What are some things I should know about working in a veterinary hospital?
Asked by Dani K
So I am starting my first (real) job at a a veterinary hospital as a veterinary assistant. I have always and still do want to become a vet and since I was 5 I've been asking our vet if I could work there. Well, I'm finally old enough and was recently hire as a state-of-the-art animal hospital. It seems really promising and I've worked with animals for years but mostly on farms. Are there any little tib bits I should know about that may help me out my first day (week, month)on the job? Or anything that isn't so obvious but I should be aware about when working there? I really can't screw up working here and I want to do the best I can because I know this will be one of the best things I could put on my college application come next fall when I apply to vet school in the UK. So any extra little tips or thing you guys could let me in on I would more than appreciated it! Thanks all! I'd especailly love to hear from vets or other people who worked or have worked in a vet's office! ^^

Best Answer:
Hi. I'm not 100% sure how to answer your question given that it's so broad, but I'll give it a go. I was a veterinary nurse for a time, and am now only a couple of months off qualifying as a veterinarian. Things will come to you as you spend more time in and around the clinic and get to know where everything is and how the clinic runs, and nobody will expect you to know heaps straight up. Make yourself useful- offer to wipe down the consult table & tidy the consult room for the vet after they've seen an animal. Get one of the experienced nurses to show you how to restrain animals properly so that you can help the vets more easily. It would also be a good idea would be to brush up on the clinic's protocols for basic health care- vaccination, worming, etc., so that you can easily give this information to clients. Other than that...just like any other job, work on your people skills & communication- it's a huge part of being a vet and a lot of prospective vet students seem not to realise that. I hope that helps, and please feel free to email me if you've any more specific questions.
Soon-to-graduate veterinary student
Answered by Loz