As a technician, I was always the go-to person. I was the one to problem solve, answer questions, place the difficult IV catheter or listen and guide my coworkers. I felt the need to point my veterinary career towards leadership and 2 years ago I made the jump and became a practice manager. I was… Read More
The 4 Most Important Lessons I’ve Learned From Being a Manager
There, I Said It: I Was Gaslighted
Are you familiar with the term “gaslighting?” You may be a victim of this form of abuse and not even know it. Gaslighting is a form of manipulation in which the gaslighter, in an attempt to gain power over an individual, tries to make them question their own sanity and themselves. This can be a… Read More
I Still Love Veterinary Medicine and Here’s Why
The charts keep piling up, the ever ringing phone is a reminder of more patients to help than available hands. Technicians bump shoulders as they quickly pass by in the hallway, rushing to the lab. The vibe inside the clinic spins along with the centrifuge, tossing those out who don’t sync in balance with the others. Exam… Read More
Collaborative or Combative? Why the Doctor Tech Relationship Matters as Much as the Medicine
The Technician Perspective As a veterinary technician specialist, I get called in to consult with practices on how to make their anesthesia and pain management plans the best they can be. I sit down and review the protocols and practices, take an inventory of drugs available and converse with the staff about the flow of… Read More
What do Techs want for Vet Tech Week?
Vet Tech Week is arguably one of the best weeks of the year. It competes only with that one week in February where I trialed the “pizza for breakfast” diet. So what are YOU doing to celebrate the superheroes of your clinic? Ok, let’s address reality here: Some of you are procrastinators. Or – to… Read More
It’s Not All About Me
Veterinary medicine can be hard. Sometimes we get cases that really challenge us. It may be the clinical signs don’t add up, the client declined diagnostics that would give us a definitive diagnosis, or the pet isn’t responding to treatment the way we expect. When I have a tough medical case, I use all my… Read More