• DVM360_Conference_Charlotte,NC_banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Conference Coverage
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Dear top dog specialist: Stop looking down on your colleagues

May 27, 2016
Bash Halow, LVT, CVPM

What do you do when the emergency and specialty veterinarians you work with are really, really snooty about their general practice colleagues?

 (Getty Images) Q. I've worked at an emergency/specialty referral hospital for almost 14 years. I also work at a general practice during the day. Because none of the emergency docs and specialists have worked at a general practice, they assume it's just puppies and vaccines all day. What can I do to change their negative attitude towards GPs?

Sincerely,

I Want to Be the Change

 

Dear Changeling,

How about changing jobs and working at our practice? You sound terrific! How lucky that your emergency hospital has such an empathetic and emotionally mature individual on its team.

Advertisement

You know what you've got at your practice? It's called Snooty Syndrome. But before I provide you a remedy for this serious workplace culture illness, I want you to know you're not alone. In many practices, veterinarians or more experienced technicians lord themselves over the less-experienced members of the team. I'm convinced it's at the heart of the “Front vs. Back War” (I can't resist telling you, I'm sharing solutions to this at CVC conferences this year), and I know for a fact it's at the root of practice morale issues.

Aside from being odious and obnoxious, acting superior to others is a big honkin' sign of self-loathing and insecurity. Most people who point fingers at others and laugh and call names are doing so because they're hearing the same jeers inside their own heads.

People who pick on others, disparage them or treat them with disrespect would do well to work through their issues with a psychologist. I'm not kidding. I've interviewed enough industry psychologists and seen enough cases of Snooty Syndrome to believe that the issue is both deeply rooted and terribly self-destructive. In my experience, the Snooties are much more likely to have issues with drinking, relationship issues and depression.

But if you go to your Snooty and recommend a shrink, he or she is really going to hit the roof. I recommend plan B. Try organizing some terrific CE classes taught by your DVMs and their team members. General practitioners can always use the free CE, and if you ask your Snooties to provide the education, they'll have a chance to meet and get to know the targets of their derision. Putting a face on the people they universally dismiss as inferior may curb their snooty instincts.

Or, if you're older and more “over it” like me, you can just pull your Snooty aside and ask, “What gives? I'm concerned about the comments I hear you making about our DVMs. Can you talk to me about that?” I don't blame. I don't shame. I just open the floor to a discussion. Your seniority-while it's awful on the back, the mind and the eyes-gives you much more pull in the manager's seat.

Good luck, my dear changeling. I look forward to your metamorphosis into a lovely, if not fierce, creature of the skies!

 

Bash Halow, CVPM, LVT, is a Firstline Editorial Advisory Board member and co-owner of Halow Tassava Consulting.

Related Content:

Medical
Not-so-ordinary ER cases you should know
Not-so-ordinary ER cases you should know
An update on copper concerns in pet foods
An update on copper concerns in pet foods
Traditional and holistic treatments for giardia
Traditional and holistic treatments for giardia

Advertisement

Latest News

An update on copper concerns in pet foods

Dental hacks to make every case more manageable

Q&A with a keynote: Walter Brown, RVTg, VTS, ECC

News wrap-up: This week’s headlines, plus dvm360® launches its first CE podcast

View More Latest News
Advertisement