Your Best Vet Life

Join us for an entertaining and insightful conversation with Timbrala Marshall, DVM.  Dr. Marshall is the Director of Veterinary Equity, Inclusion & Diversity Programs for VCA.  She recounts her veterinary journey and all of the unique avenues she explored in our industry. 

She finds intense passion in her current role and welcomes all who would like to get involved in making our profession more diverse, inclusive, and equitable  to reach out to her at [email protected].

View resources on this topic from the AVMA and sign up to join their newly formed commission:  https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/diversity-and-inclusion-veterinary-medicine

We can't wait to have Dr. Marshall back for an update episode!

We all tend to prepare for the questions that we will get asked during an interview.  But, you need to be equally prepared with questions to ask the hospital. 

1.) Typical Medical Work-ups

• When to ask: anytime, can be a good ice breaker 
• Who to ask: Medical Director/Owner, Associates, Techs 
• How to ask: 
  • Examples of common cases:  vomiting/diarrhea dog, PU/PD cat, wellness visits Vomiting/diarrhea dog 
• What you will learn from the response: 
  • Insight on the level of medicine, Is this a good fit for you? , What the average client are expecting 

2.) Average Production for Veterinarians/Average Client Transaction 

• When to ask: middle or end of interview, follow up after the interview (during offer) 
  • Hospital may need time to get the answer 
• Who to ask: Hospital Manager/Administrator or Medical Director/Owner 
• How to ask: 
  • Can you share what your next newest doctor is making in production per year?   
• For Average Client Transaction, need to take it into consideration with the schedule 
  • High-volume vs. low-volume 
• What you will learn from the response: 
  • What to expect for earning potential (production) 
  • How open the hospital is to share 

3.) Hospital Protocols and Procedures 

• When to ask: ok to ask early, can be an ice-breaker question, don’t wait until the last minute to ask this one 
• Who to ask: Medical Director/Owner, Associates, Techs 
• How to ask: 
  • Can you tell me about your hospital protocols when it comes to emergencies, anesthesia, pain control, client follow up, chronic drug monitoring, aggressive patients (Fear Free), vaccine protocols, referring cases to specialists 
• What you will learn from the response: 
  • Is this a good fit for you?  Are you looking for a hospital with a lot of protocols to follow?  Or want to do your own thing?  How open the hospital is to new ideas/treatments, etc. 
    
    

4.) Schedule Details 

• When to ask: middle or end of the interview, don’t leave the hospital without these details 
• Who to ask: Hospital Manager/Administrator, maybe Medical Director/Owner 
• How to ask: 
  • Can you show me a typical doctor schedule? 
  • How would you anticipate the schedule changing when you add a new doctor to the team? 
  • Weekend duty – does that rotate?
  • Are there on-call hours?  What are the responsibilities for the on-call doctor? 
  • How do holidays work? (On-call and work shifts) 
• What you will learn from the response: 
  • What you can expect when it comes to schedule , Are there any deal-breakers for you? Ability to modify moving forward.

5.) How will the practice integrate you in as a new doctor? 

• When to ask: towards the end of the interview, before you leave the hospital.  You want to see the response in-person and how prepared the hospital team is to answer the question. 
• Who to ask: Hospital Manager and Medical Director/Owner, recently hired Associate 
• How to ask: 
  • How do you typically introduce a new doctor to your current clients? 
  • What is your plan to integrate the new doctor into the appointment schedule and surgery schedule? 
  • To Associate – what was it like for you when you joined the practice? 
• What you will learn from the response: 
  • How prepared the hospital is to welcome a new doctor 

Bonus question:  What are your COVID-19 protocols? 

Our 2nd Interview Pod!  Great chat with LTC Dr. Leah Smith about how she got into vet med, her career in the Army Reserves and her basic outlook on life.  Leah shares what it is like to be deployed as an Army Veterinarian and some of the cases that she has treated along the way.  Some great insights into a different career path in vet med.

