The Workplace

The Workplace 

I'm inspired by my team and their contribution to LARC. They all have qualities that I hope to embody as a future veterinary professional. My supervisor is organized and comes to all of our meetings prepared to discuss our contributions and assigns future tasks that continue our progress. They also pay close attention to detail when working with animals to keep everyone safe. This internship feels beneficial because my supervisors are great communicators that are always willing to explain what they are doing and why it is done. I hope to grow in my communication skills and provide a welcoming environment to future mentees. I can also grow in being prepared for our meetings and taking adequate time to write down information I want to bring to the team.

Throughout my first and second quarter of my internship I learned a lot about LARC. It has been rewarding working with many veterinarians who put the wellbeing of all animals at the forefront. Most of my coworkers are adults; my supervisors are a veterinary technician and a veterinarian. They have learned to plan out all of their responsibilities and set boundaries when necessary. I have learned about their daily duties through shadowing and helping them make their rounds. I didn't realize LARC is responsible for checking on all the laboratory animals at the school of medicine weekly. They also complete screenings for any illnesses multiple times a year.

In this work environment I have worked with just a handful of different people, but that allowed for the opportunity to develop closer relationships. Within this close knit group we were able to share our experiences and values in various workplaces. It has allowed me to become more empathetic for the backlash many lab vets receive by animal protecting groups. My perspective has expanded and I'd love to continue to grow in connecting with people and hearing about the struggles of the veterinary world. I completed an ethics evaluation that I presented at our weekly laboratory meeting and it illicted amazing conversation. People in the lab respected which scenario I thought was more benefical for the wellfare of the animal while providing reasons why they chose a specific one. In these evaluations there is no right or wrong answer so it was helpful to hear different perspectives.

The culture of the workplace is positive and made me excited to come into work. There is the clear expectation that everyone is there to complete research projects that improve the welfare of animals and we are mission drive to work together to better the scientific community. Everyone there was passionate about proper animal care and educating others. There is strong leadership within LARC that promotes independence and developes future leaders. I was empowered to grow as an intern by being trusted to complete complex work tasks of project developement such as literature review. I had only read a handful of journal articles before accepting this position and I've grown tremendeously. This has translated to help me in my classwork where I'm expected to read more academic sources. 

Successes and Challenges

As I reflect on my successes and challenges I am so proud of my growth this year. I have a strong handle on time management skills and feel confident in my ability to complete my coursework, internship projects, extracurriculars, pursuing my passions, all while simultaneously taking care of myself.  I have learned that I am able to work harder on my academics when I remember my career goals and take care of myself. This helps me feel less burnt out.