Open letters to recent grads and rising vet cliniciansNovember 22, 2016Twenty-one years ago today(-ish) I was trudging through the pervasive travesty commonly referred to as trial by fire. While working in my first months post-graduation as a full-fledged clinician—sans internship, residency or onsite mentor—I made hundreds of mistakes, at least one of which proved fatal.
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Viewpoint: JAVMA editor disparaged COE criticsSeptember 7, 2016In a remarkable display of biased reasoning, Dr. Kurt Matushek, editor-in-chief of JAVMA, defends his decision to reject a commentary by Dr. Ralph Brinster, a recipient of the National Medal of Science, and 19 other of the most distinguished names in veterinary medicine, including former members of the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education.
When veterinarians make mistakesAugust 26, 2016As I have confessed in this column many times before, I’m no poster child for veterinary practice. No one in their right mind would nominate me for clinician of the year. In fact, I’m prone to thinking my bad habits alone should probably disqualify me for any kind of a mentorship role.
Why is veterinary nutrition different?August 1, 2016When most people go to the veterinarian it is assumed the veterinarian is trained in the skills that are needed. Graduation from a veterinary curriculum means “trained and ready to serve your pets.”
Myths about thyroid disorders, vaccines in petsJune 23, 2016As a veterinarian for more than 50 years and still actively involved in our profession, I feel compelled to write about two legends that persist among us regarding thyroid disorders and vaccines.
Viewpoint: An Open Letter to the Veterinary Community About COE StandardsApril 28, 2016A letter to the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association proposing a way to restore trust and confidence in veterinary school accreditation was rejected recently by Dr. Kurt Matushek, JAVMA’s editor-in-chief, because he believes that it “does not add any new information or advance any new argument.” The letter, co-signed by the 20 distinguished colleagues below, expresses our deep concerns about the accreditation and proliferation of schools that do not meet Council on Education (COE) standards and about the divisive and disruptive effects this is having on the AVMA relationships with large segments of the profession. As the controversy continues to simmer, it also bodes ill for the profession’s public image and its reputation among members of the other health professions whose accrediting agencies function with complete autonomy and independence. Under the terms of our proposal, the AVMA and Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges would continue as the COE’s sponsoring organizations but, in order to eliminate conflicts of interest, neither organization would play a direct role in appointing the committees that select COE members. Instead, a new independent selection committee, with AVMA and AAVMC participation, would be formed by a broad spectrum of …
Are Fear-Free Veterinary Practices Practical?April 4, 2016Jill Breitner, a professional dog trainer and author of the Dog Decoder app is telling pet owners that fear-free veterinary clinics as the "only way to go." In an article for our sister Dogster, Breitner recommends fear-free clinics because pets are "unnecessarily traumatized." As she writes: "What goes on behind closed doors in some veterinary practices is not a pleasant topic to talk about, yet it needs attention. It needs attention because of the lack of education most veterinarians and their staff have in how to read and handle signs of stress and fear in dogs. There are no required courses in veterinary school that teach body language, behavior, or safe handling of animals, so they are not to blame. With limited time to get the veterinary tasks done, our pets suffer needlessly. Thankfully, though, as we continue to be a more aware and educated society regarding our dogs, veterinarians are being called upon to learn better practices." The fear-free movement is a growing trend in the veterinary world, with veterinarians like Marty Becker, DVM, and
Why You Need to Start Saying 'No'March 17, 2016In the course of my 20 years in veterinary practice, I’ve learned lots of stuff—mostly the hard way. Worst of all, I’ve kissed lots of frogs. I know you have, too. Be they clients, employers, employees, product suppliers, service providers or business partners, we veterinary professionals interact with a wide range of possible reptiles. But as we all know, even princesses have to pucker up to get what they want. Yes, people will come and go. The hard part is learning to say “no” gracefully so you can move on to the next potential prince with the least amount of slime on your lips. Indeed, most of us eventually learn that declining specific actions, interactions and scenarios is well worth the stress that accompanies the negativity that comes with “no.” With maturity, we recognize that people, places and things we once tolerated are not worth the energy they demand, and we can finally muster the courage to bid them farewell—and fast. Unfortunately, the possibility for negative interactions has kept pace with the speed and complexity of modern veterinary practice. Whether you’re firing a client, splitting up your practice’s …
How Does Adding Vet School Seats Impact the Veterinary Workforce?February 17, 2016In one of my former roles of advising foreign governments and agencies on small-business development, I would always begin with three basic prerequisites that I feel are most important and need to be answered before starting a new business. First, can you physically do it? Second, can you make money doing it? And third, can you sustain it in a competitive market? The continued push to expand the number of veterinary schools (and, thereby, the number of seats available to veterinary students) certainly has me wondering whether all of these basic prerequisites are being considered in the planning process and before commitments are made to pursue the necessary approvals and begin the accreditation process. There is no doubt that the necessary resources, both in terms of capital and expertise, to build new veterinary colleges can be acquired anywhere in America. Based on current information about the willingness of veterinary college applicants to pay for a veterinary degree, new colleges can probably be profitable, more so if they are state-funded. The third prerequisite, however, offers a more daunting hurdle, as is frequently the case. The market for veterinary education faces …
5 Things We Love and Sometimes Hate in the Veterinary PracticeFebruary 11, 2016Love is in the air. Lots of it. But you wouldn’t know it by following the news. Presidential primaries, Syrian refugees, Parisian atrocities, Putin’s posturing, domestic xenophobia. It’s enough to make you question whether there’s any room in our frigid human hearts for snow cones and bunny rabbits, much less Valentine’s Day. Thankfully, though, I’ve amassed plenty of evidence to the contrary. After a tumultuous first year in my own veterinay practice, I’ve learned a lot of tough lessons the hard way. I’ve also managed to be excited, uplifted and even awed by the many ways in which practice ownership, and veterinary practice in general, can inspire the best in us. Unfortunately, it also can awaken the worst. But just because we want to strangle the occasional human doesn’t mean we have to behave like serial killers. I’m finally beginning to understand that becoming a veterinary professional doesn’t automatically mean that the world will bend to my will. Nor does buying the practice increase my control of the world around me; ironically, quite the opposite in my case. We still have to deal with people who …
