• 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.

Mind Over Miller: Good humor man

October 17, 2016
Robert M. Miller, DVM

When life gives you a veterinary mobile unit that looks like an ice cream truck, you might as well sell popsicles.

Leonard Zhukovsky/Shutterstock.comThe need to support myself during my pre-veterinary years at the University of Arizona led me to accept a wide array of odd jobs. I spent summers working with animals-wrangling dudes, working as a ranch hand and packing for the U.S. Forest Service. When school was in session I washed dishes between classes in the school cafeteria. On weekends I picked cotton and fruit, cut brush for a surveyor, served as a kennel boy for a veterinarian, gardened for a suburban developer, unloaded bricks and performed other less glamorous work.

But my tastiest job? That award goes to my position as an ice cream truck driver. After I received my DVM degree, I thought my ice cream truck driving days were over. I was wrong … sort of. 

My first few years in practice, I used a station wagon to make house, farm and ranch calls. Then I started seeing ads in veterinary journals for customized mobile units (now used by most large animal practitioners). Equipped with a refrigerator-freezer, a sink with running water and lots of room for equipment, I was sold-literally. I bought the first one west of the Mississippi River, mounted it on the back of a pickup truck and got to work.

One of my best clients was Greenfield Ranch, a polled Hereford operation. The first time I drove into the ranch with my new ice cream truck-like mobile unit, owner Allen Carling-Smith met me with a serious expression on his face and deadpanned his order: “I'll have three strawberry popsicles, please.”

For the next two years, every call I made to the ranch began with a request for popsicles of various flavors. Finally, I purchased a few popsicles and stuck them in the unit's freezer. The next time I pulled up to Greenfield Ranch, Allen greeted me with his usual order. But on this occasion, I promptly got out of the cab, opened the freezer and handed him three popsicles.

Advertisement

Allen cracked up and, I was told, did so again when he received his monthly bill-which included a line item for popsicles: 15 cents.

My appearance wasn't always popular, however. Once when visiting a horse at a suburban home, I parked next to a real ice cream truck. When the driver turned and saw me, she put her hands on her hips and scowled while muttering furiously under her breath, convinced I was invading her territory. So I calmly walked over to her and said, “Hi, colleague. I'm here to distribute free Good Humor ice cream samples to everybody on this street.”

Mobile units have since become commonplace, so no one makes popsicle jokes (or accuses me of encroaching on their ice cream territory) anymore. Sadly, you can't get a popsicle for a nickel any longer either.

 

Robert M. Miller, DVM, is an author and a cartoonist, speaker and Veterinary Medicine Practitioner Advisory Board member. His thoughts in "Mind Over Miller" are drawn from 32 years as a mixed-animal practitioner. Visit his website at robertmiller.com.

 

Related Content:

Breaking NewsClient Relations & Marketing
How to discuss finances with clients
How to discuss finances with clients
Treating patients with spectrum of care in mind
Treating patients with spectrum of care in mind
 BluePrints Veterinary Marketing Group awarded 2 Gold VETTY Awards
BluePrints Veterinary Marketing Group awarded 2 Gold VETTY Awards

Advertisement

Latest News

Updated EquiTrace app integrates wth HISA Portal

San Francisco SPCA bestows $100k grant from San Francisco Foundation

Merck Animal Hospital renews scholarship with The Foundation for the Horse

3 Must-reads from Fetch Charlotte 2023

View More Latest News
Advertisement