Working: week 1

Gee... working can really eat into your day! This week I went to 2 interviews. "Hung out" in two different clinics on a trial basis. And, worked my first day. (Earned my first plastic-with-a-see-through-window money! I don't actually have any of that moola in my pocket, none the less I'm going to see how it spends later today.)

For some reason here they don't seem to carry generic drugs. This makes my job more of a challenge, because I have to learn a bunch of trade names. A few are the same: Rimadyl, Heartgard, Frontline, Antirobe. One is an easy enough change: Clavamox is now Amoxiclav. But there is no "cephalexin" or "amoxicillin" or even "prednisolone". The biggest source of this challenge comes from how my prescribing self is set up- in the room with the client and not in front of the shelves containing the desired medications. A cheat sheet in under construction.

I'm also learning to use a computerized client record system, work with only an owner to restrain their pet, and to pronouce Rottweiler with a long "e" sound - Wheeeeeler.

I've agreed to work part time in two different clinics: the Bald Hills clinic (hitherto to be known as MPV) in Bald Hills and the Caboolture clinic in Morrayfield (which I guess I'll call CMF). I think it means I'll be working 6 days a week someplace and at least a few days a month working both places at the same time.

Both clinics want me to wear a uniform shirt- though neither one has one remotely in my size. (My fault- I'm freakishly small.) I tried on a long sleeved top at MPV and it looked like I was wearing one of Kevin's! I don't think that is the look they have in mind. The short sleeved shirts they had were a bit smaller- a size 8 and a size 10. "You can wear the 10 today. The 8 will fit better but you need to take it home and IRON it." What have I gotten myself into???? I spent the last 4 years working in scrubs. No muss- no fuss. Not only do I need to IRON this weekend- I have to put a button on. Obviously, they think they've hired someone with a wife.

My first day of work was with MPV. They are tied into a number of pet stores so most of their patients are young pets- primarily dogs. Lots of routine vaccination appointments. The exceptions on Wednesday were an anal gland abscess (and rupture) in a greyhound and a very painful old Staffordshire Terrier. So, I was pleased to get a little pus and frustrated to find I couldn't provide the Staffie with much relief. (Kevin, by the way, thinks its gross that I would include an abscess in my blog...but, this is my life. It gets gross and smelly.)

CMF, on the other hand, according to my visit day was more like what I'm used to- though we were a bit heavy on the euthanasias. It has been a long time since I had to travel down that road and I was the one in the room crying on Friday. The day was brightened by a woman bringing in a laundry basket piled high with blankets and towels and heating pads...and buried deep inside a soft fleece bag- a baby kangaroo. (A joey- just to practice my technical language). I hadn't thought about kangaroo development for forever- so I was surprised to see this footlong pink, blind, naked and long-footed baby. Those marsupials just pulled fetal development out of the uterus and stuck it in a pouch. Anyway, this joey is experiencing severe diarrhea (which I think I need to put an "o" in somewhere) and so to combat dehydration was in the clinic to get some subcutaneous (SubQ- though here they are sub-cut) fluids. I tried to remain professional and not jump up and down so to get a better view.

Monday is a holiday. Labour day. And, given I am now "labour", I shall be taking it easy.