DrAndyRoark.com

Articles, Videos, & Training on Pets & Veterinary Medicine

Tosha Zimmerman

Why I Almost Broke Up With Vet Medicine

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Not too long ago, I was put in a position that was out of my control and my thoughts drifted into a negative space. I was hurt and felt like maybe my voice should be silenced. Maybe I didn’t belong anymore, and I should just walk away from a career that has been my life for the last 19 years. 

It seems as though more people are leaving our profession after a long career and the reasons vary. From low pay to toxic environments, the profession as we know it has changed from when we first became a part of it. What was once a love affair has turned into a bitter divorce. 

How can a profession consisting of compassionate, empathetic and caring individuals also attract mean, unkind and apathetic ones? We may never have an answer, but I do know what category I fall into which is why I continue to advocate for this profession.

I get it. Our profession is hard. We literally put in the blood, sweat and tears. But it is also easy in that caring for animals and being their advocate completes us. It is also a rollercoaster of emotions that can make or break our day and we must choose how we react to the continuing loops. 

I also understand that most of us in this profession experience mental health issues which are triggered by our experiences in practice and staying committed takes strength. Dealing with coworkers who are bullies, clients who take their anger out on us and management who doesn’t seem to care takes its toll emotionally day after day. What is left for us to give?

I asked myself why I should stay and what I came up with was this: There are amazing people advocating for all of us every single day and want us all to succeed. There are support groups we can turn to for advice and for the most part, people are positive and encouraging. There are more resources than ever available to us regarding mental health issues. There are clients who love us and depend on us. There are patients that love us unconditionally and rely on us to speak for them. 

Although I am no longer in practice, I am still as determined as ever to make this profession a better place than when I found it. Sure, there are many obstacles in my way, but I must believe I can push my way through them. I have always been known as a positive person who doesn’t like to give up on something I am passionate about.

I realize that I am still in love with the profession after 19 years even though it continues to challenge me. It makes me laugh and cry. It makes me angry and happy, makes me smile and frown. After all these years, I couldn’t imagine leaving. I hold out hope that I can help the ones still here realize how wonderful it still is. 

I do belong and still have a lot to say but I also understand how hard of a profession it is. It is not for everyone and sometimes it is just better to walk away especially when it comes to your emotional well-being. I promise to continue to be a positive advocate for this profession and please know that there are many others like me who love this profession and truly want to make a difference. 

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

Ghosting: The New (Terrible) Trend in Vet Medicine

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So, it happened to me again. I’ve been ghosted. If I had a $1 for every time I’ve been ghosted by a man I was personally interested in, I’d be rich. If I had one for every time a candidate ghosted me, I’d be even richer.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the word, the Webster dictionary technically defines ghosting as “the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication.” As Stephanie Tanner so eloquently spoke many times on Full House, “How rude!”

What started out as discourteous act in the dating world has transitioned into the professional one and, honestly, my mind is blown. How can one expect to be treated like a professional when they don’t know how to treat others like one?

It’s an ongoing phenomenon that doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. It’s happening in all stages of the hiring process from not responding to a request to interview to not showing up on the first day after accepting an offer. How does someone do that to another human being or better yet, to an entire team that was counting on them after being short staffed?

Pardon my French, but it’s a shitty thing to do no matter the circumstance. I get it. There are more job opportunities for candidates these days than ever before and they get caught up in the euphoria of being wanted. Same goes for dating! Being courted is a great feeling. What’s not a great feeling is when you put the time and effort into someone that has no desire to do the same for you.

There is this really cool way to communicate the decision not to move forward in the process and I hear it’s the next big thing! Has everyone heard of email? It’s the best thing ever! What a great way to communicate without having to do it face to face or over the phone. It’s pretty simple actually. I’d respect you more if you took the time to email me that you’re not interested or took a better offer after accepting mine then leave me in silence wondering what the hell happened.

Having a reputation of ghosting is a character trait that I personally wouldn’t want to be associated with and neither should anyone else. This is a very small world we live in and your reputation IS your resume despite how long you’ve been in the industry or how proficient you are in anesthesia.

Please give potential employers (and dates) the respect they deserve by communicating the truth. I’d enjoy being rich, but not at the cost of being disrespected on a daily basis. No one is perfect, but being a decent human being with basic common courtesy comes pretty close.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

Don’t Waste Energy on the Negative

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Once upon a time, working in veterinary medicine was regarded as a selfless profession. Everyone employed in the hospital knew at a young age that taking care of animals was their calling. We had more people than we needed to fill vacant jobs and had stacks of resumes from determined people wanting to get their foot in the door. Fast forward to 2018 and people are deserting this profession at an alarming rate. The reasons are limitless and frankly, one of them can be eliminated.

