After four hard years I was tired of vet school and ready to jump into the workforce. I decided to skip an internship, which meant another year of school. Deb, my girlfriend, was incredulous that I was ready to stop my scholastic learning. How did I expect to become a top-notch vet without doing internship? She would be graduating next year and was already contemplating where she would apply for her internship. “I can practice legally because I have a license, I reminded her. “But you haven’t developed the skillset to do a good job,” she insisted. “That’s why it’s important for me to work with a veterinarian who understands the limitations a new graduate may have. I’ll work closely with Dr. Brant, and he’ll be there for me when I run into problems,” I reassured my doubting girlfriend. And so, I became an associate at Paso Robles Vet Clinic with the intention of learning my skills from a seasoned veterinarian, hoping to work my way into a life-long partnership at his clinic. I saw my new employer as a grandpa figure, a loving giving mentor who thrived on sharing his knowledge of animals with me.
