Class of 2023... how you doin?!

[inhaleexhalerepeat]

I took all 3 and the second one I took a couple weeks ago went very well while the one I took this morning went worse so definitely feeling a bit bummed over that. 2 weeks ago I had a solid pass while the one this morning said I was more in a 50/50 range so I'm trying to decide what to do with that information if you have any tips for that?

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[Jpyo]

I took mine like 4 weeks ago? I had many people tell me I shouldn't worry. But as a person who basically didn't study (I hated vetprep, really regretted it, my adhd brain does NOT do the learning that way, so it was a waste of money I never used), I definitely did not feel prepared. Idk if I passed or not, but I know what to do to study better next time I guess....? I think I would have benefitted more going through that like 15 page "disease list" on ICVA's website than trying to force myself to use vetprep, because the practice questions just leaked out of my brain.

Also- I did NOT use all my breaks and I do not regret it. Maybe this is specific to how my brain works, but I have always found on standardized tests that maximizing the amount of time I have "workable brain power" by trying to crank out as much of the test as I can before my mind starts to wander and cease functioning, is better for me. Once I was "in the zone" after the first section, I just powered through sections 2 and 3. I felt my mind start to wander during section 4, so then I took my first break (I took like a 20 minute break to stretch, eat, etc, then got bored and went back in) and would have done the last 3 all together if I didn't have a headache that necessitated a break to take some advil after section 5. I personally much preferred having "two tests" with a break in between to having my focus disrupted every 60 questions and forced to take a break. So don't feel *obligated* to take a break every section if that doesn't work for you.

My school did the VEA in 3rd year and I score dpretty low lol. They said that was a pretty good indicator. I didn’t take many breaks on that one and at one point I just couldn’t focus on reading long questions anymore (I probably have some form of ADHD as well). But then again I knew it wasn’t a real grade so I didn’t put much effort in.

The NAVLE I took a break more breaks and my headspace felt better than the VEA but I still feel like anything aside from small animal medicine is material I cannot remember for the life of me lol.

 

[Vet2022-20224]

Took the NAVLE recently, hope I survived, I felt terrible after 😭 The ICVA tests and vet prep were much easier! My brain really did not have the stamina I thought, it felt like I was running and throwing answers out haphazardly

 

[SkiOtter]

I felt terrible after 😭

Everyone does. Don’t forget that. I don’t think I know anyone who came out going “wow that wasn’t bad at all.” It is the worst test ever. Sending all the good vibes to you 💜

Also, don’t forget that a “pass” is something like a 50%. That’s why you feel so garbage after it because passing it is usually a failing percentage on other exams.

 

[Mythical]

Is it really around 50%? I thought I heard (incl in old posts here) that passing is closer to 70%. Really hoping for the 50%, though.

 

[SkiOtter]

Passing score is 425 out of 800 points. Questions are weighted with different numbers of points though so harder questions will be worth more of the 800.

 

[Vet2022-20224]

Thank you that helps!!💛 I am also hoping for the 50%, I also thought it was more 65-70%

 

[Mythical]

Yes, thank you for the reassurance. I don’t know where I got the 70% from!

 

[battie]

Also keep in mind your score means *nothing*. Treat the NAVLE as a pass/fail situation.

 

[Mythical]

Also keep in mind your score means *nothing*. Treat the NAVLE as a pass/fail situation.

Believe me, I will never be more grateful to get a 50% (or 53% or whatever a 425 is this year) in my life!! Definitely not one of the people (I’ve heard they exist?) gunning for a record-breaking score…

 

[PetVet23]

Well I've now experienced the not getting to do much side of clinics spent 3 weeks feeling like an incompetent potato (though let's be real, does any student ever look smart on internal medicine??), they barely let us talk to clients, and honestly didn't let us do much. Yesterday I had a cat for wound care and bloodwork, sat around for 4 hours before we even touched him, then all I did was give an IM injection to sedate him. And I have to go through it all over again in the spring because small animal trackers are required to do internal med twice. Most of what I got to do was get histories and restrain animals. AKA what I've been doing for 7 years, except I'm paying to do it rather than getting paid. 5 more months...

 

[battie]

Well I've now experienced the not getting to do much side of clinics spent 3 weeks feeling like an incompetent potato (though let's be real, does any student ever look smart on internal medicine??), they barely let us talk to clients, and honestly didn't let us do much. Yesterday I had a cat for wound care and bloodwork, sat around for 4 hours before we even touched him, then all I did was give an IM injection to sedate him. And I have to go through it all over again in the spring because small animal trackers are required to do internal med twice. Most of what I got to do was get histories and restrain animals. AKA what I've been doing for 7 years, except I'm paying to do it rather than getting paid. 5 more months...

