Life on the Wild Side
A new grad trying to figure out life after school. |
As application season gets into full swing, I often get asked "What do you think made you stand out as an applicant?" or "Why do you think you got into veterinary school?" Honestly, I don't really remember what my application looked like anymore. Getting into veterinary school is hard, but it's not the hardest part. Succeeding in veterinary school is harder. As I finish up my first month in the clinics though, I've begun to realize, no matter how unique your application is, there are certain traits about veterinary students that help them succeed. All veterinary students have them, and if you have them, you're well on your way to vet school success. What are these traits you ask? There are the basics that anyone would probably guess: you like animals, you're intelligent, you're driven. These are extremely important, and they'll serve you well through your first three years. When you get into clinics and into the "real world" you need more. Here are the top 5 things I've found to be useful in my first month of clinical rotations: 1. Team mentality. Sometimes you're swamped and you need help. Sometimes your classmate is swamped and they need help. Instead of letting each other drown, because their problems aren't your problems, helping others out means that they'll (hopefully) return the favor. Having a team mentality in clinics (and veterinary school, and the professional world) is the number one way to succeed. Unlike in undergrad, the people you work with in veterinary school are not your competition, they're your future colleagues. The sooner you realize that everyone is here to help each other, the easier school will be. 2. Responsibility. A few days ago, a classmate asked me to help her out by copying treatment sheets for her. Of course I helped out. When I was done, she asked if she could double check my work. At first I was a little peeved--did she think I couldn't copy a sheet of paper correctly? But then I realized, she was taking responsibility for her own patients. If something had gone wrong, it would have been her fault. Taking responsibility for your patients and knowing what is going on with them is crucial, especially in a hospital with many people working on many patients. 3. Ask Questions. All throughout my schooling, it's been difficult for me to ask for help when I don't understand something. I grew up with the idea that asking for help was a sign of weakness or lesser intelligence. However, in veterinary school, there is so much information that you aren't expected to be an expert in every species and every disease process. Asking questions is a sign that you're thinking about the material and that you're engaged. I learn so much more when I ask questions, because even if the response is "Look it up in this book and let me know what you find," I'll then be able to engage in a conversation about the topic, rather than internalizing it and potentially never finding out the answer. 4. Time Management. You have three appointments for the day, which are expected to last multiple hours each. All are going to need multiple diagnostic tests, discussions with owners and clinicians, and treatments performed. All need records written. How do you do all that and still make it home before dark to walk your dogs and cook dinner? From experience, it's not always possible. Sometimes the dogs go without their evening walk. But the key here is managing your time appropriately. While you're waiting for blood work results, start typing records. Make the most of the time when you're sitting. And write everything down, so when you do have time to write records, you remember how busy of a day you've had! 5. Have fun! Clinics can be stressful. Your patients may pass away. But every client poses a different opportunity to learn, and learning is fun! Find the humor in every situation and the silver lining around every gray cloud. Maintaining a positive attitude is the number one way to get through each day and make the clinic experience more enjoyable, both for you and everyone else on your service. Never lose your passion and love for helping animals! Most veterinary students I know try their best to exhibit these traits, though they may exhibit them in different ways. It's true what they say about the types of people in a profession: birds of a feather flock together!
1 Comment
1/29/2019 04:39:10 am
This entire story is about the meeting. I think the meeting is the first or real things for the activity. Your degree does not make a difference but rather your general learning matter for the meeting. This story has loads of things which I gain from it.
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AuthorKatie is rotating intern at Atlantic Veterinary College in Canada. She graduated from veterinary school at UC Davis in 2018. Archives
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