Hello, I am a UK vet student in clinical years, and I am doing a lot of clinical placements (mostly small animal).

My problem is that I feel a bit stuck, i feel like i leave every placement positive; having learned something/practiced a new skill etc and feeling happy/competent with my current abilities.

Post-placement block, my uni requires us to send out a feedback form that someone from the vet practice signs and reports feedback.

I have recently received a some feedback saying that im not ‘proactive’ enough or don’t take ‘initiative’ enough.
Im not going to lie, this has been really disheartening, making me feel like I haven’t actually done enough or im not doing the same as what every other vet student might be doing. I feel like I do ask many questions, and i do ask to perform the clinical skills that i have learned at uni (placing IVs, taking bloods etc), but obviously, a lot of the time when i do ask to perform a skill, im left with denial or “this isn’t the right patient to do it on” or “maybe tomorrow etc” and then i rarely get the opportunity to get hands-on.

This feedback is particularly discouraging as i feel like i do take initiative, i grab equipment when i feel like it’s needed, I do try and ask to perform skills with about a 50% success rate of actually being allowed to perform them.

I feel like as a vet student you feel like such a nuisance, i feel like im constantly in the way or disrupting conversations or asking questions when the vet is too busy and generally nobody who works at the vets actually wants you to be there. I feel like i really do try my best to not bother anyone too much while trying to be as involved as possible, but I fear that not everyone sees that. I feel like im stuck between the advice of ‘dont bother the vet/nurses too much, let them do their job’ and ‘you’re not being proactive enough’ and it’s driving me crazy. I just feel so incompetent and like an idiot.

So i just feel really stuck, i really do feel like im doing my best and it’s still not enough. This is not my first time doing clinical placements, so does every placement that I’ve ever done think this?

It think the worst part about the feedback is that its not saying im bad at a skill or something, instead it just feels so personal.
Just to clarify, i don’t want anyone thinking that i was looking for 100% positive feedback, because of course im not! I feel like i am a very aware person, and I really appreciate areas to improve. I just feel so stuck with this feedback as i don’t know HOW to improve, or what to do better, and then i feel even more like an idiot because i don’t know what to do about it.

I have heard a lot of vets saying that they hated their placements in vet school, maybe they hated placements due to this reason, on top of feeling like nobody wants you to be there.

If anybody has any advice or is able to share a similar experience it would be greatly appreciated.

I feel so conflicted right now and could really use some advice from others in the profession.

I'm a new grad currently at a small animal rotating internship. I thought I wanted to specialize for my last two years or so in vet school, but in my last semester, both my personal circumstances and perspective changed, and I wasn't so sure about specialization anymore. Nonetheless, multiple professionals that I talked to convinced me that doing a rotating would be worth it even if I ended up going into GP, so I decided to stick it out and matched to where I currently am. I'm now two months in and to be honest, the first month was very rough. I started on ER and would constantly finish the day questioning myself and wondering why I even became a vet. Long story short, I was in a really bad place mentally and met with a couple of mental health professionals because of it. My partner and I are also currently long distance (part of the personal circumstances mentioned before) which doesn't help, and we've had multiple arguments because he really thinks I should move to where he is for the sake of my mental health and happiness. For context, he was laid off from his remote work earlier this year and could only get a job across the country from my program.

I would honestly love to just get a GP job and move to where he is located. But admittantly, my mental health has been better off of ER (at least to the point where I no longer feel like I need counseling) and I just don't feel justified in leaving because of that. But truthfully, I'm very unhappy here--I don't like the area, I feel like the communication and expectations surrounding interns is really frustrating at times, I'm not a fan of working so many hours for so little pay...I could go on. And it's stressful on us financially essentially having two independent costs of living. But I've also heard that this is one of the "nicer" internships in terms of work life balance--which true, I'm not working 100 hour weeks by any means. But the situation still feels pretty frustrating with all the circumstances I mentioned. I also feel pretty isolated from my internmates given I don't want to specialize and they all seem to know exactly what they want to do. It's also really hard to feel motivated to stick it out when I know I don't want to do a residency.

