(Side Note: How do I look in scrubs? Like a natural?)
Whenever starting a new job, there is always an adjustment period. First comes to training and getting to know all your coworkers. The interesting bit about my new job in the adjustment period is getting to know a staff that has all worked together for 10 years. This was actually one thing about the office that spoke to me in my interview, because usually people only stick by someone for that long if they love their job. The other adjustment has been having such a small number of staff. Some may say this can be a negative thing, but I think it works to make everyone feel NECESSARY to the team effort. The staff truly feels like family, which is so important when working with animals. When there is tension or upset, animals sense our emotions. If the staff felt this way, the animals would never cooperate with treatments.
My job title is Veterinary Technician Assistant. What is involved you ask? Well, a LOT of cleaning. A LOT A LOT A LOT of cleaning...cleaning dirty kennel runs, laundry, dishes, picking up poop, mopping, sanitizing surgical instruments, litter boxes, you name it...I do it. Most people would most likely hate doing these duties. But all that cleaning and busy work has proven to be a learning experience for me. A veterinarian at Gumbo Limbo once explained to all the interns that if the patient is not provided with the basic animal husbandry, no treatment given will be effective. Therefore, my cleaning serves a MAJOR purpose to the office running effectively. How can you expect a patient to get well in an unsanitary environment? And how can the rest of the office be expected to provide 100% excellent treatment if they are constantly having to worry about the other chores needing to be done? My eyes have been opened to what it TRULY takes to run an animal clinic. Besides it being a business and having to deal with finances and paperwork, you truly have to be able to do it ALL.
Even though I do a great amount of cleaning, I have also learned in my first month that the quicker you finish your chores, the sooner you get to hang out in the treatment room. And let me tell you...all that cleaning is SO worth getting to stand in on surgeries that are rare and even surgeries that are routine. By proving my capability, I have also been given duties to help prep a patient for anesthesia for surgery as well as help take radiographs. I have learned how to properly handle an animal. And the best perk of all is I am getting all the necessary veterinary hours for my upcoming vet school applications...and getting paid to do so. But beyond all those perks, the most important perk is that for once I am HAPPY and feel I am in the right place. Every pre-vet student at some point or another has to clean kennels and do the grunt work, but how else are you supposed to work your way to the top? I feel challenged. Every day is both a challenge and a surprise...a challenge that I may be asked to try something new and a surprise because of the excitement that can come along with that. And this happiness only proves to me that regardless of how everyone else feels, if you stick up for what you think is best for you, everyone that loves you will follow your path.
Lesson for the day: Do what you love and forget about all the rest. If it makes you happy, do it. You only live once.
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