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Personal/Professional Development
End-of-Life Options: Understanding Palliative and Hospice Care Services
Referring patients to a palliative and hospice care veterinarian can help to decrease stress for general practitioners, especially in cases where clients are not ready or willing to euthanize a patient with a progressive disease.
Integrative Medicine
An Update on the Legal Considerations of the Use of Cannabis in Veterinary Medicine
Though the regulatory landscape is complex, veterinarians should feel safe discussing hemp-derived CBD with clients.
Practice Management
How Does Pet Insurance Fit Into the Access-to-Care Conversation?
Veterinary staff members can help owners realize the importance of pet insurance and how it works.
Practice Management
Key Takeaways for Veterinarians from the NAVTA Demographics Survey
Supporting the credentialed veterinary nurses/technicians in your clinic will help them to achieve their professional goals and take a step toward profession-wide improvements in utilization, mental health, compensation, and title protection.
Practice Management
Recognizing Futile Care in Veterinary Medicine
"Futile care" is becoming more well-known in the veterinary profession. Having an approach to client conversations about the difference between palliative care and futile care can mean the difference between suffering and letting go in dignity.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Next Generation of Veterinarians
Myriad factors affect the makeup of the veterinary student population, from the economy to average starting salaries to overall college enrollment trends.
Personal Wellbeing
Veterinary Mental Health and the Influence of Culture
A recent study shows that cultural barriers in the profession may prevent veterinary students from accessing mental health resources.
Personal/Professional Development
The Evolution of Mentorship for Veterinary Professionals
An effective, successful mentorship is a two-way conversation in which both the mentor and mentee share a desire to learn from each other.
Personal/Professional Development
Changemaking as Entrepreneurs
Here are the stories of 5 entrepreneurs who took their passion for the veterinary profession, combined it with a desire for positive change, and created businesses to deliver much-needed services in innovative ways.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Breaking Barriers to Veterinary Care
The cost of veterinary care is rising while income is not. There are still strategies that you can employ to help clients overcome financial barriers to accessing veterinary care.
Personal/Professional Development
The Future of Veterinary Continuing Education
Veterinary continuing education has an exciting future as technology continues to advance, bringing the opportunity for more interactive virtual learning and new ideas for how to present engaging, in-person education.
Behavior
When Behavior Breaks the Bond
Understanding the impact of negative behaviors on the pet, owner, and the bond between them can help veterinarians to guide families in making the best possible decision for all involved.
Personal/Professional Development
Caring for Clients at the End
Giving as much attention to the client as to the pet about to be euthanized can greatly affect the grieving process and outcome for everyone involved.
Personal/Professional Development
Supporting the Bond
Acknowledging client limitations and their reasonings will help build the VCPR and get the pet the care they need while keeping the HAB intact.
Practice Management
Anti-Vaxxers: Understanding and Addressing Client Concerns
By building trust and respect with clients who arrive at their appointment with vaccine hesitancy, we can improve the overall perception of vaccines among our clientele.
Personal/Professional Development
Understanding Advocacy
Success begins with the individuals. Join local groups, state VMAs, and national organizations to best advocate for the future of the profession you love.
Practice Management
The Most Underutilized Resource in Your Clinic
Some veterinarians have a hard time letting go of responsibilities.
Personal Wellbeing
The Pursuit of Happiness
Job satisfaction is a combination of recognition, communication, and reconciliation.
Personal Wellbeing
Suicide: Our Professional Crisis
As awareness of the mental health crisis in veterinary medicine rises, some veterinarians have taken action to protect their colleagues and develop programs to address the issue of suicide head on.
Practice Management
Telehealth: Navigating the New Normal
Don't fall behind in business by excluding telemedicine in your practice. There are many ways to implement it and customers, old and new, will be grateful.
Personal/Professional Development
Balancing Act
In a largely female profession, veterinary medicine often sees a struggle between the work-life balance of working mothers. Personal and professional forces can help alleviate that struggle.
Personal/Professional Development
Mixed Emotions
Given that most people consider their pets to be part of the family, it is not surprising that strong emotions are often encountered in the veterinary clinic. These intense emotions can affect the client’s decision-making and require careful handling by the veterinary team.
Personal Wellbeing
The Cost of Caring Too Much?
Veterinarians are in the unique and challenging position of balancing the medical needs of their patients with the financial needs of their clients. The strength of the human-animal bond can lead to emotionally charged conversations between pet owners and veterinarians, especially when finances are limited and decisions about care become life-or-death.
Personal/Professional Development
How to Support Professional Development Among Your Team
By committing to professional development for all team members, veterinary clinics can improve employee engagement, perceptions of practice culture, and the level of service offered to clients.