Veterinary Cardiology Resident
(Male, Age 30) from Madison, WI
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Male aged 30 who works as a Veterinary Cardiology Resident in Madison, WI. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Veterinary Cardiology Resident |
|---|---|
| Salary | $26,600 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 55 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Madison, WI |
| Years Experience | 1 year |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
University of Wisconsin College of Veterinary Medicine
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I see referal patients and teach fourth year veterinary students
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
Health, dental, vision insurance
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
Under
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Yes, I work with other doctors, many students and technicians. I love the ability to be surrounded with such enthusiasm and intellegence.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 2
Benefits: 5
Hours: 1
Co-Workers: 3
Supervisors: 4
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 6
The Actual Work: 7
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | Arrived at work. Checked that my previous days charts were complete. Made a phone call to cover the plan with a possible urinary tract infection patient. Checked the CCU for any possible transfers and checked with the on call doctor. |
| 8am to 9am | Covered cases with the students. Examined the previous days radiographs and talked about possible treatments for left sided congestive heart failure. Wrote a prescription for a refill for a patient for furosemide and enalapril. Looked up the incoming patients to see what breed they were. |
| 9am to 10am | Saw one appointment for a new murmur. A 8 year old neuterd male Shih Tzu who had a dental one three weeks ago and then he started coughing. His regular doctor tried antibiotics and then furosemide and he got better. |
| 10am to 11am | Tooka a phone call from a doctor about a possible emergency on a cat with a murmur. Told him to make a regular appointment. Set up the appointment for thoracic radiographs and ECG. Scanned the ECG for any big problems, none seen. |
| 11am to 12pm | Saw a consultation from oncology for enlarged heart on thoracic radiographs, no murmur heard so he was set up for an echocardiogram. Heated up lunch |
| 12pm to 1pm | Ate lunch, read the previous ECG and found a sinus rhythm with left atrial enlargement pattern. Read over the thoracic radiographs, vertebral heart scale of 12, moderate left atrial enlargment, mild left ventricular enlargement. Normal pulmonary vasculature, mild bronchial lung pattern. No congestive heart failure. |
| 1pm to 2pm | Performed the echocardiogram on the Shih Tzu, found moderate mitral insufficiency due to endocardiosis, mild tricuspid insufficiency due to endocardiosis with mild pulmonary hypertension. Evidence of elevated left atrial pressures. |
| 2pm to 3pm | Fininshed up discharges for Shih Tzu and filled two refills for furosemide. Turned in prescriptions for enalapril for Shih Tzu. Made sure the student understood why we were doing what we were doing. |
| 3pm to 4pm | Discharged the Shih Tzu. Covered with the owner that the cough was most likely due to left sided congestive heart failure and that he will be on medications for the rest of his life. We will see him back regularly to stay on top of his condition and prevent any other problems. |
| 4pm to 5pm | Covered the ECG packet with the students. Explained the following rhythms: normal sinus, ventricular tachycardia with R on T phenomenon (very dangerous rhythm that can lead to death), atrial fibrillation, sinus bradycardia, second and third AV block, and pacemaker therapy. Sent stuents home |
| 5pm to 6pm | Finished up the Shih Tzu’s chart and turned it in and went home greatful for a slow day.. |
| 6pm to 7pm | |
| 7pm to 8pm | |
| 8pm to 9pm | |
| 9pm to 10pm | |
| 10pm to 11pm | |
| 11pm to 12am |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
A web site match program – then took it outside the match
What was the application process?
Through VIRMP.com with resume and letters of recommendation and a letter of intent
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
No
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
No
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
My previous employer did nothing to prepare me for this
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
This is the training program to become a veterinary cardiologist
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes, I am able to quickly reference any problems I do not understand and I am able to handle any emergency problems
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
Not well. There was no full time cardiologist.
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Study very hard during veterinary school and do well in clinics.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Knowledge of cardiac physiology and basics of ECG and echocardiography
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Absolutely
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Start reading and read fast…
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes…I want to be a good clinical cardiologist and help as many animals as possible
What are your current career goals?
Become borded in veterinary cardiology and work 3-4 days a week so I can spend time with my family
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
It is the best career I could imagine.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Intern | one year | 27000 | Rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery with shifts in general medicine, internal medicine, surgery, emergency and cardiology |
| Prior Job 2 | Camp Counselor | 10 weeks | 10.50/hour | Supervised and instructed 11 year olds at a summer camp in various crafts and activities. |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3.3
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.7 | Wasington State University | BS Animal Sciences |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
3.6 | Washington State University | DVM – Doctor of Veterinary Medicine |
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