Start early!

  • Plan time to revise and proofread your work, you will need more time for this than you initially expect!
  • Record everything as you do it. Don’t let it pile up and then think you are going to do it all at the end.
  • Start early. I also kept a notebook of the cases that I worked on and listed the skills that I performed for each (made for easy reference for deciding which cases to write up).
  • Don't procrastinate - pay close attention to deadlines and dedicate time to work on the application at least two months before it is due.
  • Start early and be consistent.  
  • Give the skills list to the doctor who is going to sign it off early!  
  • Give out the personal recommendation forms early and check back in with the doctors every once in a while to remind them. 

Get organized!

  • I created a spread sheet with columns matching the online forms. Then every week starting the first week of collection I would log all the consults we would do. I tracked pretty much every case, and then towards the end of the collection year I began to narrow them down to the 75 best cases. I made sure to select a wide variety of cancers (oncology applicant) as well as a wide variety of skills. Some cases I didn't do too many skills, but the ones I did were unique or special enough that I didn't do them often, so I made sure to include those ones.
  • Carry note cards during your shift.  One side gets patient info (a sticker where I work).  Write the diagnosis, procedures, outcome, etc. on the other side.  Go through the cards every 2-3 days and filter out what you don't need.
  • I kept a copy of the skills list and every time I got a case that matched a skill, I put a hash mark on the skills list to make sure I was covering all of my skills.  I copied records as I went along too (treatment sheets, anesthesia logs, lab work results, doctors reports, and etc.)  I kept everything together in an accordion file that had dividers so I could keep cases in order. 
  • I made a list of all of the disease processes that we saw on a frequent basis (DKA, ITP, Addison's, Cushings. etc).  Then, I actively strived to be assigned to work on those cases until I had at least one of each type to add to my log.  If I worked on additional cases of a particular disease process (i.e perhaps in a year I cared for 10 DKA patients), I kept track of those as well. But made sure that I had at least one of all diseases on my original list.
  • I also tried to be involved in cases that came in that we didn't see on a frequent basis (i.e FCE, myxedema coma,etc).  To make my final Case Logs I picked the best case of each type from my "frequently seen" list and added in the "infrequently seen" cases.

Surround yourself with support!

  • Join the AIMVT Applicants Facebook group to network with both applicants and current VTS-es in your specialty
  • Seek feedback from your mentor early in the process so you have time to apply the feedback.
  • Have a contact, either by phone or in clinic to bounce questions off of, have the contact review your application, and just in general have support. This was an amazing help to me during my application.  (AIMVT note: get paired with an AIMVT mentor!)
  • The other techs that I worked with knew what I was doing.  Eventually, it became almost a game for them.  They started seeking me out as cases came in to make sure I didn't miss anything on my list. 
  • Get volunteers to read the case reports, checking not only for content but grammar and flow.  Bribes worked well for me – primarily chocolate.

Get picky!

  • My definition of the "best case" was the one where I had the biggest impact on that patient's care either by my technical skills or knowledge (preferably both).
  • For the Case Reports, selecting the right case was key for me.  There were several "cool", interesting, challenging cases that I wanted to write about but they were too complicated to describe in the number of pages we were allowed.

Details matter!

  • Proof read A LOT! Double check CURRENT abbreviations (such as SID and QD) and work a little as you go along. It won’t seem so overwhelming!
  • Stay current on documents. Reread. Reread. Reread.

Don't give up!

  • Don’t give up! If you do not succeed on your first try take the feedback you are given and continue to strive towards your goal. Remember that the pursuit of a VTS is a commitment to lifelong learning and not an end goal.