#MeowMonday: Kittens in the ClinicJune 1, 2015This is some serious snuggling. This what 1 pound of concentrated cuteness looks like. #VetJob #VetTech #VetMedicine #Veterinarian #Vet #Kitten #Tiny #Cat #CatsOfInstagram #Snuggle #Adopt #ILoveMyJob #Cute A photo posted by Seth Wyckoff (@sethwyckoff) on May 28, 2015 at 4:41pm PDT This kitten is hard at work. Hard at work #kitten #playtime #vettech #veterinary #workflow #catsofinstagram #cryptorchid #specialkitty #cute #love #girlswithtattoos ???? A photo posted by Jen ???? (@jen.trim) on May 29, 2015 at 11:53am PDT Kittens everywhere! A client came in today with a basket full of seven kittens, and I think I died a little! Four boys and three girls. …
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Do We Really Need to Talk About Mental Illness?May 27, 2015One of the most difficult times in my years of practice involved the suicide of a client. I knew the family well, and they’d been clients for years. You can imagine my emotions when the widower told me he suspected his deceased wife had sunk into deep depression after her cat died from a chronic illness while under my care. Nothing else was ever said about that, and surely there were other issues involved. Still, it was very disturbing to hear those words. All of us experience trying situations in practice. It goes with the territory. But the takeaway is to learn to know when we, or a person associated with our practice, become overwhelmed and need outside help. There are many reasons why people in the veterinary profession suffer from mental challenges like burnout, depression and suicide. Veterinary medicine is a demanding and challenging profession. Yes, that’s a good thing. But, at times the demands can become overwhelming and evolve into a negative force. In general, veterinarians practice a strong work ethic, are highly compassionate and are sensitive to the needs of pets and people. Again, these are all positive and admirable traits. But, those traits also leave us …
What do You do When You're Suffering From Burnout and Compassion Fatigue?May 21, 2015As the veterinary profession struggles with how to define and cope with the emotional aspects of the work we do, we have recently identified two concepts: burnout and compassion fatigue. Burnout is simply defined as the stresses caused by our interaction with the work environment. Among the list of causes are the feeling of having no control over the quality of care provided and a conflict between individual values and organizational goals and demands. Compassion fatigue is defined as the stresses caused by our relationship with our patients and clients. The majority of the stress in these relationships comes from the fact that in healthcare, we are expected to be technically proficient, emotionally available, straightforward, clear and compassionate … all at the same time! So what happens when we see corners being cut, perhaps resulting in providing services below our own personal opinion of “standard medical care,” and we feel powerless to change the system? What happens when we have to be straightforward, yet hide substandard quality of services? What happens when we have to demonstrate compassion and be emotionally available when we feel we are asked to act in an immoral way? This is the dangerous zone of “Moral …
One Veterinarian's Adventures in TurkeyMay 19, 2015Originally published in the February 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News Istanbul is an unusual and exotic city. The metropolis stretches over two continents, 3 percent of it in Europe and 97 percent in Asia. I was fortunate enough to lecture at the First International Veterinary Conference in Istanbul. During the trip, I also traveled to Bursa, the former capital of the Ottoman Empire, located four hours South of Istanbul. I was also able to visit with several colleagues in private practice, a rescue organizations and veterinary schools. Here are photos and impressions I brought back from this amazing trip. Click on an image to learn more.
