Career Development

Maintaining some semblance of your current lifestyle in retirement doesn't have to be a "pie in the sky" idea-if you plan ahead. (Hey, 30-somethings: We're talking to you!)

Lose your co-workers? goodwill--and their respect--with these simple steps.

You cover a lot of ground everyday, leaping personal and professional hurdles. Balance and practice will help you tread diverse terrain and become more than a well-rounded doctor-you'll be a well-rounded person.

My manager and associate order equine products through my veterinary practice. Is this legal, since I don't treat horses?

Owners and associates, you can see eye to eye. Just get the monkeys off your back.

Agree on the basic care you want to deliver at your veterinary hospital. Write it down. And get all your team members heading in the same direction.

Learning to take the hard hits with poise and professionalism will make you a better doctor. So when the ugliest parts of your job throw a punch-jab combination, roll with it.

Difficult clients do your practice more harm than good by damaging team morale and causing conflict. Figure out who they are, and let them go.

From divorce to debt, everyone deals with personal issues?and you may feel you shoulder too big a burden. Use these strategies to manage tough situations when they spill into the workplace.

Conflict closed this practice's doors for good. Don't suffer the same fate.

Try these strategies to beat back burnout and stay jazzed about your work.

If your team members aren't feeling satisfied with their jobs, find out what's wrong?and find a fix.

We're taking our practices to the next level by introducing quality control protocols. Better control means better results, which gives us the foundation we need to be more than just a good hospital; we want to be great.

Encinitas, Calif. — Communication with staff is the key to a hospital's success, Dr. Michele Drake says.

It can be helpful for you to spend time in each type of practice before making your decision.

Don't let those New Year's goals slip away. Act now.

Give your team the freedom to make the practice shine.

After the storm

As the captain of your practice, it's your job to set the course and take advantage of the wind, urging the ship toward your destination. But you can't maneuver this behemoth alone. You need a crew. When they're truly onboard, your team members will have one eye on the horizon and another peeled for potential problems, and they'll help keep the practice on course.

A veterinarian I don't know that well offered me an opportunity to work for a clinic she's purchasing, promising that if we're compatible, she'll allow me to buy in. How do I formalize our agreement?

How do I know how much I need to save for retirement?

You can enhance your professional career every time you step up to the lectern—provided you've mastered the all-important basics of public speaking.

Prescribing the medicine is easier than taking it, but if you want to uphold your standard of care, you need to ditch your excuses.

The future is rife with new veterinary exploration. Dr. Lonnie King is a believer and a pioneer.

The 2005 Well-Managed Practice Study shows how important strategic planning is to achieving your practice vision-and respondents say their only regrets are not planning sooner.

Take a look at the issues team members say bother them most. Then think about what you could do to make their professional lives easier. They'll pay you back-promise! (Attention associates: Boss driving your crazy? We've got ideas for you, too.)

Step one: Weigh the benefits and decide whether you're interested in ownership. Step two: Start developing critical leadership skills.

Almost 90 percent of you are are at work. Maybe it's time to buck the trend.