What is happening to veterinary medicine?

Negative reviews, impatient clients, increasing pet numbers, overworked teams, understaffed clinics, pressure for profits, and personal overwhelm; this is the state of our profession now. I don't see an end in sight or an easy solution. Clients have to wait months to get their pets in for surgery or vaccinations. Many pets with non-life-threatening but urgent conditions are being referred to emergency clinics that suffer the same problems of being overworked and understaffed. People do not like it, and neither do we, but what are we to do?

This week my friend and hospital manager was tasked with responding to several online reviews from ticked-off clients that were turned away from our hospital because we are so overworked and understaffed that we are no longer taking on new clients. When we turn people away, their first thought seems to be, "Maybe I should put a nasty review on the internet to make me feel better about not getting what I want -- that will teach them." People, we are not turning you away to be mean or rude; we just are trying to keep our team safe and keep them from being so overworked that they quit the profession or go to another job that shows more respect for their time and skills.

I was excited to receive my Michigan Veterinarian Magazine this week because I had contributed an article and, I was excited to see the layout. After I admired my work, I flipped to the advertisement section of the magazine out of curiosity. I counted twelve pages of advertisements looking for veterinarians. Twelve pages! There were at least eight ads on each page. That is one hell of a lot of hospitals looking for veterinary help, so I guess we are not alone.  

Employment projections by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show veterinary occupations are expected to add 51,700 new jobs and grow at a rate of 19% by 2026. 2.5 times faster than the 7% average projected for all occupations.

Many of our clients do not understand that we have up to 30 plus patients per doctor, scheduled every day. Another 30-40 clients are calling and coming in for drug refills and technician appointments. We have been seeing 4.5 patients per hour, which works out to be 13.3 minutes per pet. Hardly a long time to weigh, temp, examine, draw blood, give vaccines, do a nail trim, anal glands, then talk to the client, fill out records and paperwork, write up the exam in the computer, charge for services, and get the pet out the door. That is not to mention the pets that need to be muzzled, drugged, or restrained by multiple people because they are uncooperative or downright dangerous. I don't say all of this to complain. I love this profession and what I get to do every day. Still, I fear that the shortage of veterinarians and veterinary technicians will eventually result in poor care for the pets and people that we serve. 

I know that we can change this profession's outlook and the downward spiral if we start to work together. Veterinarians are brilliant, and I have been blessed to have many great veterinary colleagues. These great minds are capable of changing the work that we do to make it more efficient. We need to change the negative narrative and the hospital schedules to serve everyone better. This is one of the main reasons that I became a life coach for veterinarians. Changing the way we see ourselves can go a long way to changing public perception and improving our overall earning capacity and quality of life. 

If you are a veterinarian, veterinary technician, or support staff, please take care of yourself and your mind first. I believe that we can do this together. If you are someone that knows a veterinarian, please give them your love and support. This profession is struggling to do our job and do it well. We love you and your pet and are doing our best to care for ourselves and them all. Be kind to each other.

Dr. Julie Cappel

“Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.” – Barbara De Angelis

The Generosity of Opera Mississippi

This week I traveled to visit my daughter and hear her sing in several performances with Opera Mississippi. I live in the Detroit area, and my daughter lives in Dallas, so I take any chance that I can travel to see her. Besides, I am a true “fan, Mom.” I love to attend every performance to see her perform. I have seen the years of work that brought her to this level of success, and I love to share in her victories.  

I have been to Mississippi before, but I had the chance to interact with people in different cities this time. I visited their homes, businesses and was invited into their local opera circles. When artists are hired to perform in various cities, the patrons of the arts organizations often open their homes to the performers. In place of hotel rooms, they host and house the performers for several days, before and after the events. We were even invited to attend an after-party at a beautiful sprawling southern home - well, maybe I was not asked, I crashed the party — but I was graciously welcomed anyway.

