Craig Woloshyn, DVM

Demand more from the profession and defend our value.

The needy get served. The private practices do top-notch medicine. Everyone wins!

Client visits are down. Get your lawyer visits up, and watch our industry's revenue skyrocket.

Bargain-basement spays, neuters do more harm to the veterinary profession, than good for animals.

It's not easy to leave veterinary medicine-especially when the economy steps in.

It isn't easy to give up your career as a practice owner, but here are ways to smooth the transition before you ride off into the sunset.

If we don't guide veterinary medicine's future, low-cost clinics and subpar care will.

Our team sees work as 'just a job.' How can I create a more fun-and productive-atmosphere?

Veterinarians and team members alike can cure work woes with laughter.

This next generation of doctors isn't like us. And that's a good thing.

"Here are the keys; see ya!" doesn't cut it as a transition plan.

It's hard to initiate task-sharing. But once you do, you'll never go back.

I will be efficient. I will get along with my staff. I will read and study these mantras.

I'm no longer feeling mellow about the Yellow Pages after its colossal mistake.

Good associates are rarer than hen's teeth, so how do you attract them to your cozy practice and keep them?

Why do clients pretend they gave medication, swear their pup stays on a leash, or claim their cat never goes outside?

Will the pressures of being a boss be balanced out by the joys of self-determination? Will you mind longer hours if you know you'll hold on to the financial rewards? These are the questions that can cause an eager associate to wake up late at night in a cold sweat.

Local veterinary hospitals refused to treat a dying dog-and not because they didn't have the skills or the client wouldn't pay.

Show those other cowpokes you're the most on-time doctor in these parts.

Q. Although there are three emergency clinics in the area, the practice I work at always sees its clients' emergencies. This is frustrating, but the owner says that clients love it. Is this reasonable?

Local veterinary hospitals wouldn't treat a dying dog-and not because they didn't have the skills or the client wouldn't pay.

Watch for these warning signs and welcome sights to be sure your new practice is a keeper that'll keep you happy.

You know you can be a little backward. But it's time to get with the times ... 'cause they are a-changin'.

If ... like Rodney Dangerfield, you get no respect ... your boss takes all the good clients ... or you're so busy you can't remember what your spouse looks like.

A local high school student who wants to be a veterinarian asked to volunteer in my clinic after school. I could use someone to straighten up the reception area, file, and run errands. But she wants to be a doctor, not a file clerk. If she's capable, should I train her to do simple clerical tasks?

Sometimes, as the saying goes, "'tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt." Remember this when you feel the need to discuss rectal diseases with your colleagues-in a crowded public place.

Show respect for your clients, your profession, your family, and yourself over the holidays-leave work at work.

Do your staff members respect -- or better yet worship -- you? If not, you may be unconsciously stemming their admiration.

Stagnation isn't an option. So use these strategies to paddle along the always-swelling river of new information. You'll find they make professional growth easy and exciting-and keep your passion for practice alive.

When your team lives by a set of golden rules for client care, you create a clientele that looks and acts more like a fan club. Here's how to tap this energy and fuel your team's success.