Practice Manager

Check out the answers to your questions about your salary and benefits, how to handle team conflict, what clients want, who owns pets, and data on 11 other critical trends.

More medicine, less management

Pick the right region, check your salary. Too bad it's not that easy. While the regional wage data by title may reveal trends in your pay, it won't tell you what you should be making. Why not?

Art batch for August 2007

Shawn McVey gives insights on changing your work culture.

Shawn McVey explains emotional intelligence.

There are some topics you just don't feel comfortable talking about, not even with your closest friends. So imagine opening up and sharing your deepest, darkest secrets with 40,000 complete strangers. That takes a lot of courage, doesn't it? That's just what authors Shawn McVey and Joanne Light have done this month. They're sharing their own intensely personal experiences with the hope that they can help others.

When you're faced with savage clients, you need to know which ones you can tame and which ones to release back into the wild.

My boss plays favorites, offering special benefits to his wife, children, and friends who work at our practice. As a result, the other team members and myself often do his family's work as well as our own. I've tried to talk to my boss, and he joked that I should quit if I'm unhappy. Should I leave gracefully or try to make things work?

We're always so busy. How do we find time for regular staff meetings?

We had one wild storm a few weeks ago. It was a Friday, and my dog, Sebastian, was scheduled for a regular exam. We were running late, so I was scrambling as I loaded my 2-year-old son, Donovan, in the back seat and coaxed the dog in behind him. Did I mention it was raining? The torrential kind. Sebastian hates thunderstorms, so I could see him trembling during the whole frantic drive.

A twister with winds up to 205 mph, leveled Greensburg, Kansas on May 4. Veterinarians and other volunteers aided in the rescue of displaced pets. For an in-depth report see the June issue of DVM Newsmagazine. Photos by Brandon Chauncy.

Q. We're hiring a new team member. Can we specify "no smokers" in our classified ad?

Or is it? You don't need to own something to love it like your own. I love Degas, and yet I don't own a single painting. My husband and I have "our song," but we don't own the rights to it. It's simply something that we connect with and made our own. I don't own this magazine, but I'm passionate about every word, every piece of art, and every picture on the page.

Q: I'm unhappy and I want to quit my job. How can I leave without burning bridges?

Put the luxury hotel chain's latest values to work in your practice and increase client satisfaction.

You're good, and you know it. Now's the time to show it.

Did your last new hire fail to live up to his or her potential after a promising interview? Teresa Bradley Bays, DVM, owner of Belton Animal Clinic and Exotic Care Center in Belton, Mo., solves this problem with a little lunch.

In the words of Freddie Mercury, "This is what you wanted. This is what you're gonna get!" If it seems like this issue came a little sooner than you expected, you're right. You asked for more issues of Firstline, so this year we're boosting our frequency from six to nine issues.

Q I'm a technician, and I often suggest dental care for pets. But not everyone sees the value. How do I get the rest of my team on board with dental care?

Listen to audio from the Firstline roundtable.

Don't dump healthcare choices in clients' laps. You're the expert, so don't be afraid to tell them what's medically necessary.

Use these tips to change client confrontations into useful collaborations.

You have more control over your compensation--and your destiny--than you may think. Use these strategies to earn more, get promoted faster, and feel more satisfied with your work.

A few weeks ago my son was sick. After a few days of high fever, he stopped taking his bottle.

The new owner changed my duties, and I don't like my job anymore. What can I do?

My husband's cat, Chelsea, is a gorgeous creature. She has long, silky fur you'd just love to sink your fingers into. She's also got a look in her round, yellow eyes that says, "Don't even try it buster." Like a Venus fly trap, she lures in our defenseless friends who can't resist the idea of sneaking in just one pet. She's eager to respond with a warning growl and a quick swipe that clearly says, "back off!"

Drive down the dead-end road to Donna Rivers' house and you might get the feeling Hurricane Rita happened yesterday, not nearly a year ago.