Mishap at the Clinic Today

[cheathac]

Ok so everything was going great today while I was volunteering... started at 8:30 watched a dental mass removal and other things and ended the day with the enucleation.... afterwards a vet tech told me they weren't doing a histopath on the eye and that I could cut it open and dissect it so I did. After it's in pieces, I threw it away. The doctor comes back in asking for the eye.. I told her it's in the trash in pieces. Very angry she asked why it's in the trash and to not throw away anything without asking in case a histopath needed to be done.. I felt so bad for messing up.. I try really hard and everything to not mess up and to help as much as I can. It's going to be so awkward to go back in after messing up... I don't know what to do.

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[Lissarae06]

1. The tech told you that it was free to dissect.
2. If you apologized, the doctor should get over it and realize it was an honest mistake. If they absolutely needed histopath on it they would have gone trash can diving for it.
3. I hope the tech had your back and explained that you had permission to dissect.

 

[cheathac]

I left shortly after.. next time I go in.. I will apologize to the doctor. It's been a little awkward since I've started but they've been talking to me more. I hope the tech did too.. if not I'll explain when I go back next week. I know I didn't do anything wrong, I'm under a tech so I would do what they told me to do. I got the pieces out of the trash for them.. though there wasn't much left. I just hope they don't hang it over me.. I've tried my best to feel included there.. asking questions, helping out in the kennel, asking about patients, etc.

 

[Gwenevre]

It would have probably been in your best interest to explain things as soon as possible. But that's just me.

 

[cheathac]

Before I left I told her that the tech told me it was ok. Soon after she talked to the tech. I'll apologize directly when I go back.. I was just scared and almost in tears so I didn't think it was the best time. @Gwenevre

 

[missdarjeeling]

It could be worse. We once had a paid assistant throw out something from a soft tissue surgery that a surgeon wanted to keep and send out to a pathologist. By the time the doctor had come around to the prep room to get it, the trash had been taken out, AND the pick up company had emptied out the dumpster. The doctor had to call the owner and tell them that they didn't have a sample to send out to check if the patient had cancer, and it was not pretty. Still, that person did not get fired and came back the next day, and the doctor was able to accept it had happened and move on. Since that incident, everyone erred on the side of saving everything, which is how I once ended up with a giant spleen on a Mayo stand for my entire shift because no one could get a straight answer on whether it was okay to discard. Nevermind that it wasn't going to do any good to have it sit out for hours... .

Sh-t happens. You were explicitly told it was okay to dissect and toss. It's still scary and intimidating to get yelled at by a doctor for something like this, especially when they don't know you very well, but just try to relax. It's not the end of the world and it doesn't mean that no one's going to like you. Next time you go in, the doctor will be a bit calmer, hopefully, and you'll be able to apologize and explain it fully. For future reference, if you ever get an offer from someone to do something like that again, try to verify it with at least one other person before proceeding. Heck, I still do that with blood, urine, ear swabs, etc. before tossing if I'm not absolutely certain they're no longer needed.

 

[cheathac]

@missdarjeeling thank you so much for the encouragement... It was an ulcer of the eye so it probably wasn't going to get sent to the histopath... funny thing is I actually work there so I would receive it.. but I think it was the principle of throwing it away and cutting it into pieces without verifying with her is what angered her.

 

[Innerspeaker]

"Better to ask the vet for permission, than have to beg for forgiveness" has become my motto as an assistant, as I've done plenty of screw ups myself. Definitely don't assume they hate you or that this reflects poorly on you as an overall person.

Our relief doctor had gotten samples from some masses in a cat's mouth during a dental cleaning and they were supposed to be sent off later that day. She put the slides down in the lab station. I was fetching something in a cabinet above the lab station and clumsy me accidentally knocked something onto the bench, which shattered almost every single one of the slides. Luckily, one was still in-tact enough to send off, but she was clearly flustered, as she had spent quite some time collecting the samples. I could definitely see where she was coming from, but all you can really do is apologize, come back in with your game face, and move on/learn from the mistake.

