy. Despite what people may think, that's actually a stressful job but in a different way.

Slightly OT rant but - like you said, handling dead animals (especially pets) a lot can be emotionally taxing. Almost as much as putting them down all the time, because you get to see what's really going on rather than indirectly through radiographs, blood panels, etc. it's more painful when you physically see the results of the disease sometimes. And don't get me started on the legal/abuse cases. I hate those the most. I was on for 10 straight days once over Christmas and even I was like "Ok, this is getting sad" by the end.

We don't have emergencies and stuff like that to deal with (well, rarely), but we have to deal a LOT with other clinicians, many of which are obviously upset that they lost a patient, or large animal people who call multiple times per day to see what you found because the rest of the herd is dying, and if you didn't find anything that points to an answer they get mad (how many times have I heard "But you did a necropsy, you're a pathologist, you're supposed to figure this out!"). It is a different kind of stress - like a slow-burn stress rather than the on-and-off high stress of something like emergency.

 

[twelvetigers]

I wish I had surgeries... we get a whopping 1/2 a spay or 1/2 a neuter in final year. So desperately trying to find an externship that will allow me some surgical experience.

That's crazy. We do 6 anesthesias (one solo) and 3 assistant surgeries, then 3 as the primary surgeon. Each one is one full spay and neuter.

 

[DVMDream]

That's crazy. We do 6 anesthesias (one solo) and 3 assistant surgeries, then 3 as the primary surgeon. Each one is one full spay and neuter.

Does Oklahoma take transfer students?

 

[twelvetigers]

Does Oklahoma take transfer students?

... yes...

Lol.

 

[Escalla]

Based on the limited amount I've seen....I agree with WTF that derm should be up there. Nothing much for emergencies and the dermatologist at the specialty centre I was at basically chose her own cushy hours and had LOTS of business.

Optho was like a crazed assembly line with how many clients were seen each day. So it really varies practice to practice.

 

[BlackDog17]

We had an industry vet come talk to our class last semester, and she mentioned that she finds her job to be pretty low-stress. IIRC, her job involved researching and fact checking information that would be included on some type of veterinary software. She pointed out how she works 9-5 every day without fail, rarely has to work late, never takes work home, never on call after hours, always has weekends off, can take vacations/sick days without worrying about having someone cover for her, etc. She also had a family and said moving from GP to industry made a huge difference for her - actually being able to be home for dinner every night can be a big deal when you have young kids. Definitely not the type of job everyone would enjoy, but if you're into that sort of thing there are definitely a lot of perks there.

 

[cowgirla]

That's crazy. We do 6 anesthesias (one solo) and 3 assistant surgeries, then 3 as the primary surgeon. Each one is one full spay and neuter.

And that's just as a third year. You will likely get to do a few more in CP and a bunch more if you take shelter. I think I've done >25 spays, and probably >50 neuters at this point. And then there's your entire anesthesia rotation and you also get a ton of anesthesia stuff on the shelter rotation

 

[DVMDream]

And that's just as a third year. You will likely get to do a few more in CP and a bunch more if you take shelter. I think I've done >25 spays, and probably >50 neuters at this point. And then there's your entire anesthesia rotation and you also get a ton of anesthesia stuff on the shelter rotation

We don't get surgery experience until fourth year unless we attempt to scurry and find stuff outside of the school. And even in final year the surgery experience we do get blows. Sigh... 🙁

 

[Minnerbelle]

Dermatology and ophthalmology as specialties seem pretty freaking laid back at least in academic institutions

 

[Lab Vet]

I'm surprised how many of you claim that research environments are 'low stress.' I suppose that depends upon your definition of stress, as well as its source. I've worked in research (both academia and industry) for years, and I wouldn't classify either of these environments as low stress. If scientists don't publish/produce, those folks won't be awarded grants and will quickly find themselves unemployed (along with their associated staff members). Experiments often don't go according to plan. That being the case, there is often significant stress involved with the acquisition of quality data and subsequent publication. From a clinical standpoint, the stress often involves massive disease outbreaks (in rodent colonies- that can have a serious impact upon the data of many investigators) as well as cost. Scientists are always worried about cost. As a veterinarian, you are often in charge (or at least involved with) cost management/rate setting for animal charges associated with your institution. There are constantly issues that arise involving money, and lab animal vets need to be diplomatic in handling such issues. Regulatory issues can also cause stress and headaches depending upon the issues, and how often problems crop up.

