Mostly Asked Veterinary Pathologist Interview Preparation Guide

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When you save an animal’s life. When you save an animal’s life or some little old lady comes in here and gives you a hug because you have saved her animal’s life. That’s what it’s all about. Some people don’t think it is. Some people think it’s money. The most rewarding thing to me is what I do for the animal.

Even if you love animals, success in veterinary medicine depends on how much we love the two-legged creature at the OTHER end of the leash! You want to avoid people who work with animals because they do not like people. They may not say this outright, so again be on the lookout for nonverbal communication.

Probably the biggest thing I dislike about it is having to put up with the general public. I don’t mind the hours working. Some people do, not me. But, people griping, complaining about a bill or, you know, it just kind of¦you can be having a great day, and somebody come in and complain about their bill, and it just ruins your whole day. That’s the thing that I hate about it. I really do.

You may already know the answer to this from their interview paperwork, but it is still good to ask. Many people probably still do not know that NAVTA has the AVA designation and there are formal programs, both online and in person, available to train an AVA.

When I was doing large animal; obstetrics, delivering calves, doing that was the most exciting part of the practice. Because every one was different. The exciting part of what I enjoy doing more than anything in this practice is surgery, whether it’s general surgery or whether it’s emergency. I enjoy it because it’s just me and the dog in there, and one other person. I think it’s probably the most rewarding part of this thing is the surgery that you do: the saving the lives, the making lives better. I just enjoy the hell out of surgery.

I like the challenge of diagnostics. I like the satisfaction of saving an animal’s life. I like the things that we do to make animals live longer, live more productive lives, spaying and neutering, and all healthcare. Now our cats are living to seventeen or eighteen years of age, and our dogs are fifteen and sixteen, and when I started practice, if you had a fourteen-year old cat, it was old. And then once in a while, it’s rewarding when somebody comes up and thanks you for what you’ve done for (Fifi) or (Foofoo). If money was in it, I wouldn’t have done large animal. Because large animal[care] was rewarding; delivering calves and treating sick animals, and the fire engine calls were lots of fun, but there was no money in it. There never is any money.

That we make lots of money. That is the most common misconception. We are probably the lowest paid of all the professionals. If you talk about lawyers and dentists and even chiropractors. You could even put chiropractors in there. You know, we’re probably one of the lowest paid professional group that there is. That’s the biggest misconception. That we are filthy rich, and we ain’t. We just¦we’re just about like anybody that has a business. Just making it¦

I grew up on a farm and I enjoyed working with the animals there. And we had an old time veterinarian there that was pretty rough around the edges. I worked farm animals, I worked for people, I did routine healthcare for sheep and cattle and things, and I just kind of migrated that way.

At some point I finally decided that was what I wanted to do for my life’s work. I knew it when I was fourteen or fifteen years old, but it’s something that takes many people a while to figure out. There’s some place along the way that the light finally comes on and says, This is what I want to do. It doesn’t always work out that way, but that’s what most people in veterinary medicine do.

Not only do you want to know why they chose to come into the profession of veterinary medicine, you also want to know why they chose to be an assistant versus a front office person or veterinary technician. In other words, are they only interested in the veterinary assistant position because that is the only opening you have right now? Ideally you want someone who enjoys and chooses to be a veterinary assistant for his or her own personal and professional reasons.

Diagnostics. The animal has very little ability to tell you where it hurts; whether they’re feeling better or whether you’re doing the right thing. You have to rely on the owner, you have to rely on the sixth sense. Diagnosing sick animals is the most challenging part of it all¦Diagnosing and being able to have a working relationship with that animal to know whether it is doing better, and taking history from the fifteen to twenty minutes you spend with a person in there¦I can’t have somebody come in with a sick dog, and drop it off and say, Here, fix it. Because I’ve got to have a whole lot more information than that. Diagnosing sick animals is probably the most difficult and challenging of all the things that we do.

This is a question we often fail to ask, or even consider. Yet our receptionists will absolutely be involved with clients who suffer the loss of their beloved pet. Will they understand the grief associated with this loss, and how the particular circumstances — such as a tragic accident, an attended euthanasia, a death while in the hospital — might affect the client’s grief? There are many different colors of grief, and the candidate you pick should understand that and be able to empathize while still doing their tasks. Remember that many situations are similar among different types of businesses, with the exception of the addition of death and euthanasia in the veterinary practice. Spend time on that topic in particular.

Be damn sure this is what you want to do. It’s a long ways through veterinary school. The first year is probably the most grueling part of the whole thing. The gross anatomy where you’ve got all these species of animals to learn about. You have to have dedication, and have patience, and you need to have a work ethic.