 

[cheathac]

Well we processed the eye.. or what was left of it today at the histopath lab I work at. My boss and everyone thought it was funny.. they allowed me to take pics of the process, look at it under the microscope, and even get some pics of them done digitally. I walked into the clinic and was so excited to show and tell the vets. I said we did the eye today.. she's like did you tell them what happened to the eye.. I replied yes. She said good, now they don't think I'm the ****ing idiot that cut it up into pieces.... I couldn't help but just walk out in tears. The person I looked up to the most just tore me.. into pieces.. no pun intended.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Well we processed the eye.. or what was left of it today at the histopath lab I work at. My boss and everyone thought it was funny.. they allowed me to take pics of the process, look at it under the microscope, and even get some pics of them done digitally. I walked into the clinic and was so excited to show and tell the vets. I said we did the eye today.. she's like did you tell them what happened to the eye.. I replied yes. She said good, now they don't think I'm the ****ing idiot that cut it up into pieces.... I couldn't help but just walk out in tears. The person I looked up to the most just tore me.. into pieces.. no pun intended.

I've seen/been in a lot of similar situations to this at my past job. One person tells you one thing, and you do it. Then someone else comes around and completely eviscerates you for just doing what you were told. Unfortunately, not every boss/coworker in this world (whether it be in the veterinary field or not) is capable of handling these mishaps with maturity and professionalism. I agree with the "Always ask" mentality. Even if a tech tells you to do something/something is okay to do, the veterinarian will have the final decision on all of it. In my particular experience, the vet has a nasty habit of not keeping anyone in the loop, then surprising us with things later. I've learned in my two years of assisting that it's better to leave something (a sample, a note, whatever) sitting out all day than it is to take initiative to throw it away, file it, etc. I mean, seriously, I don't even do what the practice manager tells me to do without running it by the doctor first.

To let you know you're not alone: A few weeks ago, the doctor I work for pulled a tick from a patient that was in for a routine exam. She left it on the counter, still crushed between hemostats. I poured alcohol on the tick for good measure, and proceeded to toss it. About 10 minutes later, I hear "WHERE IS THE TICK?" "Well, I was cleaning up the counter (because if the counter isn't kept meticulous, the bosses get irritated) and saw that it was killed and left, so I threw it away." "DID I TELL YOU TO THROW IT AWAY? NO. We ALWAYS offer owners the option to keep the tick." Now, don't get me started on how ridiculous it is to offer a client to take a dead bug home...that's beside the point I'm trying to make here. If the doctor has that kind of personality, there will always be something you are doing wrong.

Please don't take any of this personally. Frankly, you were given directions as a volunteer and followed them. The technician should be getting some of this heat, if he/she isn't already. If the tech is giving you directions without doctor approval, there is a good chance it's happening with other volunteers/assistants as well. You are certainly not an idiot. Give yourself a few days to calm down and process the event, and then decide if you want to continue your volunteering there. I will put my two cents in though, and say I wouldn't want to spend my time (for free, mind you) at a place where my superiors resort to name calling.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Well we processed the eye.. or what was left of it today at the histopath lab I work at. My boss and everyone thought it was funny.. they allowed me to take pics of the process, look at it under the microscope, and even get some pics of them done digitally. I walked into the clinic and was so excited to show and tell the vets. I said we did the eye today.. she's like did you tell them what happened to the eye.. I replied yes. She said good, now they don't think I'm the ****ing idiot that cut it up into pieces.... I couldn't help but just walk out in tears. The person I looked up to the most just tore me.. into pieces.. no pun intended.

What? Are you sure she wasn't joking?

I would walk out of there. I don't care how angry she was, there is no call for speaking to anyone in that manner, especially a new worker who made an honest mistake after being told faulty information. That's disgusting (and unnecessary) behavior, and makes me deeply question her professionalism. As someone who places immensely high value on mentoring, that type of behavior just makes me

 

[missdarjeeling]

Well we processed the eye.. or what was left of it today at the histopath lab I work at. My boss and everyone thought it was funny.. they allowed me to take pics of the process, look at it under the microscope, and even get some pics of them done digitally. I walked into the clinic and was so excited to show and tell the vets. I said we did the eye today.. she's like did you tell them what happened to the eye.. I replied yes. She said good, now they don't think I'm the ****ing idiot that cut it up into pieces.... I couldn't help but just walk out in tears. The person I looked up to the most just tore me.. into pieces.. no pun intended.

Wow, that was really rude and unprofessional of her. I mean, honestly, if the sample was still usable, then the right thing for her to do would be to let you know that you should ask first and to just let it go. Her reaction was over the top and ridiculous, especially since she's had a few days to get over it. People make mistakes, and not only are you new, you're a shadow/volunteer. It's not right for her to be insulting you like that. Honestly, I'd see if you can find somewhere else to shadow or at least limit your interactions with her. If there are other doctors around, see if you can spend more time with them. If not, honestly, in your shoes, I'd try to learn as much as possible from the techs while looking for somewhere else to shadow.