My point in mentioning this is that I wouldn't call research environments 'chill' or 'laid back.' This has never been the case in my career. The type of pressure you experience is different than you would experience in general practice, but is pressure all the same. The manner in which individuals experience stress (even within the same institution) is also dependent upon one's personality.

 

[SocialStigma]

Derm by far (IMO). No emergencies, hospitalized patients, etc. All of my friends were home by 5-6pm on their derm rotations and never went in on weekends.

 

[WolvesDragon55]

Personally the most low-stress field I spent time in was Dairy medicine. A lot of pregnancy checks, AIs and predictable things. Even surgeries were low-stress. Everything just felt pretty peaceful, relaxed and thorough (though of course that varied day to day, but overall feeling here).

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I'm surprised how many of you claim that research environments are 'low stress.' I suppose that depends upon your definition of stress, as well as its source. I've worked in research (both academia and industry) for years, and I wouldn't classify either of these environments as low stress. If scientists don't publish/produce, those folks won't be awarded grants and will quickly find themselves unemployed (along with their associated staff members). Experiments often don't go according to plan. That being the case, there is often significant stress involved with the acquisition of quality data and subsequent publication. From a clinical standpoint, the stress often involves massive disease outbreaks (in rodent colonies- that can have a serious impact upon the data of many investigators) as well as cost. Scientists are always worried about cost. As a veterinarian, you are often in charge (or at least involved with) cost management/rate setting for animal charges associated with your institution. There are constantly issues that arise involving money, and lab animal vets need to be diplomatic in handling such issues. Regulatory issues can also cause stress and headaches depending upon the issues, and how often problems crop up.

My point in mentioning this is that I wouldn't call research environments 'chill' or 'laid back.' This has never been the case in my career. The type of pressure you experience is different than you would experience in general practice, but is pressure all the same. The manner in which individuals experience stress (even within the same institution) is also dependent upon one's personality.

Oh, being a lab animal vet is absolutely a stressful environment.

What I was referring to was most of the DVM/PhDs I had met who were PIs. Yes, acquiring grant money is always an issue and I'm in no way going to say it is LOW stress, just lower than, say, and emergency vet.

I've worked in research a ton as well, and while there is definitely a lot of stress on graduate students and new scientists, who are under the MOST pressure to experiment and publish etc, the PIs (who are generally the DVMs and often tenured if in academia) have it comparatively easier IMO. I guess that's what you get when you "make it" 😉

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

The best combination? Dermpath. Sigh. I would love that.

Half of me wants to subspecialize in bone since there are so few good bone pathologists out there anymore (I was lucky enough to have trained with one of the best), but I just can't get into it. Either derm or GI will be my subspecialty.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Radiology is pretty low stress too. But I would die a little inside everyday if I became one

 

[LetItSnow]

I don't really get why people find ECC stressful. I find it totally not-stressful. Your patient comes in, you do what you can do, and there's basically one of three outcomes: they go home, they.. uh.. don't, or they get stable and moved off to medicine/specialty. No matter what, they're off your hands soonish.

I can see radiology not being stressful. Same deal as ECC - they aren't really "your" case. But derm? Ophtho? Cardio? Etc? They have long-term cases where I'd be sitting around biting my nails wondering how my patient is doing. I have a juvie generalized demodex case I'm working in our urban clinic and it drives me batty wondering how the animal will look tomorrow. Is the treatment working or do I have secondary issues to worry about? Are the owners compliant? WHAT? Ok, maybe not really that batty, but ... you get the point. I have to wonder how my patient is doing.

Nope. ECC all the way. Patient is right there in front of me, and gone one way or another soon.

Sorry. I know that sounds crass, but it's true. (For me.)

 

[Escalla]

ECC I see being stressful because of how much you need to be on your toes with the quick decisions and the multitasking if there are multiple patients that are coding or waiting for triage, owners freaking out, etc. I agree with your points though and for a seasoned ECC vet, these things no longer have as much of an effect, but that goes with most areas.


