Seeing practice
Small Animal
Clothing: ask the practice what is expected of you. Some will allow smart jeans, while others definitely will not! A slightly smarter approach is usually best - chinos or school trousers, with a plain shirt, polo shirt or smart top. (Make sure you aren’t worried about getting your clothes dirty, though!) Similarly with shoes, avoid trainers if possible.
Making a good first impression and looking professional is very important. You may be provided with a scrub top and you will be given a stethoscope to use if they want to show you how to listen to the animal's heart and lungs.
What to expect: Most practices will have operations in the morning which hopefully you will be able to watch. There will also be consultations at various times throughout the day, when owners bring their pets in to see the vet. These can be very varied, from vaccinating puppies to treating sick animals with a complicated illness, so you’ll definitely learn a lot from sitting in on these. On your first day, ask what the normal daily routine is, and what would be the best way for you to spend your time. Work experience in veterinary practices is often not very hands-on when you’re still at school; however that doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile - you will learn a huge amount just from watching!
How to make the most of it:
First of all, be helpful! Especially if it’s quiet, asking “is there anything I can do to help?” will show the staff that you are willing to learn. Always offer to make the tea and coffee, too!
In consultations, you must be very polite to the owners. Do not touch the animal until you’re invited to do so (unless a very friendly dog bounces all over you, then you probably don’t have much choice!). If you are unsure about something the vet or owner has said, wait until the owner has left before asking questions. Usually the vet will be writing notes in-between patients so there will be plenty of time for this.
On that note - questions! Ask LOTS of them! For example if a drug is given to any animal, ask what it is and why it’s being given. Again, just make sure you ask at an appropriate time - not at a critical point in an operation, but afterwards or while the vet is stitching the animal up.
[Photo provided by Amy Brown]
Farm Animal
Clothing: This goes the same for small animals really, just remember to take an appropriate pair of shoes (e.g. wear smart trainers, but take a pair of wellies)
What to expect: A lot of driving usually! You will be going from farm to farm. Because you are often assessing multiple farms, and due to the travel, it's not unusual to only visit a handful of places each day - compared to a small animal vets this is quite different! Be polite and ask the vet questions while you're in the car to cover up the awkward silences - they will probably have some great advice and memories of vet school.
How to make the most of it: Get involved and learn lots! It helps if you have done some pre-clinical farm work experience beforehand (the vet and farmer will appreciate it if you know how to be around cows and use a crush etc). Depending on the farm and the animal, you will likely be able to get really involved, and these are often really fun placements. Take the time to assess how good the vet is at practising biosecurity and responsible antibiotic use - don't be rude about it, but these are key issues in farm animal practice and they will be impressed that you have picked up that you need to think about these things! It is also a really good opportunity to see what sort of things you are presented with (quite a lot of herd health is about planning and preventative health care, again this is different to smallies) and give you a flavour of what life might be like as a farm vet.
[Image provided by Sarah Peers]
Equine
Clothing: Chinos and a smart shirt are usually okay here - if you've got some short muck or riding boots then these are great, but otherwise trainers and wellies will do.
What to expect: This depends! A lot of driving if you are in an ambulatory practice. If you are in a hospital you may be able to help with minor procedures such as nerve blocks, x-rays etc. You may even get to watch some surgery or help on rounds (this is when the vet on duty hands over the cases at the start/end of the day) and you might be shown how to take the basic vital signs (respiratory rate, heart rate etc which is great practice!). Take note of the differences between the yards you visit, both in terms of the type of horses, problems, staff and what they expect of the vet e.g. a riding school pony compared to a race horse worth £80,000.
How to make the most of it: Be sensible, be enthusiastic and take notes! Equine cases are often the most rewarding to follow all the way through (e.g. working up lameness cases).
[Image provided by Holly Gimmler]