Oh my.

Yesterday was a ridiculously crazy day. I had:

- A full appointment schedule
- 2 kitten spays
- 3 4 unanticipated emergencies (1 decompensating cancer patient, 1 vomiting and limping, 1 blowout vomiting and diarrhea with a VERY challenging owner, and one anesthetic emergency during one of the spays)

I ate my lunch at 6:30 pm. Oh, and I got my period too - fortunately I had the supplies on hand to deal with that.

The combination of all of these factors made me extraordinarily grumpy (however my mood improved quite a lot once I actually got to EAT). Looking at the bright side of things, though:

- I finished both spays in about 25 minutes each - so I'm getting more efficient, and both kittens did well post-operatively
- I generally DO have a full appointment schedule, which is pretty awesome considering the economy and that fact that I'm still a new grad
- I successfully channeled all of that stress into cleaning the house and kicking butt on a very challenging workout today
- With the exception of 1 appointment (the one with the challenging owner), I felt as though everything got handled very well and the clients were happy

Today was a nice chance to sleep in and relax. Tomorrow will likely be busy again!

Conquered

Dr. Boss asked me to spay and neuter their foster kittens since I have a lot of experience with pediatric surgery - I did and they went well.

Today I did 6 rope climbs (20' high) in crossfit. Did I mention that I'm terrified of heights?

It's been a pretty good week for doing things that I'm afraid of.

Old and new friends

Sunday I went to a baby shower for one of my vet school friends. It was great to catch up with everyone! Some were finishing up internships and about to start new jobs, others were in the process of buying their first house, and everyone seemed happy and settled in their new lives. This was a stark contrast to a year ago when we were all scared newbie vets, much less 5 years ago (!) at vet school orientation when we were all wondering what exactly we had gotten ourselves into!

Later that afternoon we had a party at work to celebrate the first anniversary of the hospital. That was fun too - seeing people out of their scrubs and talking about non-work-related things was a nice change.

I wish I wasn't so ridiculously shy sometimes because days like those are great, but I'm too afraid to set up social events. Instead I rely on others to make the arrangements.

Well, today is going to be pretty busy at work - better finish my coffee and get ready!

Happy 1-year to me!

Tuesday marked my 1-year anniversary as a practicing veterinarian. Whoa.

I've learned a TON over the past year - things like:
- Common skin masses and what their cytology looks like (things like histiocytomas weren't covered very well in school)
- Perfecting my "canine allergic skin disease" talk
- How to perform a cysto without ultrasound guidance
- Getting a LOT more skilled at drawing blood from the jugular vein (hey, I learned on peripheral leg veins and was much more comfortable with those)
- How to pretend I'm confident (even when I'm not) in front of clients (and then research the crap out of it later so that I actually come up with a good answer for them)
- I'm apparently pretty good at euthanasias (got another thank-you card this week for one)
- What my standards of medicine/care and ethics are (hint: not a good fit with my previous clinic)

Looking forward to the future now that I'm (finally) doing what I was meant to do!

Day 6/6

This week I worked an extra day at the hospital to cover for one of the other doctor's vacations. It was BUSY! Unfortunately I had several more euthanasias, but I got a lot of new and interesting cases such as a broken toe, a thromboembolism (unfortunately that turned into a euthanasia) and others.

Today was my 6th day working in a row - at the vaccine clinic. The tech and I both got bitten and scratched by a very ill-tempered cat which was no fun, especially since it was within the first 30 minutes of starting work. Cat bites really suck - even if you wash them out thoroughly they often get infected.

Fun quotes from this past week:
"Have you lost weight?" (- Crossfit coach and massage therapist both asked me this on Monday ... actually I've GAINED a little weight)
"You're doing REALLY well." (- Dr. Boss)

Grim

This week was rough. I'd estimate that 25% of my appointments ended up with the clients crying - either because I euthanized their pet or I gave them a cancer diagnosis. That's a pretty high percentage when you're not an emergency doctor!

I've also got my first client who I suspect is mentally ill and it has been exhausting for everyone who has dealt with them. Fortunately Dr. Boss is calling them later today and we'll see what comes of that.

Thankfully I have the rest of the weekend to unwind. Think I might have a beer!

The Profession

There is a website address that is currently circulating in the veterinary community. Its focus is to petition for changes in the AVMA.

In short, the job market is still pretty terrible for veterinarians (I have been lucky, horrible corporate practice notwithstanding). The number of graduates per year consistently outnumbers the open positions available. Student debt is crazy. You can make a lot more money for a lot less heartache.

The idea behind the petition is to get the AVMA to stop saying the field is full of opportunities and to stop approving the accreditation of so many new (foreign) schools each year and instead work on generating public awareness and demand for veterinary services.

I haven't signed it. Why? This may seem silly but I'm afraid my professional liability insurance through them will be cancelled. Next year I plan to get my insurance through my state veterinary association and to not renew my membership with the AVMA (because I do think in their current state they are useless and possibly even detrimental ... except their journal is interesting).

p.s. I found out that a horrible tech/receptionist I worked with at the corporate practice got hired by my old practice (you know, the one I used to dream of joining?) Eesh.