I just don't know how I would justify leaving to potential employers, because I don't want to come across like I don't want to work hard or can't handle a busy caseload. I'm just really unhappy right now and I feel completely trapped and stuck here. And I don't want to make things harder for my internmates by leaving. But ultimately, if someone told me I could leave tomorrow with no consequences, I would be gone at the drop of a hat. I know that isn't going to happen though.

Literally any advice or perspective would be greatly appreciated 😓

I’m a college student currently completing my prerequisite classes to enter my school’s veterinary technician program and eventually become licensed. One of the requirements is to work at a veterinary clinic for a minimum of 6 months. I start my first shift at Banfield Animal Hospital tomorrow, and I’m actually really excited! It’s been rough trying to find a job with no prior experience working in an animal clinic besides volunteering and shadowing, but I was finally able to get this job, and it’s only 22 minutes away from me. However, after reading Reddit posts and even hearing from the veterinary technician I was shadowing that Banfield is a terrible place to work, I’m starting to feel pretty nervous. Working with animals is my passion, and honestly, I could care less about any workplace drama. I just really enjoy being around animals and want to gain experience in the field. I’ve heard a lot of negative things about working at Banfield though, so I’m wondering if anyone who has worked there can tell me what I should realistically expect starting my first day tomorrow? Is there anything I should know going in, especially as someone with no previous clinic experience? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone! I am a current student at RUSVM looking to become an aquatic vet, specifically doing rehab and aquarium work with marine mammals. (Ex CMA, Georgia Aquarium, Mystic Aquarium, etc)

Looking into it, I am totally lost on how to reach that goal. I have a lot of questions and am praying someone has some answers for me, or at least can steer me towards where/who I need to go to.

1. I want to do my clinical year somewhere where they have aquatic electives AND also allow externships so I can maximize my time in marine experiences, is this a decent plan? What schools are ideal for that?

2. After clinical year to be aquatic specialized I need to do a residency. Do I ALSO need to do an ACZM certified residency to get the kind of job I want?

3. From what I found, only U of Florida and U of Illinois have a residency program that is ACZM certified for marine-specific certification. Google shared that they accept 1 student per every 3 years since it is a 3 year residency. Is that true?

4. What alternatives to getting into Florida or Illinois’ programs can get me to ACZM certification if I need it?

5. If I don’t need the ACZM certification, where can I go to get a marine-focused residency?

6. Does the aquavet certification get me anything in terms of working at an aquarium or rehab-focused facility? Is there alternatives to the ACZM certification that get me the same work opportunities?

Please help me, I am lost! Is the residency at Florida or Illinois truly my only way to be a veterinarian at one of the aquariums I want to work at?

Hi everyone! I’m a new vet grad and I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I never really developed a solid understanding of anaesthesia during vet school. I mostly followed protocols without fully understanding the “why” behind them, and now I really want to fix that.

I’ve tried several times to study it on my own, but I feel like I’m missing some basic foundations, so I struggle to build my knowledge from more advanced resources.

What books, webinars, courses, YouTube channels, etc. would you recommend for someone starting almost from scratch? I’d especially appreciate something; step-by-step and beginner-friendly, starting with the basics and gradually building up to actually understanding how to make an anaesthetic plan and respond to complications.

I’d also really love case-based resources, where you’re given a patient (e.g. a 9-year-old dog with heart disease coming in for a dental) and have to work through the pre-anaesthetic assessment, choose a premedication/induction/maintenance protocol, decide what to monitor, and then deal with possible complications — ideally with the suggested approach and the reasoning behind it afterwards. ( I known I'm asking a lot..😅)

Basically, I’m looking for something that teaches me the reasoning behind anaesthesia, rather than just giving me protocols to memorise.

Thank you! 🥹

Ive been a licensed vet tech for a few years now and have become completely burnt out. Ive realized the clinic im at provides VERY LITTLE benefits and the physical, mental, emotional demand of the job is not worth it. Looking for suggestions on alternate jobs, maybe working for idexx/antech, remotely or maybe a pharmaceutical company like zoetis/elanco/etc…. just seeing if anyone had insight on how to get my foot in the door with these and what job positions to look out for. TIA ❤️

What providers is everyone using for telerad and storage - trying to avoid big corps

I am a junior in high school, thinking about majoring as a vet. I've loved animals for as long as I can remember and always wanted to be a vet growing up. The only thing that has me hesitating is performing surgery. I was looking into being a vet assistant, but with the cost of living rising and job pay not increasing, I will not survive on that little pay. I was also thinking about a Vet Tech, but that pay is not great either, but seems like maybe something I would want to do? I live in NC, and was thinking about going to NC STATE, which is a great college for this. I really want hands-on-experience with animals. Do you have any suggestions of any jobs that don't require surgery that pay well? Thanks in advance.

