I was recently asked to review a book chapter by someone I both like and respect. My immediate instinct was to say “of course! I’d be happy to help,” but I could also hear my wife’s voice in the back of my mind saying “You’re not allowed to complain that you’re too busy and also… Read More
Blog
Cult of the Holy Bedtime
Happy Scare-The-Crap-Out-Of-Your-Dog Day! There are three kinds of people in America: those who want fireworks on the 4th of July, those who want light-up drone displays, and those who want to go to sleep. I am a card-carrying member of the latter group. When I was growing up, I had a friend whose mother said… Read More
Three Areas Every New Vet Should Be Looking At
It’s that time of year when veterinary students become doctors, and our profession gets an infusion of fresh blood, perspectives, and calls to just come stand in the surgery suite. It’s the time when us old hands feel an urge to tell the young folks everything they should watch out for, when we should instead… Read More
The Greatest Victory No One Cares About (But Me)
Nothing can be small anymore. When I look online, I don’t see work-in-progress gardens like the one I toil in. I don’t see affordable but healthy food like I cook, reliable but unsexy cars like my family drives, or competent but amateur art work like my friends make. In a hyperconnected, algorithm-driven world, it feels… Read More
Specialists Are Not the Future (and That’s a Good Thing)
Writing I’ve done recently about how we need more bold general practice veterinarians has gotten a lot of attention. One of the criticisms I’ve heard on the piece is that we can just look at human medicine to see that advanced procedures (like surgeries beyond castrations) are going to increasingly go to specialists, and thus… Read More
Sometimes We Do a Very Good Job, and Things Go Badly
Sometimes we do a very good job, and things go badly. It’s important to realize outcomes are not as directly connected to our decisions as we tend to believe. Good decisions are a probability game. If you make excellent decisions in managing cases, talking with clients, spending time with loved ones, or fitting your hobbies… Read More