Here’s the scenario: you are in general practice and you have a patient that needs surgery. It is not a surgery that you have ever done, nor do you feel comfortable doing it. You recommend referral to a specialist. The owners don’t have the money for the referral. In fact, they have about $800 to… Read More
Blog
Drug Restriction Doesn’t Address the Causes of Suicide… and Seat Belts Don’t Address the Causes of Auto Accidents
Suicide in veterinary medicine is rampant, and one of the two most common means of suicide among veterinarians is pharmaceutical poisoning1. In cases where suicide is an impulsive decision [in one study, 48% of suicide attempt survivors said they made an attempt within 10 minutes of making the suicide decision2], restricting access to lethal medications… Read More
Stop Dumping On Your Receptionists
“The job isn’t hard, why can’t they do it right?” I’ve heard it time and time again. Receptionists get dumped on by veterinarians, managers and sometimes by one of their own. We take our frustrations out on them because of poor scheduling, client messages and even the inability to decipher what a client meant on… Read More
How to Stay Sane When the Clinic is Slammed in the Summer
You have been given the opportunity to join a very elite club. It involves long days, sometimes even longer nights, sick patients literally falling from the ceiling with a slow appointment slot or two squeezed in between. Do you join? Or rescind the invitation that has been thrust upon you?!? You didn’t ask for this,… Read More
What’s in Your Suitcase?
On a recent trip, I took this photograph of my family’s suitcases. Can you guess which one is mine? Did you guess “the big one”? Why? Maybe because I’m a woman, and so I must bring too many clothes? Is it because I overpack? Well, you’re right about the suitcase, but for the wrong reasons…. Read More
Do I Regret My Career Choice?
Almost twenty-four years ago, I stepped into the field of Veterinary Medicine. Younger, blonder than I am now, and so naïve. I had no idea what I was getting involved in. I thought, as so many do, that our world was made up of puppies and kittens, with a few sick pets thrown in between…. Read More