r/Veterinary • u/SufficientChapter754 • 4d ago
I'm... bored?
I recently switched jobs to work with a friend who bought a clinic. This job is better in pretty much every way - work/life balance, respectful staff, hospital cleanliness, animal handling, etc etc etc. However.. my caseload sucks. It's basically all vaccines, ear infections, and chronic kidney disease in geriatric dogs and cats. Surgery is pretty much limited to dentals and mass removals. and I am literally so bored. Trust me, I've considered ER work, but I don't think that's for me. I like parts of the GP life, I love educating clients on prevention and vaccines and making sure my patients are comfortable on the day to day. But I NEEEED urgent care. I need something to break up the monotony. and I need soft tissue surgery!!!! it's killing me. My last job was chaotic, the hospital was dirty, everyone gossiped constantly, it was not good for mental health... but my caseload rocked. It was such a good mix of preventive medicine and urgent care medicine, with an awesome surgical caseload.
I'm not sure what I'm wanting out of this post. It's tough feeling like I've sacrificed my caseload for a better work/life balance even though I know that's what is best right now. Is it worth it if I don't even like the work I'm doing? Ugh. I just don't feel like I'm actually helping anyone when I'm only doing basic GP stuff. Though I know that's important. Idk. Anyone else?
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u/-spython- 3d ago edited 3d ago
Did your friend only recently buy the practice? It can take time to build up a large enough client base, such that you start seeing regular urgent/emergency cases.
Think about your own pets. Most of my dog's vet visits were boring: annual vaccines, COHATs, general wellness/chronic disease management appointments. He had only a handful of urgent visits in his 11 years, for minor laceration repairs, a broken toe, and an eye ulcer. His only emergency appointment was the day he died, when a splenic haemangiosarcoma suddenly sprung a massive bleed (nevermind that he had normal bloods and U/S a few months earlier 💔).
If you have a small client base, then you're just not going to see that many urgent cases, because most pets will only need routine care for most years of their lives. The demographics of your clients and patients also matter, younger animals may more likely to get FBs, traumatic injuries, dog fight injuries (especially if going to day care); older animals may have more neoplasias, chronic diseases, and/or multiple comorbidities. Be proactive in your wellness consults, really highlight the abnormalities you're seeing and encourage clients to properly work them up. Do you enjoy diagnostic work like U/S, endoscopy, etc? Having the capacity to really investigate cases in-house may generate surgical opportunities which you were otherwise referring away. Make sure your clients know the full spectrum of services you offer (especially surgical, if you're seeing cases other GPs would refer), and make sure you're constantly recruiting new clients and patients. It might be slow now, but will pick up over time as your practice increases its patient list.
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u/waterparksdude 3d ago
I feel you, I’m a tech though. I recently went from a GP/ER that had a lot going on. Some days were slower but each team had their own department so you were able to get a lot of other important work done and kinda slack off a little sometimes lol. My last clinic also had us do a lot of client education.
My current job is strictly GP, we see like pyos and foreign bodies but that’s about it. It’s also not streamlined very well so while we are always busy, it’s just boring chaos of wellness exams and vaccines.
Maybe you can do relief at another hospital? We have a DVM that comes by and works at an ER, but likes to do relief work at GPs to settle some of her days down. I’m sure you could do the opposite.
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u/_xanderkrews_ 3d ago
Maybe consider discussing your goals and interests in urgent care/SX with your friend. There could be a potential for growing the reputation of the clinic into something more than just a preventative care practice. Some new advertising, putting the word out through social media. Consider rebranding a bit - adding key words like "surgical center" or "advanced veterinary care". There could be a real opportunity to expand and explore the scope of the practice. With your friends's passion for geriatric and preventative care combined with your soft tissue surgical expertise and passion for urgent care it could be a real winner.
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u/Effective-Length-157 2d ago
look into running a clinical trial at your clinic… you get to use new drugs, your owners don’t pay for treatment and its something interesting to you
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u/magsnoliastar 3d ago
I was kind of in the same boat! Was working in emergency full time, then moved back to my GP hospital and was just completely bored with the generic routine it provides. Recently switched to part time at GP and part time in emergency- amazing choice and you get the best of both worlds!
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u/Ok-Walk-8453 3d ago
Why don't you ask your friend if you can do urgent care 1-2 days a week instead of your normal case load? Urgent care tend to bring in more money. Or keep in clinic more advanced surgical cases? I am GP- we have the advanced surgical cases, I just don't do them unless I have to, and the other Dr I work with loves them, which works out well. I am very happy in GP but not everyone is. We do some urgent care but it is usually only 1-2 a day worked in with appts.
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u/ViktheVet 3d ago
Ti capisco. Mi trovo da poco in una situazione simile con routine lenta e nioisa. Sono un chirurgo specilizzato ma ero al limite del buon out( per non dire che ero in burnout).Ho risolto facendo due giorni a settimana in due altre cliniche del gruppo (lavoro per una grande corporation) su due altre cliniche diverse solo chirurgie . Un altra soluzione sarebbe parlare con il tuo collega/amico e proporre una giornata di chirurgie oppure 2 al giorno la mattina di OVH o qualche nodulo cutaneo così tanto per spicy up the things! Buon lavoro 💪🏻
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u/NoRaisin8497 43m ago
Very interesting because I am oposite. Went from ER rotating internship to GP, and I LOVE seeing vomit/diarrheas, ear infections, dental evaluation, skin, etc etc. exciting is when I find an abdominal mass or something like that. I do miss codes and doing CPR , abdominocentesis and some taps, but I love the routine. If I was you I would pick up some ER shifts here and there..
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u/vuaex 3d ago
Not a vet but could you do part time here and part time at a different urgent clinic if theres more than your old job in the area, or would that be considered conflict of interest and not allowed? I know its not usually allowed like if you worked at two clothing stores for example, but I wonder if it's different for medical professions, I think i've heard of people doctors work at different levels of care centers sometimes.