Why you need to use 'I' statementsMay 24, 2016I remember, with some embarrassment, when I had an opinion that I wanted to bring forward, and I confronted a colleague very ineffectively. I was so sure that my idea was right that I told her that she “should” pay attention to my idea.
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How vet school has changed over the yearsMay 9, 2016According to the philosopher Heraclitus, the only thing constant is change. Nowhere is this truer than in veterinary colleges, where yesteryear’s graduates might be surprised to find that students spend more time rehearsing for performance and less time nodding off in a lecture hall.
10 sins of veterinary professionalsMay 9, 2016Let's face it, not every veterinary professional has the same attitude towards their career or outlook on life. We can be the most hypocritical and judgmental people to our clients and family. Here are the top 10 sins of our profession.
6 Ways Veterinarians Completely Sabotage Vet TechsMay 3, 2016Reprinted with permission from Smart Flow Sheet. As a CVT, I love working with veterinarians. They are smart, compassionate and hardworking. However, there so many times that they destroy my day. Here are the tops 6 ways vets completely sabotage veterinary technicians. 1. They Leave a Ridiculous Mess Vet techs are no strangers to spending half our day cleaning up. However, nothing grinds our gears more than a mess left by our vets that looks like the aftermath of a bomb. A little help with cleanup or a little consideration would go a long way. To add to it, noticing a mess and neglecting to let us know about it can also drive us nuts. 2. Dealing with Clients Clients can be the biggest challenge we face any day of the week. The one thing that makes it worse is when a vet: Undermines our recommendation Doesn't have our back or isn't on our side Leaves us alone to deal with a tough cookie Gives them a discount after we explained the estimate and …
New Vet Keeps Going Over My Head to the Practice OwnerMay 2, 2016A veterinary practice manager writes: We have a new veterinarian who joined the team almost a month ago. As the practice manager, I am responsible for a large portion of his induction. This involves administrative things like employment documentation, training him in our PMS, employment policies, customer service procedures and standards of care. We’ve also spoken about work schedules, annual leave, standard medications we use, etc. Most of these policies are documented and all our staff follows them. He asks questions, and I always refer to the relevant policy and explain why we do things in a certain way. He has never strongly disagreed with anything or given me the impression that he won’t follow a policy. However, on numerous occasions I have discovered that he has gone to the practice owner and questioned certain policies that I had already explained to him, hoping to get a different response. How do I explain to him that, as the practice manager, this is my responsibility and these policies and procedures have come out of lengthy discussions between the practice owner, myself and other veterinarians? He is undermining my authority …
Give Thanks for Vet TechsApril 29, 2016 Have you gotten any thanks recently? Dr. Andy Roark and VetStreet.com are asking people to do so in this video, “5 Reasons You Should Thank a Vet Tech.” As they explain in their video description: “Veterinary technicians are the unsung heroes of vet medicine, and they're a huge part of the care and love that your pet receives when he or she is at the clinic.” So what are the five reasons? From 5 to 1, they are: 5) They have a dirty job. 4) They keep the veterinarians on track. 3) Their job can be dangerous. 2) They're highly skilled. 1) They love your pet when you can't be there. Each of the five reasons comes with a cute little example video, such as 5) below. Screencap/VetStreet.com And 3) too, featuring one angry cat. Screencap/VetStreet.com So have you been thanked today? Let us know in the comments.
#TheStruggleisReal: That’s Not What I Meant by “Joint”April 29, 2016A submission from our #TheStruggleisReal page. “I told an owner he should consider a joint supplement for his dog's stiff hips. He got real quiet like he didn't understand what I was saying, so I chimed in with ‘glucosamine’ and “chondroitin.’ He started to stammer and admitted to thinking I was suggesting medical marijuana. ‘Joint’ supplement. It took me about 5 minutes to get my laughter under control to explain my recommendation further!” Do you have a funny story you want to share! Submit it here! (All entries will be edited for clarity.)
Is Veterinary Medicine OK?April 28, 2016Over on Dr. Andy Roark’s website, they have a new blog post called “Veterinary Medicine, Are You OK?" by Sarah Boston, DVM, DVSC, Dipl ACVS. And she has this to say: “If you take a look at the recent social media posts on veterinary medicine, most of it is negative. Most of it would suggest that we are in trouble. A lot of trouble. We are unhappy with our careers and our choices. The blogs that talk about compassion fatigue, setting boundaries, work-life balance, depression, mental health issues in our profession, and general workplace misery, are the ones that resonate with our people. We can’t get enough of each other’s unhappiness because it makes us realize that we are not alone. #CompassionFatiguePorn” Now we’ve talked extensively about compassion fatigue, and have poked have some of the more miserable aspects. But Dr. Boston makes a great point in her article saying, “In the end, veterinary medicine is a job. Our lives need to be more than a job, even a great job.” Basically, our jobs shouldn’t leave …
Why Can't I Find a Job as a Vet Tech?April 25, 2016A veterinary technician writes: I have been trying to find a job as a vet tech and I’m having a difficult time. I've been on about seven interviews and got only three responses back, all saying that I was not experienced enough for the clinic. I don't know why since I've been at my clinic for more than three years and I do just about everything. The only problem is that we don't use computers (which I can learn quickly), X-rays, in-house labs and I have a very strong background in customer service. I had one interviewer tell me right away that I wasn't going to get the job because I didn't know their practice management software and that they don't have the time to train me. During the interview, I do tell them this up front and I also mention that I'm a quick learner. Is it my age? I don’t tell them how old I am because I really don't look it and don't act it? I talk it up about how I love talking with owners about their pets and other things. I'm very honest about …
10 Ways to Not be a Jerk in the Veterinary PracticeApril 25, 2016Reprinted with permission from Smart Flow Sheet. It really is quite simple to not be a jerk in veterinary medicine. Step number one, don't be a jerk. If you are not sure what not being a jerk looks like, just follow these next steps: Did you just walk past that diarrhea bomb? I didn't think so. Get back there and clean up that explosion. You are on your 15th smoke break (and you don't even smoke)? Put your phone down and get back into the game. You assume someone else is going to clean up your IV catheter mess? Not likely. Now treat this clinic like it is a 5-star resort. I hear the phone ringing. Do you hear it ringing? Help a receptionist out and answer the call. Floors don't mop themselves. Wouldn't that be nice? Fill up a bucket and get to work. You don't work well with others? Not an option! Be polite, even if it hurts. It takes you how long to fill that RX? Stop wasting time. What, you mean showing up at 8:05 isn't the same as starting …
