Working in the veterinary field takes a special kind, you need to be both a people and an animal person. You need to adapt quickly to situations, be aware of the needs of those around you, be positive, and know that some days you are going to get messy with all various kinds of biologicals (urine, poop, blood, and saliva). You may even be poking around in them! It helps to be curious, interested, organized and even a little bit odd. Most of all you need to enjoy the animals and the beautiful people that come with them.
Some of us have been here for years and some are just starting out, but we all do it because we love it. We deal with happy times: new pets, new people, new medications that can change things for the better. We deal with sad times: pets being sick, being unable to help some situations, passing away. You are often one of the first people who see someone’s new fur-baby and very likely one of the last. It makes for an up and down sort of time!
A veterinary clinic is an odd combination of mostly medical, with a little bit of retail thrown in. Because of this, we do get some additional complications sometimes with that as well.
To be good in the veterinary industry, you need to enjoy every aspect of the job. The other staff (really important as you send a lot of time together, often in stressful times), the clients (as you build a bond with them well beyond their pets) and finally with the wonderful pets that they come in to see you with.
If it is right for you, then it is a wonderful and full-filling place to be that often doesn’t feel like a job it feels like an extension of your family.
Written by Lisa Clifford, RVT & Office Manager
