The Wagging Tail

Doctors have to strike a balance between being the leader and being a member of the team because if they spend too much time “leading” then they might be resented or looked at as a tyrant, and if they spend too much time being “just one of the guys” then the team might not work efficiently or truly respect the doctor’s position within the hospital. This is an especially delicate balance for young doctors and for doctors who recently joined a new team.

The doctor sets the tone for the entire hospital, so make sure you behave how you want the team members to behave. If you are on time, they will respect and understand why you expect them to be on time. If you adhere to the dress standards, then they will understand why they have to do the same. At my hospital, I always make sure to wear clean dress shoes, slacks and a nice shirt. When it was our policy for the male doctors to wear a tie, I always wore a tie. When the policy changed due to the risk of spreading germs, I stopped wearing ties. When a team member showed up with open toe shoes and I asked her to change them, she understood that I respected the hospital’s dress code.

Set a positive, friendly tone. Don’t let negativity take over. If you’re upset about a client, then take a quick break — walk outside, use the restroom, get a drink from the water fountain. Collect yourself and return to the team. I don’t try to hide the fact that I get upset, because everyone gets upset. But, I let the team know that I have the tools to handle it appropriately. For example, sometimes I take a deep breath and slowly count to ten. I do it quietly, but not necessarily in private. Let the team know, “Gosh, that was a difficult situation, but now it’s time to move on…” The team will learn by example how to do the same thing. I’ve seen team members close their eyes and take deep breaths or ask to step outside for a quick break. It makes me proud to know that they can handle difficult situations.

Don’t engage in gossip or make negative comments about other team members. It’s OK to say things like, “Hey, let’s be nice.” I have learned to immediately stop talking when I hear myself say or think something like, “I probably shouldn’t say this…but…” You never know who might overhear what you’re saying or how what you’re saying might hurt someone’s feelings, etc. You might think all you needed to do was “vent” and then move on, but the people who heard it may be deeply hurt.

I hope I’ve given you a little insight on balancing your role as leader in the team as well as participating as a member of the team. Part II of this blog will run next week. Look for tips on a few things like supporting your hospital’s mission, setting policies, pitching in to help no matter where it’s needed and taking an interest in your associates on a personal level while still getting their respect as team leader.

Every day I have the opportunity to work with doctors from all over the world who have come to the United States to practice veterinary medicine. Most of them speak English as their second language and many of them are moving to cities they have never even visited. I am often struck by just how much gumption it takes to pick up and leave friends and family and all that is familiar for uncharted territory. I am also very often impressed at the breadth and depth of medical and cultural competency one must develop in order to successfully make a transition like this.

Veterinarians are in a very unique and enviable position in that their professional skills are universal and not necessarily constrained by language barriers. Of course, protocols will vary from country to country, but at the end of the day, an Argentinian dog spay is identical to a Chinese dog spay. This transferability of skills gives veterinarians the incredible option of practicing veterinary medicine in other countries and cultures, on either a short-term or long term basis.

If you’re still in school, you may be able to take advantage of your school’s relationship with veterinary schools in other countries to practice veterinary medicine in another culture. Many veterinary schools have established programs where students can earn credits toward graduation while studying at a “sister” school located outside the United States. Another resource is the International Veterinary Student Association (http://www.ivsa.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing opportunities for veterinary students and to raise the overall standard of veterinary education by increasing international and inter-cultural exchange of ideas and knowledge.

If you’ve already graduated and are interested in becoming licensed in another country, your AVMA accredited veterinary degree qualifies you for licensure in many countries, including Australia and the U.K. For more information on veterinary licensure requirements outside the United States, check with the regulatory body or bodies governing the practice of veterinary medicine in the country you are interested in. In addition, the U.S. government, including all branches of the military, the Public Health Service, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Center for Disease Control, employs veterinarians all over the world in many different capacities (including small animal practice, agriculture and food animal medicine, and disease control research).

If you’re not ready to make a full-time move to another country, but still want to experience what it’s like to practice in another culture, there are hundreds of international volunteer opportunities available to veterinarians. A recent Google search using the terms “international veterinarian volunteer opportunities” (and similar variations) turned up volunteer opportunities at a mobile spay and neuter operation in Panama, an anti-rabies program in Sikkim, India, an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, a panda bear preservation operation in China, and street-dog vaccination operations in Indonesia, India, the Marshall Islands, and Morocco. These programs range from two weeks to six months. Most programs require the volunteer to cover his or her own airfare to the foreign country but will cover all other basic expenses (including food, ground travel and lodging). In addition to the Google search suggested above, you may want to check out organizations like Veterinarians Without Borders. These organizations coordinate individual and group volunteer research opportunities for veterinarians. Here are a few to get you started: http://www.vwb-vsf.ca/, http://www.vetswithoutbordersus.org/, and http://www.vetsbeyondborders.org/terms.

Whether the current economy finds you between jobs or you just need a break from the status quo, consider playing an active role in the global community by working in another country for a few weeks or a few years. You’ll learn about new cultures and bring back a better understanding of yourself and the world we live in.

Seriously.  It is. 

Why do I always see shame on the faces of people who’ve not been able to stay on their diet?  I used to be perplexed by this, and then one day, the light bulb went on. 

We all think it’s our fault. Believing the diet plan is full-proof, most people blame weight-loss failure on either a lack of willpower or personal strength, never pointing a finger at the blueprint. 

