There is No I in Team

I have an extensive resume. I have worked at some great clinics and I have worked with the badest of the bad. What I have come to understand is that the clinic is parts of a whole. If any of the parts are off, the whole suffers.  

Dr. Morris encourages her technicians to constantly learn and grow. The other day during a consultation she asked me if I understood why she was using a certain drug protocol. Now in many clinics techs are hired guns that have various ranges of medical knowledge, but they mostly carry out the orders of the veterinarian. Many vets feel threatened and even offended if a “lowly” tech were to question or suggest a treatment plan. While this may give an owner an inflated sense of confidence that the vet has all of the answers it shuts down many valuable suggestions in patient treatment.  

It is overwhelming to remember all of the various diseases, symptoms, treatments, side effects, breed dispositions, drug interactions, available medications…….whew just writing that made me tired. Start to finish it can be an exhausting process working up a single medical case. Why is this organ failing? What medication will be the best without causing other problems? Imagine not just having one vet in on your case, but an entire team reminding each other of conflicts and improvements? Now that is getting your money’s worth. An open dialog means that the patient gets the benefit of a vet with years of schooling and experience, as well as techs that keep tabs on new products, plans, equipment, etc that keep them healthy. A high quality vet takes pride in her own skills as well as those of his/her team.  

chris