My Pre-Vet Story :)

Hi! My name is Julia and I'm an aspiring veterinarian. I hope to work with either aquatic animals like turtles and otters or with small animals like dogs and cats!

I believe working with veterinarians allows you to develop skills that you wouldn't in a classroom. At my clinic, I've learned how to draw up vaccines, place IV catheters, and clean out infected ears. These skills look amazing on a resume when I'm applying for other pre-veterinary experiences. It's also important to sit in on talks with owners and see how veterinarians deliver good and bad news, and also educate owners on what steps to take next. I feel like there's a misconception that the veterinary field is for those who hate working with people, but having good people skills is actually critical. The vet, vet techs, assistants, and the owner all have to communicate and work together to get an animal healthy again.

My favorite experience so far has been working at a doggy day care, which is also what I'd recommend for a first time experience. As long as your passionate about animals and like playing with dogs, it's easy to get a job with no experience. Being a kennel attendant at a day care can be stressful at times, but also very rewarding. Once the dogs warm up to you, it's so nice coming into work just to see how excited they get over seeing you. I also feel as though it's a good environment to get acclimated to the sometimes chaotic nature of animals.