Veterinary Medicine - January 2009 - (Page 14)

Letters Our profession’s identity crisis We consider ourselves members of the medical profession, comparing our wages and starting salary with those of teeth cleanings from my dentist. Why do we continue to think that we must offer the equivalent services to the animalowning public? There is no question that people increasingly have work schedules that discussed that the newer generations of veterinarians place an increased value on personal and family time. Meanwhile, the ever-increasing debt of new graduates is another great cause of concern. Many dread the effect these combined factors will have on the future of the profession. While there is no single solution to the problems of the profession, I think the search for answers must start by asking what we want our profession to be. Do you want to be a member of the medical community, valued for your skills and knowledge, or are you content to be in after-hours retail sales? Personally, I vote for being medical professionals. Drew L. Allen, DVM Brickyard Animal Hospital 1213 E. 3300 South Salt Lake City, Utah As I look for direction for my practice, should I be looking to the Mayo Clinic or Wal-Mart? physicians and dentists. Our training and skill levels are on par with these other professionals, and we like to think of ourselves as equals. However, I recently attended a continuing-education seminar given by a well-known and well-respected member of our profession who was speaking to us on management issues. Partway through the evening, the speaker made a statement that we are really in the retail business and went on to say that the key to success is keeping our clinics open seven days a week and extending our hours far beyond traditional ofﬁce times. In addition, others of the same mindset encourage the one-stop shopping concept of medical care, boarding, grooming, and retail all under one roof. So now I am confused. As I look for a direction for my practice, should I be looking to the Mayo Clinic or Wal-Mart? I think that we, as a profession, need to decide what we want to be. Are we medical professionals, worthy of respect and comfortable wages? Or are we highvolume retail salespeople, available any time of day or night, to make a buck? It is my opinion that if we want to be seen as medical professionals, we need to act like ones. I do not get my hair cut at the ER, look for a hospital to stay in while on vacation (I really hope to avoid that as much as possible), or seek out midnight make it difﬁcult to do business between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. But over the years, we have also seen the human-animal bond grow stronger. I see more and more of my clients willing to take time off from work to care for a sick pet or spend a few days at home as it recovers from surgery. When I ﬁrst entered practice in 1996, our hospital had extended hours one night a week. We rotated emergency duty with neighboring clinics, despite close-by emergency hospitals. Until about ﬁve years ago, as often as our schedules allowed, we had two of the three doctors present on Saturdays. No longer. We now close at 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. All after-hours emergencies are sent to the emergency clinic. Only one doctor works on Saturdays, and we close an hour earlier. I know a number of practices that are closed completely on Saturdays. And you know what? Life is good. Our practice continues to grow. Our compensation is good. Our staff is not burned out by long hours, and we all enjoy the time away from work. Too many veterinarians burn out on the profession, and high-quality support staff is hard to ﬁnd. It is also often A medical history and physical exam resource It was with great interest that I read “Leading Off: Why the physical exam is still really necessary” by colleague David Robbins in the October 2008 issue of Veterinary Medicine. I fully agree with his views and recommend our colleagues worldwide get the book Medical History and Physical Examination in Companion Animals.1 It will help colleagues who feel uncertain about this topic. Mark Deurinck, DVM, Dr.med.vet. Toxicology/Safety Pharmacology, Preclinical Safety, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research Novartis Pharma AG Basel, Switzerland REFERENCE 1. Rijnberk A, van Sluijs FJ. Medical history and physical examination in companion animals. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders, 2008. Do you have something to say? We want to hear it! E-mail your questions, comments, and suggestions to vm@advanstar.com; write us at Veterinary Medicine, 8033 Flint, Lenexa, KS 66214; or fax us at 913-871-3808. 14 January 2009 VETERINARY MEDICINE

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Veterinary Medicine - January 2009

Veterinary Medicine - January 2009 Contents Leading Off Letters Research Updates Idea Exchange A Modified Subconjunctival Enucleation Technique in Dogs and Cats Local and Regional Anesthesia Techniques Author Guidelines Product Preview CE Form/Advertiser Index Marketplace/Classifieds Mind Over Miller

Veterinary Medicine - January 2009

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