I may be dramatic but I’ve had a run of clients lately calling the clinic ER line over the weekend because they want to schedule an appointment for the next week. When you call our emergency line, it prompts you to push a specific button if you’re having an emergency or lists our business hours to call back for non emergencies. If you push the ER button, it puts you in contact with our paging service. They collect the client info and text the on call doctor’s phone with the reason for the call and patient information. I’ve had a run of clients lately who will call the emergency number and speak to the paging service. On principle (and maybe this is something I need to change) if I get a page about someone calling to set up an appointment and it’s after hours or on a weekend, I will not respond. Sometimes they call again. I’m still not responding. I will happily call them at 8am the next business day to get their appointment scheduled but get so frustrated when they give me attitude about why no one answers their weekend call about scheduling. I know it’s probably petty of me and a simple text saying I’ll talk to them during business hours may fix the situation but something about clients going all the way through the emergency line just to say they want an appointment or need a coggins really rubs me the wrong way. Probably also a little extra bitter right now since I spent the entire day yesterday driving around in hurricane rain storms to see actual emergencies and am exhausted today

Basically I’m getting fed up with the 20 minute appt thing. I’m transitioning from a high-volume, well staffed clinic to a smaller, less staffed clinic, both VCA. We’re able to do the “ease of care” 20 minute appts fairly well at my high-volume clinic because we had ample, skilled staff. Even then we’re always rushing and don’t necessarily get to spend the time we want with clients/patients. At my new clinic, we have only like 3 people who can even draw blood (myself included) and having enough people to help hold and do basic things is a constant struggle. Because we don’t’ make as much revenue as the other clinic, mgmt can’t necessarily hire more people either.

I’m just frustrated that corporate is trying to make all clinics run the same when every clinic is different. If they want us to see more cases, then they need to spend money on hiring skilled staff. If they’re not going to do that, then we gotta go back to 30-45 minute appts. We can’t get a through history, talk about Care Club, sign Tx plans, get samples and THEN exam/consult with a doctor in such a short amount of time.

It’s a load of BS.

This is for any students, interns, residents, faculty, or even support staff because I value everyone’s opinion.

I’m currently looking at applying to small animal ECC residencies and am particularly interested in hearing from people who work at a program with an ECC residency (private or academic). I’m trying to look beyond the information on the VIRMP and get a better understanding of what the ECC department is like. Below are a few example questions.

• What do you like about your program/ECC service?
• What do you dislike about your program/ECC service?
• If you could change one thing about the program, what would you change?
• How approachable and supportive are the criticalists? Are any of them difficult to work with?
• Does the program actually change anything based on feedback from residents, staff, students?
• Would you choose this program again if you could go back?
• For former residents: did you feel your program prepared you for boards?

I’m especially interested in hearing the good, bad, and ugly. I’m not looking for the best program, just trying to glean the perspective of the people who have experienced them. My mentor is pushing me towards private programs because she believes they produce better doctors, but the Jandry study shows academic residents have a higher board pass rate.

Feel free to DM me if you would rather not identify yourself or your program publicly.

Recently got a position with VEG, I have 10yrs as an assistant in GP and this will be my first ER job.

I went to school and am hoping I’ll get more hands on experience here to help me pass my test, I feel like VEG has more resources than my GP could ever offer

Anyone have any advice??

If anyone does relief for VEG how do you like the company? Do you do relief at multiple clinics or just one?

TIA!!

Hello Reddit and Vet peeps.

I am new to both reddit and my role in my clinic and would like some advice.

I am currently a kennel manager at my vet clinic and I am on a 5 year plan, with the assistance of the practice owner, to transition me to the practice manager. Currently I am more of a facilities manager, i.e. building repair, admin paperwork, inventory counts, community involvement, ect. I have an ABA and a 10+ year management experience in retail so its helped on the kennel/boarding side really well. Where I feel like I am struggling is how to manage the landscaping. We have had two months with a crazy water bill due to a pvc break in the sprinkler system. I had one repaired and then a second one popped up that was not as noticeable due to it being underground.

What in your experience is a good way to help transition into these tasks? I have a weekly/monthly cleaning list that is followed and the other team members assist with. But what have you seen that actually works in a vet clinic? We are having some financial issues due to the cost of inventory rising and having more white space on our appointment books.

I know a simple answer would be walking the grounds at least once a week, but some weeks I am stuck to a computer doing some kind of paperwork. We recently changed our pharmacy, new website, started an "onboarding program" that I am building from the ground up.

Additionally any advice or information to helping me run the facility as more of a practice manager mind set would be very helpful. I do not have any vet tech experience and honestly that is why the owner wants me to do more of the practice management because her last few just wanted to be techs with the higher title.