Diversity in veterinary medicine: No longer the whitest, but still the biggest loserSeptember 25, 2020Veterinary medicine is no longer the whitest profession in the country. Speech pathologists and dental hygienists beat us out this time. Still, 90 percent white (down from 92 percent in 2013) is nothing to celebrate. As our country convulses anew over the ingrained effects of slavery, bigotry, and racism, the thoughtful veterinarian should probably question how these cultural forces affect our profession and what we should be doing to address its persistent homogeneity. Risks and rewards of homogeneity It can always be argued that, as in milk production, homogenization has its benefits. And it's true—we're somewhat more insulated against controversy, dissent, and unproductive infighting this way. But we're also lacking in diversity of thoughts, opinions, interests, ideas, and experiences. Oh… and don't forget the flavor. I mean, we're really quite bland (as our conferences' musical events continue to demonstrate). As a consequence of our composition, veterinarians don't argue much about race or diversity. We all seem to agree on one thing: Most of us appear to believe the ideal demographic composition of the veterinary profession should reflect the diversity of its entire community. We intuitively understand we can't adequately serve a nation as diverse as ours without graduating veterinarians …
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VPN Plus+ ExclusiveThe muzzling of science and the veterinarian's roleSeptember 16, 2020By Patty Khuly, VMD, MBAAn acceptance of “un-science” is happening despite the fact most of us carry the bulk of this planet’s available information on our person at all times. The facts are literally at our fingertips.
Why euthanasia will never be the sameAugust 19, 2020Most of us recognize COVID has done something to our clients’ collective psyche. How most socially distanced humans interact with their nonhuman friends has been altered, irrevocably.
Making technology work while in coronavirus mode (and beyond)July 6, 2020Remote consultation is about helping veterinarians do more with the information they already have at their disposal.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveSurviving a pandemic as a veterinary professionalJune 24, 2020By Patty Khuly, VMD, MBAIf you're a veterinary professional and you feel like you're being squeezed from every direction, welcome to my pandemic-warped world. It's gotten so bad that sometimes I feel like a Cuban sandwich, all thin slices of ham, cheese, baby pork, and pickles smushed between two halves of buttered baguette, which is then compressed by an industrial press so powerful the edges of the bread burn and the cheese sizzles while the bread soaks up the excess. Further indulge my Miami metaphor by envisioning our suppliers as the bottom half and elite specialty providers as toppers. We, the tender baby pig (arguably the least equipped to tolerate the pressures), are becoming but a smear of protein. To be sure, it's delicious in the end. Nevertheless, it's still kind of sad the bread ends up with more than its share of all the butter. Culinary fantasies notwithstanding, it's clear things are getting tougher for the average veterinary practice. Increased ER income is keeping specialty services humming, while as many as a third of the practices in my area have temporarily shuttered, possibly never to reopen. This rearranged game board has given an edge to the larger, more established practices, along with …
A veterinary meditation: Sources of hope in the midst of an outbreakJune 17, 2020In uncertain times, a fundamental human tendency is to project into the future and foresee the adversity that lies ahead. Some of us go straight to catastrophe, while others experience a more nebulous dread.
Got allergies? Welcome to the club (of veterinary masochists)May 26, 2020Did you know that in a recent study conducted by UC Davis, almost 90 percent of veterinarians tested positive for allergies?
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveFrom the trenches: Veterinary musings from a pandemic-rattled brainMay 5, 2020By Patty Khuly, VMD, MBAIt's difficult to explain how I feel, but I'm fairly certain you can relate. It's like I'm being asked to perform all my normal functions as a veterinarian, practice owner, mother, and parental caretaker from beneath a thick layer of practical wariness while wrapped in a smothering blanket of fear. It's all so different––so suddenly––that I haven't had a proper chance to process it. I awake every day to find the game has changed, variables have been added, and assumptions altered. It's like playing a game where all the pieces get continually rearranged and the rules are always changing. It wouldn't be so bad except the stakes keep getting bigger by the day. At the top of my list is my family. My son refuses to come home from college and my elderly father is constitutionally incapable of "sheltering in place," which reduces my poor mother to apoplectic handwringing episodes interspersed with marathon rosary sessions. Then there's my own health, impacted by the fact I have little choice but to work with a variably compliant public among mostly young, "invincible" team members whose movements I have no control over once they exit the building. Moreover, as I revealed in a …
Loving animals: Our profession's secret weapon or its Achilles heel?April 27, 2020Unlike previous generations, today's veterinary students are entering the profession aware of its pitfalls, driven by a love for and desire to work with animals.
Off Leash: Stalking stigmaMarch 3, 2020Eighteen years ago, Patty Khuly realized she had a problem. Anxiety, depression, and a family history of mental illness conspired with the stress of divorce, debt, and single motherhood to feed a cycle of self-medication with alcohol and prescription drugs.
