LTI anthropology

Student: Simon Walter

Date:

Mentors Name: John Eustis

Organization/Workplace: Orchard
Veterinary Hospital
Phone Number: 8026582273

Address: 1333 Shelburne Rd,

South Burlington, VT

These questions will help you understand your LTI workplace. Ask your
mentor to help you answer these questions. Also ask you mentor who else
you can speak with at the organization. Answering these questions will help
you sharpen your observation skills and help you better understand your
interest. Write a 1-3 page summary of your LTI workplace based upon
the answers. Use the questions below and create any of your own.

Part 1: Overview
1. What is the main purpose of this

organization/business/workplace?
Veterinary surgery and exams.
2. What different kinds of jobs go on here?

There are the vet techs and the vets who perform surgery and exams.
3. Who are the customers or clients, or who is served by the work of

this organization?
Human clients and their animals, mainly dogs and cats and a few
bunnies.
4. How many people work here? Are they diverse by gender? Race?

Age?
Six- there are four techs (Michelle, Jess, Lauren, and Kelsey), all of
which are young women, and two vets (Dr. Eustis and Dr. Knox), who
are much older.
5. What is it like for people who work here? When do they arrive

and when do they leave? How long is lunch? Is there a dress

code? What kind of spaces do people work in?

They arrive around 7 and leave around 6 (although on some days techs
will leave earlier). Lunch is an hour long. The dress code is scrubs and
closed-toed shoes. The vets have their own small office, while the
techs work in the back room that includes a small lab, laundry room,
kennels and two surgery areas.
Part 2: Structure
6. Is this organization broken down into departments? If so, how does

the work connect?

The techs assist the vets, performing every task around the office besides
the actual exams and surgeries.
7. If there are different parts of the organization, what are the ways

they use to communicate with each other?

They talk. Techs also write up exam notes for vets before exams, briefing
them on the reasons an animal is visiting and any prior treatments.
8. How are decisions made in your part of the organization?

There are set protocol for everything- in case of an emergency, decisionmaking authority goes to the vets.
9. Which part of the organization do you find most interesting? Why?

I am interested in being a vet tech myself and as such spent most of my

time with the techs- because of the wide range of tasks they perform, there
is always something new to do.
10. What kinds of jobs could you see yourself doing in this organization?

Vet tech, especially assisting with surgeries.

Part 3: Assessment
11. How is work evaluated at your LTI?
Set protocol and client satisfaction.
12. Do co-workers critique or review each others work? How is this

done?

Vets review techs work.

13. Do people seem to have high standards for their work? How can you

tell?
Yes- any employee that did shoddy work or undermined the work of others
wouldnt last long here.
14. What are 3 to 5 skills or personal qualities that seem to be important

for all employees, in order for them to do quality work and receive a
good evaluation?
Involved knowledge of protocol, strong communication skills with clients
and between employees, ability to think quickly in an emergency,
compassionate towards animals as well as humans
15. What skills and personal qualities are important for you to work on in

the next few months?

Professionalism in front of clients, asking for explanations of protocol and