Some of us still have the same passion from when we began our career and have never forgotten where we came from. We are not lost on why we are here in the first place. Our patients are voiceless and look to us for healing and comfort. We are educated and have the ability to make a difference. We have the ability to teach the next generation how awesome it is to be in this profession yet some are destined to expel the negative as far as they can.

I worked in specialty medicine as a CVT for 14 years before I made the decision to leave practice. I left because my body broke down not because of the profession itself. I loved being an advocate for patients and being a part of a team that took pride in how we practiced medicine as a whole. There were days I wanted to quit from lack of appreciation and inadequate pay for the work being performed. I rarely sat down for a lunch break to take the time for myself to re-energize for the rest of the day. I worked 12 to 14-hour days often and wondered if it was worth it? I spent my days taking care of other people pets while mine were home alone wondering when I would return to take care of them. When I finally made it home, I sat with them while sometimes crying after a long day begging them to never get sick.

I went to work every day with a purpose and although I sometimes questioned my decision, I never forgot why I embraced this amazing profession. Pets are not going anywhere and they need us more than ever. Clients are spending money on veterinary care more than ever before and those of us that are passionate about our role in their care are dedicated despite the negatives that surround us. We can all agree that we are under-appreciated, underpaid and overworked as a whole for the work we all do, but our patients have no idea. They depend on us to take care of them no matter what and we made a commitment to honor that despite the challenges.

Everyone has their own unique experiences and although it is very easy to express to someone why they shouldn’t be in the profession, focus on the reasons why they should. Why you chose this profession in the beginning still exists deep down in your soul. Take a moment to remember your “why” and be a mentor to someone who may be struggling. This profession is emotional and hard on most days, but it can also be very rewarding. Making a difference in a pet’s life is much more fulfilling than wasting energy on negativity.

This profession isn’t perfect but no career is. There are days your heart will be so full one minute and completely broken the next. Is it worth it? Only you can answer that question. Take a look at your own pet(s). What type of person would you want taking care of them? One who has positivity in their heart or negativity in their veins? I know the type that I would choose every single time.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

Finding the Silver Lining When Faced with Tragedy

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Have you ever wondered “why me?” when faced with a tragedy? Do you find the silver lining or do you wallow in self-pity? Everyone deals with tragedy in different ways, but what if you could recognize that it happened for a reason? And that reason was a positive one?

Life never ceases to overwhelm us with something that makes us question everything and everyone around us. Each one of us has suffered some kind of tragedy and it has shaped us into who we are today. My story of tragedy is one I hope will inspire you to see that there is light after darkness and you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.

My story began on September 11, 2008 when I was involved in a small plane crash with a veterinarian that I had just started working for about a month before. Yes, you read that right. A plane crash on September 11. Never in a million years did I think I would be involved in such a life-changing event. The details are long and I won’t bore you with them but let’s just say I wouldn’t have gotten into a plane built in 1967 without a big reason.

We crashed landed at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport right before midnight and it felt like I was dice in a Yahtzee cup. The only seatbelt available was for my lap so there was not much keeping me from going anywhere in the plane. I suffered a major concussion and my face went through the steering wheel which exposed my skull. Despite this, I was conscious enough to get out safely as well as the veterinarian who was piloting the plane. I was completely drenched in my blood and felt my entire head swelling up while my eyes were barely open. Despite this, we were able to get away from the plane for fear it would catch fire and this is when we realized that both of our cell phones were dead. The airport was closed at the time so no one knew we had crashed and I thought for a brief moment that this is where I would take my last breath. It was not how I envisioned my last moments on this earth to be.

After about 45 minutes of trying to find help, the veterinarian heard some voices and called out for help. I heard them reply back and remember thinking that I will be okay as I passed out. I was woken up by a paramedic who was asking me a million questions about my name, where I lived, what year it was, what was my pain level, etc. All I could concentrate on was how cute he was which is how I realized that I hadn’t lost ability to see. Whew!

I was taken to a hospital that had a trauma center and accepted patients without insurance. Remember, I had started this job a month before so had two more months before it would go into effect. I was taken to CT and MRI for diagnostics which came back clear except the concussion and a trauma surgeon was called in to sew my face back together. They called my dad to tell him that I was in a plane crash and I was able to speak to him briefly which was the best voice I could have heard in that moment.