The people that I met in all circumstances were next-level lovely. They were so kind and generous. Many of them asked me where I was from because the Detroit accent is very different from the Jackson Mississippi accent. As I watched how these people treated me (an obvious outsider) and others, including the opera singers and musicians, I had some thoughts about their generosity. They were so friendly and seemed so happy. 

Is there a way to make our lives better if we practice being more generous? 

According to a recent survey of 1010 people, done by The Ascent, high-generosity people were 23% more likely to be satisfied with their lives overall, and were happier with their relationships, jobs, and possessions. Generosity makes us more likely to feel optimistic about the world around us. Instead of reading the negative news and feeling helpless, practicing generosity makes us feel as if we can make a difference in our community and others’ lives. Charity creates a possibility mindset in the giver and the receiver. Instead of seeing resources as stagnant and scarce, generous acts open up an abundance mindset for everyone.

Take some time to think about your generosity. You do not have to spend money to contribute generously to others. Start with a grateful heart and recognize your own blessings, talents, and resources. Start small and do one small act of kindness by giving a big tip to a waiter or pay for someone’s coffee in a food line. If you are not used to giving away your money, try a small donation to a favorite charity. Give up one luxury item and use that money to donate. I promise that those few dollars will make you feel so good that you will get every penny’s worth back.  

If you do not want to give money, spend a little of your time giving to others. Generosity of time is one of the most valuable things that you have to offer. Do a chore for a neighbor or offer to allow someone to go before you in a line. These small acts will add to your overall well-being and lead to other opportunities to give to others. You can even be generous in your words. Saying one kind thing to another person is an act of generosity. For example, tell a frazzled pet owner that they are doing a great job or compliment your friend on their parenting skills. Kindness shared may change a life. 

Practicing your generosity with words, with time, or with money will add great dividends to your life and the life of those around you. If we all did a few more generous acts, our world would be a much richer place.  

Take a lesson from my new Mississippi friends and be more generous, Y’all. 

Dr. Julie Cappel

“Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.” ―Henry Longfellow.

“You have not lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” — John Bunyan.

Storms and Rainbows

One of my occupational hazards as a life coach and a veterinarian is becoming attached to my clients. I feel for them. My heart aches for them when they struggle with their families, pets, health, and other challenging situations. One of the myths we hold about veterinary medicine is that it is not supposed to be this way. We should never take on others' emotions, and if we do, it somehow means that we are unwell. The real problem is that we "think" we should not feel for others, and we fear feeling our own and others' negative emotions. 

One of the best life skills that I was ever taught by my life coach and continue to work towards daily is not to fear negative emotions—working with challenges to feel all of the feelings.

This week I experienced an excellent opportunity to remind myself that empathy is good. I was preparing to go for a quick bike ride after work, and I stopped for a moment to check my email. I rarely check email while I am at work, and sometimes I miss things if I don't do a quick check when I get home. It happened that one of my coaching clients had emailed me that afternoon outlining some of the struggles that they were wrestling with that week. As a life coach, I love it when my clients reach out in times of trouble, and I do my best to offer them encouraging words and suggestions for easing their stress and processing their emotions. As I finished reading and thinking about my response, my husband reminded me that it looked like rain, and I better get my bike ride before the storm. I resolved to think through the email and get to my answer when I returned. 

As I rolled down the driveway, I could see that the sky to my west looked threatening with dark swirling clouds off in the distance and the sky to the east was more friendly-looking with some less threatening clouds and a little sun. I started thinking about answering my client's email with some words to help her get through her week. As I turned the third corner on my way through the neighborhood, I saw a beautiful rainbow off in the distance. I was surprised to see it because I think of rainbows coming after the rain, but this one was opposite the storm clouds. It was a stark contrast of the dark threatening sky behind me and the rainbow in front of me; it occurred to me that I had my answer.  

There are rainbows in the storms.

Challenges causing negative emotions allow us to appreciate our blessings when they do come. Why can't everything be easy? Because we need to experience bad to appreciate good. "That's life," my father-in-law, a general surgeon, frequently would say. He was a very empathetic man, so I know that he felt the emotion of his patients, but he took them calmly and without question as a normal part of life. He appreciated everything in his life because of his stressful, emotion-filled occupation.  

