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Vet Tech Life

TISI: I’m Tired of Bullying in Veterinary Medicine

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Mental health. Self-Care. Anxiety. Depression. Suicide.

These are all words that have come to the forefront of veterinary medicine in recent years. It is finally a topic that is being addressed in seminars, conferences and articles. It is a real problem.

I have heard many theories about why it is such a problem in our field. Intense/Type A personalities, chronic stress, high debt to income ratios, long hours, the desire to help everyone, mistreatment from clients, the loss of patients, coping with disease day after day… the list goes on. Many of us had some level of depression or anxiety before we went into vet med, so perhaps it is an even deeper issue of the types of people drawn to this field?

This last week, another factor has been on my mind. One that seems to be discussed less than the rest, but one that I suspect may be one of the biggest contributing factors. Maybe it is even an elephant in the room, and I’m not supposed to bring it up?

What is this factor? It isn’t what the world brings through the doors of our clinics. It is what WE bring through the doors of our clinics. It is work place bullying and emotional abuse, and I think it is a bigger problem than we want to admit.

This can occur in a number of forms, from a head tech bullying other support staff, to managers, owners and veterinarians bullying the other veterinarians or clinic staff. I am not talking about the occasional harsh remark or bad mood, I am referring to targeted-ongoing abuse.

This week, a technician I know and deeply respect was targeted, blamed and humiliated for a mistake that was absolutely the responsibility of the veterinarian she was working for. She was shamed and reprimanded by one veterinarian while the responsible veterinarian stood by and said nothing. Later, she was told that she would not be allowed to explain her side of the story and was demoted.

This cycle can become frighteningly similar to domestic abuse. The abuser gains a position of power and uses it to crush someone who doesn’t feel they can stand up to them. And the behavior continues. The victim is torn down enough that they feel they have little or no worth, and have nowhere to go, because who would want them? Some victims are in a healthier place and deal with or leave the situation quickly. Some stay until they can’t take it anymore and have to get out. But then, how to get out? How do you muster the strength to take a chance on finding a new position and moving on when you’ve been convinced you aren’t of value? What if you are dependent on the abuser for a good job reference? Some choose the ultimately tragic way to get out, having been effectively taught that their lives have no value.

In these situations, abuse from clients or the loss of a patient may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, but perhaps we would all have more reserves to handle these situations if we built each other up instead of tearing each other down.

I hope that many who read this will not have experienced these issues, but I suspect the vast majority of people in this profession will know exactly what I’m talking about.

Perhaps the bullies in our clinics learned this habit from being bullied themselves? Perhaps it is an expression of “imposter syndrome,” the fear that we aren’t really perfect and someone will find us out? 

Fellow veterinarians: We work in a small world. The words we say about each other not only erode the public’s trust in our entire profession, but they can quickly get back to the veterinarian being talked about. Let’s stop tearing each other down. And let’s stop allowing bullying in our clinics.

We need to be aware of what is happening within our own walls. We need to pay attention to our managers and people in lead positions. When staff complains about being picked on or bullied, it should raise a red flag. 

Clinic owners, please learn to be leaders, not just bosses. Don’t let your managers (or clients) tear down your associates and support staff. Don’t feel the need to prove how much more skill and knowledge your experience has given you than your younger associates have. Don’t tear them down to build yourselves up. Support and teach them. Build them into great veterinarians. 

Veterinarians, remember that our techs are the backbone of the clinic. They catch so many of our mistakes for us that we can’t afford to blame them for the one they might miss if it was ultimately our mistake. We need to be leaders, admit our own humanity and admit our own mistakes. We need to eradicate the cycles of abuse from our clinics. Maybe if we are intentional about what WE bring into our clinics, maybe we’ll have the emotional reserves to handle everything else that comes through the door?

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

Land of Opportunity: What I’ve Learned as a Vet Tech from Working with Americans

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Ten years ago I traveled to New York from Japan, by myself, to become a vet tech. I chose America because I believed anything was possible. At least that’s what Nike said. I met a vet tech online who taught me about becoming a tech. I decided to follow her path. She was the only person I knew at the time and my English was poor. Yes, I was scared, but I started my new life at 22 years old.


With all the difficulties that you can think of as an immigrant, especially the language barrier and cultural differences, I have survived and worked as a tech for seven years. People are always curious what is like to work in America. Was it worth it? What have I learned? Well, I’m going to tell you.

