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Pet Forum / Miscellaneous / Animal Health / September 2006Tips on Volunteering?
So... I'm trying to get in to vet school. One of the requirements for my application is that I have 'significant animal experience', which essentially means spending some time working/volunteering for a vet (most likely volunteering). I definitely think its a great idea for a requirement, and I've been trying to fulfill it. So far I've had next to no luck finding someone who will take me on as a volunteer. Its pretty depressing really. I go in, essentially ask to be their slave and they say nope, you aren't good enough to hang around here. I must be doing something wrong, and its getting harder and harder to keep asking. (So far I've spent a few months helping out in the surgery at the local shelter, and some time with a local equine vet, definitely need to get some more time in...) Dale "Dale Atkin" <> wrote in message > So...> I'm trying to get in to vet school. One of the requirements for my > application is that I have 'significant animal experience', which > essentially means spending some time working/volunteering for a vet (most > likely volunteering). I definitely think its a great idea for a > requirement, > and I've been trying to fulfill it. Do you have any wildlife rehabilitation centers nearby? They always seem to be looking for volunteers and you get lots of animal experience even if you are only cleaning their cages. Sue Minocqua, WI Yamaha '00 VStar 650 '04 TW200 (mud = fun) Kawasaki '95 Vulcan 1500 V#15937 Never trade the thrills of living for the security of existence. > Do you have any wildlife rehabilitation centers nearby? They always seem > to be looking for volunteers and you get lots of animal experience even if > you are only cleaning their cages. Mostly, I think they want you to have experience directly with a vet, not sure how much I could get at a wildlife rehabilitation centre. On the plus side, after I made that last post, I went out and toured some vets offices again, and one of them was more than happy to take me as a volunteer (others never even got back to me :( ) Dale > I'm trying to get in to vet school. One of the requirements for my > application is that I have 'significant animal experience', which > essentially means spending some time working/volunteering for a vet (most > likely volunteering). I definitely think its a great idea for a > requirement, and I've been trying to fulfill it. I can't speak for other practices, but our insurance carrier has a cow if we have someone hanging out who does not go through our rigorous safety training and certainly not covered by our Workman's Compensation. For that you have to be an employee. Hiring and training someone just so they can get experience is quite an investment with little return and can shake up a well greased staff. That said... We do regularly have interns from undergraduate schools. One we hired this year upon her graduation from vet school. Another just started her first year. The crux of this is that the college's insurance covers the student. So I would start with your current school. And when you do get approval to complete intern hours, do more than one practice, preferably a varied experience (ie: one small animal & exotics, the other large animal). Humane societies may take volunteers as workers. Wherever you do it, make sure you work with someone who is willing to take the time to evaluate your experience and write a recommendation. -Sharon >> I'm trying to get in to vet school. One of the requirements for my >> application is that I have 'significant animal experience', which [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > training and certainly not covered by our Workman's Compensation. For that > you have to be an employee. I don't know what the insurance situation is around here. I'd imagine I'll have to sign some kind of waiver before they'll let me hang around. I do know though that it is required experience for every prospective vet student around here, and pretty much every vet around here graduated from the same place (Western College of Veterinary Medicine), and had to go through the same stage themselves at some point... > Hiring and training someone just so they can get experience is quite an > investment with little return and can shake up a well greased staff. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > started her first year. The crux of this is that the college's insurance > covers the student. So I would start with your current school. The local school (Calgary) doesn't actually have a vet program. There are one 5 vet schools in Canada, and only one that takes any significant number of applicants from where I am, and they are in Saskatoon. So not a lot of chance through my local university (Saskatoon wants you to have the experience before you show up to the pre-admission interview) > Humane societies may take volunteers as workers. Wherever you do it, make > sure you work with someone who is willing to take the time to evaluate > your experience and write a recommendation. Yep I've volunteered for both of the local humane societies (Calgary and Cochrane). I get the impression though after talking with the university, that that really isn't the kind of experience they are looking for. For Cochrane I mostly walked the dogs, and cleaned their cages (no interaction with a vet at all). My Calgary experience was a little better, but things were way too busy there for me to actually watch anything interesting, or to really talk with any of the vets (I was there 3 hours a week for about 4 months, then they moved, and are now too far away from where I live...). Every day I was there, I think they went through about 15 or so spay/neuter operations (and that doesn't include the cat neuters), so it was pretty 'assembly line' type work there. On the plus side, after I wrote my initial post, and got my frustrations out of my system, I went and toured the vets in Cochrane, and managed to find one that was very happy to have me as a volunteer. They are a little out of the way for me, but it should work out pretty well. Dale > The local school (Calgary) doesn't actually have a vet program. There are > one 5 vet schools in Canada, and only one that takes any significant > number of applicants from where I am, I meant undergraduate. I assumed you were still in your undergraduate program when I read your post. Our new vet interned in her freshamn year as an undergraduate, and our current employee interned as a junior. She just started vet school. We get a few inquiries each year from undergraduates looking to intern with us. If we have a spot available and staff with time to adequately take care of them and guide them, then we'll host them, provided they come with coverage from their college. >> The local school (Calgary) doesn't actually have a vet program. There are >> one 5 vet schools in Canada, and only one that takes any significant [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > as an undergraduate, and our current employee interned as a junior. She > just started vet school. As far as I know, there is nothing offered by my current school that is appropriate. Thanks for the advice though. Dale > As far as I know, there is nothing offered by my current school that is > appropriate. Thanks for the advice though. Sometimes it's not in a course catalog. Ask an advisor. In any event - best of luck. |
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