A few years ago I ran away from my job. At least, that's what I called it at the time, that is how I framed it in my head. I couldn't hack it, I was a failure as a vet. My mind was wrecked, my physical health was wrecked, and my stomach curled up into knots every time I pulled into the parking lot. It wasn't only me who suffered; I knew my heart was not where it needed to be for my patients. They deserved for me to want to be there. It was a bad place to be in. With the gift of ... Read more »
Adventures
Lean On, Over, and Around
March is Women's History Month, if you didn't know. I work in a strange profession, one that has changed quite solidly in demographics from its original incarnation to its current status, graduating classes of row after row of- well, men, mostly- now replaced, to an 80% extent, by women. I spend a lot of time talking about veterinary medicine, and I would say about 80% of the time I am talking about it with women (who'd have guessed?) Does the changing demographic matter? Yes and no. I may be ... Read more »
I think I need to break up with Disneyland and its 999 Happy Haunts
I spend a lot of time thinking about customer service, and how we as veterinarians are sometimes so focused on being amazing clinicians we neglect to remember the fact that we are in a customer service industry. You can be the most astute diagnostician in the universe, but if your front desk staff or technician (or you!) is rude, ambivalent or just generally unpleasant, it ruins the whole client experience. It doesn't take much to be minimally pleasant, but I'm amazed how uncommon that has ... Read more »
The Adventures of Doc Slicey: Chapter One
I kicked open the door and saw the dame sitting by my office desk right away. Kiki. This meant trouble. "What are you doing here, kitten?" I growled, putting down my java and sliding my hand to make sure I was still packing heat. The cold steel of my shiv pressed against my palm. "Some hoodlum acting up again?" "We got trouble over in the cell, Doc," she said. "Jerky Maloy got popped in the schnozzle but he ain't cooperating." Doc- that's me. Doc Slicey. I pack a shot of joe in my left ... Read more »
