Associates

I'm writing to you after reading your article, "Issues That Drive Associates Bananas," in the July 2006 issue of Veterinary Economics. I wanted to know what other information or advice you could give about starting a family while attending veterinary school.

Editor's Note: DVM Newsmagazine asked Cheryl Weber, a grief counselor from the University of Illinois, to share her expertise and advice when a doctor is asked to euthanize a sick animal.

It's not that different from what established practitioners want. We probed to learn what type of practice future veterinarians want to join, what they see as their greatest strengths, weaknesses, and fears.

Editorial Calendar

Use these tips to forge the best relationship and foster the best work environment you can during a tough but exciting time in your life.

When you, your team, and your clients are reading from the same set of directions, you make it to your end goal-better pet care-with fewer detours.

You cover a lot of ground everyday, leaping personal and professional hurdles. Balance and practice will help you tread diverse terrain and become more than a well-rounded doctor-you'll be a well-rounded person.

Owners and associates, you can see eye to eye. Just get the monkeys off your back.

Want to love your job 10 years from now? A little time away could make the critical difference.

Agree on the basic care you want to deliver at your veterinary hospital. Write it down. And get all your team members heading in the same direction.

From divorce to debt, everyone deals with personal issues?and you may feel you shoulder too big a burden. Use these strategies to manage tough situations when they spill into the workplace.

Sometimes it's tough for a new associate to find his fit as part of the team, but having a good relationship with those up and down the roster is important for growth and success.

Reduction in appetite indicates that the induction phase of therapy has been completed.

Sometimes it's tough for a new associate to find his fit as part of the team, but having a good relationship with those up and down the roster is important for growth and success.

This month, we all benefit from Dr. Karen Tobias' dedication to teaching and bettering the standard of care in veterinary medicine.

Use a newsletter to make sure staff members never feel left out in the cold.

Our associate has more than $80,000 in school debt. She receives a fair salary, but I would like to help her more. Any ideas?

Try these strategies to beat back burnout and stay jazzed about your work.

It's hard for team members to implement changes if the doctors aren't on the same page. Solve this problem with a new approach to team training.

Some clients view an office visit as an opportunity to catch up on an assortment of neglected pet health problems. Use these techniques to stay on topic and on schedule.

How should I pay part-time veterinarians and gauge their benefits?

We're taking our practices to the next level by introducing quality control protocols. Better control means better results, which gives us the foundation we need to be more than just a good hospital; we want to be great.

We asked new grad Dr. W. Andrew Rollo to team up with experienced practitioner Dr. Philip VanVranken to talk about the worries practitioners face in that first year?and what owners and associates can do to smooth the transition to practice.

Encinitas, Calif. — Communication with staff is the key to a hospital's success, Dr. Michele Drake says.

When his workplace turned toxic and his partnership opportunity dried up, this doctor learned the hard way that it's better to cut your losses and move on&mdashbefore it's too late.

Only 21 percent of practices conduct performance evaluations, says Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member Dr. Karen Felsted, CPA, MS, CVPM, a consultant with Brakke Consulting Inc. in Dallas. Yet your success in practice largely depends on how well you manage people. And performance evaluations let employees know how they're doing, so they-and you-can improve.

Give your team the freedom to make the practice shine.

Hey new grads: Making your experience as a new doctor great is as much your responsibility as anyone's. So use these five tips to make your first year a total success.

As the captain of your practice, it's your job to set the course and take advantage of the wind, urging the ship toward your destination. But you can't maneuver this behemoth alone. You need a crew. When they're truly onboard, your team members will have one eye on the horizon and another peeled for potential problems, and they'll help keep the practice on course.

How do I know how much I need to save for retirement?