But food is neither the enemy nor your BFF.  It’s fuel, plain and simple.  Eating food is physiologically necessary (especially if you want to keep up with the pace at your practice) and here’s where I make the comparison between food and urine.

Food.  The desire to eat is an internal indicator just like the urge to go. It has nothing to do with willpower, internal fortitude or character.  A message starts in your stomach and tells your brain Hey, I’m hungry.  Do something about it.  You either respond to the request by eating, or you ignore it. If you’re trying to lose weight, like many others, you’ll likely try to suppress the desire to eat and disregard the message. But ignoring it doesn’t make it go away.  And no good can come from not eating. Besides, how can you properly handle your patients without energy that comes from food?

Urine.  The same thing happens when your bladder is full.  A message goes up to the brain saying, Hey, I gotta go, which, of course, prompts you to begin looking around for a bathroom.  At your earliest convenience (maybe after you finish with your next client), you address the situation without giving it another thought and move on with your day.

An interesting thought to ponder: What would happen if you didn’t have a built-in monitoring system that notifies you when it’s time to go? Now I’m no urologist, but I know that if we didn’t eliminate the toxins in our bodies on a regular basis, there’d be a lot of sick people walking around, not to mention the mental torment and physical discomfort that goes along with holding it.  Not an enjoyable experience.  And really how effective would you be at work, at home, in life, if you suppressed the urge for an extended period of time?  Talk about unpleasant, distracting and absolutely pointless. 

No, I’d wager you’ve never thought about waiting as long as you can to and I also bet you’ve never connected this sensation with a flaw in your personality and yet that’s what people do, everyday, when it comes to eating. 

Are you guilty of going for long periods of time without eating, all in the name of I’m too busy? The practice needs me?  Do you think ahead by planning, preparing and bringing food with you to the hospital, in case you get too busy to take an official lunch break?  If you take the time to get rid of what you don’t need, you can stop long enough to take in what you do.

Basic principle of human existence: Hunger = empty tank.  Food = the fuel needed to fill the empty tank.  We need to make peace with our only source of energy, stop blaming ourselves for feeling hunger and take the time to give our bodies what they need.

Each summer of veterinary school, I made it a point to work within the veterinary field. I knew it was important for me to become intimately involved in small animal veterinary medicine for the clinical experience in the “real world.”For me, that meant working within a small animal facility because I knew that is what I wanted to do when I graduated. That has always been the vision of myself as a veterinarian.

My first summer, I worked in Ft. Walton Beach, FL, at Reed Pet Hospital. Dr. “Rog” (Roger) was a recent grad with his practice attached to his father’s practice. In other words, a built-in clientele!

I was Dr. Rog’s first and ONLY employee that summer. I played receptionist, vet assistant, kennel help and administrative assistant. I ordered his supplies, made appointments, called clients and assisted during surgery and all in-house appointments. Though this was after my first year of vet school, I learned to connect-the-dots of what I had learned so far! Seeing the anatomy in a live Pet during a spay was pretty cool. Seeing disease connected to that very small pituitary gland (that I could never find during anatomy tests) made it all real. Dr. Rog took great delight in me being his student and explaining everything to me in detail. I know now that was the perfect first summer job!

After my second year of vet school, I worked in Fontana, CA. Mainly because the Olympics were being held in LA that year and it was an easy way to convince my parents I should go. I stayed with friends and quickly found a job between two vet hospitals with one owner. That summer, I was actually the voice and words for a veterinarian new to the U.S. His English was still developing. When clients did not understand him, he would motion with his hand, “You tell, you tell.” I quickly learned to be his interpreter and tell clients what he wanted to do with the Pet, what tests he wanted to run and why. This was perfect since second year we began to learn pathophysiology of diseases in clinics. All those viruses, bacteria and disease processes were still fresh in my mind. And because of this, I was able to help this doctor with his patients. At the other hospital, the veterinarian was well into his golden years. But I learned by watching how to do a really efficient spay. He could do them in his sleep. I often think he did. He didn’t pause at everything that bled nor freaked out if the Pet was in heat. He methodically went about the surgeries. I learned by watching him how to keep cool in these situations. And I took a page from his book: “If something is bleeding in there, go find it. It’s not an infinite galaxy, just the insides of a dog or cat.”

After third year – what we called the preceptorship summer – I worked in Elk Point, SD. Don’t ask me why. But, thank goodness it was summer time. Why? This was a mixed animal practice. I sure am glad I didn’t have to chase cows, be chased by cows or go pull piglets in subzero weather! The owner of this practice took a student each summer. We were his relief help. He would actually allow me to go on farm calls alone, work the greyhound track as the vet-on-duty and perform surgeries. Ok, this was over 25 years ago and it was in South Dakota. Don’t try this at home! That summer, I learned what it was like to BE the doctor on a case, do the exam on a Pet, advise of the client of potential diagnoses and what needed to be done. I pulled calves and sewed up lacerated horses (another reason I am in small animal medicine). I learned how communication with clients was really the key to being able to care for the Pet or animal. Didn’t really matter how smart you were – they knew you were a doctor (almost) but, could you talk to them? Did they really feel that you cared for their Pet?

Every summer, veterinary students should work within the field of veterinary medicine. There is nothing like those wonder years. Seeing what you have learned in school and making the connection. I learned something from each veterinarian I worked with. The biggest lesson: communication. Second: trust your instincts. Third: I don’t like to be chased by cows.