"We ALWAYS offer owners the option to keep the tick."

WTF?

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Wow, that was really rude and unprofessional of her. I mean, honestly, if the sample was still usable, then the right thing for her to do would be to let you know that you should ask first and to just let it go. Her reaction was over the top and ridiculous, especially since she's had a few days to get over it. People make mistakes, and not only are you new, you're a shadow/volunteer. It's not right for her to be insulting you like that. Honestly, I'd see if you can find somewhere else to shadow or at least limit your interactions with her. If there are other doctors around, see if you can spend more time with them. If not, honestly, in your shoes, I'd try to learn as much as possible from the techs while looking for somewhere else to shadow.



WTF?

Right? I mean at that point, it's almost as if she was so desperate to be crabby at someone, that she had to find something. No matter how ridiculous. Who in their right mind would EVER want to take a crushed, bloodied tick home? WHAT?

OP, honestly, pay attention to how your coworkers behave and how everyone gets along. It sounds like you might be getting yourself into a situation similar to what I just got out of. There is no excuse for name calling in the work place.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

To let you know you're not alone: A few weeks ago, the doctor I work for pulled a tick from a patient that was in for a routine exam. She left it on the counter, still crushed between hemostats. I poured alcohol on the tick for good measure, and proceeded to toss it. About 10 minutes later, I hear "WHERE IS THE TICK?" "Well, I was cleaning up the counter (because if the counter isn't kept meticulous, the bosses get irritated) and saw that it was killed and left, so I threw it away." "DID I TELL YOU TO THROW IT AWAY? NO. We ALWAYS offer owners the option to keep the tick." Now, don't get me started on how ridiculous it is to offer a client to take a dead bug home...that's beside the point I'm trying to make here. If the doctor has that kind of personality, there will always be something you are doing wrong.

What?! That's idiotic.

Rickettsial disease can be transmitted by crushed/damaged tick tissues and fluids if they come into contact with a defect in the skin barrier. That's putting the owner at risk unless you douse that thing in alcohol and put it in a jar.

 

[cheathac]

@WhtsThFrequency she definitely wasn't kidding.. When I walked in they were talking about charges of biopsies... I knew exactly what they were talking about becasue we discuss it as work as far as how much to charge based on samples etc.. I asked are you talking about the eye.. she gave me a glare and said no.. she proceeded to say what I just said above. The tone she gave me.. was just angry and bitter. There are a few other doctors.. but honestly the whole atmosphere with the doctors is just uninviting. They only come out to give injections, surgery, etc otherwise they are in their office. The techs are super friendly.. honestly everyone else there is except the doctors. It was getting better, but then the eye thing happened. It's just a different experience then the doctor at home who taught me things and was over all friendlier. I've worked about 40 hours here.... will it look bad on an application to put that? I just need the vet hours.. if it doesn't get better I'll look somewhere else. The sample was very much usable.. my coworkers just laughed. They were still able to salvage the optic nerve and such and said the pathologist will be able to read it.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

What?! That's idiotic.

Rickettsial disease can be transmitted by crushed/damaged tick tissues and fluids if they come into contact with a defect in the skin barrier. That's putting the owner at risk unless you douse that thing in alcohol and put it in a jar.

I honestly think that she just wanted to be angry at someone for something and that was the first thing she found. That's how it was at that place. I'm sure that had I left it, I would have gotten b*tched at for that too. Damned if you do, damned if you don't!

 

[cheathac]

I mean she didn't directly call me an idiot.. but she clearly meant me when she said at least they know that I wasn't the ****ing idiot. My coworkers have my back in everything I do. I've messed up there too.. but I got back on my feet and pushed harder. I admit.. I'm sensitive. Someone gets angry at me... I take it very very hard. Especially in this situation with the dream of becoming a vet in my head.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

I mean she didn't directly call me an idiot.. but she clearly meant me when she said at least they know that I wasn't the ****ing idiot. My coworkers have my back in everything I do. I've messed up there too.. but I got back on my feet and pushed harder. I admit.. I'm sensitive. Someone gets angry at me... I take it very very hard. Especially in this situation with the dream of becoming a vet in my head.