The worst part was not the crash itself, but being alone afterwards. My cell phone was dead so I did not have anyone’s number memorized to call so no one close to me, including my mother, knew what had happened. It wasn’t until the next morning when the story of the crash was on the local news that my coworker found me at the hospital. I was discharged 8 hours after being brought in and was told that I could not be alone for the next 48 hours and needed someone with me at all times because of the concussion. I am very fortunate to have 3 friends who took time out of their lives to care for me and my four cats in 8-hour shifts for the next two days. They even had treatment sheets to make sure I received my medication on time. That second day was my 35th birthday and even though I was not at my best that day, I was able to spend it with people I loved.

You would think the story ends here but it was just the beginning. Six weeks after the crash, the veterinarian laid me off because of financial reasons. I was still recovering from the crash so looking for another job in the shape I was in was not an option. As a result, I could no longer afford an apartment and was faced with being homeless with four cats. My friend Rindi, who lives in South Carolina and was a classmate of mine in the veterinary technology program at SPC, offered me the apartment she had on her property attached to the dog kennel that housed her show dogs. In exchange for rent, I would take care of the dogs she did not take to shows on the weekends.

I made the very hard decision to swallow my pride and accept the offer to move to South Carolina. It was a difficult decision for so many reasons but the main one was leaving my mother who was paraplegic because of strokes she had suffered 14 years before. I was her sole caretaker but I had to get myself back together before I could continue to take care of her. My friend Shannon agreed to spend as much time with my mom as possible, which to this day, is the greatest gift I could have ever asked for.

Three months after moving, I received a call on a Thursday morning that my mother had passed away in her sleep. The guilt of not being there with my mom still haunts me, but I am so grateful I was able to speak to her the night before. Knowing the last words I said to her were, “I love you” gives me peace.

I stayed in South Carolina for a total of 8 months so I could recover emotionally and physically before I made any decisions regarding my professional career. I knew that I missed being a technician more than anything and my reason for being here on this planet was to be an advocate for animals and a voice for other technicians. I just had to figure out where and when.

The where was NYC because it was a city I had always dreamed of living in, and working in a specialty hospital was ideal for me to grow as a technician. What I had learned from my recent experiences was that life is too short to not go after what you really want. The “what if?” was worse than the knowing. If I could make it there… well, you know.

The “when” was a couple years later when I was given a platform to speak my truth about our profession. I have never been one to be silent about something I believe in and am thankful that the words I had written on that Sunday morning in a veterinary group on Facebook were read by Dr. Andy Roark. He saw something in me that I would have never seen for myself and I will forever be thankful for his encouragement and support. I continue to write hoping that it will assure others that they have a voice even if they are too scared to speak.

I truly believe that if I had not gotten in that plane on that September day, that I would not be where and who I am today. I have an amazing job that I never would have applied for. Incredible friends that I never would have met. Courage that I never would have known and an optimist attitude that I never would have recognized. Being a positive influence for others, especially in veterinary medicine, has given me a purpose I never would have thought possible before.

I decided a long time ago during my journey that I would not let tragedy define me as someone always walking around with a chip on my shoulder. I couldn’t imagine living my life mad at the world for things I had no control over. What I did have control over was how I would continue to live my life afterwards and be grateful for what I have. I found strength deep down that gives me the motivation to inspire others when they feel like there is no hope. I will always choose to get back up no matter how many times life knocks me down. I challenge you to do the same and find the silver lining in your own experiences. I promise you that it is there. You just have to be patient and believe. #choosehappy

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

The Number One Reason Vet Techs Leave the Field in Droves

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It seems that our profession has more people with toxic personalities than ever before, and more veterinary technicians are leaving the field in droves because of it. Many of us have come across that one person that thinks they are the center of the universe in the hospital. Maybe they have been employed there the longest; are the only technician with a license; married to the owner or dating the chief of staff; or have been a technician since the beginning of time. Whatever their reason is, it is almost a guarantee that there is one in your hospital and someone has left the profession because of them.

Based on the technician interviews I conduct every day, the number one reason that the applicants are looking to leave their current hospital is because of a single toxic person or the toxic culture in general. If they continue to work in these hospitals, they will eventually leave the field entirely because it’s not worth it to be in one that doesn’t care about their contribution to the team as a whole. The field is already plagued with low pay for the work that we actually do, so why deal with something that we have control of which is to walk away and never look back.

