We’re Talking About Practice

Robin Roque, DVM By

Acouple months ago, I talked about the slow, uphill battle of gaining confidence in veterinary medical practice. While I’m nowhere close to mastering the calm and collected demeanor of my seniors, I am beginning to come out of my shell. Recently, I’ve taken on more urgent care cases. I’ll selectively choose one or two challenging patients and sprinkle the rest of my schedule with “emergency ear infections” that inevitably end up having more severe issues. It can be very overwhelming to say the least. It’s stressful and it’s scary, but with the right team it’s also invigorating and motivational.

When handling complicated cases, I’ve always had patient colleagues to go to for clinical guidance and countless written resources to reference, my favorite being Cote’s Clinical Veterinary Advisory, the Holy Bible of all things veterinary. The help I get from this book is significant, but man, there is also so much more behind those hospital doors that keeps me afloat. It’s no secret that I’m green; it takes time for me to build up the courage to commit to a plan and then some more to get the ball rolling. But our team of nurses is so kind and encouraging, and they give me the confidence to move forward. They are seasoned, ER-trained individuals with unparalleled technical skills, moving through the most stressful days with the utmost finesse. Yet, their expertise has never clouded their minds with arrogance or dulled their compassion for our patients.

One evening, an urgent care patient came into the hospital when I was the only doctor present. It was a blocked male cat that had been straining to urinate for two days. We didn’t have overnight hospitalization, but I felt strongly that we should at least unblock him before referring him to a 24-hour hospital. How hard could it be, right? The nurses were coming to the end of their shifts with about an hour to spare, but I figured we could manage this procedure in a timely fashion.

Well, Murphy’s Law got the best of us. Long story short, the cat was very agitated (rightfully so) and had freed himself from muzzle and restraint before we could place his IV catheter for fluids and sedation. We had a loose cat—but not for long as the nimble nurses came to the rescue. They then injected his drugs intramuscularly; however, his excitement overpowered the effect of the medications for quite some time. Then, there was the challenge of placing the IV catheter into a sedated patient. At last, the final scene: my first urinary deobstruction as a lone doctor. Luckily, I had the counsel and encouragement of my team and collectively we successfully unblocked this furry fellow. His recovery from sedation was the smoothest part of the case, and despite all of us working over hours, we ended that night with a hurrah.

This moment is just a small illustration of the immense support that I’ve experienced from my hospital colleagues. Our front staff works arduously, communicating professionally and thoroughly with clients and working with our schedules to ensure we care for as many patients as we possibly can without compromising quality of medicine. Our kennel staff not only feeds, walks, and loves our boarded critters, but they also form a bond so strong that they recognize subtle behavioral abnormalities, quickly bringing their observations to our attention so that appropriate medical care can be provided.

A practice is more than just its doctors. It’s a well-oiled machine with many moving parts, and no one part can work without the other. We are all in this together.

Happy Holidays from the CVMA!

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve our members and support the interests of veterinary professionals and animal patients. We hope that our members and their loved ones have a safe, joyful holiday season, and we look forward to another successful and productive year at the CVMA in 2022!

Apply for the Don Low Fellowship

Applications for the 2022–2023 Don Low Fellowship are now being accepted! A collaborative effort between the CVMA and the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital faculty, the Donald G. Low-CVMA Practitioner Fellowship is designed to meet California practitioner needs that are unavailable within residencies or other current programs. Practitioners will have the opportunity to learn alongside faculty, residents, and students in the clinical setting of the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, in other school programs, laboratories, and centers like the Veterinary Medical Teaching and Research Center. The deadline for applications is January 7, 2022. To apply, visit https://ce.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/fellows/don-low-fellowship

Congratulations on Your Retirement, Dr. Steven Krome!

A CVMA member for over 40 years, Dr. Steven Krome recently announced that he will be retiring at the end of 2021 and moving to the central coast of Oregon. We would like to thank Dr. Krome for being a longstanding member of the CVMA and we wish him a relaxing, fulfilling retirement!

Something to Wag About

Inspired by Dr. Krome’s announcement, we would like to continue featuring our members’ good news—whether that’s purchasing a new practice, retirement, marriage, starting a family, or any other positive life change—in a new segment called “Something to Wag About.” To submit your good news for consideration in an upcoming issue, please contact the CVMA’s Publications Manager, Taryn DeOilers, at tdeoilers@cvma.net