Say “NO”

This was a huge obstacle for me because of my Japanese background. People almost never say “no” in Japan. At my first job in New York, I worked with a tough Italian tech who taught me how to say “no.” Without any hesitation, she said “no” to unreasonable requests from doctors and managers. She always stood up for herself and made her needs clear. She knew what she wanted and how she wanted to be treated. She was my culture shock!
 One day a veterinarian snapped his fingers right in my face. I was not moving as quickly as he wanted me to. I didn’t react. After the incident my tech friend had observed, she told me that I needed to learn to stand up for myself. She and I are very different, but we still are very good friends. She helped me see that it’s OK to take a vacation, leave work when I can’t stay or call out sick when I am sick. I was not allowed to do any of that in Japan.  



Language is not as important as work ethic.


When I came to the United States I didn’t speak much English. My English became better when I got my first job. There were still a lot of times when I didn’t understand what people were saying. Of course, in this busy industry, some people got frustrated – especially during an emergency. Some people did make fun of my accent and, inconveniently, I still have to write down everything when people give me orders. But I always had to work harder to cover my language barrier and improve my techniques. I learned everything they taught me, remembered to be humble and became an easy person to work with. That was always valuable to any hospital I have worked for. That’s how I knew, at the end of the day, people will trust me and treat me with respect. 



There are tons of opportunities to grow.


Whenever my interests grew, there were always opportunities. Right after college, I was taught to be a dental technician. There are tons of resources to learn from and mentors to connect with. I reached out to multiple mentors and they were always happy to give me advice and insight. Last year I started a business to help the Japanese veterinary industry by delivering information on management and leadership. I learned these traits from the American veterinary industry. I have interviewed many influential people in this field including Dr. Andy Roark. I was blown away by the kindness and support I have received. People have always helped me when they see me work hard for something. Support is always available.  



Going back to my first question – was coming here alone worth it? Absolutely. Will I call my story an American dream story? Why not? I made my dreams come true and still love being a veterinary technician. I know I can grow and do more for this industry because this country does really allow people to succeed.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

Yukari Ogawa

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born and raised in Japan Yukari Ogawa moved to New York 10 years ago, by herself to pursue her dream as a veterinary technician. After obtaining her green card, she started her own company to help Japanese veterinary owners run their clinics more efficiently. While raising her 18 month old baby, she thrives to work as a tech in New York, help the Japanese veterinary industry and become the best version of herself.

Why Veterinarians Should Aspire to Be Like Technicians

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I love my technicians. They are the most amazing people and have skills that combine every single specialization in the human nursing field. They don’t get paid enough, in my opinion, and deserve more respect than most clients give them. They are the people we should aspire to be like.

When I was fifteen I started working at my local veterinary clinic as kennel staff. I was always so excited when the technicians asked me to help them hold an animal or even trim nails. They were so eager to show me some of the tasks they do on a daily basis. In their spare time, they showed me how the in-house laboratory machine worked and how to read fecal samples. As I continued to work my way up to technician assistant, they continued to show me how many different things they knew how to do and forever instilled my respect for their job.

I don’t know how many of you worked at veterinary clinics before accepting your position in veterinary school. I could typically tell during 4th year which students had that experience versus not. They respected the technicians. The ones who stepped over vomit and instructed the technicians to clean it up, clearly they never learned that respect. But let’s get back to the point- the skill set I’m discussing isn’t how to clean up vomit… well maybe it is.

I’ve learned a few things from my fellow technicians that help me with my daily routine that I think we could all benefit from. I think they have helped me become a self-sufficient veterinarian who has the badass skills of a technician.

1. Learn to Multitask

We all are pretty good at multi-tasking. Some much more than others. Technicians have multiple jobs through a clinic and do them all extremely well. I’ve seen a technician run blood work, read a fecal, CBC slide, and ear cytology all within a matter of 5 minutes. Plus that technician still had patients to worry about. Sometimes we get wrapped up in whatever cases we are in and forget that other things are happening around us.

2. Your DVM doesn’t mean you can’t clean up feces or urine.

Be helpful. When there are no other technicians around, lend a hand to keep the balance of the day going. That might mean cleaning up the large pile of feces left by an aggressive dog but if you lend a hand once in a while your technicians will appreciate it and it is a humbling experience.

3. Compassion!

We all have loads of compassion but there is a huge difference between how technicians tend to their in-house patients and how we interact with them. We tend to keep track of the medical issues of a case versus emotional support to the patient. I’ve seen technicians hang out with their patients in the kennels, spend their lunches snuggling with the feline cases, and overall just giving them a little extra emotional encouragement. A well-loved patient tends to recover a little quicker than one that only gets touched during morning rounds.

4. Be flexible.

For those veterinarians working ER shifts, you know what I’m talking about. Sometimes a day isn’t going to go as you planned it. Some veterinarians get so stressed out by work-ins and unplanned surgeries. What do the technicians do? They push on through. They are supportive and will stay extra hours to help out, even if they aren’t scheduled to do that. Now I don’t think we should be so flexible to work ourselves to death, but there are steps to calmly approach bumps in the road without pulling your hair out.

