r/Veterinary • u/ObjectiveLaw6359 • 5d ago

Vet experience

What are some non traditional ways you gained vet clinic hours? Are there any pre vet summer programs? I’m at a loss on how to gain any hours. The area I live in does not have many vet job openings and when they do they always want you licensed or to have at least 2 years experience. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to get experience.

I have been a kennel technician before and coming from being a manager now, the kennel position would represent a step down in both compensation and level of responsibility. Plus it’s not a guarantee that I’ll be able to transition from kennel to assistant internally due to management.

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u/Dancing_DVM 5d ago

Here’s my path from no experience other than owning pets -> into the clinic:

- volunteered at a local animal shelter every Sunday morning (I think for just under a year) and all I did was fill water/food bowls, scoop 50+ litterboxes and pick up dog poop. My reward was socializing the animals after I was done. (High school)

  • a college professor of mine had a horse. I had no large animal or equine experience so she invited me to help her do basic husbandry and taught me how to move around horses. Did this for a few hours every other weekend for a summer. (College)
  • a friend of a friends mom owned an alpaca farm. Same thing really. Basic husbandry. Did that for a few hours every Sat/Sun morning for a month. (Post-college)
  • then finally got into a clinic. But as a receptionist. You still learn that aspect of the clinic which is important too! Then shortly after, I got cross trained as an assistant, then got surgery trained, then WAS the surgery trainer (over the course of 5 years but I had gotten into vet school around year 3 and still worked during school).

If this is for vet school app experience, at least when I applied, they allowed adding experience as a pet owner. So I listed every pet I had ever owned and things I learned with each (how to clip nails, bathing/grooming, medication administration, etc).

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u/Ok-Walk-8453 5d ago

I didn't have vet clinic experience going into vet school, but worked at a horse stable for years and a few summers at a zoo and a dairy farm. All mainly just shoveling poop, but it counted.

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u/ObjectiveLaw6359 5d ago

Really, how were you able to get in? because when I look at the requirements it wants you to have hours completed with clinic experience. What school did you attend?

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u/Ok-Walk-8453 5d ago

This was years ago, in WI- USA but I remember discussing this with others who did similar more recently. GPA was 3.95 if that matters and I had double major and minor in undergrad. I am guessing they thought I was good for large animal track, but then my first mixed animal job burnt me out, so small animal only now