The final dilemma

Marc Rosenberg, VMD, and "The real boss" (Image courtesy of Marc Rosenberg, VMD)

After 54 years as a licensed veterinarian and the author of several hundred dvm360 Dilemma columns, it’s time for me to lay my stethoscope down. It has been so rewarding to share my half century of veterinary experiences and challenges with my colleagues. During my journey as a veterinarian, I was a practice employee and a practice owner. I shared my veterinary knowledge and experience in print, on television, on the radio, and in veterinary classrooms. I have seen the practice of veterinary medicine grow and thrive in these past 50 years and seen the changing demographic footprint of my veterinary colleagues. When I graduated from veterinary school, 10% of my classmates were women. In 2024, 80% of veterinary medical students are women. If I were asked to name the 5 most significant recommendations that I would pass on to my veterinary colleagues after more than 50 years of practice, they would be the following:

Wear your professional hat. When practice challenges arise and cause stress and emotional pain, always remember to behave ethically and professionally. Don’t escalate volatile situations, and don’t rush to judgment.

Money talks. Valuable staff and coworkers are priceless. Never let money stand in the way of acquiring or maintaining indispensable staff members.

Mentorship over micromanagement. Fight the urge to micromanage. Staff efficiency and productivity grow when there is less micromanagement and more mentorship.

Compartmentalize your life. When you have a bad day at the office, don’t bring it home to your family and vice versa. When you have a poor encounter with a client or are disappointed in treatment results, don’t let this frustration carry over to staff or pet owners. Learn to compartmentalize.

Don’t stay in comfort zones. It’s easy in the practice of veterinary medicine to fall into a comfort zone. Comfort zones are tempting but must be avoided. They prevent reasonable risk-taking. They hinder practice progress and always lead to regret.

Things were very different when I started practicing. There was no feline leukemia virus (FLV) testing and certainly no FLV vaccine. Heartworm preventive was given daily. Flea and tick control was handled with baths, dips, and sprays. No digital x-rays, and no examination room electric lift tables (oh, my aching back!). What has not changed is compassion for the pet patients, respect for these animals, and a devotion to caring for them and healing what ails them

My best wishes to all who make this profession the envy of our health care systems. Feel free to drop me a line at any time and let me know how you are doing.