Why is it so hard to find vets to shadow? :(

[Fishey]

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I called an emergency vet clinic about my interest in shadowing a vet there and the practice manager told me that the clinic is rather small but she will talk to the vets and see if one of them would let me shadow them. So I am waiting for a call back.

The other vet clinic I asked, I came by and dropped a cover letter and resume off to the practice manager. She also said that the clinic was rather small and so that is why she allows an intern to shadow/intern for 3 months but she told me that that may change and that she will contact me if that ever happens.

The other ones I asked either gave me a straight up "no" or it is because their insurance does not cover the liabilities (which is understandable).

I live in a rather big city so I can't really go ask a large animal vet to shadow until I go back to college in the fall since it is near agriculture. But I just wanted to get some shadowing experience during the summer. It seems impossible to find a vet clinic who is happy to take in shadows!

Do you have any tips for me? Am I doing something wrong? 🙁

 

[Frozenshades]

A commonly suggested idea on here which I think is a good starting point, is to start small. When you contact clinics (and it would probably be best to go there in person) ask about shadowing for just one day. That way, it's not a big commitment for either party. If it goes well, ask if you can come back again. If it doesn't go well for whatever reason, it's no big deal for either you or the clinic staff. Once you find a clinic that is able to have you, and that you enjoy shadowing at, after spending a few days there you can ask about setting up a shadowing schedule for a longer commitment, such as the rest of summer. Don't sell yourself short by taking the first opportunity that comes along if you aren't happy with it.

 

[Fishey]

Should I contact the vet clinics I already have contacted and ask if I can shadow for a day? Or would that be weird?

 

[that redhead]

Should I contact the vet clinics I already have contacted and ask if I can shadow for a day? Or would that be weird?

I would follow up with the clinics you've already been in contact with. Re-state your interest in shadowing and have a calendar/your availabilities at the ready. I think your general interest is enough at this point, but perhaps the next time you contact someone, ask if there's a -day- you can shadow and go from there 🙂

 

[Fishey]

Thank you both so much! I will make sure to do that!

 

[OSUPreVet]

I've learned to be persistent - in a polite non annoying way. I wait for the vet to return my call or email and do a little "weekly" follow up. They're doctors, they're extremely busy and don't remember all of the hundreds of students that contact them. I've had luck with a large animal vet at University animal hospital and the chief vet at the shelter I'm really involved in -- I'd suggest getting involved in organizations that have a vet on staff and slowly but surely wiggle your way on up to the vets good side😛

 

[485501]

It also sometimes takes a lot of asking to get one yes. I have tried to shadow/volunteer in three cities (hometown, college area, where I live now). In my hometown, it was yes everywhere I went. In my college area, I think I asked about 15 clinics altogether and got two yeses, one for one day and never again, one for one week of 9-5 every day internship, then never again, because both were swamped with interns from two vet tech schools and a vet school. Where I live now, I had to go to almost every clinic in three towns and found two places that let me intern for a while, but give priority to new people each quarter so I'm not there now. Some places seem to have a scarcity of opportunities or a surplus of eager volunteers. Keep trying, you'll find something eventually!

 

[equineconstant]

When I was looking for vet experience, I gave resumes to a bunch of places (10+) and never got a response back. I finally got my first opportunity with a vet someone from my dad's work put me in contact with, so maybe try a little networking?

 

[bunnity]

Sometimes you have to take a more circuitous route. At one shelter, I started as a dog walker, which made it very easy to meet the medical staff and start volunteering with them, which later led to a job. And I learned a ton and helped a lot of animals along the way. Try looking for part time kennel positions and work your way up.

Also, try to look for a place that would obviously benefit from volunteer help like a shelter or a TNR clinic. Nonprofits have the legal and insurance set up to take volunteers and will be more likely to actually want more people around helping. When I was just starting out, I had no luck with private practices in my hometown but the shelter welcomed me right in with zero knowledge and trained me as a volunteer surgery tech. I got a super LOR, a future externship, and a love of shelter medicine out of a cold call to that shelter.

 

[nickyfdoc]

Trying to find a vet clinic to shadow in Phoenix is super hard. My vet is the only one I know of who will take pre-vet students with ZERO veterinary experience (like myself) and hire them as vet assistants.
It took me 8 months till I really clicked with the practice and had it down. Another few months before I was a dependable surgery nurse (which for some reason has been super important lately cause we've had quite a few dogs crash from random things like heat exhaustion and seizures etc).

I've always admired my vet for taking on pre-vets, but I can also understand his frustration and why most vets don't. We have had quite a few 'pre-vet' students come in. 1 decided that vet medicine wasn't for her, might take the MCAT and become a human doctor instead, 1 was a huge waste of time, didn't even start school despite saying she was halfway done, then ended up pregnant and now aspires to be a stay at home mom (which I think was always her intentions), she still refuses to do anal glands and can't even hold a pet to save her life. Another one lied about school as well, and then ended up quitting after a few months. Myself and another pre-vet student out of the few I've mentioned are the only ones attempting to go all the way.