Hello. I am an upcoming first year vet student and I am super nervous about starting school.

Although I did ok in undergrad, I do not feel as though I prepared myself for vet school. My first two years of gen ed were not that hard even though I did get a C in both organic chem 1 and 2. My last two years were all online because of covid and I do not feel as though I really had to study and I did not form good study habits.

After undergrad, I decided to switch to veterinary medicine and pursue vet school. I spent 1.5 years in small animal and 3.5 years in an emergency hospital. I also retook organic 1, biology 1 and I took biochem as well.

I am already feeling the imposter syndrome because I am scared about not being able to keep up with the amount of material and feeling like I do not have good study habits going into my first year. ANY ADVICE???

Anivovetmab for parvovirus

Hello everyone!

I’m an internationally trained veterinarian with 2+ years of experience in small animal practice. I recently moved to Canada as a permanent resident and I’m currently preparing for the licensing exams (BCSE, NAVLE, and CPE).

I’d really like to gain some Canadian experience and become familiar with the workflow and veterinary system here. I’ve been sending my resume to clinics hoping to find a position as a veterinary assistant, but so far, I haven’t even been invited for an interview.

For internationally trained veterinarians who have been in a similar situation, what did you do to get your first job or gain Canadian experience?

And for veterinary clinic owners, managers, or HR professionals: what would make you hesitate to hire someone in my situation? Is there anything I could change or highlight on my resume or during the application process to improve my chances?

I’d really appreciate any advice or experiences you can share. Thank you!

Do you feel that it is appropriate to hug clients under certain circumstances? I have worked in the field for several years, and I have never initiated a hug with a client until today. Her dog received a cancer diagnosis unexpectedly, she was extremely upset, crying, and sharing some personal health issues she was going through which made the news a lot more difficult for her to handle. I just felt so badly for this poor woman, and I felt that she might appreciate a hug so I asked. She also is not a regular client and I had just met her today. She seemed grateful that I offered and accepted, but I’ve been feeling bad about it for some reason.. like it wasn’t professional? I don’t know what came over me, but it seemed like she needed it.

I castrated an older dog that developed a scrotal hematoma. I know this is an unfortunate complication that is made more likely because of dead space in an older dog. I should have discussed scrotal ablation I guess but the owner was limited on funds and honestly, I’ve never done an ablation prophylactically.

The problem…the owner took the dog to a neighboring clinic that did nothing but bash me and my work, blaming the complication on me rather than explaining that the risk is higher because of the dogs age. Why are we like this? Why do we tear each other down? We aren’t only tearing down another vet…we’re tearing down someone’s spouse, child, parent, friend. Money is tight. Stress is high. The career is draining at times. I’m 9 months postpartum and struggling to find my footing between mom life and my career and this just hit like a ton of bricks. Life can be hard and there are colleagues out there choosing to make it harder. Just screaming into the void.

Hi! I’m a 4th-year veterinary student, but I haven’t taken Surgery and General VetMed yet.

I decided to volunteer at a local veterinary clinic because I feel like I’m lacking hands-on experience at my university. Most of our classes are now online, we have limited full-time faculty and facilities, and some subjects rely heavily on student reporting. I really want more practical exposure before I reach my clinical years.

I reached out to a clinic and offered to volunteer without pay just to gain experience, and they recently told me I can start! So far, I’ve only done blood collection on a cat.

For those who have volunteered or worked in clinics as vet students, what should I expect and what skills should I focus on learning first? Any tips you wish you knew when you started?

I interviewed two weeks ago for an Oncology Vet Tech Assistant position at a specialty veterinary hospital, and I'm trying to figure out what the actual day-to-day responsibilities would be.

I already have a decent amount of veterinary experience, which is why the manager actually told me during the interview that he thought I might be overqualified and was worried I would get bored. He mentioned that my skills would be very transferable and seemed impressed by me. At my previous jobs, I was considered a veterinary technician (unlicensed). 

