I admit that at first when we were told that we were to have a 60-hour duty requirement at the vet hospital as part of our Clinical Orientation subject, how I dreaded my duty hours to arrive! Why? 1 thing: I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING. Seriously. I was like "Uh oh. How will I survive 60 hours of duty with a very very very little knowledge of what to do?! Bahala na."
And so my 60-hour duty started few weeks back. It was a pressuring "job" as you have to be alert with everything around you. Attend to the clients when they come in, watch what was being done on the patient in the treatment room, get the vital signs, restrain the animal, and so on. But later on, I realized that it's not as pressuring as it was before us clinicians get to do our required duty as they are only few people working in the hospital. With the clinicians there, their jobs have eased a bit as the veterinarians will go attend the patients immediately and not mind entertaining newly entered clients.
The life of a clinician isn't easy. As it is a stepping stone into becoming a veterinarian in the future, one must be knowledgeable of the symptoms of the disease so you can have at least an idea what the patient is going through. It is also a practice on how to deal with the clients as the patients themselves are not able to talk. These clients come in different walks of life, literally and figuratively speaking. As we converse with them, we could "conclude" what kind of person they are. There are the kind ones, really kind enough to understand that what you're doing is a difficult one/ doing a lot so you are spared from being rushed on whatever you're doing. Some other patients are the bitchy ones. Nangmamaliit ng mga clinicians and staff, but when faced with the veterinarian, it's as if he never said anything bad. Also, there are the impatient clients. Every after few minutes, the client asks if the vet will still be held longer from his previous engagement. And, it won't be avoided to have emotional clients, whom you can see that they really care and love their pets. These clients bring their pets to the hospital not only if the need arises, but also in a regular schedule for checkups.
It is fulfilling to work as a clinician in the hospital. It may not be as haggard as it will be when in the farm duties (I think), but at the end of the day, it seems like all your energy has been drained yet you can still smile after all the bruhaha of the day.
I will be finishing my 60-hour duty tomorrow already. Honestly, it saddens me that it has come to the end when I've already started learning to enjoy it. I know I still have a lot to learn, but I'm learning new things at least every duty that I've been to.
The good news is, I can still walk into the hospital and continue my job. But now, as a volunteer. :) I am so looking forward in doing this again. But in all honesty, I still don't know if I would want to have a small animal clinic when I have my license in few years. But the final decision making can wait after achieving that license. :)
