Things I have "learned" or been told on this rotation that I plan on erasing from my brain as soon as I leave:
1. Doctors should not discuss the cost of anything with clients. They should only be associated with "caring for their animals" and not money.
2. Doctors do not clean cages. This is the job of techs, caretakers, and anyone else without a DVM after their name.
3. Cats do not need restraint. Instead of scruffing or really even touching them, you should kneel down, eye to eye with the cat, and blink slowly. This is what cats do in the wild to show that things are okay. They will magically stand still when you stick a needle in their jugular vein.
4. Primary care appointments should be scheduled hourly, or if really necessary, by the half hour. 15 minute appointments are not enough time to truly evaluate any animal and treat them... even if it is a perfectly healthy animal that only needs one vaccine.
5. An elderly animal that jumps from a counter and limps for a couple of days needs full sets of radiographs even if the limping has resolved and the cat is behaving perfectly normal and they made the appointment because of vomiting.
And I am SICK of people telling me that "your techs will do this and your techs will do that". I went to vet school so I can do my own bloodwork and do my own radiographs and do anal glands and have the ability and knowledge to do everything and anything. While I appreciate the work the CVTs do in the university setting (the hospital would be dead lost without them), if I have adequate time, I would like to do most of the so-called "tech" work. I think that is one fault (of many) of human medicine - the doctors are so far removed from the patient and removed from the costs of everything that they don't fully appreciate the whole picture. Veterinary medicine provides the whole picture - that is the beauty of our profession. I don't believe veterinarians are "above" the "mundane tech work" at all - in fact, you shoudn't be in vet school if you truly believe you are better than the techs and therefore shouldn't have to perform those basic skills EVER. I'm sorry if you disagree.
And I'm sorry for the rant, I just want to graduate and work in my small town veterinary practice for the next 30+ years with my husband.
Coursing
2 days ago
Thank you so much for forgetting number one! One of the many reasons that I love my current vet so much is that she is perfectly willing to discuss the different treatments in terms of cost. I love my dog (in fact, he's had three vet visits recently and I can't afford health insurance for myself) but when you work in the NFP world, cost IS an issue! I hated that my last vet didn't seem to comprehend that I wasn't a lawyer or accountant like most of his other clients, and would make me feel guilty if I questioned the point of having half a dozen expensive and frankly unnecessary tests done!
ReplyDeleteThat is why I love your clinic. So glad you guys are taking over and it's gonna stay in the family. I would never take my animals to another vet- cost and care is extremely important and I know you can't get better any where else.
ReplyDelete"Veterinary medicine provides the whole picture - that is the beauty of our profession."
ReplyDeleteSo as nursing. We have a one on one contact with our patients. We talk to them more than doctors do. But I love vets, eh.:)
Cheers,
Peny@cheap scrubs