Help for every stage of your veterinary career
I was watching an interview with my favorite role-playing game GM, Brennan Lee Mulligan, and something he said made me literally sit up in my chair. I thought, “This. This is why I teach students.” And if students understood it, life would be so much easier for themselves and for me. First, though, a quick
This may seem like an odd topic, but I realized the other day there is an unwritten rule we tend to abide by in veterinary academia (and probably most clinics) when faced with university closures during adverse weather. This isn’t English or history- we have patients and clients we have to take care of, regardless
A foundational concept you NEED to understand is to Aim for Zero. I encounter so many students who aim to be a +1 and end up being a -1 as a consequence. At the end of the day, the students I most enjoy working with are the ones who are quietly competent. The students who
What do you do if you have a conflict with a mentor or supervisor? Veterinary medicine is such a small field, you can’t afford to upset anyone. Also, conflict is unpleasant. Also also, you can learn something about yourself and grow as a human being. So, you have a problem with one of your mentors.
Every now and then, I review letters of intent from intern or resident applicants that have something along the lines of, “When I was a student, I regularly worked 80-hour shifts,” or “When I was an intern, I often did 14-day-long shifts.” I understand, working that much is ridiculous. Being able to do it successfully
I was working with a student recently and I gave them some feedback along the lines of, “Please make sure to pay attention to detail and make sure everything is ready for your case.” I could tell, as I was speaking to them, that their eyes were glazing over. I like to think I am
I’ve seen a few postings on the APVMA Facebook group about people wanting advice for how to dress for an interview other than for vet school. I think this is a great question and I will open with my opinion that there probably isn’t a single right answer. What does attire during an interview say
The original idea for this post was “don’t commit to something you won’t be able to do,” but that is proscriptive and I am aiming more for productive on this site. The sentiment stands, though. I see this time and again with students and interns who start research projects (with me or someone else). It’s
I have periodically seen people posting on Facebook about giving a gift to someone for writing a letter of recommendation. Mostly they are looking for suggestions about what to buy the letter writer. I do believe you should send a thank you note, but I feel more conflicted about giving gifts. So here is my
I don’t usually do posts which focus on holidays or current events, but my usual posting day fell on Thanksgiving, I am a big fan of appreciation, and I had an experience this week I thought would be good to share from a mental health/happiness/success standpoint. For SAVMA Wellness Week last week at our institution,