Yesterday I received a client’s email that was as interesting as it was disturbing. I became a life coach for veterinarians because the people in our profession are stressed out, overworked and underpaid. They have many daily stresses that “normal” people, like our clients, do not understand. They are peed on, pooped on, bitten, scratched,… Read More
Life With Clients
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
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
No, We Don’t Offer a Money-Back Guarantee
“I wasn’t satisfied with my visit, I want a refund.” “The bloodwork was normal, so I can get my money back, right?” “The treatment didn’t help. I want my money back.” For anyone in the veterinary field, we hear this a lot. It seems like owners believe that if they complain enough they will get… Read More
We Can Control Our Actions, but We Can’t Control Outcomes
I recently went into the emergency clinic where I do relief work to help with a surgery. When I got there, it was — well a typical weekend afternoon at the emergency clinic. The cages were full of sick patients, the rooms were full of worried clients. The doctor who was scheduled to be on… Read More
Coping With An Unknown Diagnosis
As an ER veterinarian, I have become quite skilled at quickly assessing an animal and coming up with a plan to begin patient stabilization. Unfortunately, this does not mean that I always know exactly what the underlying cause of each patient’s illness is. If a situation arises when a diagnosis has not been reached, it… Read More