The tradition of New Year’s resolutions often extends to finding or changing a job. Read on if veterinary science appeals to you as a career.
Our veterinary hospital commonly hosts students from veterinary schools throughout the world. These are senior students taking time off from their clinical rotation in order to get experience in private practice. Since Long Beach Animal Hospital has a heavy caseload, they are able to augment their university education and gain confidence before they graduate.
Visiting veterinary students learn how to work with clients and staff, assist our doctors with cases, and lend a hand in surgery. Their day starts at 8AM when they’re required to review records on cases from the previous day and report their findings. Morning rounds give the students practical education in medicine and diseases in animals.
After rounds, students review the records of the pets that are in the hospital, perform exams on them, and make a treatment plan for the day. Once this is done, they accompany a doctor in exam rooms for the remainder of the morning. If there’s a surgery, they get to scrub in and help.
Before the morning is over, the students examine currently residing wild animals as well as those just brought in to our Wildlife Program. Once that is complete, it’s time for lunch after a busy morning.
This is Marie, our latest student, working with wildlife. Marie is from North Carolina State University.
Since we’re open until midnight, the students sometimes come in for the evening shift. And when I’m out of town, they’re not off the hook for morning rounds. I teleconference with them as they go over cases.
Before the students leave for the day, they email me a daily diary of what they learned. I then modify and post it on the Long Beach Animal Hospital Facebook page. You can follow our students as they learn by clicking here.
At the end of one to two months with us, we grade the students and give their professors feedback. This is a rewarding program for both parties as we impart our knowledge to the new generation of veterinarians.