Social media is full of heartbreaking stories from technicians that have left our profession involving a co-worker that treats others in the hospital as if they don’t exist, thinks they are better than everyone else, takes more than they give, asserts dominance, sees others as competition or a threat and only thinks of themselves. I could go on and on but my hope is that you get the picture. What may be worse is if this behavior is demonstrated by someone in a lead position. What hope do we have for the future of our profession if it is fueled by entitlement?

Behaviors such as these have no place in veterinary medicine. It cripples the team culture and encourages people to do and treat people however they want. I believe in my bones that those who feel entitled have seriously forgotten where they came from. They have lost their passion for an industry that has many others waiting for a chance to make a difference. We need more technicians that put patients and clients first, encourage one another, appreciate the help, support each another, demonstrate empathy and leave the gossip to TMZ.

Maybe it is time to take a stand for the team player that can’t imagine doing anything else instead of the person that has lost their love of the profession and would rather look out for themselves than patients. Why would you want someone who has no desire to be part of a successful team? The last time I checked, our profession is not an individual sport and one person can’t do it all alone. I would have no problem encouraging someone who doesn’t belong anymore to find a new path and support the ones that want to be there. Maybe you should too.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team..

Why Front Desk Staff Are the Unsung Heroes of Vet Med

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Imagine walking into an animal hospital without someone at the front desk to greet you. The sound of phones ringing without someone to answer them. The waiting room full of clients wondering if they are in the right place. Pets running around using the lobby floor as their own personal toilet.  Tempers flaring because there is no one to refill medications that the client ran out of yesterday. Clients screaming at each other because their familiar front desk person that they normally would vent to is nowhere to be seen.

The chaos of not having someone at the front desk to manage the hospital flow is unthinkable. So why do many that work at the front desk feel that do not receive the appreciation that they deserve? Because we as a profession don’t do enough to tell them how awesome they really are and how the hospital would fall apart without them. It’s time that we change how we treat and appreciate anyone that works at the front desk.

My first job right after graduating from the veterinary technology program at SPC was as a front desk receptionist for a Specialty and Emergency hospital. I had graduated from the program but missed the deadline to sign up for the VTNE. Back in the day, you only had two opportunities to sit for the exam which was in January or June on the 3rd Saturday of the month.

I had to wait until January but didn’t want to lose the knowledge I had just spent two years of learning. I applied for a front desk position and became gainfully employed at the front desk. It’s not as a technician but felt this would encourage me to build better relationships with clients.

We had had ten specialists, five ER doctors and 50+ support staff. There were ten phone lines and eight exam rooms. It was very overwhelming at first to be trained on how the front desk worked and how to prioritize the daily tasks. What to say when you answer the phone. How to greet a client and their pet. How to enter a client’s information into the system. How to process a payment. How to call a client and take them into an exam room. What paperwork needs to go into each file depending on the doctor being seen. Which doctor would see walk-ins? Who would pick up a call and who always wanted a message taken. The list goes on and on.

What I didn’t anticipate or was trained to handle is the client emotions that go along with their sick or dying pet. I was yelled at, hung up on daily, accused of being insensitive and a money-hungry bitch, had poop thrown at me across the counter, spit on and dealt with too many multiple personalities to count.

I also had clients thank me for my time after yelling at me, make homemade gifts for my cats, embrace me for a hug when I presented them the form for euthanasia and bring me my favorite cookies for getting their medications filled stat!

Life at the front desk is an emotional roller coaster with so many highs and lows that it’s hard to explain unless you’ve been in our shoes. The job title is front desk but the description should include experience as a:

  • First responder
  • Therapist
  • Teacher
  • Accountant
  • Mediator
  • Financial advisor
  • Discharge technician
  • Advocate
  • Sales Associate
  • Pharmacist

The front desk staff, in my opinion, are the most important and under-appreciated team in any business. The client experience truly falls on their shoulders as the first and last impression. My experience made me a better veterinary technician period. Without that experience, I may have treated or communicated with clients differently instead of with compassion and empathy.

I wish I could declare a national week dedicated to those who put their heart and soul into working a front desk position. Until then, know that there are many of us that appreciate all that you do and couldn’t do it without you. You do matter and are a huge part of the success of our profession. This technician wants to thank you for going above and beyond your job description and promise that I see you for what you truly are…. a hero!

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.