Why are you going to vet school and what do you expect?

[iamapm]

The thread title says it all but I will expand the questions here. I am hoping to stimulate all into considering what they really think they are getting into and what life as a vet is actually like. Here are some questions.

How long did you work in a vet clinic before applying to vet school?
Were you a licensed technician?
Assistant?

How many difficult people have you personally handled? The ones who don't listen, the ones you accused of only being money motivated, the ones who think the clinic (you) killed their pet.
Do you realize that the vast majority of people are NOT difficult and that you need to keep the jerks in perspective and not let them ruin your life - i.e. are you a bit tough skinned?
They a veterinary practice (really any medical practice) is like an assembly line (mostly) and that you just need to keep driving the bus as that is what you do and signed up to do. (Note: 15 minute appts ARE ridiculous and you cannot practice medicine very well on such a schedule).
Have you thought that you will need to learn to communicate calmly and clearly and position your recommendations very well otherwise few people will do what you want - this is in many ways more important than any bit of medical knowledge you will acquire. If you cannot get people to understand in non-medical term conversational way what is needed and why then they will likely not spend the money.

How many of you are put off by this stuff and may not realize that being a vet is more about the human interactions than the medical stuff?

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[sheltermed]

Are you headed to vet school as well? I noticed that you haven't posted in about a year and a half until today, so I was just wondering.

If not, what are you hoping to gain from responses to this post?

 

[Minnerbelle]

i literally had not stepped foot in a private practice as anything other than a client prior to vet school. All of my experience was in shelter/sanctuary/research settings. I had great tech skills from volume work, but never interacted with the public at large

i had 0 interest in working in private practice with clients going into vet school. Ended up doing so out of necessity. And I love it! Never thought I would. But as awkward a human being as I am, I was surprised to find my doctor persona is charismatic and great for the exam room. I actually don’t mind the difficult clientele. I find them amusing and I like the challenge of snake charming them, just as much as I love fractious cats as the crazy cat lady that I am. If they are abusive to staff or me, they need to be fired and I have no problems telling them that. But otherwise, the clingy, the demeaning, the whiners, the weird. Bring it on!

it honestly doesn’t take much to figure out a layman’s spiel for common diseases. The art i find is actually is in anticipating frustrations/complications in advance and communicating them to the owner so that they are prepared for them. Being the fortune teller really makes clients trust you both as a person and as a clinician. Discussing common pitfalls in advance goes a long way. For newly diagnosed chronic conditions, what are the anticipated immediate and ongoing costs? What will it take to get it under control and to maintain? What issues might come along? Not doing this is what makes clients really frustrated later when either things aren’t going well, or the added costs bring on stress and horrible conversations down the line.

And just as important is communicating with the staff how things will go for a particular patient as far as follow ups go. I make sure in my notes I have very clear plans for follow up both in terms of when clients are expected to hear from me, when they should follow up, and what should be done (dr vs tech appt, and if tech appt, what exactly will be done. Faster or no fasted labs? How will urine be obtained, and for what tests? Any particular time frame? If no conventional test,exact protocol for how it is to be done). These are the things that differentiates an experienced and newbie vets, and also vets that develop strong clientele and those who are just “meh.”

 

[DVMDream]

The thread title says it all but I will expand the questions here. I am hoping to stimulate all into considering what they really think they are getting into and what life as a vet is actually like. Here are some questions.

How long did you work in a vet clinic before applying to vet school?
Were you a licensed technician?
Assistant?

How many difficult people have you personally handled? The ones who don't listen, the ones you accused of only being money motivated, the ones who think the clinic (you) killed their pet.
Do you realize that the vast majority of people are NOT difficult and that you need to keep the jerks in perspective and not let them ruin your life - i.e. are you a bit tough skinned?
They a veterinary practice (really any medical practice) is like an assembly line (mostly) and that you just need to keep driving the bus as that is what you do and signed up to do. (Note: 15 minute appts ARE ridiculous and you cannot practice medicine very well on such a schedule).
Have you thought that you will need to learn to communicate calmly and clearly and position your recommendations very well otherwise few people will do what you want - this is in many ways more important than any bit of medical knowledge you will acquire. If you cannot get people to understand in non-medical term conversational way what is needed and why then they will likely not spend the money.

How many of you are put off by this stuff and may not realize that being a vet is more about the human interactions than the medical stuff?

Are you trying to figure out what being a veterinarian is like? Or trying to tell people what it is like?

I am confused by what you are looking for with this post.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Are you trying to figure out what being a veterinarian is like? Or trying to tell people what it is like?

I am confused by what you are looking for with this post.

Oh damn I didn’t realize the original post was by iamapm. Is this another one of those preachy moments by the non vet who is super condescending about how vets should be and think (even though as a non vet they have no idea what it’s actually like to be a vet... and as stated in the other thread for me literally the reason why I am leaving practice... the annoying lay person who somehow feels empowered to boss around the vet who has 0 interest in being managed by a non-DVM)?

