I had a working interview/shadowing experience for one of my potential externships this morning. I was making myself ill worrying about it because that's what I do. I pretended to be someone who bubblier and better at small talk than I am naturally, which is what I try to do in every interview type of situation, and I think it worked out pretty well. I went into it not really feeling like I had much of a shot. The vet in charge of awarding externships only takes on two externs per year for a 2 week long externship. My rotation year/externship period is April 2014-April2015 and she had already chosen her 2014 externs. She is in charge of a 2 doctor practice that sees exotic pets in addition to dogs and cats and the vet for the aquarium at the Mall of America. Externs have the opportunity to work in both locations. Plus, she does surgery on fish. FISH! I would love to observe the logistics of that.
So, anyway, I got there and had 3 hours to make a good impression. The receptionist and 2 technicians working today seemed really nice and quite quirky, one even wishing me good luck on getting the externship position.I thought it was really sweet of her as she had never met me before. I met the doctor, handed her a resume (which I just spiffed up!), and she gave me a tour. It's a really small but cozy clinic. And I tried my darnedest to make good conversation. I asked more questions than I normally would and I think they were pretty good ones. Not like "What is that animal that you are examining? A dog or a cat?" but things like "Is the fecal and reproductive opening in fish called a cloaca like it is in reptiles?" and "Do you infuse water with anesthesia for fish surgery?" About I year or so ago I saw her perform a procedure on one of the critters from the aquarium for my zoo medicine class, so I asked how he was doing. I think she liked that I remembered him and cared enough to ask after him. I followed her into appointments and grabbed things I thought she needed, asked questions about patients after exams were done and helped a tech restrain a dog for anal glad expression when he was scratching her with his rear legs. When there was downtime, I tried to join in on the technician's conversations and ask them appropriate questions about their lives (i.e. The receptionist was talking about how she didn't want to go back to school but her mom keeps asking her when she's getting her master's degree, so I asked her what her bachelor's degree was in). Guys, I was trying so hard.
So, two hours into the thing, the vet asks me "So, when would you like to start?" I stared at her for a moment and perplexedly asked "Wait...so that means you're giving me an externship?" "Yeah, if you think it would be a good fit."
Ummm...YES!!!
EEEE!!!!!
I really thought I'd get done with my shadowing, go home, and get an email from her saying something like "You seemed really nice and promising but I think the externship would be better going to someone with more X, Y or Z."
I'm so relieved and excited!
One down, two more externship acquisitions to go!
I think (but don't actually) my thumbs secrete phermones that make people who interview me like me. After shadowing, I absentmindedly sniffed a thumb and it smelled like gingerbread for no logical reason. I did not eat a cookie, I washed my hands several time at the clinic and the soap did not smell like gingerbread and I was not wearing anything perfumed. Who wouldn't like someone who smelled like gingerbread? :P
Must go to bed. Heading to the state fair tomorrow to be chewed on by goats and eat weird foods that nobody has any business ingesting!
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