LIU to offer DVM program starting next fallOctober 22, 2019Students in the Northeast now have a fourth option to study veterinary medicine. Long Island University's (LIU's) College of Veterinary Medicine says it has received a "Letter of Reasonable Assurance" from the American Veterinary Medical Association's Council on Education (AVMA-COE). Starting next fall, the school will begin accepting applications for its DVM program. At full enrollment, the veterinary school will serve 400 students, with 100 in each graduating class. LIU joins the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, and Tufts University in offering veterinary programs in the Northeast. "We are extremely proud LIU's new College of Veterinary Medicine has met the high standards of the American Veterinary Medical Association's Council on Education," said the university's president, Kimberly R. Cline, EdD. "The launch of our veterinary school further elevates LIU, as we clearly continue on our path to status as a nationally recognized teaching and research institution." LIU says the college will offer hands-on learning experiences through a distributed education model that features supervised clinical experiences throughout the four years of veterinary education. The college has secured partnerships with more than 50 affiliates, including primary care and specialty clinics, zoos, research laboratories and shelters. This allows students to gain real-world experience in …
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My controlled substances were stolen! Oh no!October 1, 2019Veterinary practices are often targets for theft, loss, or diversion of controlled substances. Recent statistics make it clear that complying with controlled substance regulations is essential to reducing your risk.
Should you be a lemming or a contrarian?August 30, 2019Contrarians buy when everybody is selling, and sell when everybody is buying. It takes a serious dose of courage, but it’s most often rewarding.
Avoid a meltdown when Dr. Popular isn't availableAugust 29, 2019A longtime client calls and requests an appointment with Dr. Popular.
Need help selling services? It's all about client communicationJuly 24, 2019As independent, small-business practice owners, we are all very aware of the changes in our profession over the last 20 years and the need to search out new services or products allowing us to stay relevant and keep ahead of the competition. It is not just our neighboring clinics that can take a bite out of our profitability. Indeed, we must also keep in mind that in this information-saturated digital world, our clients are exposed to an astounding number of influences regarding pet care, all of which have a profound impact on their buying tendencies, as well as their trust in your offerings.
10 easy tricks to get more done todayJuly 16, 2019Overflowing summer appointments have you working through lunch… again. You go home exhausted and order your third pizza this week because you’re too tired to cook. Sound familiar?
Why optimize your workflow?July 15, 2019Busy veterinarians and hospital staff need every spare minute they can find. Not only that, but stretched practices must watch every penny to thrive. The good news is time- and cost-saving opportunities through automation are much more widely available than ever before.
Why give it away? Keep revenue in your clinicMay 24, 2019 The last 20 years have been the perfect storm for general practitioners in veterinary medicine. The combination of the loss of spay and neuter services, the migration of vaccinations to low-cost clinics, and the exit of in-clinic pharmacy and retail to online sellers has affected the businesses of general practitioners in a truly significant way. I have felt the strong impact of these changes in my own practice. Historically, my clinic's revenue from routine services constituted 80 to 90 percent of my income. Today, these services account for less than 20 percent of revenue. With these changes and these hard figures, how do we not only stay afloat during this tumultuous time, but also thrive as business owners and medical professionals? The key lies in understanding where our industry has been, the current state of the union, and where the strengths of our individual practices lie to differentiate and flourish. The internet takes a bite One of the hottest topics in veterinary medicine has been the rise of online pharmacy. 1 (800) PETMEDS was king, and the new prince is Chewy.com. Now Amazon is eyeing the throne and your clients' dollars. The online pharmacy race has left the general …
The business of veterinary rehabilitationMay 23, 2019 Rehabilitation is a rapidly growing field in veterinary medicine. This client-demanded service owes its success to an approach that combines a true preventative outlook, longer dedicated appointments with more frequent visits, intensive client participation, and the potential to offer alternatives to invasive procedures. But while the field is growing, turning it into a profitable business model is a challenge. While there are many possible models for a successful veterinary rehabilitation practice, these clinics excel when a rehabilitation veterinarian leads the program. In general, the various business models in veterinary rehabilitation do not simply mimic those of general or other specialty practices. This article addresses key differences and focuses on specifics, including cost structure, staff utilization and training, and marketing tips. Business costs Providing a quality rehabilitation service is a time- and labor-intensive endeavor. Due to more hands-on care and longer appointment times, staff wages represent a larger proportion of overhead costs than in general practice. Most veterinary practices strive to have a maximum of 25 to 30 percent of gross revenue allocated to payroll, while other service-based industries can expect up to 50 percent of gross revenue going to payroll. In the authors' experience, rehabilitation-exclusive practices fall closer to …
It takes four Cs to be completely competentMay 23, 2019What would you do if you could design the perfect, well-rounded, multitalented veterinarian? Which traits would be required? What skills would be indispensable? Our Dutch colleague Roeland Wessels, DVM, has found the ideal recipe.* "Veterinarians (and their team members) are like diamonds. Their worth is defined by the four Cs. Those Cs don't stand for carat, cut, color, and clarity, but for clinical, communication, cooperation, and commercial skills." Let's go over each set of skills. 1) Clinical skills You are trained to provide excellent, evidence-based, state-of-the-art medicine. You are capable of diagnosing and treating patients—or accomplishing whatever your mission is at a veterinary practice. You have vast amounts of knowledge. Regardless of your education, you still need to improve or refine your clinical skills by reading journals and attending continuing education meetings. "Yet, veterinarians usually overestimate how important clinical competence is in the eyes of a pet owner. They expect you to be great, or they wouldn't even be in your exam room," Dr. Wessels explains. Ironically, some clients will brag more about the fact their pet has a 20-cm long incision with 23 skin staples than they will gloat about a tiny spay incision with no …