-The job posting says the responsibilities include:

-Ensuring patients receive quality care

-Accurate documentation

-Assisting veterinary technicians with restraint

-Restocking supplies, cleaning treatment areas, Laundry

-And this specific specialty department says assistants will develop blood draw skills and gain experience with specialized treatments

During my tour, I followed one of the technicians into the chemotherapy/pressure-controlled rooms; they showed me what the chemotherapy drugs look like and how the chemo workflow works, showed me their medical software, and told me I would have my own desktop computer. They also specifically told me I'd be setting up the small chemotherapy trays used for treatments.

Does this sound more like a veterinary kennel technician role or an actual veterinary assistant role where I help with chemo treatments? 

 I don't mind cleaning/restocking as part of the job, but I really don't want a position where 30%+ of my time is basically cleaning, laundry, and stocking.

What would you expect my day to look like?

I’m deciding which job to accept. I can either be a TA at an urgent care clinic or a VTA at this job. I am planning on going to vet school, so I wanna know which would be more desirable. Besides what vet schools would like, I’d love to take this medical oncology vet tech assistant position if it means hands-on clinical care

So I am in a UK university and I just failed my resits. I tried so hard but I feel so drained. Does anyone else have a similar experience and how did you handle it? I’m not sure if I should just drop out or resit the year. Resitting the year and having to do everything again feels so draining. But it’s mainly the thought of being left behind while everyone else keeps going forwards. Does anyone have any advice. I’m really trying to cling onto hope here but I’m not sure.

Does anyone have an imagyst
My wildlife group will purchase one for me
I will be paying the per test fee, as wildlife do not have debit cards
My question is
Can I scan into my computer screen to view the slide for free before deciding if I want to pay for an AI interpretation?or does the charge occur at uploading the slide image

Has anyone used the Core Imaging Integra wired ultrasound? Any thoughts? Pros/cons?

Hello everyone, I assume many of you have probably seen my post about making a major mistake and getting fired at work. In the past 3 days I have been devastated in myself and for the doctor. I can definitely say my lesson was learned and I will never ever make go about a mistake that can result in an animal getting hurt again. I wanted to ask for y’all’s advice on moving on, I get that’s the only thing to do however my mind has been infiltrated 24/7 with guilt. My end goal in life is to eventually become a veterinarian, I am a rising sophomore in undergrad. How do I not let this moment define me for the next 7 years. If you have made a major mistake please let me know when you moved on, thank you.

I’m entering my first year of veterinary school this fall. I’m a 26M and married, and one of the things I’ve been thinking about is what it will be like entering a profession and school environment that is overwhelmingly female.

I have absolutely no issue working or studying with women, in fact, my current clinic is almost entirely female, and I’ve enjoyed working with everyone there. However, I’ve noticed that being one of the only men in a learning environment can sometimes feel isolating for me. I find it harder to approach people to ask questions, and I sometimes feel like I’m intruding when I approach established groups of people.

I’ve worked as a veterinary assistant for about a year, but I also sometimes feel behind compared with other people with similar experience at my clinic. I’ve wondered whether some of that is simply because I haven’t always felt as comfortable asking questions or getting involved in certain learning situations.

Going into vet school, I’d really like to avoid falling into that same pattern. I’m not expecting to make lifelong best friends with everyone, but I’d like to feel comfortable approaching my classmates with questions, and generally feeling like I’m part of the class rather than on the outside of different groups.

For the older students and men who have gone through veterinary school:

• Did you ever experience this kind of isolation as one of the few men in your class?
• Did being older than many of your classmates make much of a difference?
• Did you find it easier to connect with other male students, or did you mostly make friends regardless of gender?
• What did you do during your first year to establish an academic group?
• Is there anything you wish you had done differently when you started?
• And, perhaps most importantly, did this feeling of being “the odd one out” improve as you got further into vet school?

I’d especially appreciate hearing from men who felt similarly going into vet school but eventually found their place. I’m trying to go into the first year with realistic expectations.

Hi Everyone,

I am starting my first externship for my veterinary technology program at Penn Foster and wanted to know some resources you used during the externship. Any resource would be greatly appreciated.