A previous version of this article first appeared on Medium.com. Emotional blackmail is the new term being used to characterize the pressure that clients put on veterinarians to care for their pets, to feel guilty about charging, and for making money. It has catapulted our profession into a crisis of burnout, compassion fatigue and suicide…. Read More
Archives for March 2019
In Defense of Holding Space for Clients
I’ve noticed a troubling trend in vet medicine. It’s not exactly client bashing, but more of lack of compassion and taking time to actually talk to clients. Lest you think me a starry-eyed optimistic new grad out to make every client happy and save the world, that is not the case. I’ve been in practice… Read More
Valuable Lessons I Learned From My Terrible Working Interview
There was a point not very long ago when I thought I was ready to move on from veterinary medicine – at least the part about working in a clinic. I was moving out of state, so it seemed like the right time to look for new opportunities. As it turned out, moving across the… Read More
Please Stabilize Before You Transfer
I’ve written before how amazing we are as veterinarians. We are 10 different specialties all wrapped into one spectacular person. When we decide what type of practice we are going to work for we may narrow down the spectrum of care we produce. GP clinics focus on vaccinations, nutrition, and common ailments that affect our… Read More
What a Vet Sees: Minus Twenty Seven Degrees
It’s March 2nd, and it’s -27 degrees Celsius outside. Minus. Twenty. Seven. And I ain’t even mad. Maybe I should be. I mean, technically spring is only three weeks away. But I’m not. I’m not because I know that spring on the Canadian prairies – our real spring – comes when it’s good and ready…. Read More
TISI: I’m Tired of Bullying in Veterinary Medicine
Mental health. Self-Care. Anxiety. Depression. Suicide. These are all words that have come to the forefront of veterinary medicine in recent years. It is finally a topic that is being addressed in seminars, conferences and articles. It is a real problem. I have heard many theories about why it is such a problem in our… Read More