It's completely normal to get very upset when someone you look up to treats you poorly. However, we are urging you to consider how badly you want these hours at this particular clinic. It's not acceptable to name call or lose control of one's emotions when a mishap occurs. If anything, she should have said something like "Next time, just run anything you do through me to prevent this from happening altogether."

 

[cheathac]

@pinkpuppy9 There's another clinic just down the road I can try. There's actually 4 or 5 around pretty close. I'll give it this week.. I go back in Thursday and Saturday. I'll go directly to her office maybe Thursday to apologize? I was going to do that today.. but she wasn't over it like I thought she would be... what she said to me just kinda threw me off guard. I just don't want to feel the awkwardness every time I go in.. I should look forward to going in and learning.. not nervous on how the doctor is going to treat me

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Don't apologize any more. You have nothing to apologize for. Young people, especially women (not sure if you are male or female, but just a guess based on the gender ratio in vet med), constantly feel the need to apologize all the time even when things are not remotely their fault.

I'll tell you a story. I was on call one weekendwhere none of the other clinicians paged me like they are supposed to when they drop off an animal for necropsy. The cooler accumulated 3 horses, a cow, a camel, a dog, and a goat over the course of 2 days and no one made me aware. On Monday, the work-week pathologist (who was actually a former professor of mine and someone I looked up to) was livid. Like I had purposefully shirked my weekend call and left it all for them.

I ask another pathologist friend of mine for advice. She told me "First off, you do not have to apologize to him for anything. You have nothing to apologize for. Nobody paged you. Secondly, yes, he is mad. Yes he is going to hold a grudge. But you need to decide whether you care or not."

Two of the best pieces of advice I've ever gotten.

 

[cheathac]

Wow.... thanks! And your guess is a good one.. I am female. Probably why I took it harder than most people.. that's one quality I have.. I am my own worst critic. I'll give it this week to see how it goes.. but I need to build a relationship with these vets.. it's something I'm striving towards. I can't let something like this get in the way of that.

 

[missdarjeeling]

I've worked about 40 hours here.... will it look bad on an application to put that?

I'm applying for the first time this cycle, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I don't think it would look bad, assuming you would have also gotten experience elsewhere. If you can get experience in a more welcoming environment, that'll be a much greater benefit to you than sticking it out at a place like this. I don't think getting more hours in is worth being in an uncomfortable environment with a doctor who treats you the way this one has. But that's ultimately your call. I definitely understand the reluctance to quit and am going through something a little similar with my current assistant job. Sometimes it's hard to do even if it's in your best interests. It doesn't hurt to start looking now. You don't even need to say yes now, but do check out your options.

Don't apologize any more. You have nothing to apologize for. Young people, especially women (not sure if you are male or female, but just a guess based on the gender ratio in vet med), constantly feel the need to apologize all the time even when things are not remotely their fault.

This, times 100. Thank you so much for writing this.

cheathac, I wouldn't bother trying to apologize to her again. If she was still sore about it after a few days, she's probably going to be nasty to you again on Thursday, too. It's not worth it.

 

[cheathac]

@missdarjeeling Thank you so much for the opinion! I will definitely keep other clinics in mind, there is one just down the road from me that I might stop in. I was just so excited to finally get the opportunity to volunteer somewhere. I also volunteer at Purdue's Oncology Unit.. the atmosphere there is so much different. They are welcoming me and willing to teach me.. something I yearn for. I love to learn. Maybe that's because it's a teaching hospital? Anyways if these are the vets that I would want to write letter of recommendation for me.. It's probably better that I look elsewhere. The atmosphere wasn't welcoming when I started by the vets.. I just hoped it would get better.. not worse over time. The very first day the business manager took me back to their office to introduce me to them.. they didn't say hi or anything.. didn't even look up from their computers. I help out as much as I can with boarding and cleaning but they must not care, very unlike the techs and other staff there.

 

[hbr1704]

Honestly it sounds like this vet could hold a grudge and if you are looking for a possible recommendation letter I would find a different clinic. The whole atmosphere just sounds a little off and the vet is totally out of line talking to anyone like that. You should never call anyone stupid or imply it. What is wrong with people. . . It was an issue of miscommunication, the eye was still able to be sent in. There is no need to apologize again for the situation. I'd just say next time anyone aside tells you something that you think may conflict, I'd just go run it by the doctor to make sure he or she is in agreement.

 

[Felixor90]

I've worked about 40 hours here.... will it look bad on an application to put that? I just need the vet hours..

