Internship, anyone?
Saturday, July 7, 2012 at 06:00AM Internships: are you planning on pursuing one or have you already been accepted? Internships have been viewed as a way to gain more clinical experience as well as hone in on a specialty area. But with the low salary figures and rising student debt, is it worth it? It might be the only path for those wishing to become board certified, but what about those who aren’t? Some say students may pursue an internship because they are still exploring career options, while others state that some grads lack the confidence to jump directly into practicing high quality medicine without the guidance of an internship program. Are we getting all of the knowledge we need in veterinary school to dive in after graduation? Weigh in on the pros and cons of the internship experience and tell us how you decided whether or not to participate in one.
Winner, Life as a Vet Student category
Oneal Peters, Colorado State University
Mid-way through my second year of vet school, I began to ponder the internship dilemma. Perhaps it is not a dilemma to those of us who are absolutely set on a certain path after graduation, but for me, I am not one hundred percent sure what I want to be when I grow up, other than a general practice veterinarian with an equine focus. For me, and many others I suspect, there are an astonishing variety of opinions about internships, and you feel as if you are talking to Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde when you hear the myriad of contrasting thoughts on the matter. To further complicate the matter, small animal practices seem fine with hiring new grads, and internship tends to be reserved mainly for those wanting to specialize. On the opposite end of the scale, equine veterinarians generally prefer to hire veterinarians that have completed at least one year of an internship. All this information was like a school of indecisive fish swimming through my head. After a while, I became so confused that my own opinion and life plan changed week by week. Week one: Internship for sure. Week two: why shouldn’t I just go get a job? Week three: Maybe I won’t be ready? Back to internship. And it went on and on, but after a while I stopped fretting and listening to all the buzzing around me. Instead, I closely evaluated my goals and began to reflect back on advice I received before the internship question became so confusing.