This is why I didn't complain about having clinics online. I don't feel like I missed out on anything

 

[PetVet23]

This is why I didn't complain about having clinics online. I don't feel like I missed out on anything

I think I got a little spoiled with my first few rotations too, I had a lot of more hands-on ones back to back for a little bit

 

[britzen]

Well I've now experienced the not getting to do much side of clinics spent 3 weeks feeling like an incompetent potato (though let's be real, does any student ever look smart on internal medicine??), they barely let us talk to clients, and honestly didn't let us do much. Yesterday I had a cat for wound care and bloodwork, sat around for 4 hours before we even touched him, then all I did was give an IM injection to sedate him. And I have to go through it all over again in the spring because small animal trackers are required to do internal med twice. Most of what I got to do was get histories and restrain animals. AKA what I've been doing for 7 years, except I'm paying to do it rather than getting paid. 5 more months...

My IM rotation was slammed I was so busy. Can be hit or miss at VMCVM for how many appts / transfers there are...

Hopefully your next rotation is busy - I learned a lot on mine and felt like I got to do quite a bit with the cases I had (I had at least 1-2 very needy hospitalized patients every day including weekends plus 1-2 appts on top of that... I was at the hospital for like 12 hours a day, and for 19 out of 21 days for that rotation. I was exhausted by the end).

 

[PetVet23]

My IM rotation was slammed I was so busy. Can be hit or miss at VMCVM for how many appts / transfers there are...

Hopefully your next rotation is busy - I learned a lot on mine and felt like I got to do quite a bit with the cases I had (I had at least 1-2 very needy hospitalized patients every day including weekends plus 1-2 appts on top of that... I was at the hospital for like 12 hours a day, and for 19 out of 21 days for that rotation. I was exhausted by the end).

Wow that's so crazy! There were 11 of us on the block and most days we saw 3, maybe 4 appointments total per day, and had maybe 6 or 7 transfers the whole time. We've also lost a couple more doctors so there's that...

 

[Vet2022-20224]

My IM rotation was slammed I was so busy. Can be hit or miss at VMCVM for how many appts / transfers there are...

Hopefully your next rotation is busy - I learned a lot on mine and felt like I got to do quite a bit with the cases I had (I had at least 1-2 very needy hospitalized patients every day including weekends plus 1-2 appts on top of that... I was at the hospital for like 12 hours a day, and for 19 out of 21 days for that rotation. I was exhausted by the end).

Yup, I heard that was how our IM was too, before our clinician left. Now we are doing clerkships in basically GP clinics, not really with IM specialists, which vary in hands on. Sigh.

That aside, is anyone freaking out about results or is it just me? They say it usually takes a month for results to come back from the last test taking day which would be this Friday-Monday... *paper bag breathing* ...

 

[cosofin2015]

Yup, I heard that was how our IM was too, before our clinician left. Now we are doing clerkships in basically GP clinics, not really with IM specialists, which vary in hands on. Sigh.

That aside, is anyone freaking out about results or is it just me? They say it usually takes a month for results to come back from the last test taking day which would be this Friday-Monday... *paper bag breathing* ...

Someone was saying it is expected the week of the 16th but I am not sure if they emailed ICVA. I hope it is this Friday!

 

[PetVet23]

Anyone else officially to the point of panicking with every email notification or is it just me?

 

[Vet2022-20224]

Anyone else officially to the point of panicking with every email notification or is it just me?

Gee whiz was I!! I decided to wait after the day was over to cry at home whichever way it went. I almost had a heart attack waiting so long, and could not even process the clinicians questions, must've seemed crazy

 

[Vet2022-20224]

Gee whiz was I!! I decided to wait after the day was over to cry at home whichever way it went. I almost had a heart attack waiting so long, and could not even process the clinicians questions, must've seemed crazy

Congrats to everyone today! and if you gotta take this pesky exam again regardless come graduation you are a doctor too!

 

[dogtorschmogtor]

In the name of salary transparency, what have you guys been offered for your first job out of school? Field and general location would be helpful!

 

[SkiOtter]

In the name of salary transparency, what have you guys been offered for your first job out of school? Field and general location would be helpful!

I’m a 22 grad, but I was offered 100k for SA GP in Michigan with one of the corps. I think a different corp said that their salaries are around that too.
Edit: 20% production was what I got offered and seemed to be what most other places I looked were offering, if they weren’t straight salary.