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[BlackDog17]

I don't really get why people find ECC stressful. I find it totally not-stressful. Your patient comes in, you do what you can do, and there's basically one of three outcomes: they go home, they.. uh.. don't, or they get stable and moved off to medicine/specialty. No matter what, they're off your hands soonish.

I can see radiology not being stressful. Same deal as ECC - they aren't really "your" case. But derm? Ophtho? Cardio? Etc? They have long-term cases where I'd be sitting around biting my nails wondering how my patient is doing. I have a juvie generalized demodex case I'm working in our urban clinic and it drives me batty wondering how the animal will look tomorrow. Is the treatment working or do I have secondary issues to worry about? Are the owners compliant? WHAT? Ok, maybe not really that batty, but ... you get the point. I have to wonder how my patient is doing.

Nope. ECC all the way. Patient is right there in front of me, and gone one way or another soon.

Sorry. I know that sounds crass, but it's true. (For me.)

Some people like the long term cases though. A lot of vets really enjoy establishing relationships and watching the animals under their care progress.

Personally, I would find ECC very stressful. There's that element of "OMG this patient needs to be treated NOW!!!" that I'm sure I would get used to eventually, but there isn't a single healthy animal in ECC. You never get the happy healthy puppy coming in for his shots. It's always animals who are extremely ill or injured, owners who are devastated and stressed out. I think I would love the fast-paced environment of ECC, but the constant sad cases would take a toll on me pretty quickly.

As a side note, this thread is reminding me how incredibly lost I am when it comes to deciding what I want to do with my career. Crap.

 

[Lab Vet]

Oh, being a lab animal vet is absolutely a stressful environment.

What I was referring to was most of the DVM/PhDs I had met who were PIs. Yes, acquiring grant money is always an issue and I'm in no way going to say it is LOW stress, just lower than, say, and emergency vet.

I've worked in research a ton as well, and while there is definitely a lot of stress on graduate students and new scientists, who are under the MOST pressure to experiment and publish etc, the PIs (who are generally the DVMs and often tenured if in academia) have it comparatively easier IMO. I guess that's what you get when you "make it" 😉

Totally agree here. As far as general practice goes, ECC would definitely be the most stressful specialty from my perspective (although I can see LetItSnow's point as well). It's the immediacy of patient treatment that would stress me out day after day.

 

[Foxhunter]

Research lab = zero stress from my point of view.

Depends on PI.

Research lab = more stress than vet school for me, but my lab is one of those, have results every Friday or else labs.

 

[Foxhunter]

Maybe its also that I like the clinical stress a lot more than I like the research stress.

 

[sunshinevet]

I don't really get why people find ECC stressful. I find it totally not-stressful. Your patient comes in, you do what you can do, and there's basically one of three outcomes: they go home, they.. uh.. don't, or they get stable and moved off to medicine/specialty. No matter what, they're off your hands soonish.

I can see radiology not being stressful. Same deal as ECC - they aren't really "your" case. But derm? Ophtho? Cardio? Etc? They have long-term cases where I'd be sitting around biting my nails wondering how my patient is doing. I have a juvie generalized demodex case I'm working in our urban clinic and it drives me batty wondering how the animal will look tomorrow. Is the treatment working or do I have secondary issues to worry about? Are the owners compliant? WHAT? Ok, maybe not really that batty, but ... you get the point. I have to wonder how my patient is doing.

Nope. ECC all the way. Patient is right there in front of me, and gone one way or another soon.

Sorry. I know that sounds crass, but it's true. (For me.)

I guess in some ways, yes they're going to be off your hands soonish. But when something comes in trying to die on friday night and needs a specialist work up, monday morning is a long, expensive way away. And unlike gp's or surgeons etc, critical care vets working on vent cases or septic cases etc spend an extraordinary amount of time bedside, fighting for their patients and having long, in depth discussions on owners. And that emotionally takes its toll. Especially if you have spent a week + trying to stop a case from melting.

The emergency part, I agree with you - all that stuff is pretty wham, bam, thankyou mam. Yeah you have to know what your most likely differentials are and how to treat them RIGHT NOW, but I personally think the most stressful thing in those situations is dealing with clients - getting them to make decisions quickly etc. But I think critical care is a whole different kettle of stress-fish which can be very emotionally stressful. And the real critical care stuff - you're not referring that, you ARE the specialist for that. Medicine/surgery etc wont touch those patients with a 10 foot pole!


