Vet Times

Tag: Stress

  • Striving for (im)perfection

    Striving for (im)perfection

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    In our current era, it seems as if perfectionism is considered a great virtue. I see and hear a lot of people describing themselves as “a bit of perfectionist” (which always strikes me as an oxymoron) as if this is a good thing, a great virtue to be lauded. I freely admit here that I…

  • Seeking clarity

    Seeking clarity

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    We often find ourselves overwhelmed by a complex case – or even numerous cases that are not so complex. The first step is to try to seek clarity. How do we do this? Well, we start from the beginning and go over everything again. How and why? This process happens numerous times on shift –…

  • 15-minute consults: a waste of time?

    15-minute consults: a waste of time?

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    Many practices still have 10-minute small animal consultations – mine included – until recently, when we made the move to 15-minute appointments. It was initially debated as to whether we could offer longer consultation times in a specified time block, reserved for “sick pets” only. However, this was decided against due to the difficulty of…

  • Screen burn: thoughts on telemedicine

    Screen burn: thoughts on telemedicine

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    With the recent announcement that the UK’s first veterinary telemedicine service is set to launch, there is much debate over whether this type of service is a good thing. The major bugbear most vets have with telemedicine is the absence of a physical examination. While teleconsultations (or, indeed, just a telephone call) can allow a…

  • Que será, será

    Que será, será

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    What will be will be: this mantra is one of a handful of things that kept me sane during university exam season. Exam stress has definitely taken its toll, and, one week after finishing, I am still none the wiser as to what day it is or whether I’m coming or going – but that’s…

  • Always on: a new perspective

    Always on: a new perspective

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    It was a couple of weeks before I set off for Bristol and an uncertain, but exciting life on the vet course that my mother – who’s been a member of the medical field for many years – began pointing out various dogs and cats to me as we passed them, stating that, once I…

  • Money and medicine: compromising care for cost

    Money and medicine: compromising care for cost

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    Here’s a good way to start a blog: Victorian humour. Man: I say, Doctor, how’s that old chap you’ve been treating? Doctor: I fear he is beyond medical help. Man: Oh no! Is he dying? Doctor: No, he ran out of money. Hey, I never said it was a topical blog… Uncomfortable bedfellows In my…

  • Managing from the inside – what next in a personal medical crisis?

    Managing from the inside – what next in a personal medical crisis?

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    Alan Holford discusses the emotions he experienced when his mum became ill – and why owners sometimes misinterpret veterinary professionalism in difficult consultations for detachment.

  • Emotional stress

    Emotional stress

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    I nearly didn’t go… I was locuming at the time and  been away from home a lot. I’d also been working nights – the first time I had tried solely out-of-hours work – and it had been punishing. Why, then, was I coming to shadow a pathologist for a day in a veterinary laboratory? When…

  • Stress: your nemesis or superpower?

    Stress: your nemesis or superpower?

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    As a veterinary student, I’m certainly no stranger to stress. There’s a running joke within my friend group that “diamonds are made under pressure”, which helps us all to feel a little better when the pressure on ourselves begins to rise. But, whether it’s a coursework deadline or juggling my work-load with my social life,…