 

[MixedAnimals77]

In the name of salary transparency, what have you guys been offered for your first job out of school? Field and general location would be helpful!

22 grad. Rural mixed CO/KS border. Private practice, 80%sa/20%la. 70k base with 21% production. (Grossing much closer to 120-150k/year) is the job I ended up taking

I interviewed at 10 different practices of similar variety around CO and had offers from 60k straight salary (no benefits i might add😅l to 25% production (~150k/year) with benefits.

If you're going into SA your offers I hope won't be as variable. You can get a good idea of salaries in your specific area by looking at various job postings in that area ie. 180k+ in San Fran is common while closer to 100-120k is common in an average size city

 

[battie]

In the name of salary transparency, what have you guys been offered for your first job out of school? Field and general location would be helpful!

First job: 90k/20% production GP/ER hybrid, VCA benefits package (standard stuff)
- Interviewed at 12 places that ranged 85k w/ no benefits in metro area to 120k with benefits

Second (current) job: 70/hr ER exclusive, NVA benefits package (standard stuff)

 

[PetVet23]

In the name of salary transparency, what have you guys been offered for your first job out of school? Field and general location would be helpful!

Private SA GP in rural-ish Southwest Virginia, 70-80K base (hourly pay so this is a general range) with 22% production. Also received an offer from a corp of 110K base with 21% production, but that clinic just wasn't a good fit for me

 

[PetVet23]

I feel like I need to share this on here

I had a rough week on ER last week. Like breakdowns almost every day and our social worker checked in with me a couple times rough. Today we had a dog with a FB that one of our ER docs was willing to cut (we don't have any surgeons right now), and I was on ICU/not actively taking in patients today so happened to be the one she snagged for help. Only I wasn't helping, she let me do the entire procedure, and I've never even done an enterotomy before! Everything went really well, it was definitely a much needed win.

So to anyone else struggling right now, hang in there ❤️

 

[Dinashadow]

In the name of salary transparency, what have you guys been offered for your first job out of school? Field and general location would be helpful!

Northeast here, ranges are from 110k-130k w/ like 21% production and a lot of places have sign on bonuses as well

 

[Vet2022-20224]

I feel like I need to share this on here

I had a rough week on ER last week. Like breakdowns almost every day and our social worker checked in with me a couple times rough. Today we had a dog with a FB that one of our ER docs was willing to cut (we don't have any surgeons right now), and I was on ICU/not actively taking in patients today so happened to be the one she snagged for help. Only I wasn't helping, she let me do the entire procedure, and I've never even done an enterotomy before! Everything went really well, it was definitely a much needed win.

So to anyone else struggling right now, hang in there ❤️

Wow I'm sorry that is so rough, but thats a huge win!!!

I am not a very good at client communication yet so this rotation has not only a lot of communication, but 4th years and 3rd years have to be in the room with us as well, and that has me more nervous than usual with such a big crowd. Also some personal stuff is going on that has me stressed out, so anxiety is just an all time high, so def have to celebrate all the wins

 

[cbucks]

First day of internship starts tomorrow! Both excited and feeling like I'm going to puke at any moment how has everyone else been doing post-grad?

 

[CoffeeQuestionMark]

First day of internship starts tomorrow! Both excited and feeling like I'm going to puke at any moment how has everyone else been doing post-grad?

Good skills! You'll do great!
I guess this is my 3rd week of internship? (1st week was just orientation though).
2nd week I was in onco and I've been on ER since Saturday (today I have off)
Everyone has been so helpful and I'm receiving good constructive feedback and slowly building my confidence. Days are really long. A couple nights ago I was there from 2pm-4:30am mostly just cause I had to wait for 2+ hours for my patient's blood to get drawn cause he was not critical (really needed an IM workup but 11pm at the ER is simply not the time or place for that).

 

[PetVet23]

First day of internship starts tomorrow! Both excited and feeling like I'm going to puke at any moment how has everyone else been doing post-grad?

I start my small animal GP job on Wednesday and I'm feeling ALL the emotions!

 

[that redhead]

Hey recent grad friends - anyone recently take the Texas board licensing exam? Shoot me a PM

 

[JaynaAli]

Hey recent grad friends - anyone recently take the Texas board licensing exam? Shoot me a PM

@cdo96 maybe?

 

[cdo96]

Hey recent grad friends - anyone recently take the Texas board licensing exam? Shoot me a PM

yo I did back in 2021

 

[CoffeeQuestionMark]

I am halfway through my internship. I do like being an ER doctor but man some days are rough (yesterday).
This week is my first time seeing a famous patient. Multi-million insta followers.