I guess the other thing, LIS, is most of us are probably worried about making a mistake that could kill a patient. And in ECC, you are more likely to make that mistake. The chronic animals, you have time to come back and fix. ECC, that patient will probably never get another chance and it will be all on you. Totally get why thats stressful.

 

[Gr8teful]

Thanks for all the input. I will be starting school in the fall after deferring last year due to health issues. I perform really well in stressful environments, but a strong immune system is paramount to managing the chronic disease I was diagnosed with last summer. So I am considering which direction to head in vet med to attempt to keep stress levels low (yes, I know that is impossible in school).
Can anyone comment on the environments in referral clinics more - the info about optho was helpful! How about ortho? Internal med? Surgery? I think having clients coming in that are interested and willing to provide specialty care for their pets (and aware of the $$$ that goes along with it) would make a difference.
Hearing that there are current students who don't know where they are headed is comforting, and I also know I could easily change my mind during school. Thanks for the responses!

 

[LetItSnow]

I guess in some ways, yes they're going to be off your hands soonish. But when something comes in trying to die on friday night and needs a specialist work up, monday morning is a long, expensive way away. And unlike gp's or surgeons etc, critical care vets working on vent cases or septic cases etc spend an extraordinary amount of time bedside, fighting for their patients and having long, in depth discussions on owners. And that emotionally takes its toll. Especially if you have spent a week + trying to stop a case from melting.

Meh. I work in our ECC department. It's just not like how you described it (among other things, I've yet to see a clinician spend "extraordinary amount of time bedside" - that's for techs and student workers). Maybe it is other places, I dunno!! And in general, there are a limited number of things you can do for an animal; once you've done them, it's not like you're sitting around fretting about what else you could do - the animal either does well or doesn't. People make a big deal out of a patient arresting or something ... there's just set protocol you follow and it either works or it doesn't. It's not really very complicated - it's for SURE a lot less complicated than most internal medicine problems.

The clients can be stressful, that's true.

I get the whole "one mistake away from a tragedy" thing, but ... meh. That's true in a private practice running dentals all day long. They are literally one mistake away from an anesthesia tragedy; and one that's a LOT harder to present to the owner. Anesthesia is so 'safe' that people get really complacent; but in reality you're no further from accidentally killing a patient there than you are a critical-care patient. Obviously we lose more patients in ECC than in GP; but no more of them are 'accidents' than any other service in the hospital.

I get that everybody has different areas they like. I'm not trying to 'sell' people on ECC or anything, and it's obvious why it would be stressful for many people. All I'm saying is that I'm always surprised by how MANY people view it as extremely stressful.

 

[LetItSnow]

Thanks for all the input. I will be starting school in the fall after deferring last year due to health issues. I perform really well in stressful environments, but a strong immune system is paramount to managing the chronic disease I was diagnosed with last summer. So I am considering which direction to head in vet med to attempt to keep stress levels low (yes, I know that is impossible in school).

So, here is the single best piece of advice anyone can ever give you (given your situation): GET YOUR SLEEP.

Seriously. Get your sleep. If you've studied half the material on the exam the next day but it's time for bed; go to bed. Staying up late won't help you enough to make it worthwhile, and it will FOR SURE play hell with your immune system.

Sleep sleep sleep sleep sleep.

Surgery?

Surgery could be fine once you get through your residency, but for your internship and residency expect lots of on-call, late-night emergency work, which plays hell with your sleep, which creates a lot of stress. Once you're done with that and a boarded surgeon, sure, your schedule can be more reliable.

 

[RPCVvet]

To answer the original post:
Surprisingly, LA work in the African bush.
1. Standards are pretty low.
2. Any improvement is awesome.
3. You'll never get sued.
4. People are always really nice and grateful. And we always got free food.

 

[sunshinevet]

Meh. I work in our ECC department. It's just not like how you described it (among other things, I've yet to see a clinician spend "extraordinary amount of time bedside" - that's for techs and student workers). Maybe it is other places, I dunno!!

