A normal day depends on the area that I am in.  However, I have spent most of my time in the surgery area, so I typically arrive at 8:50/9:00 and then help sort pharmaceuticals, and needles, and determine in what order patients should be done.  Once we start around 10:00, we are consistently moving through patients until we don’t have anymore.  This typically lasts until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. 

 My tasks include pre-and post-surgical procedures, alongside watching and assisting the veterinarians during surgery.  After spays and neuters are done, we will typically move on to the larger, more complicated surgeries, such as mass removals, orthopedic surgeries, or unique surgeries. 

I am responsible for helping the veterinarians and learning.  My favorite area was surgery, where I administered anesthesia to the animals, placed the endotracheal tube, and sterilized the area that would be cut open. 

 After surgery, I would help wake the animals up, clean up the blood, sanitize the area, and administer injections for pain and inflammation.  In consults, I would help handle the patients, assist in giving injections, taking temperatures, taking notes, and cleaning.  In hospice, I would help with giving food and water, cleaning cages, and administering medication at the proper times. 

The most helpful thing was being able to do procedures by myself, regardless of how extensive it was.  It boosted my confidence in how I did the procedures, and it helped me learn more than just taking notes. Hands-on experience is what they gave me, and that helped me most of all.

Although I only worked here for a month, I was able to do a lot of cool things.  On my last day in surgery, we had to euthanize a dog, and I was able to use the cadaver to practice surgical skills, including an entire spay.

I was incredibly unsure at the beginning, but as I’ve progressed, I have genuinely grown to love it here.  It has made me more observant and curious about veterinary medicine in general.

I would recommend this program because it gave me opportunities to practice things that I wouldn’t get a chance to practice in the United States, and all the doctors are willing to teach you anything you want to know. 

I promise you; it gets better.  The first week I was not happy here at all, but now that I’m doing what I love and feel accepted, I don’t want to leave.

Go out and enjoy the culture.  Don’t be afraid to ask if you want to do something.  There are people who WILL make it happen.