What to Expect: Volunteering at a High Volume Spay/Neuter Clinic

A wonderful question from a blog reader: 

There will be a spay/neuter clinic at the MSPCA next week that myself and some members of the pre-vet club I'm in will be attending. I've never volunteered at one of these before, but I'm excited to get involved! I know you participate in these clinics a lot, so I was wondering if you had any advice on how to prepare, what to bring, how to really get involved, etc?

And you are right, it is kinda tough your first time when you don't know what to expect! I'm sure you know, but wear scrubs, you'll probably get dirty! Things I would bring: pens (2-3), watch with a second hand for monitoring respiratory/heart rates, a stethoscope (only if you have it) if not I'm sure they will have plenty there. Bring a snack/plenty of water, these things usually provide volunteers with something, but I never rely on that just in case I bring something like a granola bar.  

As far as what to do at the clinic, first I would remember to take initiative, people will be busy and can't always give you a job, for example if you see something that could be cleaned, go ahead and do it, they will REALLY appreciate it. Try to avoid standing around if you can, get your hands dirty and ask questions. Ask if there is anything they need help with. There are many different positions they might put you guys in. Like sugery prep, monitoring during anestesia during surgery, monitoring recovery, etc. The thing to remember is that they will teach you everything you need to know to help them, they do this a lot with new volunteers. Another big thing is if you have a question, don't be afraid to ask, there are NO stupid questions especially when it comes to your and the animal's safety. 

The experience is what you make out of it! Take initiative to help/ask questions and you will learn a LOT! That's all I can think of right now, also document the volunteer hours as Veterinary hours for your vet school application! If you get a chance, introduce yourself to the vets who are volunteering at the event (obviously when they aren't busy) and thank them for their time, then tell them you are a pre-vet and see what they say, a lot of them love to talk about their pathway to veterinary school which is very helpful information first hand from someone who did it! 

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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

A cute story about wanting to become a veterinarian...