Associates
Fallout from a malpractice case
March 1st 2004For more than a decade, I've practiced emergency medicine in small metropolitan emergency clinics. According to several colleagues, I practice good medicine and am a competent surgeon. Although I haven't reached a point in my career where I feel like I am an excellent veterinarian, I'm usually competent. Despite all this, I messed up. But, under the same circumstances, I believe this episode could have happened to almost anyone. Here's how my story unfolded:
Has your associate's salary peaked?
January 1st 2004The first year in practice can feel like a mountain climb at 70 miles per hour to a recent graduate who suddenly needs to deal with all manner of practice chaos and the patient that presents with lameness or disease. An associate who joins the practice in mid-career still likely feels that the highway runs uphill as he or she adapts to the new team. But with more experience under the belt, he or she faces fewer unexpected twists and turns. For both doctors, the road eventually levels out, their careers kick into fourth gear, and practice life begins to roll smoothly toward the horizon.
Setting boundaries helps block conflict and stress
January 1st 2004Several years ago, some colleagues and I began a support group for veterinarians. We met for almost two years and discussed a broad range of topics. I soon noticed that the solutions to almost all of the problems raised included setting limits with other people. For example, we brainstormed the best way to handle an unreasonably demanding client, how to approach recurrent staff problems, and why staff members honor some policies and violate others.