Multigenerational Veterinary Workplace

Generational Differences in the workplace:

1. Work ethic
2. Leadership style
3. Mentorship
4. Work incentives/environment

Advantages of multigenerational workplace to hospital, clients and patients:

1. New Technology
2. Renewed sense of purpose
3. Contributing new knowledge
4. Disease recognition
5. Addition of new services
6. Adaptability/flexibility
7. Community relationships

Social Aspects:

1. Perspective
2. Different life phases

Potential Conflicts:

1. "Paying your dues" mentality
2. Questioning of older techniques

https://www.ethosvet.com/blog-post/ethos-exchange-generational-similarities-in-a-multigenerational-veterinary-field/ 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/wesgay/2017/10/20/multigeneration-workforce/?sh=3b3677244bfd 

https://www.avma.org/javma-news/2014-11-01/generation-factor 

https://www.energy2engage.com/blog/guide-how-to-reward-a-multigenerational-workforce  

Interview with Dr. Shannon Bass about her many years as an Emergency Veterinarian. 

Learn about Shannon's career path, why GP was not the best fit for her personality, pros and cons of working ER, how to have a family as an ER veterinarian, amazing support staff in ER and advice for vet students, interns or GP veterinarians looking to jump into ER medicine.

Don't miss the fun speed round questions at the end!

Christy and Laura explore different factors in the transition from vet student to practicing veterinarian.  

1. How to get a veterinary license?
   • School Transcripts
   • NAVLE scores
     • General NAVLE information: https://www.icva.net/navle/ 
     • Transferring your NAVLE score to a different state board: https://www.aavsb.org/licensure-assistance/vault-basic-transfer-services 
     • Nov-Dec 2020 testing window information: https://www.icva.net/navle/november-december-2020-navle-testing-window/
     • Latest NAVLE information - COVID changes: https://www.icva.net/news-and-updates/ 
   • State board registration and requirements 
     • Resource for different state board registration/information sites:  https://www.aavsb.org/public-resources/find-regulatory-board-information 
2. Imposter Syndrome
   • Definition: feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success. Self-doubt.  Attributing your success to external factors.
   • Veterinary Practice News Article from Sept 2020: https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/what-kind-of-impostor-are-you/ 
     • 70% of people feel imposter syndrome at some point
     • 5 different sub-groups = The Perfectionist, The Superwoman (Superman, Superperson), The Natural Genius, The Rugged Individualist, The Expert
   • VIN article: https://vinfoundation.org/feeling-like-a-fraud-youre-not-alone/
   • One scientific study specifically about veterinarians and Imposter Syndrome: https://www.ehpjournal.com/article.asp?issn=2590-1761;year=2020;volume=3;issue=3;spage=105;epage=109;aulast=Appleby  
   • Ways to cope with Imposter Syndrome
     • Talk to your colleagues
     • Talk to your former classmates
     • Celebrate your successes/wins
     • Find a therapist for professional assistance
     • Vets4Vets
     • Meditation
3. Fitting in with Support Staff
   • Open line of communication about your needs as a new veterinarian
   • Recognize the skills of your support staff and let them do their job
   • Get to know them
4. Building your Client Base
   • Some things Hospital Management may do:
     • Welcome sign, email, social media post - some form of communication that you joined the team
     • Owner or Medical Director introducing you to their clients
     • Maximize scheduling 
   • Some things the new veterinarian can do:
     • Get involved with the local community
     • Work a predictable schedule if possible
     • Power of working on Saturdays/weekends
     • Callbacks - do them all at the beginning
     • Be your authentic self and pay attention to clients' needs and personal information 
5. Earning Client's Trust
   • How to answer questions/comments about your age and experience
   • Presenting treatment plans
   • The power and ability in saying "I don't know"

This is a fun episode for a bunch of nerds like us.  Join us as we demystify the sometimes confusing topic of ProSal structures in veterinary medicine!  Whether you are looking for a job, or just wanting to better understand how you and your colleagues are paid- this episode is for you!

Have a question or an idea for an episode?  Send a message to [email protected].

It's a hot topic for sure . . . . how has COVID affected the job market?  Join us as we explore the 2021 veterinary job market and learn how to make the most of your job search during these unprecedented times!  If you're a veterinary student, you won't want to miss our tips for virtual interviews, and how to discuss your educational and externship experience during this unusual time.  

Have a question or an idea for an episode?  Send us a message to [email protected].

Join us for a discussion of the Top 5 Ways to Land the Veterinary Job of Your Dreams!  Christy and Laura will share helpful tips for those who are going through a job search at this time. 

Have a question or an idea for an episode?  Send us a message to [email protected].