 

[PippyPony]

Well, I'm in vet school because I want to be a vet.

I expect that vet school will equip me with the core knowledge and tools to enter the field after graduation, while recognizing that my long term success is dependent upon what I do with those tools.

If you're asking why I want to be a vet and what I expect to encounter in the job itself @iamapm , that's a more complex question and each person's response will likely to be unique to them. But I doubt most people here will be shocked by hearing that vet med is more about talking to people than talking to dogs

 

[DVMDream]

Oh damn I didn’t realize the original post was by iamapm. Is this another one of those preachy moments by the non vet who is super condescending about how vets should be and think (even though as a non vet they have no idea what it’s actually like to be a vet... and as stated in the other thread for me literally the reason why I am leaving practice... the annoying lay person who somehow feels empowered to boss around the vet who has 0 interest in being managed by a non-DVM)?

That is what I am picking it up to be. Hence, why I asked what this person was trying to gain from this. Don't feel like hearing another one of this person's condescending tirades of what they think it is like to be a vet when they actually don't have a damn clue.

 

[genny]

15 minute appts ARE ridiculous and you cannot practice medicine very well on such a schedule

Depends on the appointment, really. And how good the techs and assistants are. I can do routine puppy/kitten vaccine appointments in 15 minutes easily without owners feeling like I'm rushing them out the door. Suture removals or surgery rechecks are also pretty short. My favorite appointment, the bulbus glandis question, can also be done in 15 minutes.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Depends on the appointment, really. And how good the techs and assistants are. I can do routine puppy/kitten vaccine appointments in 15 minutes easily without owners feeling like I'm rushing them out the door. Suture removals or surgery rechecks are also pretty short. My favorite appointment, the bulbus glandis question, can also be done in 15 minutes.

Not sure I can comfortably do every 15 min appts, but every 20 is generally doable while giving clients adequate face time AS LONG AS I feel well leveraged with excellently trained techa/assistants who can handle most well care questions and are excellent history takers, and are able to take over after I do my exam and put together a plan. Even with back to back sick appts, I can typically handle every 20 as long as have 3-4 exam rooms and plenty of support staff. That is about full capacity for me, and I would need some time in the day to take care of call backs and Rx requests and such. I’ve worked in hospitals that only have 1 tech or assistant for each doctor in appointments, and it’s impossible to tread water even with 30 min appts sometimes.

 

[genny]

Not sure I can comfortably do every 15 min appts, but every 20 is generally doable while giving clients adequate face time AS LONG AS I feel well leveraged with excellently trained techa/assistants who can handle most well care questions and are excellent history takers, and are able to take over after I do my exam and put together a plan. Even with back to back sick appts, I can typically handle every 20 as long as have 3-4 exam rooms and plenty of support staff. That is about full capacity for me, and I would need some time in the day to take care of call backs and Rx requests and such. I’ve worked in hospitals that only have 1 tech or assistant for each doctor in appointments, and it’s impossible to tread water even with 30 min appts sometimes.

I wouldn't want every 15 minutes all day long, but I do feel it's appropriate for some things. I prefer 30 minutes for sick appointments and multi-pet rooms.

 

[DVMDream]

I wouldn't want every 15 minutes all day long, but I do feel it's appropriate for some things. I prefer 30 minutes for sick appointments and multi-pet rooms.

I still personally wouldn't set up any appointment for 15 minutes. We all know that "just vaccines" can turn into much more. I diagnosed a puppy with a broken leg during a "just a booster vaccine" appointment once. I have also diagnosed asthma, cancer, found broken nails that weren't noted before, have had to had long conversations about behavior in a 14 week old puppy, etc. Suture removals should be short, but have had those go south with owners not paying attention and the wound being infected and such.

Just so much better, in my opinion, to allot yourself 30 minutes for all appointments and then when the receptionists come asking if you can fit in a client for a work-in appointment you can look to those appointments for potential double booking space. Where as, if they are set for 15 minute appointments from the start, you now potentially can't use that space for a work in appointment because you are going to have another 15 minute appointment immediately following.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I wouldn't want every 15 minutes all day long, but I do feel it's appropriate for some things. I prefer 30 minutes for sick appointments and multi-pet rooms.

Oh I ****ing hate multi pet. I need 20 min per pet. If it ends up two 2 yr old cats, then great. It gives me time to catch up on the sickies. I guess that’s where I come up with the q20 for everything. It evens out. I just need enough rooms so that the sick pet stays there for 40-60 min and I come in and out as needed.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Just so much better, in my opinion, to allot yourself 30 minutes for all appointments and then when the receptionists come asking if you can fit in a client for a work-in appointment you can look to those appointments for double booking space. Where as, if they are set for 15 minute appointments from the start, you now potentially can't use that space for a work in appointment because you are going to have another 15 minute appointment immediately following.