It ain’t an 8-5 job, there are many times you have to put in longer hours. I’d say that most veterinary students come away from school with about $150,000 in debt, and that takes a lot out of your income to start with. It’s a difficult road the first five years out of school. You just don’t come out of veterinary school and say, Here I am. I’m a veterinarian, you know, ¦and you’re going to get this big salary, and life is going to be great. It’s not. The person needs to have patience, and want, and have a desire. There has to be that desire to be a veterinarian. Just because it looks like it might be monetarily rewarding, it won’t be for a while.

Many organizations use the same equipment and technology used in the veterinary practice. What type of office machines have they used, such as fax/copier, multi-line phone or computer? Who serviced these machines? For example, did they learn how to clear jams on the copier? This is usually done by the receptionist in the heat of the moment, and it always happens when it’s busy up front!

How well do they type? Are they familiar with using email, texting, and other forms of communication you use with your teammates and your clients? Chances are, even if they have previous experience in veterinary medicine, they may not know your basic software, so ask them when is the last time they had to LEARN a new software program. Ask them how that went, if it was it easy for them or if they struggled quite a bit?

I enjoy most of the animals and I enjoy a certain part of my clientele. It’s something to come in here and be able to know that you’ve got a group of people that think a lot of you and you think a lot of them, and the friendships that you make over the years. A lot of my large animals clients, I still have a great friendship with.

But I think probably the biggest perk is the true friendships that you develop with the people because what you’ve done for their animals or have done for them¦That is probably the biggest thing that I think I can, right off the top of my head. You know, compared with all this other stuff the money is nothing. Hopefully, a few of them will show up at my funeral. That’s the goal. And also the respect. Most of the time, people respect you.

Even if the candidate does not know the protocol in your specific practice, you would still want to hear them say that they would offer words of comfort or perhaps lead them to a less busy area of the front desk for privacy. Ask them specifically to describe the body language they would be using: A soft tone of voice, leaning in toward the client so they can discuss things softly, offering a tissue if appropriate. See how well they can visualize the scenario and their part in it.

With this more specific line of questioning, you want to get a feel for whether this person plans on an extended career in veterinary medicine, or if this is just a stop along the way to another career altogether. Again, either way may be fine, but it is good to know this ahead of time to aid you in future staffing decisions. For many young people, this question will catch them off-guard, which is another good reason to ask it.

☛ Patient care requires a strong amount of compassion. Do you consider yourself a compassionate person?
☛ At Gribbles Veterinary Pathology we seek to hire individuals who display a keen interest in the healthcare arena. Would you consider yourself dedicated to a career in healthcare services?
☛ In the healthcare services industry there are many emotions in a day. Have your emotions ever been in the way of your productivity?
☛ Tell me about your healthcare related education and training.
☛ At Gribbles Veterinary Pathology we take pride in our great relationships with clients, vendors, coworkers, and patients. Do you consider yourself to be a strong relationship builder?
☛ What is your patient care philosophy?
☛ In order to work for Gribbles Veterinary Pathology, you must be able to pass a full criminal background check. Do you consent to a full background check?
☛ Healthcare service companies require strong organizational skills and attention to detail. How do you ensure that your work is properly organized, and highly accurate?
☛ If you could expand your knowledge and expertise in any area of healthcare services, which would you choose?
☛ It is often said that a career in healthcare is a 'thankless job'. How can we keep you motivated and engaged, even on the days when you feel your work goes unnoticed?
☛ Have you ever been involved in ordering medical supplies, maintaining inventory, or other types of health care related administrative duties?
☛ At Gribbles Veterinary Pathology we seek to hire individuals who have ambitions of growing their career. Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years?
☛ Gribbles Veterinary Pathology seeks to hire those with strong problem solving skills. When were you able to successfully resolve a problem in the workplace?
☛ When have you shown a willingness to learn a new method or new approach to solving a problem?
☛ How would you describe your personality?
☛ Gribbles Veterinary Pathology has a diverse workforce. When have you worked amongst a diverse group of people?
☛ Do you prefer to work in a team based position or individually?
☛ Gribbles Veterinary Pathology supports a healthy work/life balance for all employees. How do you balance life and work?
☛ Tell me about yourself.
☛ What part of your healthcare career brings you the most stress?
☛ If you could expand your knowledge and expertise in any healthcare service area, which would you choose?
☛ If Gribbles Veterinary Pathology hired you today, what would you accomplish first?
☛ Think about a difficult boss, professor or coworker. What made him or her difficult? How did you successfully interact with this person?
☛ With the ongoing changes in the healthcare services industry, how do you keep your knowledge current?
☛ What type of work environment do you dislike working in?
☛ In your opinion, what makes you a great problem solver?
☛ Rate your problem solving skills from 1-10. How do you justify your rating?
☛ What is your greatest weakness?
☛ Why do you think you will be successful in this role with Gribbles Veterinary Pathology?
☛ Do you think it is possible to be a good team member, yet disagree with the leader?
☛ Gribbles Veterinary Pathology was initially looking for someone with 5 years' experience in a similar role. Considering you have just 2 years' experience, would you be willing to accept this position at a lower salary?

