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
Blog
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
There’s Nothing Inherently Wrong With Production Pay
In veterinary medicine, it’s common to pay veterinarians a base salary, and then give them a bonus depending on the work they do. Their “work” is generally estimated using the money the vet brings into the clinic because this accounts for both the number of cases they see and how much they do with each… Read More
Do You Like Being a Veterinarian on Thursdays?
Today was a good Thursday. I saw a litter of kittens that have clearly been well loved and taken care of. I had a bunch of appointments for diarrhea (diarrhea… it comes in waves) and they were all fine. I had to stay a little bit late because my last appointment was a dog having… Read More
We Desperately Need Maverick GPs
A contractor doing work on my house called me on Sunday after spending Saturday night at the emergency vet clinic. The previous day, his dog ate a bag of rawhide treats and then, inhibitions thrown to the wind, a bunch of other stuff. He began retching and vomiting shortly thereafter. At the emergency clinic, radiographs… Read More
This Could Be the Last Time
One day you are going to watch your cat play like a kitten or your dog run with complete freedom for the very last time, and you won’t know it’s happening. What does that mean? My youngest daughter and I make fairly regular trips to Atlanta. Every time we go she mentions that she’ll have… Read More