Anonymous Answer

I have had experience with two separate equine veterinarians. One of the practices focused on breeding, and the other focused on sports medicine. I was able to assist in some surgeries as well, such as castrations and orthopedic surgeries. I was fascinated by the operations, and I tried to learn each procedure and asked questions to get a better understanding. I found myself to be comfortable with the gross aspects of surgery, and that would be a specialty I would consider.

Anonymous Answer

I have had a variety of experiences including the time I spent at small animal vets, safari parks, a poultry business, a dairy farm, and a horse livery. My most enjoyable experience was at the safari park because I have considered the possibility of becoming a zoo veterinarian. I was lucky enough to get close-up encounters with many different species, including endangered ones. I was able to observe vet training sessions, and I also learned the importance of animal breeding and conservation. I witnessed how the keepers and vets really bonded with each animal and the idea of playing a part in protecting vulnerable and endangered species that would not normally get veterinary care is very rewarding.

Anonymous Answer

A particularly rewarding experience for me was in a small animal vet clinic where there was a wall of thank you cards thanking the vets for dedicating their time and effort to not only improving the animal's lives but their owner's lives also. To me, this highlighted what a fulfilling profession veterinary medicine is, and that I want to dedicate the rest of my life to protecting the human-animal bond.

Anonymous Answer

I have had the opportunity to shadow and work for a few different veterinarians. This allowed me to gain experience in a small animal, large animal, and mixed clinic. Through these experiences, I was able to assist with several procedures, including ACL repairs, enucleation surgeries, cesarian sections, and blood draws on both large and small animals. Through these experiences, I have learned how to do a thorough physical exam and a bit about how to do different procedures. What I most enjoyed was working with farm animals and dealing with their unpredictable behaviors in a setting outside a clinic.

Anonymous Answer

My father opened an animal hospital a year before I was born. This gave me a lot of insight into how a veterinary clinic is run and what it takes behind the scenes. I have seen my dad break down crying when I was just 8 during the financial crisis because we believed our family's business would go under. Since then, I have seen and participated in making decisions involving hiring, hospital policies, and employee training. I have greatly enjoyed seeing the growth of my family's hospital. It started with just my dad and one other veterinarian on staff, and they now employ nearly 50 veterinary assistants and five veterinarians. It has grown from helping 4 or 5 patients a day to helping nearly 25 a day. This is so astounding to me, and I hope to continue helping the community through this business.

Anonymous Answer

I have completed 2 weeks of work experience in a veterinary clinic and 1-week work experience on a farm. In my work experience in a clinic, I learned about the different skills that are needed in a veterinary career such as communication, leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork. I witnessed the importance of communication as the vet had to speak to a variety of different owners in order to make sure the follow-up treatment is carried out correctly to optimize the health of the pet. Additionally, communication between the vet and vet nurse is extremely important, to make sure that tasks are completed correctly, especially in operations. I watched one operation where the cat became unstable as the tail started to move, the operation had to immediately stop and the vet and vet nurse had to use communication skills in order to make the decision on what to do, also showing the need for decision-making skills. When I was at the farm, I got an understanding of the efficiency needed when treating animals and the problem-solving skills needed as I had to help the farm assistant to treat chicken with scaley feet mites and to ensure that none of the chickens were treated twice she had to use problem solving skills and teamwork to treat them as quickly as possible.

Anonymous Answer

I have work experience with a large animal vet, I assisted in castrating an alpaca and he let me take the fighting teeth out using a cheese wire. I also helped with vaccinations of lambs, reindeer and he allowed me to vaccinate one of the alpacas myself. I think my favorite part was removing the fighting teeth from the alpaca as this was interesting, I felt proud of myself for doing it and I knew it was something that would make the owner feel more comfortable.