The other girl has caught on super fast. We love her. I took forever to 'get it'.

You just want to shadow, but I guess liability is a huge thing. If you get bit or something. You can't even do anything, just sit there and watch and that super sucks especially if you learn by doing like me.

Suggestions: Volunteer at your local pound/humane society and try to work your way up into their vet clinic or vaccine clinics and make your way up if vets won't take you on. That's what I was going to do! My doctor was my last ditch effort lol.

 

[puppyloomp]

I definitely second looking for non-profits to volunteer with! They're usually really happy to take volunteers and even if you start off voluntering in another sector of the hospital you can still meet the vets and eventually ask them to shadow just from being there. Animal shelters or wildlife hospitals are places where there's lots of vet med going on and usually (although some only are there part time) vets who could definitely use an extra hand since the places can't afford to hire many techs or assistants.

 

[Fishey]

I actually do volunteer for a dog rescue but I never really see their veterinarians. I'm guessing they use an outside source and don't have their own vet. Should I ask them about the veterinarian they go to?

 

[equineconstant]

I actually do volunteer for a dog rescue but I never really see their veterinarians. I'm guessing they use an outside source and don't have their own vet. Should I ask them about the veterinarian they go to?

Yes, definitely! Even if they work at a different practice, you can go ask to shadow/volunteer there and have your foot in the door because you're already involved with that rescue.

 

[ChittyBang]

...so maybe try a little networking?

👍 Definitely. Have friends and family put you in contact with their veterinarians.

 

[puppyloomp]

I actually do volunteer for a dog rescue but I never really see their veterinarians. I'm guessing they use an outside source and don't have their own vet. Should I ask them about the veterinarian they go to?

Yeah you should ask! If they don't have a vet that works on site then the vet either visits or the dogs are transported to the vet. I'm not sure how your shelter works, but a lot of the time they want volunteers to help transport the animals to the vets they go to, so you could also see if you're able to do that! That would give you a chance to get to know the vet a little before as well as a chance to ask to shadow in person.

 

[JaynaAli]

I agree with previous posters as well. I got my first shadowing gig by working at the front desk of a shelter as well. The vet came once a week and saw me, and eventually allowed me to assist her.

Really, my experience in vet med has shown me that it is all about the people you know. The shelter vet I assisted set me up an interview at a different clinic in town as well. My current tech job (on weekends and breaks from school) came about because my mom works with the vet's father-in-law.

I definitely agree with everyone else in that asking to stay for one day is best. There is nothing worse than being at a clinic (without pay!) when you and the clinic are not a god 'fit'.

 

[dooleypuppy]

I agree with previous posters as well. I got my first shadowing gig by working at the front desk of a shelter as well. The vet came once a week and saw me, and eventually allowed me to assist her.

Really, my experience in vet med has shown me that it is all about the people you know. The shelter vet I assisted set me up an interview at a different clinic in town as well. My current tech job (on weekends and breaks from school) came about because my mom works with the vet's father-in-law.

I definitely agree with everyone else in that asking to stay for one day is best. There is nothing worse than being at a clinic (without pay!) when you and the clinic are not a god 'fit'.

totally agree! I started front desk too. Its really hard to find stuff when your first start looking but I found my biggest barrier was age. When I turned 18 it got a lot easier. Zoo's will take your volunteer applications (to work with keepers, then after a while you can ask to shadow the vet sometimes), you can work as an intern (the equine surgical place I worked at was almost all interns and they were from all over the world--one girl was from brazil while another is from texas all going to a clinic in cali), and you can even try and get hired somewhere to work with animals (for liability reasons, at least where I'm at, you can't really before you're 18). And if you are at college, getting involved in animal research is very easy they always want volunteers. So if you are under 18, don't get too down, try for the receptionist thing and try for a little shadowing experience to get your foot in the door and if you are 18 you can contact vet schools and see if they have any connections they know of or ask the pre-vet club at your college. It's hard and rejection sucks but keep your head up 🙂

 

[WelshCob]

The key to opening doors in any field is networking. Someone knows somebody who is a vet somewhere. My first shadowing job was with my equine vet that saw my horse constantly for reoccurring problems. So ask the vet that you take your animals too, its a great place to start. After that I ask that veterinarian to recommend a small animal vet that I could shadow for some experience she placed a couple of phone calls and called in a few favors and voila, small animal experience. Then a friend worked at a clinic and ask the doctor if a friend could come and gain some shadowing experience. BOOM another gig. All of this shadowing gave me enough experience to apply for a job and I was able to list everything I had done for experience and gave me some great references.

But seriously ask your parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, your friends parents and ask them to call in a favor and speak of your career goals and your commitment. Maybe I'm lucky but I tell everyone what my career goals are and even now that I've been admitted I still have friends and family tell me they know so and so if I wanted to hang out with them for the day.