☛ How do you see your job relating to the overall goals?
☛ Your greatest weakness in school or at work?
☛ What do you believe are your key strengths?
☛ Who else have you applied to/got interviews with?
☛ When was the last time you were in a crises?

☛ What would make you happy in a job?
☛ How do you think you can make a contribution to this company?
☛ What is the difference between a good position and an excellent one?
☛ What have you been doing since your last job?
☛ What attracted you to this company?

☛ How do you feel about being asked to perform duties that aren’t listed in your job description during hectic times?

☛ Are you okay with cleaning up after animals?

☛ What was the most helpful performance feedback you received during your training?

☛ What kinds of animals are you experienced handling/caring for?

☛ What is your opinion about mandatory spay/neuter laws?

☛ What would you say to a client who came in to request her healthy pet be euthanized because she was unable to afford to take care of it?

☛ If the office was understaffed and we asked you to come in on your day off, would you come in?

☛ How do you relieve stress?

☛ What is the biggest mistake you have made? What did you learn from it?

☛ What kind of pets do you own/have you owned?

☛ Are you interested in a particular specialty?

☛ What do you imagine will be the most difficult part of this job if we hire you?

☛ How did you become interested in veterinary medicine?

☛ Tell us about a time you had to help an unhappy customer.

☛ What would you do if a client was unable to afford to pay for services?

☛ What would you do if you saw a fellow technologist make a mistake?

☛ What appeals to you most about being a vet tech?

☛ What would you do if you felt an animal you were treating had been abused?

☛ What is the difference between animal rights and animal welfare?

☛ What do you like and dislike about the job we are discussing?
☛ Describe a situation where you had to plan or organise something.
☛ What kind of events cause you stress on the job?
☛ Has anything ever irritated you about people you've worked with?
☛ Give an example of a time you successfully worked on a team.

☛ What were your annual goals at your most current employer?
☛ If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for?
☛ Did you feel you progressed satisfactorily in your last job?
☛ What are your expectations regarding promotions and salary increases?
☛ What was the most stressful situation you have faced?

Discuss any attributes that may set you apart from other job candidates.
Just try to stay focused on the job you're interviewing for.
Make sure to tell the interviewer about the positive results your actions produced.

☛ What makes you a good veterinarian?
☛ What do you think a veterinarian’s role is in the community?
☛ What made you decide to be a veterinarian?
☛ How do you feel about euthanasia? Why?
☛ What would you do if there are obvious signs that an animal you are treating has been abused?
☛ What would you do if a client comes in with an injured animal that will surely die without medical attention, but they only have a few dollars and the cost for animal care, and extended care, will be much higher than what they are able to pay?
☛ If a client brings in a perfectly healthy animal and wants to euthanize it because they no longer want the dog, what do you do?
☛ If you make a mistake and cause the death of an animal, what would you do?
☛ What is the most difficult situation you’ve been faced with since you got in veterinary medicine? How did you handle it?
☛ Describe any previous experience. What did you like and dislike about it?
☛ How do you do stay up to date in the field of veterinary medicine?
☛ What do you do in your free time? Any hobbies?
☛ What was the last book you read?
☛ Do you have any volunteer experience?
☛ Do you have any questions for us?

☛ Please tell us a little bit about yourself and why you want to become a vet?

☛ What made you apply for this post?

☛ What other veterinary schools have you applied to?

☛ What other practices have you applied to?

☛ Why are you leaving your current veterinary post?

☛ Why do you want to work as a locum vet?

☛ Tell us about your veterinary degree course at XXX — what aspects of your training did you enjoy / not enjoy?

☛ How would you describe yourself as a vet — what special qualities do you bring to the profession?

☛ If you were to ask your friends to describe you, what would they say?

☛ What are your hobbies, and what have you learned from participating in them?

☛ What are you expecting from this firm in the future?
☛ What are your long-term goals or career plans?
☛ What is your greatest achievement outside of work?
☛ Can you describe a time when your work was criticized?
☛ Who was your favorite manager and why?