Last week I was working harder than normal because my two associate veterinarians were away at a summer conference. For part of the week, I was the only doctor working at my very busy hospital. It can be fun to be the only doctor on one hand because I have the entire support team at… Read More
Team Culture
6 Ways to Improve Communication in Your Hospital
I firmly believe that 99 percent of the problems in veterinary hospitals can be overcome with better communication. This is a subject that we hear about in our daily lives, not just in our jobs. Communication can solve a lot of management issues, personnel issues, pet owner/veterinarian issues, etc. Yet so many practices act like… Read More
Pulling the Weeds: Don’t Let Toxicity Infiltrate Your Practice
We all hear about how we should have hobbies outside of veterinary medicine. It gives us time to decompress or enjoy an activity that isn’t work-related. Recently I decided to take up gardening. Just a little background here; I once killed a bamboo plant. That’s almost impossible to do. The notion I was going to… Read More
Perfection and Feedback Don’t Mix
I can’t really express in words how much I hate to be criticized. Speaking as a human being, there is little I hate more than being told I’m doing something wrong. Deep down in my heart I detest feedback that is anything but positive. Like most veterinary professionals, I am a perfectionist, and having my… Read More
The Doctor is Out
I have two great passions: my family and veterinary medicine. With three children, ages 12, 10, seven and a small animal veterinary practice, life is a juggling act trying to balance my two greatest loves. Sometimes I slip away from the clinic for an hour or two to help at a classroom party. You may… Read More
Does Bullying End at the Bus Stop or Just Begin?
Recently I had the realization that not everyone you are going to meet in your life will be nice to you. I suppose part of me had always known this, but a recent event hurt my heart more than I ever expected. I am not just a veterinary technician and a practice manager, I am… Read More