As different as associates' experiences are, they generally enter practice with four concerns. Dr. Philip VanVranken, the managing partner at Dickman Road Veterinary Clinic, a seven-doctor practice in Battle Creek, Mich., offers his insight from 30 years of experience and provides some quick mentoring. Here are his answers to four common questions.
As different as associates' experiences are, they generally enter practice with four concerns. Dr. Philip VanVranken, the managing partner at Dickman Road Veterinary Clinic, a seven-doctor practice in Battle Creek, Mich., offers his insight from 30 years of experience and provides some quick mentoring. Here are his answers to four common questions.
Given time, your confidence will build. However, veterinary medicine can be very humbling. If you practice for 40 years, you'll learn something you didn't know in your 39th year. Some cautions from my experience: Remember to treat diseases, not symptoms. And keep in mind, your patients don't read
Kirk's Current Veterinary Therapy XIII
, so you can't expect everything to present itself in classical textbook form.
My feeling is that mistakes are made when doctors, through a combination of lack of experience and failure to consult with fellow staff members (doctors and technicians), make an inappropriate choice. If you exhaust every resource and the case doesn't go your way, then it probably doesn't constitute a mistake. My advice: Go home and spend a few minutes each night reading about
one
difficult case you saw that day. After a few years, you'll have read about almost every disease.
New graduates get staff members' respect if they conduct themselves in a manner that deserves it. To stay on team members' good side, obey these rules:
Clients love doctors who try hard to resolve their pets' illnesses. To show you're that kind of practitioner, you need to communicate in person and through handouts, phone calls, and follow-ups or rechecks. Clients really respect follow-ups.
If you were thinking about a patient's case last night, tell the client. And don't be ashamed to say that you did further research or asked a colleague. Clients have confidence in doctors who work with determination toward a positive outcome for their patients.
-By Katherine Bontrager, Associate Editor
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