Nope. I had one set of hours in my application that was less than 10 because it was a one day thing.

 

[cheathac]

Well I went back Thursday and it was better, I didn't run into her. I mainly helped out in the boarding part. I asked a tech and apparently the whole eye thing was discussed at the staff meeting and it will be sore subject for awhile, mainly because of the principal of the thing. She said it's my best interest not to bring it up ever again. I actually read the pathology report on the eye today.. everything was fine.. so hopefully after she reads it she won't be as angry. Everyone else there is pretty kind and inviting just not the vets. They are just quiet. Besides the one there are two other vets as well so you think there is a possibility of asking them for a LOR in the future?

 

[Trilt]

Nope. I had one set of hours in my application that was less than 10 because it was a one day thing.

I actually had multiple experiences that were in the single digits and teens - only got one day in with the zoo vet, couple with LA/equine vets, etc.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Well I went back Thursday and it was better, I didn't run into her. I mainly helped out in the boarding part. I asked a tech and apparently the whole eye thing was discussed at the staff meeting and it will be sore subject for awhile, mainly because of the principal of the thing. She said it's my best interest not to bring it up ever again. I actually read the pathology report on the eye today.. everything was fine.. so hopefully after she reads it she won't be as angry. Everyone else there is pretty kind and inviting just not the vets. They are just quiet. Besides the one there are two other vets as well so you think there is a possibility of asking them for a LOR in the future?

Absolutely, just keep your chin up and be the best you can be. How you recover gracefully from a bad situation says more about you as a person than anything else.

Don't beat yourself up over this any more than you have. The fact that it is a sore subject may very well be over the vet's frustration over something unrelated to you (i.e. tech just deciding for herself without any authority that it was okay to let you play with a biopsy specimen). You just happen to be stuck in the middle of a ****show. Just keep your distance from this b****y vet, and just keep on keepin on. Very few people would hold something like this against you over a period of time, unless it was a part of a pattern and this was a prime example of why you suck in general. An isolated event shouldn't hurt you in the long run.

Honestly though, at my current job, I'm so busy that I would say that a pre-vet who is shadowing (not me specifically) or a kennel help would probably say that the vets keep to themselves in the office when they're not in appointments and are not inviting. It's not because I'm not interested in them or feel "above" them in any way. I have dozens of phone calls to make and records to write up. I do not have the time to go and chit-chat with support staff between appointments, or be chum chummy with a pre-vet student. I barely have time to pee or stuff my face with my lunch (at 8pm). Yes there might be a lot of talking among the doctors in the office, but that is because we round on our unusual cases, and sometimes venting/joking also occurs at the same time. That does not mean we are trying to be unwelcoming or cliquey. All of this also does not mean that I don't notice how good or bad each member of the support staff is. I try to let them know that I appreciate them and let them know when they've done a good job at something. I also try to be as chipper and approachable while working in the treatment area so that anyone would feel comfortable asking me questions about what is going on. But I just don't have the time to stand around in the treatment area as a welcoming mentor when I'm not needed there. I need to go back to my hole and get as much paperwork done as possible so that I can leave at a reasonable hour.

 

[cheathac]

Thanks @Minnerbelle.. I will be going back tomorrow. I work Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday for like 4 hour shifts. I will learn the best I can and not take it too harshly. Thanks for describing why the doctors might be in their office a lot. I've built up the courage to ask them things when they're in the treatment area, however I will keep my mouth shut and try to avoid the one doctor as much as possible for awhile. Like I said, everything went smoothly with the pathologist report so she shouldn't be bent over that. Just the principle of how a tech usurped her authority.

 

[LadyOtheFarm]

I have worked with many different vets over at least 7 years of teching. Some have taught me great things and some have been nice. Not many have done both. The few that did pull it off have been examples of what I want to be as a vet.
I know that I never want to make a client cry no matter how disgusted I am at the humor she sees in her extremely morbidly obese cat. I never want to pride myself on how I can get away with not keeping up with current knowledge. I never want to be the vet that finds it easier to tell a client to put a diabetic cat down than to give them a treatment plan. I never want to be the vet that is seen as too unreliable to be trusted with on call duty.

I want to teach my techs and trust them to do what I ask and to try to anticipate the next step. I want to be the vet that techs want to send in to difficult surgeries and euthanasias because they trust me to do my best. These are some of the examples I've had.

I hope you find a mentor that shows you the vet you want to be!