Disclaimer

The content of this blog reflects my personal experiences and opinions during my veterinary school education. It does not reflect the experiences or opinions of my classmates, colleagues, or the UC Davis School of Veterinary medicine. If you wish to contact me via email: hamaleo11@gmail.com

Friday, May 6, 2011

Getting Experience Shadowing a Veterinarian

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I just got an email from a pre-veterinary student at UC Berkley, she asked me what to expect when shadowing a veterinarian and how to go about finding a veterinarian to shadow. She had some wonderful questions and I wanted to share the answers I sent her with my blog readers or any pre-vets out there. 

What is "shadowing?"

Shadowing is a great opportunity to learn what veterinary medicine is all about. You will have the chance to directly observe what a vet's daily life is like. You can see if veterinary medicine is something you would be happy doing as a career. You can learn a veterinarian's personal opinions on all types of things ranging from their experience in veterinary school to how they manage a healthy life/work balance. It definitely depends on the clinic (every single one is different) you will have to find one that works for you. I think it would be a great idea to shadow several different types of veterinary practices and see many types of medicine. 

What Should I bring when shadowing a vet? 

As far as what to bring, I always brought a very small (fit in my pocket) notepad and two pens (I often managed to loose one of them by the end of each shift). I jotted things down that I wanted to read about/google later. Or if the vet/technicians ever shared any words of wisdom, I wrote that down too. It also comes in handy if you need to write a list of things someone asks you to retrieve or asks you to do several different things. You can write them down to be sure not to forget anything. Other things I can recommend from personal experience: water bottle, granola bar or lunch if needed, but having a bit of something to eat on hand helps even if you think you'll only be there a couple hours, something interesting might come in the door and you DO NOT want to be stuck without food. Learned that one the hard way :) Power Bars can really make all the difference in that type of situation.
Bring a stethoscope if you have one, if not don't worry about it, the vet will have one. It really just makes you look cool if you have one, you will have to get one eventually if you are really interested in veterinary medicine. If you bring it, don't be afraid to use it! Tell your mentor you have never used it and want to learn how, they will show you and the more practice you get with assessing vitals, the better. Also bring a wrist watch with a second hand or seconds capabilities! They are useful for taking heart and respiratory rates as well as telling the vet what time it is (They usually appreciate someone having a watch if they forgot one that day). 

What do I expect to do at my shadowing experience besides following the vet like a lost puppy?

As far as what do you do besides follow them around like a lost puppy is an excellent question. How do you know what to do or expect? I think it's like anytime you start a new school or job, you have a bit of anxiety and excitement that can be scary at first. Shadowing is an important experience in deciding if you want to pursue a veterinary education. 
I would try to ask a LOT of questions (when appropriate, i.e. not when they are busy or in front of a client, etc., use your judgment) but vets love good questions and NO question is a stupid question. Act interested even if you aren't entirely interested, your interest and concern for all aspects of the clinic really please the veterinarian and make it look like you are so lucky to be there.
I would also recommend to really learn to appreciate the veterinary technicians that work in the clinic. You can learn a TON from them and if they like you, they will be more willing to let you do things/teach you. If there is any down time, I.E. you are not seeing patients, it is quiet, etc, offer to clean or if anyone needs help with anything. I've done filling to mopping and let me tell you, the clinic really appreciates it, especially if you take the initiative to find things that need to be done. 

"How should I go about finding a vet to shadow, should I "cold-call" all the vets in the area and how should I present myself since I don't have any experience?"

Instead of cold-calling, I might print some resumes and a quick cover letter and pick several (maybe 5-6 veterinary clinics that really interest you in your area). You can read about prospective veterinary clinics by seeing if they have a website online or by reading YELP, but take YELP with a grain of salt since ANYONE can post on there and often the true story is not always portrayed. 

I would highly suggest you actually visit the clinic instead of "cold-calling" because this has many benefits:

1) you get an idea of what the clinic atmosphere is like (i.e. is the lobby clean, do waiting clients look happy, what is the customer service like, is it somewhere you could see yourself learning/working etc.). What kind of area is the clinic in? 

2) Talking to them in person is much more personal than just calling and shows you really do want a job/shadowing experience there. 

3) you will get practice presenting yourself and your resume


 

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello! my name is Hassannah and i am 14 years of age. I am currently involved with a program called Science Bound,and this year i have a career project due. The career ive chosen to explore is becoming a vetrinarian. I have to interview, and job-shadow someone in that feild. Do you know who i could call to get information on when i could meet this perfesional? thanks for your time.I love you picture by the way. :)

Krissy Wood said...

Hi! That's great you're involved in such a cool program! You should definitely look into becoming a veterinarian and what it all entails. I would recommend looking in your local phone book or an online phone book for a phone number for a vet in your local area and call and make an appointment to speak with them. Just keep in mind being a vet is a very busy job, they might have to put you off for a while, but be persistent!

apache_girl said...

When you shadow a vet, what is usually the time frame? One day, or once a week, or frequently for several weeks?

Krissy Wood said...

That's a great question, but I think it depends on your preference. What type of experience are you looking for? Do you want to go to veterinary school? If so, you probably want to get a lot of experience working with a vet, so you could offer to volunteer over a longer period of time after "shadowing" for a day or two. There is no correct answer, it really depends on what experience you want. Hope that helps!

Unknown said...

Hi. I'm 14 and will be 15 at the end of summer. I have found one animal shelter and one horse barn that I could volunteer at this summer, but am waiting for a response. Other than that, I have no real experience with animals (besides owning two dogs and pet-sitting a few times here and there).

I only know of one place I could shadow at that has an age you must be, but I wouldn't be able to volunteer until junior year because of my age. i was wondering if you knew if vets would even consider allowing a 14 year old to shadow them. Also, what sort of "limitations" do they have as far as showing you things? I mean, let's say an emergency comes in and they have to do surgery. Would they let you watch or send you off with another vet or vet tech?

Thanks.

Krissy Wood said...

Hi jj Bobb, I recently answered your questions on my blog, here is the link and I hope it helps! http://livingmydreamkn.blogspot.com/2013/04/veterinary-expereince-for-high-school.html

Anonymous said...

I am looking to shadow some veterinarians in my town but I don't have any experience. I already got called back from one of the vets I left my resume with and it got me thinking, is there any basic knowledge you recommend I have before shadowing?

Should I research about preventative programs, deworming, spay/neuter info, know medicines that are used often, etc.?

I just don't want to seem overly inexperienced or unprepared.

Thanks!
Priscilla

Krissy Wood said...

Hello Priscilla,

I don't think any research would hurt prior to starting your shadowing experience, but you might know what you should research more of after your first few days shadowing. The realm of veterinary medicine is vast, and really it's impossible to know it all. Enter your shadowing experience with an open mind and see where it takes you. The vet you are shadowing probably expects you have little experience due to the fact that you asked to shadow him/her. Hope that helps! One thing you should know how to do or learn quickly is how to take a heart rate and respiratory rate. Also basic animal handling skills are helpful.