Say, “Hi, I’m interested in pursuing veterinary medicine and wanted to see if you allowed people to shadow the vet. ” Ask if the office offers one-time visits or recurring visits. Some offices will let you shadow the vet on a regular basis if you schedule times with them.
Some vets may be more informal and may be willing to just set up a shadowing appointment for you when you call.
Don’t expect to be accommodated, but express gratitude if it happens. If a day doesn’t work for you, tell that to the office staff, making it clear that you’ll take any other day that works for them.
Check with the vet to see if they’d prefer that you wear a specific type of clothes, such as khakis or scrubs.
It’s best to choose nice tennis shoes because you’ll be on your feet all day. Some people wear clogs or shoes that are easier to clean, but you should be able to easily move quickly and sharply in them. Check to see if your footwear is appropriate by talking to the staff.
Show good hygiene by being freshly showered and wearing deodorant.
If a pet starts to break free from the vet or a technician, do NOT try to intervene. They are trained to handle the situation, and you are not. Even if you feel bad for not helping, they’d rather you stand aside. Not only could you be in the way and make a situation worse by intervening, if you are not an employee you are legally not covered should something happen to you. You could be a liability for the practice and yourself, so you should follow the directions of the staff to the letter. Remember that you are an observer and should only be watching and learning.
If you choose to use your phone during your visit, you may be asked to leave. If you find it too hard to not check your phone when you feel it vibrate, most practices have a break room or a staff locker room where you can safely leave your phone so that you won’t be tempted.
Asking someone else a question while the vet is speaking is also a form of interruption because your talking can distract from what the vet is saying. Recognize that the vet may interrupt you in order to maintain the day’s schedule. Don’t be offended if they have to cut you off. Save all of the questions you have during an appointment until after the exam is over and you and the vet are out of the room. During the exam, the veterinarian needs to focus on the client and the patient and shouldn’t be distracted with your questions. You can also bring a small notepad so that you can write down questions as you think of them and save them until the end of the day.
Be honest if you aren’t ready to see a surgery in real life. You don’t want to cause a distraction by fainting or throwing up. Prepare a list of questions you’d like answered through your observations in the clinic or by directly asking the vet.
Wait until an exchange between the vet, staff, and pet owners is complete. Don’t talk to the vet while they’re concentrating or treating the animal. Do ask the technicians questions as well. Different vets have different specialties and interests - be sure to ask them about what they know best.