This might be different for me because i've only worked in ECC in private practice (so no student workers lol) and also our nurses are at a lower education standard to your techs. Sure I work with some amazing nurses at tech level, but not all of them and so this might account for differences in veterinarian time management? I dont know.

 

[hedgehogcatcher]

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[crazycatlady]

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[DVMDream]

Have you considered a pay-to-volunteer trip with World Vets? http://worldvets.org/volunteer/upcoming-projects/ I haven't done any volunteering with them yet, but I plan to in the future. World Vets has special "IVM" weeks that are focused on training, both in tech-ish skills for pre-vets, and spay/neuters for vet students. Aside from my criticisms of VIDA which I'd aired elsewhere on this forum, I think a VIDA trip offers a poor learning environment. World Vets' IVM sessions are in a stationary modern clinic setup with gas anesthesia, compared to IV anesthesia and the myriad trials of VIDA's mobile clinics in rural areas without reliable electricity. VIDA's also a total grab bag - you might have 18-year-olds performing surgery, or you might be acting more as a vet tech, what you do totally depends on the vet leading the trip. As a pre-vet, I feel like I wish I'd spent my money on a World Vets trip, but we'll see what I have to say when I can compare both from firsthand experience. I know a wonderful shelter vet who has volunteered with World Vets and speaks well of it.

I am sure that doing something like this would be an amazing experience. However, I am on a very strict budget considering that I am in vet school currently. There is no possible way that I could drop approximately $3,000 to do something like this just to get a bit of spay/neuter experience. It is not financially feasible nor is it wise to put the cost on a credit card or something as I am trying to get rid of all my credit card debt before I graduate vet school.

 

[eventualeventer]

DVMDream, I recommend RAVS - $200 deposit is the only cost, a number of trips within the US so travel costs are low, your food and place to put a sleeping bag are provided, high quality/high volume, and the people tend to be grateful. 🙂 I've also heard good things about Humane Alliance in NC, which is a fixed location clinic.

As for stress, I think it's highly individually variable. I'm the sort of person who thrives on adrenaline and constant mental stimulation, and too many days full of well-patient visits and itchy dogs would make me a lot more stressed than working in an ER.

 

[DVMDream]

DVMDream, I recommend RAVS - $200 deposit is the only cost, a number of trips within the US so travel costs are low, your food and place to put a sleeping bag are provided, high quality/high volume, and the people tend to be grateful. 🙂 I've also heard good things about Humane Alliance in NC, which is a fixed location clinic.

Thanks, I have found a place close to home that seems like it will give me some good experience. I will have to pay to fly home, but I will have a free place to stay and free food. 🙂

 

[onisteverina]

Have you considered a pay-to-volunteer trip with World Vets? http://worldvets.org/volunteer/upcoming-projects/ I haven't done any volunteering with them yet, but I plan to in the future. World Vets has special "IVM" weeks that are focused on training, both in tech-ish skills for pre-vets, and spay/neuters for vet students. Aside from my criticisms of VIDA which I'd aired elsewhere on this forum, I think a VIDA trip offers a poor learning environment. World Vets' IVM sessions are in a stationary modern clinic setup with gas anesthesia, compared to IV anesthesia and the myriad trials of VIDA's mobile clinics in rural areas without reliable electricity. VIDA's also a total grab bag - you might have 18-year-olds performing surgery, or you might be acting more as a vet tech, what you do totally depends on the vet leading the trip. As a pre-vet, I feel like I wish I'd spent my money on a World Vets trip, but we'll see what I have to say when I can compare both from firsthand experience. I know a wonderful shelter vet who has volunteered with World Vets and speaks well of it.

Thought I would mention this since I've been on a trip as a pre-vet in the IVM program. If you are a pre-vet currently working as a tech... you may get more out of going to one of their normal trips where you can participate in a faster paced environment.. otherwise you are being taught skills you already know... unless you don't already them (IVC, intubation, anesthesia monitoring, vaccinations, etc) on the IVM trip. As a vet student.. they did multiple spay/neuter surgeries on surgical days under the direct supervision of a veterinarian walking them through step by step. I think the vet students were pretty satisfied with the experience that they got.

 

[crazycatlady]

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