Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Nicola Cole — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 16:59:48 GMT

How about seeing if any of your friends would beable to put you up, and both go to a big large animal practice at same time (Ie big enough to take 2 students)?

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Gillian Mostyn — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 10:21:41 GMT

Well obviously Edinburgh IS the best university after all......

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Harriet Nicholson — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 08:41:35 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]

While doing the college on-call/ITU weeks, we were provided with on site accommodation FOC. I assumed all colleges did the same. Certainly, when the new small animal hospital was built, it included a flat for ITU rotation students.

[/quote]

Not the case at the RVC I'm afraid that would be too helpful

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Michael Woodhouse — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 22:52:20 GMT

[quote user="Kate Richardson"]If I'm honest I find this a bit of a sad attitude- I'm sure I was a pain in de ass as a student but what goes around comes around. I didn't go out on calls all day with the vet I stayed with, I went with other vets as well.[/quote]

We are a 3 vet practice - one of those other vets is my wife. That makes it rather intense.

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 20:59:41 GMT

[quote user="Kate Richardson"]Obtaining a driving licence is very different from owning and running car! I passed my test at 17 but didn't own a car until my 30's[/quote]

Snap. The first car that was mine was the company car I got with my first job...a brand new Vauxhall vectra. I loved that car.....but not my income tax bill! Company car +flat = ouch!!!!

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Kate Richardson — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 20:54:58 GMT

Obtaining a driving licence is very different from owning and running car! I passed my test at 17 but didn't own a car until my 30's! (Those were the days of cars coming with the job, in hindsight not necessarily a good thing)

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 20:35:37 GMT

[quote user="Scarlett Creasey"]I know driving is an essential skill, but I am so cash strapped and I thought there would be some way round it for the passionate![/quote]

I'm afraid I agree with Michael on this one - a driving license is almost as much of a prerequisite for this job as a vet degree!

I took on a new grad without a license about 9 years ago. I assumed (wrongly) that she would very soon be on the road - surely someone intelligent enough to be a vet could pass their test within a couple of months? No. It took her 4 attempts and 18 months to pass her test. Although the practice flat was within walking distance of the practice, her lack of a license did cause some issues. I now wouldn't employ someone unless they have their license. Sorry!

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 20:29:26 GMT

[quote user="Scarlett Creasey"]I just didn't know practice flats were so few and far between [/quote]

That's a really good point. It used to be the case that all practices would have a flat or two available - and their occupants would be happy to share for locums and students. I certainly did in my first practice, when I lived on site in a mixed practice.

These days, with the different practice structures (especially with corporates in the SA world) I guess that set up has all but disappeared. Shame.

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Hannah Wynne Richards — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 20:27:56 GMT

I think it's because more practices are in purpose built premises, as opposed to the ground floor of a converted house

Wynne

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Scarlett Creasey — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 20:25:19 GMT

I am finding EMS a different experience already to animal husbandry placements, my dairy, pig and lambing placements all provided some sort of accommodation (whether it be in house or a caravan!) for me so that I could be flexible with long hours and do OOH. I thought that clinical EMS would have similar help but only my SA hospital has a practice flat that has been offered to me as a student.

I know driving is an essential skill, but I am so cash strapped and I thought there would be some way round it for the passionate!

I do understand not always wanting students in your home 24/7, you need your privacy absolutely. I just didn't know practice flats were so few and far between :(

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Kate Richardson — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 20:07:46 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]We can have a student quite a lot of the time. Once you say yes to one then you have to say yes to them all. We've had a number stay with us, but only people who've been before and we've had time to 'vet'. I'm sure Scarlett is lovely, but if she's a nutcase I don't want to be stuck with her 24 hours a day. We've had a few nutters over the years![/quote]

If I'm honest I find this a bit of a sad attitude- I'm sure I was a pain in de ass as a student but what goes around comes around. I didn't go out on calls all day with the vet I stayed with, I went with other vets as well.

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Hannah Wynne Richards — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 19:44:35 GMT

I qualified from Bristol, and back then there were only 40 of us in a year, so there was sufficient accomodation in the Langford Hall of Residence for all final years to actually live on site. Whilst seeing practice, my foster practice had an arrangement whereby students would stay with the mother-in-law of one of the partners. She charged, but at a much lower rate than a hotel. It worked very well, as she was an active widow in her 70s, who was rattling around in a family-sized home, and was glad of the company (as well as the extra cash) She also knew from her daughter the messes farm veterinarians could get into, so was prepared for smelly clothes!

Wynne

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 18:12:59 GMT

I did do some on-call while doing LA EMS, but the youngest assistant (herself a recent grad) was kind enough to let me stay with her in the practice flat so I did the same rota as her. To be honest, looking back, I suspect it was mutually beneficial as she had company for those middle-of-the-night call outs!

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Michael Woodhouse — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 18:09:52 GMT

[quote user="Kate Richardson"]Michael Woodhouse, out of curiosity, why couldn't you offer Scarlett accommodation? I was always put up by one of the vets, or they had somewhere for a student to stay, very grateful too. Hard enough to get by in term time, and no holiday free to go earn some money, so money was very tight.[/quote]

We can have a student quite a lot of the time. Once you say yes to one then you have to say yes to them all. We've had a number stay with us, but only people who've been before and we've had time to 'vet'. I'm sure Scarlett is lovely, but if she's a nutcase I don't want to be stuck with her 24 hours a day. We've had a few nutters over the years!