I’ve done it both ways. Q20min blocks with enough same day sick appts saved each day but no further fit ins unless approved by doctor. As well as q30 blocks with one fit in slot per hour. Either way I see the same number of patients. Just a matter of how efficient my team is and managing client expectations. The difference for me is how I move between rooms. If we’re on the fit in system, regularly scheduled clients are seen on time and get to keep me in the room until they are done. Fit in has me popping my head in here and there as I can. If we’re on q20, I try pretty hard to see each appt on time and give each client a good 10-20 min of undivided attention, and if client needs more face time, they can stay but have to wait for me to pop back in.

 

[PippyPony]

Somewhat unrelated but being in vet school makes me hyper-aware that I was a terrible tech

Too much history, not enough doctor in the room

 

[genny]

Somewhat unrelated but being in vet school makes me hyper-aware that I was a terrible tech

Too much history, not enough doctor in the room

Just have to ask all the questions again anyway since the answers change.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Somewhat unrelated but being in vet school makes me hyper-aware that I was a terrible tech

Too much history, not enough doctor in the room

Lol, depends on the tech though. Some techs are knowledgeable and composed/confident enough to essentially take the role of a nurse practitioner. If they can discuss with the owner something that I don’t need to later (puppy/kitten care, vaccine schedule, BEG diet spiel, components of well care, ideal litter box setup for problem kitties, etc...) and can communicate to me efficiently what was discussed, then that’s great. Importance there is that they can speak about it as well as I can and exude enough confidence that the client is satisfied. You know, the tech that the client thought was actually the doctor until you walked in, even though they introduced themselves as the technician. Also, the really important thing is that the tech is aware of the flow of service. Essentially they need to know what my timing is and spends the right amount of time in the room to never have me waiting on them, but fills the time for me and uses it efficiently if I am running behind. If I’m on time and likely ready to go in, they take quick but pointed hx so that I can go in right away and take over. The talky tech that spends forever in the room as I’m tapping my feet, gets a jumbled hx that’s going to all change the second I walk in the room because the client isn’t even sure what’s going on, and forgets to weigh the dog, hasn’t asked about preventatives or diet or what vaccines the client is interested in but somehow has discussed the dog’s affinity for the owner’s aunt’s boyfriend‘s foot... drives me insane.

Good hx if I’m on time/ahead:
”Lucky is a 5 yo MN lab presented for ears. Skin is currently doing great on cytopoint and we’re just about due for another shot. O was flushing ears for maintenance as you had recommended with epiotic but she’s noted more discharge over the past week. O has enough cleaner at home. The right is worse than the left (shows me the swabs she’s already taken and is staining the slide as we speak), and he’s been really itchy now on that ear for 2 days. On seresto collar and interceptor plus for HW year round and O wants another 6 pack. All set on vaccines/hwt until September except for Lyme booster due next month that O would like to just have done today. Dog is on blue buffalo and is fat, (90 lbs today, was 80lbs 6 months ago and he was already fat then). O would like to discuss diet with you. Otherwise doing great. No c/s/v/d. Lemme get that cytopoint injection and Lyme vaccine for you while you review hx and look at that slide.”

Takes my tech 5 minutes to get that beautiful history and swab, and we know exactly what the dog needs so I can efficiently examine the dog, discuss diet, and do the vaccine and cytopoint injection all in one trip to the exam room while my tech starts a medical note complete with the hx and gets medications/hw prev ready.

Good hx if I’m running behind:
“Fluffy is a 13 yo FS DSH presented for wellness today for the first time today because they just moved to the area. She’s been seen at another vet annually and she is up to date on Rabies/Distemper which are both due Feb 2022. Looks like from previous records she has been very healthy and had only been seen a couple times throughout her life for URI which is currently not an issue. Indoor only, doing great at home. P eats Royal canin wet twice daily and is free fed dry. Cat is 11lbs which is stable, and the cat is not fat. I verified microchip. Not on any preventatives but I spoke with O about heartworm prevention and O would like to take home 6 mos Revolution Plus. Discussed not a bad idea from a flea preventative standpoint since she also lives with a dog. She is aware of the cost. No c/s/v/d except for hairball maybe once a month. O’s only concern is her teeth. She last had a dental 2 yrs ago where she had 3 teeth extracted due to tooth resorption. Owner is interested in running preanesthetic bloodwork today and scheduling a dental. I’m getting her an estimate for that while you go in.”

Like, so phenomenal. The tech spent a good 10-15 min taking care of the owner, so she doesn’t even know I was running behind. I just look through the chart as this tech is talking to confirm nothing glaring from the past, and when I go in, I greet owner and cat, and narrate my physical exam while repeating to confirm pertinent history and praise the owner for all off the things she is doing right with her pet. And I can really focus on her oral exam and discuss what to expect from a dental procedure with me. I’ll likely spend 10 min in the room with the owner and the owner will Feel well taken care of. And now I’m less behind for my next appointment for which another technician is doing the same thing.