Who in Your Practice has Experienced Compassion Fatigue, Burnout or Depression?May 13, 2015It must have been about 7 years into owning my mixed practice when a nagging tension gained enough steam to demand my attention. The practice was healthy and growing. I’d gained some respect in the community. And I worked every day with a well-trained staff that was loyal to the practice and to me. During those same years, our family had grown, and now there were three beautiful children who needed and deserved their daddy’s attention. Although she was (and is) incredibly capable, I didn’t want my wife to have all the fun of raising our kids. Plus, like everyone else, there were other worthy interests outside of veterinary medicine competing for some of my time, too. Although it may not have been accurate, it seemed to me that all the vets I knew worked at least 80 hours a week and owned great practices. I can clearly remember when I realized that a decision had to be made. I had to answer the question, “Is veterinary medicine a means to an end, or is it an end to a means?” For me, it was the former. Looking back, I’m convinced that facing that question honestly and becoming comfortable with …
What You Need to Know About Retention RequestsMay 7, 2015“Retention Requests” is usually a slick way of saying “raises and bonuses.” But that’s not entirely true. You need to determine what it takes to make you want to stay in a certain job. If you want/need to make more money, then you’re willing to ask for a raise or consider getting a new job that pays more. In order to “retain” you, the practice needs to decide if they want to honor your raise request. But there can also be other factors, such as benefits, hours, shift, position, etc. During your career in veterinary medicine, your needs and desires may change. Here are some of the requests you might want to make: Hours Perhaps you hired in part-time, and that was sufficient for a certain time period, but now you really need a full-time position. Does your current practice have an opening? Or do they need to know you will begin looking for a full-time position elsewhere? Always give them the opportunity to consider your request before you jump ship, unless you know you’re leaving for other reasons as well. Shift Back when you were in school or your kids were young, the overnight or late-day shift might have …
5 Pets Celebrating Star Wars DayMay 4, 2015How are you and your clinic celebrating Star Wars Day? Here's some cute pets celebrating May 4th, Star Wars Day. May the 4th be with you! May the forth be with your maytheforcebewithyou #munfordanimal #veterinary #veterinarian A photo posted by Munford Animal Hospital (@munfordanimalhospital) on May 4, 2015 at 10:28am PDT May the fourth... And all that. A photo posted by Kevin (@brbkevin) on May 4, 2015 at 10:06am PDT
5 Times the Vet Medicine Struggle Got a Little Too RealApril 28, 20151) There's always that one phone call. Veterinarians don't know it all but what they know, they know it dam well. #CSUF #PreVet #Vet #Med #VetMed #Veterinarian #AnimalLovers #Love #Passion #Determination A photo posted by @csufprevetclub on Apr 27, 2015 at 12:40pm PDT 2) Your friends just don't understand. Haha my life! #vetmed #vets #yyc #cowtown #sotrue ???????? A photo posted by whieldon93 (@whieldon93) on Apr 28, 2015 at 6:56am PDT 3) It's probably too late to change your life goals. Life of a vet student A photo …
10 Ways to Become a Great Practice OwnerApril 23, 2015People do not work for a company, they work for a boss. Are you the kind of boss that people want to work for? If you own a veterinary practice, then it is essential for you to hire and maintain a great team of people; people who will want to work for you now and in the future. Here are 10 ways to become a great practice owner: Share your Passion, Hopes and Dreams for the Practice: This could be a written mission or vision statement, or it could simply be the verbal message that you consistently share with the team. Regardless, your team needs to know why you became a veterinarian, and what you hope to accomplish by owning a practice. What were your dreams when you opened the practice, and have they changed? What do you hope for the future of the practice and your part in the profession? The only way your team can share your dream is if they know what it is … so share that dream. Be the Moral Compass: You may have a code of ethics or values written up, or you may simply live the type of professional life that you feel is appropriate. …
10 Ways to Become a Great Associate VeterinarianApril 15, 2015Perhaps you just graduated from veterinary school … congrats! You now have DVM (or VMD) behind your name, and you are ready to jump right in and help a practice take care of their clients and patients. Or perhaps you graduated a while ago, and while you have no interest in owning a practice at this time, you do want to have a pleasant working environment, which you may or may not have at this time. Here are some ways to become a great associate veterinarian, for everyone’s benefit. School of Hard Knocks: If you did just graduate veterinary school, you are likely anxious to share what you have learned with the boss, and the team. Slow down, and realize that you are now just a freshman in the School of Hard Knocks, the ultimate reality of working in a practice, and in this particular practice. You have learned a lot, but you still have a lot to learn, and often it isn’t about the medicine. Keep reading… Technicians Can Teach: There is absolutely no doubt about it: When it comes to the duties of patient care, there will be technicians that know more than you do, especially if they have been working in the practice …