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Harriet Nicholson — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 18:04:16 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]

[quote user="Harriet Nicholson"]Not financially feasible but for farm EMS and vet school OOH as essential tool[/quote]

How things change- I graduated from Edinburgh in 1999 and most people DIDN'T have cars! The college bus to and from the field station (only once a day each way) was always full!

I did large animal EMS with a LA vet 25 miles away from home. I got 3 buses each way - leaving home at 6am and getting home at about 8pm. Wouldn't recommend it though!

[/quote]

I realise things have changed but how did this work for the on call? I didnt graduate that long ago from the RVC and we were on 15min on call - ie try to get in within 15mins, so at 2am thats an expensive taxi. Or you pay a premium to live on site in their halls or couch surf?

I wonder if the problem has come from increasing student numbers, the onyl time I was put up on farm EMS was by a friend who had graduated the year beforehand. The farm vets seemed inundated locally so I can't blame them for not wanting a vet student living with them a large proportion of the year

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 18:00:40 GMT

Lol - yes, Ian and I are both Edinburgh grads (started dating in fresher's week!!!). My name back then was Gillian Holmes!

[quote user="Kate Richardson"] I was always put up by one of the vets[/quote]

Yes - I stayed FOC with Siuna Reid and her family for a month while doing SA/zoo EMS in Blackpool - I was (and remain) extremely grateful! I simply couldn't have afforded to pay for B&B.

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Kate Richardson — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 17:52:53 GMT

Me too Gillian Mostyn! One of my flatmates had a beaten up mini and was the instigator of road rage and we used to go in that sometimes, almost annihilated Rod Else one day at Easter Bush and all he (the driver!) did was swear at him! Was VERY embarrassing, hid our faces in the back!

PS what was your maiden name? Was Ian an Edinburgh grad as well?

Michael Woodhouse, out of curiosity, why couldn't you offer Scarlett accommodation? I was always put up by one of the vets, or they had somewhere for a student to stay, very grateful too. Hard enough to get by in term time, and no holiday free to go earn some money, so money was very tight.

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 17:43:38 GMT

[quote user="Harriet Nicholson"]Not financially feasible but for farm EMS and vet school OOH as essential tool[/quote]

How things change- I graduated from Edinburgh in 1999 and most people DIDN'T have cars! The college bus to and from the field station (only once a day each way) was always full!

I did large animal EMS with a LA vet 25 miles away from home. I got 3 buses each way - leaving home at 6am and getting home at about 8pm. Wouldn't recommend it though!

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Anthony Dennison — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 15:31:48 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]I was at the Liverpool Leahurst campus last week and there were a LOT of student cars.[/quote]

I was there the other week too - speaker said they had increased the size of the car park for students about 4 years ago and now there just isn't enough room. Love Leahurst CPD, but parking can be difficult sometimes.

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Mark Hedberg — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 11:02:53 GMT

[quote user="Harriet Nicholson"]

Those from low income backgrounds tend to have £300 wrecks that barely scrape an MOT!

[/quote]

I had a £400 wreck, thank you very much! ;)

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Stephanie Wellings — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 10:45:31 GMT

I found an awesome couple who put me up for free as a student during EMS, through the couchsurfing website. They didn't even bat an eyelid when I rocked up at 1am one night covered in blood post-caesarean.... I also was pretty shameless about asking for somewhere to stay from relatives, families of friends from vet school.... So if there isn't practice accommodation it doesn't necessarily mean you can't do the placement (as you can see lots of vets on here are also sympathetic to the plight of students trying to do EMS!)

Also a lovely practice (with accommodation) that I went to was Overdale vets in Derbyshire, so ask them if you haven't already, because they were great to see practice with.

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Harriet Nicholson — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 09:18:09 GMT

[quote user="Kate Richardson"]

Is running a car feasible financially these days as a student? It certainly wasn't when I was a student 20 odd years ago!

[/quote]

Not financially feasible but for farm EMS and vet school OOH as essential tool - unless you live in the country or have a family car you can borrow. Those from low income backgrounds tend to have £300 wrecks that barely scrape an MOT!

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Michael Woodhouse — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 13:01:49 GMT

[quote user="Kate Richardson"]Is running a car feasible financially these days as a student? It certainly wasn't when I was a student 20 odd years ago![/quote]

It may be more of a reflection of where we are but we've never had a student without a car.

In my year at college (RVC 2006) practically everyone could drive. I was at the Liverpool Leahurst campus last week and there were a LOT of student cars. They were putting parking controls on at RVC when I left due to increased student numbers and no parking.

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Scarlett Creasey — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 12:00:00 GMT

It isn't really Kate, but if I can at least pass then there is a possibility I can share a car with my mum potentially. As I live in London I certainly don't need one right now haha

RE: Wanted: A lovely farm practice for an EMS student!

Kate Richardson — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 11:01:09 GMT

Is running a car feasible financially these days as a student? It certainly wasn't when I was a student 20 odd years ago!