ANSC3194/SAAS294 Final Reflection Instuction and Template Instruction: Reflection on your top 3 career choices for 1) why you consider this career path, and 2) your strengths and weaknesses for this career. Plans on overcoming weaknesses optional. Fill up half a page for each career path. Please type. Your name: Jade Aprile Career #1. Equine Veterinarian My main reason for considering this path is the positive experiences I’ve had on all of my shadowing trips with my barns’ veterinarians. I really like seeing the new horses, and I have found that my experience with equine vets is more interesting than my externships with small animal vets. One of my main strengths is definitely my extensive past in the horse industry. I’ve been riding horses for about 14 years now, and I work as a horseback riding instructor at my barn. I also worked as an apprentice for my coach and another person at the stable. I feel very comfortable around horses, and I find them the most predictable and the safest to work with. I also have a horse of my own, so I am familiar with being a client. This will help me understand and empathize with future patients’ owners. One challenge I would face is the financial issues that some equine vets run into. After my interview with Dr. Luvie Abell, I learned that being an equine vet can lead to financial debt, and you have to be careful about your financial status coming into vet school and entering the workforce. Thankfully, my parents are in a position to support me through college and vet school, so I won’t incur any debt throughout my educational career. Another challenge I think I would face is not knowing what situations to deem emergencies and what is not actually urgent. A lot of people call in a panic because they think something is emergent, but answering those calls could tie us up if another real emergency occurs. Career #2. Veterinary Technician I would consider this path because I am definitely sure I want to work with animals in my future. I have owned dogs my entire life, and I rescued a pair of kittens and rehomed them when I was younger. Animal care technicians are so important to the veterinary industry, and they are very hands-on. I don’t think I could have a job that’s not interactive on a regular basis. Having internship experience in a small animal veterinary clinic is definitely a strength. I am already somewhat accustomed to the life of a vet tech. Being a vet tech can be very stressful at times, but I think I work alright under pressure. One big weakness I have is my allergies. It sounds silly, but I’m fairly allergic to dog and cat hair. This would provide a challenge, and working around it during my internship was pretty miserable. Daily allergy medicine helps me a lot, and I considered getting allergy shots to build up an immunity to it. Another weakness I have is getting frustrated with stubborn pet owners easily. Some clients think they know better than the vet, or they are rude and demanding. It would be difficult for me to remain cordial and allow them to make a poor decision about their animal. Career #3. Animal Care Staff I think this career would be fitting for me, as it entails attendance to animals without needing to go through the work of becoming a veterinarian. If one day I decide a veterinary clinic isn’t my calling, I would love to become a person who cares for animals on a regular basis. I would prefer to work with horses as a stable staff as opposed to small animal care. After working with both dogs, cats, and horses, I definitely think horses are easier to manage and care for. Less importantly, I also feel that horses smell better. A strength I have is my experience working around animals for a majority of my life. I am also attentive to details, so I will be able to notice any abnormalities in the animal that need to be reported to the vet staff. I am extremely organized as well, so I would ensure all charts, files and records are kept up to date and properly placed. A weakness I would have is the allergies, as mentioned, and most likely a lack of income. The veterinary world gets pretty rough pay, and an animal care staff would most likely not make much. This would make it difficult to keep ends meeting, let alone feel comfortable with the expenses of owning my own animals. Being an animal care staff is a time-extensive position as well, so it would be difficult to balance having another job for extra income. That being said, not having to pay for vet school is definitely a benefit of being an animal care staff. However, as someone who doesn’t have to worry as much about vet school fees, that benefit doesn’t affect me as much. It’s definitely still something I would want to do, though. Helping animals is my end goal, no matter what!
