Looking to the future
It’s never too early to think about the future. For many young veterinary surgeons, their job is primarily the result of a passion for pets.
Issue number 2 Marketing & Sales
Published 28/04/2021
Also available in Français , Deutsch , Italiano and Español
“If your only tool is a hammer, all problems resemble a nail”. This section will stress the different factors required to make you a “good clinician” and gain confidence in your medical decisions.
The veterinary degree is a passport to many different employment opportunities; if you’re not sure which job will suit you, don’t be afraid to try something and, if it doesn’t work out, move on.
Various methods exist that can help you quickly gain in confidence and assist in making appropriate medical decisions.
As a vet, you have the choice of various professional pathways upon which to embark. This choice should be made with prudence, because the areas of activity in veterinary medicine today are often very specialised, and making a transition from one field to another, whilst not totally impossible, is at least not desirable. A change from one veterinary field to another such as from a small animal practice to a large animal practice implies a loss of acquired knowledge and some element of “starting again”. Before making the decision as to which field of veterinary practice you want to work in, take time to:
Practical tips when considering your choices |
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Small animal medicine means providing solutions and services for pets living in a family, and that are playing the role of a companion or even the role of a child or life partner. Large animal practice is a very different kind of experience in which the vet is more of a livestock health manager for cattle or pigs, or as a doctor and coach for sports companions such as horses (Figure 1).
Vets that try to cover all of these fields of the profession today are a somewhat endangered species, not least because they generally suffer from stress trying to constantly keep up with the veterinary specialists that exist in each of these areas.
If you choose to embark on large animal practice, you have to keep in mind that you will be working outdoors in every kind of weather, at every time of the day and night, often travelling large distances daily and mostly being on your own. Another important dimension is that the legal regulations for the treatment of food production animals in most countries are getting more and more complex and increasingly influence the way the vets work. Typically, this increases the time spent on organisation and administrative tasks; something that could have a significant impact on job satisfaction and career progression.
In small animal practice, it is more common to work in a team consisting of vets and support staff such as nurses or receptionists. Small animals are brought into your facilities so that you can more easily control your working hours and environment, although there can be emergencies and house calls and, in some countries, mobile vet practices are becoming more and more popular. As with large animals, treating companion animals away from the clinic can be much more complicated when it comes to handling the pet, and is always limited from a diagnostic point of view. These are factors you should consider before deciding to be a mobile vet.
Another important issue when it comes to your choice of veterinary profession is to take account of the owner´s mindset, because this is something that you will have to deal with on a daily basis. The owner´s attitude towards their animal varies greatly between small and large animal medicine. Livestock owners make their living from breeding and/or keeping animals for dairy and meat production, whereas pets (with the exception of watchdogs and other companion animals that are used for commercial purposes) are mainly kept as a family member. These totally different aspects of animal husbandry lead to very different demands from your clients. In the role of the large animal doctor, you are mainly confronted with managing herds and so when considering the options for of a single animal it is very often a decision of life or death because a sophisticated treatment is likely to be uneconomic.
Even if pet owners are appearing more and more price-conscious, most decisions regarding diagnostics and treatment in small animal practice are not based on price alone – this business is much more emotional! Dealing with emotions and the often unrealistic expectations of owners is therefore a large part of small animal medicine; something that not all vets are prepared to deal with day after day.
Mark Moran
There are also clear differences in the interpersonal relationship requirements:
The greatest differences between the two occupations are revealed through career progression, particularly at the start of the career pathway.
The career progression options defined above have differing financial consequences: Specialists earn far less than general practitioners during the early part of their careers, although the generalist’s working conditions are harder. Subsequently, the differences are less pronounced and depend more on workplace structures. Particularly brilliant veterinary specialists often earn more, but some general practitioners can also achieve high salaries, particularly if they take on additional responsibility or set up their own practice.
In the end, the differences between the two occupations serve to highlight that the choice between them should not be based on any cultural value system or a “romantic” vision of either role, but that it should, where possible, be an informed decision based on personal aspirations and skills.
Philippe Baralon
It is always a good idea to check out several options if possible, because then you can compare the offers! Here are some important points you should raise during your interview:
Try to be relaxed and feel free to also ask any other questions that are important to you. There are no stupid questions; remember, you are a beginner! Take notes during the interview and end the meeting with an agreement as to how and when you will be told if you are going to be accepted as a volunteer, unless you are both so impressed that you agree to start work immediately! Never leave a clinic not knowing how your application is going to proceed! Afterwards, take some time to review your notes and the feelings you had during your meetings so that if you are fortunate enough to get an offer, you can reflect if you felt welcome as a colleague and whether it is somewhere you can gather valuable experience with someone that is willing to let you look over their shoulder. You should try to keep away from people and clinics that give the impression that you will be merely tolerated as a free staff member. Generally, they are not worth your time, even if you are slightly desperate to get the job, because there are always better options coming up!
Having a professional network is also helpful when managing the “human incidents” that come with the veterinary profession: your team and your clients. There are always some incidents that occur that can be funny and nice to share, but from time to time there can also be difficult situations that make your professional life really tough. This could be your first euthanasia of a dog belonging to an elderly person who is living alone or a big row with a client about your fees or the treatment of their pet. Discussing these events with somebody from “outside” can be very helpful because they are professionally distanced from the incident. As such, they can help us to review our own behaviour and to provide input and tips for handling such cases when they occur the next time.
A professional network also contributes to a healthy work-life balance because getting feedback from your fellow professionals means dealing with medical cases or human issues inside your profession rather than taking these things home. Discussing cases with your family and friends prevents us from making the separation between our work and our private life. If some people in your professional network are also friends, then it should be part of the network-concept to discuss work at work and not at home, and “shop-talk” during gatherings with friends and family should be a tightly restricted exception.
Philippe Baralon
Dr. Baralon graduated from the École Nationale Vétérinaire of Toulouse, France in 1984 and went on to study Economics (Master of Economics, Toulouse, 1985) Read more
Antje Blättner
Dr. Blättner studied in Berlin and Munich and after graduating in 1988 she set up and ran her own small animal practice. Read more
Pere Mercader
Dr. Mercader established himself as a practice management consultant to veterinary clinics in 2001 and since then has developed this role in Spain, Portugal Read more
Mark Moran
Mark Moran has been a consultant to the veterinary profession for the last 19 years, providing business mentoring and support for veterinary clinic owners and key staff. Read more
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