Associates

Sometimes the best moments in veterinary practice rival our best moments in life.

You left your job to open your own clinic, and now your former employer wants to sue. Don't panic yet-it's time to look at the facts.I recently received the following request from a veterinarian: "I'm planning on leaving my associate position with a large veterinary corporation to open my own clinic. I'd like you to review my employment contract to make sure that I can't be sued."

Dentists and DVMs are tied together by their independent spirit and a willingness to fight for better patient healthcare. Can you learn something from dentists about creating a friendlier, less painful patient experience?

Gathering input from all members of the team created a cohesive new design for their new building.

Take a minute to remember these safe pet handling tips.

Take this quiz to see whether you're ready for veterinary practice ownership.

With forethought and planning, you can achieve your ownership dreams. And luckily, the skills you've developed to reach this goal will help you adapt to the changes you'll experience.

A weekly newsletter took the place of team meetings and got people talking at this veterinary practice.I work in a small animal practice with two full-time veterinarians on staff and 10 other team members. In the past few years, we've had a lot of turnover, with long-time employees changing careers or moving away. I realized during that time, and with the hiring of new team members, that we had gotten complacent and our communication skills were lacking. No one knew what had or hadn't been done in the practice.

Why one DVM's style didn't fit-and what we did about it.This was written by one of 10 finalists for the Veterinary Economics Practice Manager of the Year award, sponsored by VPI. For more from each finalist and a slideshow of the nominees, visit dvm306.com/PMOY.

Some veterinary associates don't like to negotiate or budget, but both skills helped me find the career and lifestyle I always wanted.

Veterinarians: Don't gamble with your money-take control of it.

No matter what the endeavor, don't be afraid to listen to your gut and take a leap of faith to achieve veterinary business success.

Florida veterinarian's determination pays off after sacrificing for a better life for her son and a career in veterinary medicine.

Smart policies are goodeven for those who make them.

Usher in change at the clinic the easy way.

Q: Our doctors are all over the place with their parasite preventive recommendations. How do we fix it?

Matt Meeker, co-founder of the house call veterinary service BarkCare, advises other entrepreneurs to center their energies on serving clients and their needs-the specifics will come later. Listen as he explains this process.

Take the time to say ?thank you? to pets, clients and team members, and the goodness will come back around.

Dr. Jeff Rothstein, MBA, explains how coasting can hurt not only you, but your veterinary practice and team as well.

Negative reviews can contribute to a condition veterinarians are exceptionally prone to-and often suffer from in silence.

You catch a trusted employee with her hand in the veterinary clinic's till. Once you've recovered from the horror, how do you respond?

Roll out the worst welcome wagon ever with these tips.

The world of personal finance can be tough to navigate, here are 5 ways you could be jeopardizing your financial success.

For many veterinarians, student debt is unavoidable-but multiplying debt doesn't have to be. Use these sensible tips to stop adding to your liabilities and start building your financial security for a brighter future.

Compassion fatigue and burnout are high in the veterinary profession. It's time to stand up and support one another.

Are you managing or micromanaging your veterinary team? Take this quiz to find out:

Every veterinary associate should be practicing these tips-and every practice owner should make sure they're getting done.

Personal finance expert Mark McGaunn, CPA, CFP, covers dos, don'ts and best practices of personal finance for veterinarians.

Q: I'm a young associate veterinarian with a family. What types of insurance do I need to protect them?

It's easy to get stuck at 'good enough' when it comes to growing your skills and knowledge in veterinary practice. But that won't make you the best.