Should we incorporate ourselves?
Sunday, July 1, 2012 at 03:00PM Corporations and private investors are becoming a growing part of veterinary medicine. What are the advantages and disadvantages of increasing numbers of corporate owned veterinary clinics? What are your experiences with this type of system, and will you or are you considering getting involved in corporate veterinary medicine in the future? Why or why not?
Winner, Forum category
Becky Lee, UC Davis
“Don’t work for them if you can help it.” This was advice I received from a vet working at one of the large corporate-owned veterinary hospitals. For some veterinarians, the reputation of these corporations can be dismal. In my personal experience, working for these corporations in the summers during vet school and on externships, I feel I’ve gained a general understanding of the pros and cons. Although I try to keep an open mind, I have seen sides of the corporate behemoths that would make me think very carefully before signing a contract.
I must admit that the compensation from some of these companies is very appealing, and the benefits they offer help keep our industry standards high. In some ways, I am grateful. This is important to us as students with our colossal loan debt. Of course, money is not the bottom line for us; otherwise, we would all be working on Wall Street or managing hedge funds instead of being vets and treating hedgehogs.
Large corporate-owned practices also have an abundance of resources. There is consistency in staff training and likely similar technology available between practices. If you are out of heartworm tests, you can drive over to your neighboring corporate location and borrow a few. Or if you have a staff member out sick, it’s probably easier to find a back-up technician as a substitute compared to working at a single, independently-owned practice. I also have to admit that I think wellness plans can be a good thing and encourage preventative medicine, so long as these plans are not rammed down the client’s throats, and the pets aren’t receiving unnecessary services. Fortunately, I think the medical services provided with these plans have improved over the past few years. Lyme vaccine and tonometry, anyone?
However, despite the ample resources these corporations have, one issue that left a negative impression with me was the pressure to sell. “Were you sure to offer the wellness plan? Did the receptionist, nurse and doctor all offer the plan to the client? Why aren’t you getting people to sign up for these wellness plans?” Questions like these were emphasized and re-emphasized by regional directors in their visits to the hospitals. In my opinion, the pressure to sell was much stronger in corporate veterinary medicine than compared to the independently-owned practices where I’ve worked.
Relationships
Monday, June 25, 2012 at 06:00AM Winner, Life as a Vet Student category
Sharon Ostermann, UC Davis
Dating in vet school is a hot topic! Not so much because it is terribly exciting but rather because vet school seems to be overwhelmingly dominated by heterosexual women which presents a challenge for many people looking to date. Yet, gender and sexual orientation aside, forming new relationships, romantic or otherwise, revolves around the same basic principle – branching out.
Not long ago, I met up with a future vet student and she asked me, “So what’s dating like in vet school?”
Hmmm…
I wasn’t really sure what to say.
Don’t get me wrong, there are people who have started relationships in vet school, both with other vet students as well as with people outside of vet school, but, for the most part, people who came into vet school single remained single for much of first year. But that’s not to say that’s how it has to be. It is possible to date or start a relationship during vet school; it’s just slightly more difficult given time constraints and the demanding curriculum that vet school entails. That is why, in my opinion, having a friend or partner who is aware and understanding of the demands of your course load is imperative, above and beyond any other traits. I also believe that a person who can support you and keep you focused on your work as opposed to constantly distracting you from it is crucial.
Experiences: Parawild African wildlife management course
Friday, June 22, 2012 at 06:01AM Winner, Experiences category
Bradley Venable, Auburn University '14
Do you know ju;)
st how adventurous the veterinary profession can be? Full of twists and turns, some of which you could never be prepared for. Our profession provides a world of opportunity waiting for you to take advantage of it. I definitely didn’t anticipate the story I am about to tell you.
The minute I signed up for the Parawild African Wildlife management course at Western Kentucky University, I knew I was in for a treat. I was set for a month long stay at various locations throughout South Africa, which involved capturing and relocating wild game for conservation purposes. Just about 22 hours of flights put this small town Kentucky boy in a daze. I was exhausted but exhilarated to be working with leopards, kudu, elephants, giraffes, and impala among oth;)
Working on a kudu.ers including the infamous zebra. Throughout the course of the trip we were given crash courses on darting, animal behavior, conservation biology, anesthesia, and animal restraint. None of which could ever prepare me for what was to happen. It was our last day at the Phelwanna game lounge and it was absolutely perfect. The winter sun was glaring and the wind was just enough to provide relief but not quite strong enough to reveal our ninja like movements. That day, our mission was to capture three zebra and relocate them via horse trailer. We had successfully immobilized and loaded up the first two targets by means of an M99 cocktail and were administering the reversal to the third when it happened in a flash. One second I stood firmly on two feet; the next, I was flat on my back on the dry South African soil. In shock, I was left to wonder if I had signed up for this kind of adventure.
Our Freshman Year of Vet School….A year in review
Thursday, June 21, 2012 at 09:06PM Winner, Foot in Mouth Category
Courtney Butts, Florida State University
They say, “Hindsight is 20/20.”
Well, looking back on our first year of vet school is anything but pretty.
We started the year off naïve, excited, and ready to take on the world.
But, after that first day in gross anatomy I thought, “I’m definitely going to hurl.”
The lectures kept coming and the material was overflowing,
We thought, “How can we manage all of this?”, but we just kept going.
We learned origins, insertions, innervations and blood supplies,
We memorized PDA, PCR, and millions of histology slides.
We overcame lecture after lecture and anatomy practicals galore,
White cells and red cells and T-cells and more.
Classes like Molecular Biology had us asking, “What was the point of this class?”
While Embryology made us say, “It was truly a miracle that I even passed.”
Then came our first hell week of many that year,
After immunology, ophthalmology, and endocrinology we thought we were in the clear.
We thought it would all be downhill until winter break and that we had reached our peak,
Oh, but wait kids, you still have Neurology to try to learn in four weeks.
The pain was so terrible, but we finished it somehow,
We actually finished our first semester!! It’s time to relax meow!