5. Strengthen your skills.

We can remove spleens and fix broken bones, but sometimes those basic skills get forgotten. Most clinics have technicians that do blood draws, obtain urine, read stool samples, place IV catheters and that means you may not be doing those at all anymore. It never hurts to relearn and strengthen those skills. They can come in handy if you work on-call alone and need to place a catheter in a seizing dog or a dehydrated puppy. Every now and again ask a technician if you can draw your own blood or read that CBC slide. It will greatly improve the way you practice medicine.

There are many more skills that technicians can teach us. Remember, they are the backbone of the clinic and many of us would not be where we are today without the support of a technician.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

The Veterinary Technician I Never Got to Thank

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As we begin the celebration for Vet Tech Week, I was reminded of the technician who made me the technician I am today. When I started in this field as a kennel attendant, progressed to a veterinary assistant, and then became a baby technician there was a technician who inspired me. I was very green and to be honest, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I had to be instructed on the simplest tasks and when it came to anything technical, I knew absolutely nothing. I was young and totally clueless.

But as clueless as I was there was a technician who took a chance on me and mentored me. This technician was Nancy DeRoy, from Gig Harbor, WA. When we worked together she expected the best from me. If I didn’t know how to do something she told me, and she framed it in a way I would remember. As a new assistant, one of my biggest weaknesses was keeping my face too close to patients. At that point, I didn’t realize how every patient didn’t necessarily appreciate me lowering my face to theirs to say “hello”. Yeah, it was a rookie mistake and I was a rookie.

Nancy and I would often talk to each other after work while her dog ran around outside. In typical noob fashion, I bent my head down to her dog to baby talk him. He instantly snapped at my face. Nancy looked at me and told me that she had told me dozens of times, but this time I could have been hurt. I needed to take this seriously. And I did. Every day after.

Nancy was a technician who had been practicing for decades. This had given her a wealth of knowledge, that sometimes I took for granted. She continued to share that knowledge with me anyways. She was good at her job, tough as nails and would always tell you what she thought. She could give constructive criticism but never forgot to be kind. We would have long discussions about our lives after work and I remember being inspired by how much she had achieved. You always knew what she thought of you and she always told you what she thought.

As, I progressed from an assistant to a veterinary technician, she would share more of her tricks and tips to make my job easier. Not only did she do that, she was like a mother. I could ask her questions and come to her for advice. I ended up leaving the clinic we worked at, but we still kept in touch. She was a guest at my surprise baby shower when I was expecting. When my son was born she sent cards and gifts to the hospital. As my son grew, she would buy him clothes and always loved to see pictures of him. She was a mentor, mother figure and friend.

Sadly, as lives got busy we lost touch. In 2013 Nancy succumbed to cancer. I knew she wasn’t doing well, had arranged to go visit her the next day. When I woke up that morning, I got the news she had passed away. I never got to tell her what an impact she had on me. That she shaped me into the tech I am today and whenever I struggle, I ask myself what she would do.

We all have technicians who have guided us to be the person we are today. Thank them. Tell them you appreciate them. And above all, be a technician who inspires others. We never truly realize the impact we have on a person’s life. How the small things we do mean so much to observing eyes. We can all be a Nancy. We just have to care. This vet tech week remember those who’ve meant something to you. Celebrate the fact that you have meant something to many someone’s. Your coworkers, clients and patients. You matter. I didn’t get to tell Nancy how much she was appreciated. But thank you all for everything you do every day. It matters.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

There I Said It… I Was Fired Three Times!

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It’s hard to even type this. To relive the three times in vet med I was actually fired (there’s a fourth, but I beat them to the punch). Without sounding overly arrogant, the veterinary field lost a damn good worker and a damn good technician. I tried, I really gave it my all. And I didn’t even get a lousy T-shirt… I got termination papers instead.

All I can think is that every time I stepped foot into a veterinary job, I had big ol’ target on my forehead. It must’ve said something like “I’m an easy target” or “Bully me” or “Blame this guy.”

But of course, you must be thinking… dude you were fired that many times, there must be something wrong with you! Because, that is all I am thinking, day in and day out. Ten years in the field and all I have is anxiety and termination papers. It seems so unfair.

First time, I was fired after just two weeks. Just two short weeks in a brand-new city and a brand-new job. They didn’t have to even give me a reason (right to work), but I could tell they just felt awful about it. Oddly enough, they went as far as contacting 5 other clinics and telling them that I would be looking for a job. Is that even legal? It seems so wrong, and that then made five less clinics I would even consider applying to.

