Moments

From the Editor: I know that so many of us can identify with this. It's moments like Rebecca's that we live for, and that's why we do what we do.

Rebecca Smith - OK State

V51 I1 Experiences 2nd Place

Everyone has bad days. Everything that can go wrong seems to. Every long-term client seems to have a euthanasia appointment. Every client is upset with you because as a technician, veterinarian or receptionist, you just aren’t doing your job well enough because, of course, the client knows how to do your job better than you (never mind that the client is a banker).

Most veterinarians, veterinary students and veterinary technicians will agree that the clients aren’t the primary reason we do the jobs we do. Most would agree that it is the patient, the animal no matter if it has feathers, scales or fur, which is the primary reason we chose our profession, why we continue on through the bad days and the difficult moments.

It was one of those days that I was doubting if I really wanted to put myself through four years of torture and self-imposed social blackout to continue getting bombarded with the emotional difficulties of my chosen profession. I was working as a technician and had just helped the veterinarian euthanize a patient I’d been seeing for a long time. I had been hoping that the patient would make a recovery, but after a brief period of hope, the patient took a bad turn. I had cried a few tears in the privacy of the kennels and erased the evidence as best as possible before returning to appointments.

The next appointment was a simple vaccination and wellness appointment. Nothing was wrong with the patient according to the client and the patient seemed to be the very, very healthy. I did my job. I didn’t do anything special. I did exactly what I had done the entire time I worked at that clinic. I tended to the patient. I smiled at the client and laughed with the client at the patient’s exuberant response to being in the clinic.

For my reward, the client turned to me before leaving the examination room.

“You will make a great vet one day. Keep up the good work. My dog just loves you!”

I nearly cried in front of the client, but it is those moments we live for.

Keep up the good work.