VOLUNTEER INFORMATION:
VETERINARY / VETERINARY TECHNICIAN STUDENTS
Clinic Assignments |
Supervision | Preparation
Notes from a former student
Providing opportunities for veterinary and veterinary technician students to learn and practice new skills is an important part of RAVS mission and we are committed to providing a high level of clinical experience for student volunteers. The RAVS experience can be extremely demanding and it is essential that all potential volunteers understand the program and volunteer requirements prior to applying to participate.
CLINIC ORGANIZATION
AND ASSIGMENTS
Students can generally expect to rotate through each area of the clinic.
Responsibilities may include Intake (physical examinations, assessment,
vaccination, medical treatment and client communication), Anesthesia (assessment,
induction, monitoring), Surgery (primarily spay/neuter) and Recovery (monitoring,
intensive care). You will also clean and sterilize instruments, provide
husbandry care for hospitalized animals, maintain the cleanliness of the
clinic and help with various aspects of medical record keeping.
On a five day clinic most students will spend one day in surgery and two
days each in anesthesia and intake. However, the scheduling of some trips
may not allow for equal distribution or rotation through all areas and you
will be expected to work wherever you are most needed. If your only goal
is to participate in surgery, you may be disappointed.
You will be assigned to various tasks based on your knowledge, skill level,
and what needs to be done on a given day. You will be expected to accept
these assignments cheerfully and to get along with your colleagues. If you
have trouble tolerating different levels of experience, different skill
levels, and different beliefs, this group is not for you.
SUPERVISION
As a student, you will be well supervised by experienced veterinarians and
technicians who enjoy teaching. There will be a veterinarian in charge of
your trip, and other veterinarians and technicians, under their direction,
running various areas of clinic operations.
Because of our high case load, there will not always be time during the
actual clinic to explain every technique or protocol. If you do not understand,
or disagree with the approach being used, you may discuss it with the technician
or veterinarian at an appropriate time. We are glad to do this. However,
it is essential for patient and volunteer safety that you follow directions
quickly and exactly during the actual clinic. Although we encourage input
from volunteers on any subject, from scheduling to assignments to technique,
the trip leader has the final say, and all volunteers are expected to accept
their ruling.
PREPARATION
In order to optimize your learning and provide safe, quality treatment to
the animals in your care you must be adequately prepared before the clinic.
It will be your responsibility to study the training material AND practice
the appropriate techniques in advance.
Successful volunteers show initiative and resourcefulness. If you are less
experienced than others, or it takes you longer to master a particular skill,
it is expected that you will spend the time necessary to become proficient.
If you need to seek assistance from mentors or more experienced students
before the clinic, it is expected that you will seek this help out. You
will be adequately supervised and oriented in the field by veterinarians
and technicians who love to teach, but don't expect to be 'spoon fed'. We
do not do that. If you are not able to commit to preparing in advance, a
RAVS clinic is not the volunteer opportunity for you.
IS RAVS FOR ME?
As a RAVS volunteer, you will have an opportunity to learn and
practice a wide range of important clinical skills. Field medicine is not
for everyone though and it is important that you honestly evaluate your
personality and learning style before applying to participate. There are
many opportunities for travel and learning that are more comfortable and
less stressful than a RAVS clinic. There is no doubt that joining a RAVS
field clinic can be extremely challenging. For the right person, living
and working as part of a team of dedicated volunteers to provide care for
the neediest of animals and their families can also be an amazing opportunity
and a life-changing experience.
TOP
NOTES FROM A FORMER STUDENT
. . .
"If you are thinking of applying for a RAVS clinic, consider this:
You will get, in general, less sleep than you think possible. Sometimes
surgery doesn't end until late evening. There will be nights when the whole
clinic needs to be packed up, moved, and unpacked after a long day of work
and then you will need to be up and ready to receive animals again early
the following morning. You may not touch a surgical instrument for days
at a time while rotating through the other aspects of the clinic. The animals
often present in less-than-ideal conditions, and occasionally, in very poor
states, which can become emotionally taxing. You will not always be fed
on time, or may not have the time to stop for a meal. All of these things
can either be drawbacks or challenges that you rise to.
If you are reading this description and feel that you would be upset or
unable to function with any one of these situations, please carefully consider
your participation. RAVS demands a great deal from volunteers, but what
you can gain from this experience is vast and varied and most likely something
you will carry with you throughout your veterinary career. The clinic staff
try to do as much teaching as possible and it would be difficult to go through
any clinic day without learning something new and important; be it something
veterinary related or something important about your self. However, remember
that the first priority is the patients’ well-being, which will not
be sacrificed for your educational needs. If you believe that it should
be, then you do not belong on a RAVS trip. If reading all of this makes
you want to participate even more, than RAVS may be for you."