Second time, I got the blame for deleting a file on a computer. Again, they can just fire you without a reason. However, I got the reason out of them and handed over my flash drive immediately to show them I didn’t have it. The person who actually deleted it fessed up right away too when she realized what was happening. It was an accident that for some reason was seen as a deliberate and malicious attack. Of course, there was no rehiring or apology.

Third time was probably the worst. I won’t go into details, but to be accused of theft is just a stab direct into the heart. I am not a thief! To be accused and labeled as one is just beyond absurd. The attending doctor tried so hard to stand up for me because she knew better. Anyone who knows me, knows I would never do that. When I’ve shared details of my story with people in the profession, they tell me what I did happens all the time, and no one else ever gets fired over it. But me! I’m the one that gets the cut.

The fourth time would’ve happened, but like I said, I beat them to the punch. I got intel that I was on the chopping block after I had my review. Their reasoning was because I said “by law I am allowed to have a break.” There! That statement was grounds for termination. I did not threaten or say anything else, but I was over this idea that no one at this clinic gets breaks or lunches. What is wrong with this industry?!?!

I feel like I could have really done great things, made life better for techs, doctors and maybe even helped a few pets. Somehow, I feel shunned, as if I don’t or have never belonged in this industry. The door keeps slamming in my face.

I fully understand the short careers of vet techs and the mental illness that haunts the industry with the high suicide rates. Luckily, I haven’t been tormented in that way. However, something has to change! Why is this allowed? Why are some people judged more harshly or constantly taking the brunt of consequences? I may never know the answer. I pray for those of you struggling or trying desperately to hold on to what is left of this. I am jealous of those who have their spot and deal with very little drama or toxicity. You are the lucky ones. For now, I will work on a new career path and find something else that makes my heart tick so loudly.

Sincerely,

A CVT moving on

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

Why We Love, Love, Love our Veterinary Technicians

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Veterinarians would be lost, no, we would be nothing, without veterinary technicians. We would be sad, lonely, tired, overwhelmed, and totally broke.

As I was working today, a very busy Saturday, I walked out of exam room after exam room to see my technicians scurrying by handling a mega-pile of tasks. Draw the blood, catch the urine, run the tests, radiograph the pet, give the fluids, trim the nails, present the treatment plan, count the pills, and call the client. One crabby gentleman even threw paperwork and spoke in a very nasty fashion to one of my kindest, most gentle technicians as she was explaining a treatment plan. She handled it with grace and poise.

How can we honor these rock stars of the veterinary world?

Love and Respect Their Experience

Some veterinarians think that they are smarter than their technicians because they went to college longer than their technicians. Most technician programs are 2-year programs, however much of the technician learning is done hands-on. They learn most of what they do by actually dealing with animals whereas the veterinarian does most of our learning in a classroom. Also, oftentimes your veterinary technician has many more years of experience than you do. Your technician has also worked with multiple veterinarians allowing them exposure to many different ways of doing things that you are not always privy to. When a technician questions you about your assessment, treatment, or the status of your patient, it would be wise to listen to them with an open mind. They may just save you from a costly mistake.

Love and Respect Their Teaching Ability

Most of the technicians that I have worked with over the years are vastly more patient than I am, and much more thorough when teaching a client different aspects of patient care when they are properly trained in nutrition, training, puppy socialization, parasite prevention, and medication techniques. They are friendly, open, honest, and able to talk to a client on the level that they need to understand many issues surrounding their pet’s care. Not to say that doctors are not great educators, but when you are in the middle of a packed schedule and many patients are occupying your time, we often are forced to rush through the client education “stuff”. That is when I call “super technician to the rescue!” The client will get a much better education than they will get from me.

Love and Allow Them to Be Who They Are

I work with 10 technicians on a daily basis and each one is unique and special. I have one that loves inventory ordering and monitoring, one that loves to handle the schedules, one that is a top-notch repair and maintenance woman, one that loves working with the practice management software, and one that is a master at social media. One hates surgery, one hates running exam rooms, one loves exotic pets, one loves rabbits, one loves dog training. They are all super talented in all areas, but are super productive in the areas that they like. The best thing that I can do as a veterinary leader is to assign them to the areas which they excel. Honoring their unique talents makes for a happier work environment and a more efficient hospital.

October hosts veterinary technician week, but I say every day should be “love your technician day” or all of us veterinarians would be terribly exhausted and extremely sad.

Cheers to Shelley, Carolyn, Deanna, Beth, Nicole, Sam, Dawn, Jessica, Jackie and Becky – my amazing technician team.

Please share your best veterinary technician story to honor those who really run our veterinary hospitals.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.