why I work while in veterinary school, and how I do it
Some people say I'm crazy; I say I'm passionate. But honestly, I'm a lil both.
Anyways, if you know anything about me, you probably know I am a bit of a workaholic. I have been working as a vet assistant and tech for a LOT of (my 24) years on this planet. Pretty much for the majority of my life. Being that my mom worked in a small animal practice, I grew up getting experiences in vet med and I haven’t been able to stay away from clinics and teching since. Less than a month into my first year of vet school I applied for a job. As if I wasn’t already over my head and stressed?
But, I had worked in vet clinics (both small animal ER and GP) throughout my whole undergraduate degree and both mentally and financially I felt I had to work if I was able to during vet school. So, I applied and was hired an overnight (graveyard) Internal Medicine tech at a IM/ Surgery Specialty hospital. So, for my first two years of vet school I worked Friday nights as an ER and in house IM tech. I had school from either 8am or 10am until 3pm; I went home to take a quick 20-30 min power nap before making dinner and exercising myself and my dogs, then I headed out to work by 6 or 7pm, depending on my shift. I worked then until between 6-8am every Saturday morning and would then head home to sleep until usually about 1-2pm. Then, I would study and spend time with my pets and boyfriend the rest of the weekend only to go back to school and studying again on Monday to have the cycle repeat. For me, it became routine, and comforting and honestly I was usually excited to go into work on Fridays, even with the lack of sleep.
Working the past two and a half years has taught me so many things that vet school has not. Not only has working taught me new skills, but I have been able to strengthen and practice wide variety of other tasks. I use my job and my teching to make myself a better vet student, and to (HOPEFULLY) make myself a better doctor. Every time I give a patient a medication, or even change a fluid rate, I FORCE MYSELF (even when I am exhausted, over it, etc) to recite in my head or out loud (to my very forgiving and supportive co-workers– shoutout to my overnight crew!) WHY I was doing it, the mechanism/ pathophysiology behind it, the side effects, and ANY other facts or knowledge I needed to know as a future doctor. I fully believe that this has helped not only my grades and tech skills, but it has helped me remember SO much information WAY more efficiently than I would have if I were reading or listening to a lecture. At work I ALWAYS ask questions and look things up if I don’t know or am confused. I always keep Plumb’s within an arms distance!!
I have had to adapt and be flexible with my schedule since working but I think it has forced me to grow A LOT more than I thought. I have learned to be more focused at one task at a time when needed (like if I am studying and need to focus), but also how to successfully multitask (lol like bottle feeding a puppy or slow giving meds while typing discharges or reading school notes) in certain situations. When I am on shift, I try my HARDEST to be ONE HUNDRED PERCENT PRESENT (mostly talking about mentally…even when I have been awake for 24 hours straight). This is never easy for me with my ADHD because my brain tends so move a million miles a minuet but I try to slow down and focus.
I LOVE emergency medicine and working has only solidified that passion for me. Being in a specialty and referral hospital has showed me new sides of medicine as well as I have had the opportunity to perform and watch a lot of specialty procedures/surgeries as well as diagnostics (such as GI scopes, rhinoscopies, fluoroscopy studies, and countless of full abdominal ultrasounds by boarded internists and critialists).
During summers I work full time as well, and for those wondering, yes as of right now I am still working during my third year. At WesternU we start clinical rotations our 3rd year, but I scheduled my rotations so that I had my “on campus/virtual” public/global health rotation for the first 8 weeks so I could still work before my schedule got too crazy. I am not sure what I will do once I start having even weirder hours in clinics for school, but I plan on most likely cutting way back or resigning very soon (sad face).
ANYWAYS, I have compiled a list of tips for anyone trying to mange too many things in their life (so like all of us right?) that have been helpful for me!
~Some tips for how to handle working and/or having extracurriculars while in vet school~
- PLAN
- Have a calendar (shout out to @dogtorsoph’s downloadable one! HIGHLY recommend)
- TIME MANAGEMENT is super important because there are a set number of hours in the day, and sometimes it seems impossible to get everything done while staying sane and healthy
- IT’S OK TO MAKE SACRIFICES
- I make a sacrifice of my time on weekends, to work
- But I also sometimes have to sacrifice my studying to work, or visa versa
- Do not let other people tell you what you can and cannot do!
- I make a sacrifice of my time on weekends, to work
- IT’S OK TO SAY NO
- I have to remind myself of this all the time. Saying no is one of the hardest thing for me to do. I am a people pleaser and I want to help others, but when I am sacrificing my own mental and physical health, it is important to prioritize, and it is OKAY to say NO. I think a lot of us have a hard time with this, but saying no does not make you weak!
- PRIORITIZE
- Make sure you have priorities and try to not make sacrifices that negatively affect things that are of a high priority to you
- As I said, I make a sacrifice of my time on weekends, to work, and for me that is okay because I love my job
- However, I also have to prioritize my own health and be able to say “no” to things to rest, or spend time with my loved ones
My mom has always told me, “if you want something done, ask a busy person. Someone with nothing to do will procrastinate and might not get it done, but the busy person knows how to time manage, and prioritize”. I often remember this saying because for me, when I have a schedule and am basically forced to be smart about my time management, I am exponentially more productive and organized. I kinda like keeping busy. That being said, I do truly value those days spent in bed eating ice cream and watching tv; we all need time for ourselves and time to decompress and rejuvenate, me including. I DO NOT have everything together, nor do I claim to be all that organized and smart with my time (lol), but it is something that I strive to be better at every single day.
I know for some people working may not be an option during vet school, and that is okay, but I am a FIRM believer that anyone who wants to be a vet or even work in the animal industry, should spend some time on the clinic floor as an assistant/tech. I have met some amazing and lifelong friends while working too!
I love vet med And being in it for years and being in different parts of it having different jobs in it has taught me, I think, one of the most important thing for my future career -- what kind of DOCTOR I DO WANT to be and what kind of doctor I DO NOT WANT to be.
I have SO many cool stories about my years working and am HAPPY to talk more about it or answer any questions, so don’t hesitate to reach out!!
