Site Visit (12/20/23)
My internship is at Kensington Veterinary Hospital, where they treat and help diagnose animals. During my site visit, I met my mentor, Jackie, who showed me the general area. I was nervous about how it would go but more excited about being able to have this experience and getting to work with animals. In my internship, I want to learn what a general day is like for a vet and the different areas they all contribute to the hospital. A fear I have is not enjoying it as much as I thought I would, but it is what this experience is about whether I could see myself continuing to follow this career path and having my options open.
My internship is at Kensington Veterinary Hospital, where they treat and help diagnose animals. During my site visit, I met my mentor, Jackie, who showed me the general area. I was nervous about how it would go but more excited about being able to have this experience and getting to work with animals. In my internship, I want to learn what a general day is like for a vet and the different areas they all contribute to the hospital. A fear I have is not enjoying it as much as I thought I would, but it is what this experience is about whether I could see myself continuing to follow this career path and having my options open.
Week 1 (1/10/24 -1/12/24
What are you looking forward to most about your internship experience? These past few days working in Kensington Veterinary Hospital have been a great experience getting to know the environment and getting an idea of what the next few weeks would contain. I spent most of my time observing the different areas of working in a vet hospital; I was able to contribute to helping the vet techs when there were animals, whether it was holding the dog's or cats' legs for ultrasounds/urine samples, learning how to draw a vaccine so it would be ready to be given to the animal, setting up an iv as well as taking vitals during dental extractions. Specifically, on Thursday, I monitored a cat and a dog's dental extractions and a mass removal on the dog. When it would get slow, I helped do laundry, cleaned the instruments used in surgeries, and helped restock supplies. So far I have enjoyed being in the environment watching animals being able to get treated/taken care of, and seeing how the work environment is at a vet hospital. I really want to be able to get more hands on when treating animals, so far I have been observing how I may benefit the work place in the following weeks. |
Week 2 (1/16/24 - 1/19/24)
How has or do you see your internship changing the way you consider that paths your future will take? During the second week of working at Kensington Vet Hospital, I was able to experience much more than my first week. On Tuesday, I observed a dental and spay on a dog. Where I helped take vitals, it was my first time seeing a dog get spayed, so it was interesting to see what the procedure was like. I also saw a kitten get neutered. I have practiced drawing up more vaccines, and one of my co-workers demonstrated how to give one. I have gotten more comfortable helping keep the work environment clean, such as helping clean cages, washing towels, wiping down and organizing countertops, and helping wash tools used in surgery. I got the chance to hold a couple of dogs for a nail trimming and learned how to do an ear cleaning. Being able to intern at Kensington has influenced the paths I want to later take on in my career because, at first, I had thought I'd want to be a Veterinarian Doctor, but I have enjoyed the Vet technician area more, just as they do more involving the animals which is what I would want for myself. |
if if it wasn't a causWeek 3 (1/22/24 - 1/26/24)
What are you thankful for in your internship experience?Do you have any regrets so far? What would you do differently if you could start internship over? During this third of my internship, I have gotten more comfortable and adjusted in what areas I benefit more from and what I can contribute to the place. Since I learned to draw up vaccines, I was allowed this week to learn how to give one. Now, I've been able to vaccinate a friendly cat or dog when I can. I monitored a surgery this week where it was a hernia removal/repair, along with its dental, and I observed that procedure. But I spent most of my time helping with the tech appointments where I helped hold the animal, draw up the vaccine and possibly give if it wasn't a caution, i also helped with ultrasounds to learn what they are here for and what they do to treat them. I've also been able to help pack up labs and dye the cytology from animals so that someone can read them to see if they have a possible diagnosis. I get to see how they draw blood and what the different blood tubes are meant for in the labs. I also helped in making more saline syringes/flush for iv catheters. I have been thankful for the work I've experienced at Kensington because I have a better perspective on whether or not I want to choose a similar career; I enjoy working there and working with the cats and dogs I see daily, and it's not the same every day so it's exciting to see and learn something new. Something I would've kept in mind when starting this internship if i were to do it again is don't be afraid to ask questions and talk to people about their experiences. |
Week 4 1/29/24 - 2/2/24
How have you seen your role develop or change over the course of your internship?What is going well with your project? What challenges are you facing?What advice would you give to a junior in high school who wants to pursue a career in the field of your internship?
In my fourth week of internship, my role has developed over my time there from observing and monitoring an animal's vitals either during a dental extraction or another procedure to now helping RVTs throughout the day. Either with appointments, drawing up and giving vaccines, cleaning and organizing, labs, or anything else they may need my help with. Some things I have learned from doing this internship that may be useful to others who may want to go into this career field and do the same or similar internship is to reach out and find connections ahead of time and do research, as well as enjoy the internship and what you do. But so far, my project is going well; I understand the different roles of veterinarian doctors, tech assistants, and RVTs and what they do for the hospital. Some challenges I have been facing during my internship are giving myself something to do when it gets slow, and we have already done our tasks and cleaned what we could. Otherwise, I have enjoyed these past weeks of seeing animals, helping treat them, and what a day looks like in a vet hospital. |
Final Week 2/5/24 - 2/9/24
Describe your POL preparation process. What presentation tools are you planning to use? Are you relying on notes, a memorized talk, something else? How are you preparing for questions you might be asked? How do you see yourself making decisions about your own life beyond HTHMA? Do you see yourself following a life similar to anyone you met at an internship? Why or why not? In my final week of interning at Kensington Veterinary Hospital I have been helping with tech appointments, and mainly did what I've been taught in the past four weeks, such as giving and drawing vaccines, laundry, cleaning the instruments, restocking, help package labs, or help hold still a dog or cat etc. For my IPOL slideshow i have organized it explain what I have learned and contributed to the hospital, as well as explaining what my mentor does and what I have learned form her. I also explain what I plan to do next from this experience wether or not I want to continue in a profession similar, which I probably will, considering I really enjoyed working with the animals and seeing what a day is like in a vet hospital, with the appointments, surgeries and urgent cares. As I got to know a few of the employees at the hospital I would consider going in a college right after high school with a good animal program, i am no sure which one yet, but it's so when if I do start at a vet hospital completing school I will be licensed and get to do more and advanced stuff then those who wouldn't have a license. Getting this experience really helped me solidify what I'll look into wether I want to be a veterinarian or a RVT ( Registered Veterinary Technician), because I thought I wouldn't be able to handle the surgieres or seeing an ill dog but I didn't mind as much knowing that we were helping them make sure they feel better. |