The Changing Face of Veterinary Medicine

85% of all new veterinary graduates are women; this has been the case for over a decade now. The industry of veterinary medicine started in a much different place than we find ourselves today; we started as “equine mechanics." As the animal population has moved closer and closer to our homes, and even into our beds, the responsibility of keeping these pets healthy has more in common with pediatric medicine than any other aspect of practice. The rising rate of women in this industry will change much of what we do, how we do it, and why we do it.

Body Language

The way you walk into the room, hold the patient's chart, and shake the client's hand may determine compliance before you even speak. By unknowingly appearing disinterested, forceful, or unsure of yourself in the exam room you are giving up your position of influence and losing ground with your clients. This will not only affect your ability to appropriately treat the pet, but will also decrease the perceived value of your services. Being aware of these unspoken subtleties offers clinicians and technicians alike the chance to discern, confirm, and reshape the attitude a client may be feeling without saying a word.

Turning Career Burnout Into a Life of Passion

The term “compassion fatigue” is often overused in the profession of veterinary medicine when most often, what we really struggle with in our profession is not as much compassion fatigue, but actually ethical fatigue. Typically, it is not the over-demand of compassion that leads veterinarians to feeling fatigued. Rather, it is the immense responsibility to make the ‘right’ decision (many of them ethically based) within the boundaries of someone else’s illogical values or unreasonable budgets. Through honor, dignity, professionalism, and finding our niche in veterinary medicine, we can combat the feelings of burnout.

Gold Standards of Compassionate Communication

The words you use and the words you fail to use say more about your intentions and emotions than you may think. Verbal communication anchors a client’s feelings and experience about you and your ability to help their pet before you’ve even presented them with an estimate. When combined with non-verbal communication (body language), verbal “anchors,” set the client (and you) up for a good experience. This presentation addresses handling difficult discussions, conveying positive emotions, responding to clients’ concerns, and sets the foundation for the entire team to ensure the best experience possible.

Entrepreneurism in the Medical Field & Beyond

Whether you dream about, plan on, or are even remotely considering starting your own practice, acquiring an existing one, or simply being a valued, integral part of a business, you need to hear some things before you set out on your own. You need to know what will lead to your success, what obstacles will be in your way, and most importantly, what your true vision is supposed to include. I may not have all the answers, but I guarantee you that if I can do it, anyone can.

Veterinary Hospice and Assessing Quality of Life

Veterinary hospice care is a unique case approach centered around education, preparation, and support for the pet and the client. Understanding what this service includes and what it does not include will help veterinary professionals solidify their role as animal advocators, strengthen the human animal bond, and maintain the highest level of client care. We will learn how to discuss and offer hospice services to clients with terminally ill or severely geriatric companion animals and gain an understanding of the ways to evaluate quality of life to best serve our patients and their family.

Art of Euthanasia

The euthanasia appointment is unparalleled in emotion and sentiment. The tone of voice, delivery of words, bedside manner with both patient and client, and the medical procedure itself become a delicate dance around death that doctor and staff should carefully choreograph and continually improve. By learning to rehearse and enhance performance in these areas it is possible to bring the comforts of home into your clinic. It is only through this unexpected and shared solace that the family will forever be kindredly-linked with your clinic, ensuring an unsurpassed level of client satisfaction and loyalty.

Why Veterinarians Will Change the Face of Human Death

Veterinary medicine is the only health care profession licensed to end life. Death is not only a necessary, essential, and permanent part of our job, but also an art form that requires immense personal focus, unparalleled empathy, and a unique form of compassion. In this talk, we will take an open, non-judgmental, and compassionate look at how veterinarians evaluate quality of life, discuss options with pet owners, and eventually work through the emotions of purposefully ending a life.

Ethics of Convenience Euthanasia

When it comes to ethical-border-line euthanasia requests, we have a very important decision to make as veterinarians. By requesting euthanasia in the first place, the family is communicating to you that there is something wrong with the human-animal bond, and they care enough to tell you about it instead of letting the dog or cat go on the side of the road. So, what should be done in extreme cases of uncomfortable euthanasia requests? Let's push the boundaries a bit in this open conversation about the most difficult and widely debated aspects of our profession, "convenience" euthanasia.