career change

Re: career change

Gina Dungworth — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 07:30:49 GMT

As a vet you've already got loads of transferable skills. I got into industry by a slightly odd route, but many others got to where they are via even stranger diversions. Are you going to the London Vet Show? There are a few useful career items on the programme there, or you could see who's running the ones that interest you most and see what other information they've got out there to help you.

PM me if you want to chat.

Re: career change

macflea — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 21:32:52 GMT

thanks for the responses , just surfaced from the bed this afternoon from what ever i caught.

Re: career change

Bob Russell — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 09:49:24 GMT

[quote user="karen jones"]We use range by a company called kiwi , great fit and wash ability , usually stay clean enough. I like to keep my clothes on when calving cows .....

[/quote]

So I should hope!

Many more comments like that and I might disclose some secrets from university days!!

Re: career change

James Laidlaw — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 09:41:03 GMT

http://www.oringi.co.nz/

These guys do awesome waterproofs. Very hard to rip, superbly dry and windproof too. Jackets have removable liners and easy to clean too. I stopped doing LA work a long time ago, but this gear is excellent for UK festival season as well...

Re: career change

Wren — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 09:39:26 GMT

Macflea I am completely with you on this one.

I used to work in mixed (predominately large and equine) practice and I got to the point where in winter from Sunday lunchtimes onwards the thought of turning out on Monday morning to TB test 200 cattle in a howling gale would actually spoil the rest of the weekend for me. I dreaded Monday mornings. I have since to moved job to do solely equine work and now actively look forward to the start of the week. Like you I thought I wanted to give up vetting completely but it turned out that the issue was my particular job, not the job in general.

Michael: the quote is most recently attributed to Billy Connolly, but actually predates him and credit for coming up with it goes to everyone from Alf Wainwright to Roald Amundsen to Ted Hughes. Who knows?

Re: career change

Braden Collins — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 01:54:43 GMT

[quote user="Stephen Courtney"]

True. but rolling around shirtless on a muddy floor in winter, getting bits of rotten placenta and manure all over you isn't something you can dress for....

[/quote]

and TB testing on the moors in the sleet when you need to have your fingers exposed so you can feel what you are doing but the cold eventually stops you feeling anything anyway......... Consider moving countries - 27 degrees today and sunny in Western Australia (though when it is 40 degrees it can be just as unpleasant pregnancy testing cattle.

Re: career change

karen jones — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 17:41:13 GMT

We use range by a company called kiwi , great fit and wash ability , usually stay clean enough. I like to keep my clothes on when calving cows .....

Re: career change

Michael Woodhouse — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 13:11:15 GMT

Disagree! Waterproof trousers and boots. The green coveralls with arm length gloves and a pair of nitrile over the top and spotless (and smell less) after the nastiest calving or prolapse.

Re: career change

Stephen Courtney — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 12:06:09 GMT

True. but rolling around shirtless on a muddy floor in winter, getting bits of rotten placenta and manure all over you isn't something you can dress for....

Re: career change

Michael Woodhouse — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 01:02:21 GMT

I forget who said it but there is no such thing as bad weather only inappropriate clothes!

Re: career change

Stephen Courtney — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 00:16:42 GMT

I take my hat off to all the 'real' vets out there.

If i had read Herriot before vet school I'd probably have thought twice....as it was I only read his books after qualifying, mainly because i enjoyed saying 'no' to folk who said...'oooh, vet school! Have you read....'

Regarding a change of career, there are many options but the main thing is to choose something you are interested in. Funding further studies can be an issue, and part time/ evening study on top of being a full time vet...can't see it happening without enormous motivation.

The main change LA vets seem to make is moving to SA only, have you thought of that? comes with a different set of annoyances, but at least you are mostly dry and in the warm!

Re: career change

Michael Woodhouse — Sat, 26 Oct 2013 23:38:28 GMT

I wouldn't expect veterinary surgeons to be TT testing for much longer...........