Challenges give us essential feedback for our personal growth. When we face challenges in our daily life, we are gaining strength and wisdom. Many of the best things that I have created in my life have come out of intense struggle. Overcoming adversity is a life skill. The more hardship you have experienced, the more you can use the lessons to grow. Embracing all of our emotions brings us strength. 

Challenges allow us to take responsibility for our own emotions and work on our ability to enjoy our empathy. Empathy can be challenging for us because it causes us to feel our own and others' negative emotions. Practicing allowing the full range of our feelings would change this profession if we allow ourselves to be vulnerable. The contrast of the approaching storm is what makes the rainbow beautiful.  

On this stormy day, I allowed my feelings of empathy for my struggling client and allowed myself to feel the uncertainty of the approaching storm. 

It is through the storms that we create our rainbows. 

Dr. Jule Cappel

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Willing to Push

Today I rode my bicycle along the Macomb Orchard Trail, which is a 23-mile path that goes from Rochester to Richmond, Michigan. It is one of my favorite bike trails because it is paved, has a nice mixture of shade and sunshine, and various things to see, including wildlife, water, farmland, and some small-town areas.  

I did not attempt the whole 23-mile stretch, but I did put in a solid twenty miles, ten miles out and back. It was a very warm — I might say hot — sunny day, which was great, but the sun and wind takes a lot out of me when I am riding. The last five miles tested my mental resolve and my physical body. I had to push myself to continue the ride back to my car parked at the end of the trail. Ironically, as I was riding, I listened to an audiobook about resilience and positive change. It made me think about the parallels between my challenging bike ride and the more considerable challenges that I face in life. Success in anything comes down to our willingness to push ourselves when faced with challenges —physical challenges like my bike ride or mental challenges like complicated relationships or work failures.

What do successful high achieving people have that keeps them from avoiding challenges? Tony Schwartz, in his Harvard Review article, says, “It’s the willingness to push themselves beyond their current limits day in and day out, despite the discomfort that it creates, the sacrifice of more immediate gratification, and the uncertainty they’ll be rewarded for their efforts.” They are willing to push. 

The willingness to push yourself when things are difficult is a key life skill that we need to develop to bring about positive change. Our brain has this thing called the motivational triad, which drives us to conserve energy, avoid pain, and seek pleasure. This does not align with the need to push through the pain to get to bigger goals. For example, if I want to get into better biking shape, I have to be willing to have a difficult last five miles, pushing my body to be stronger. Overcoming my innate desire to avoid pain requires me to do some mental work to keep from quitting. 

Anytime you feel resistant to some painful task, you are probably battling with your primitive brain. Even while I am writing this, my brain keeps on telling me to get a snack or check my phone—anything to avoid the pain of writing. My writing and biking are both exercises in discipline. Do I fail? Of course, over and over again. The real trick to success is in not giving up until my blog is finished. Each week my willingness to push myself to the end allows me to create another inspiring blog for your reading pleasure. ;)

There are some things that you can do to increase your ability to push through.

Create a strong why. If you don’t like your reason for doing something, your brain will talk you out of taking the steps needed to accomplish it.  Work on the way first. What is your reason for setting the goal? What will you get at the end? How will it make you feel when you get it?  Keeping your focus on your “why” will allow you to plan and then take steps to get it done willingly. 

Understand and avoid your temptations. Get to know the things that you do to avoid pain. I know that I check email, watch television, or eat unhealthy snacks to avoid some of my pain. You may surf the internet, play video games, or even blame others for your lack of focus. If you want to get something done, you need to keep those distractions in mind but out of your reach. For example, when I am writing, I have to turn off my phone or set the timer to keep me from checking it while I am writing.  

Set the goal but ask for help. In my bike riding case, taking a bike trail in one direction ten miles forces me to ride the entire way back without quitting. Having a friend along to push me might also help if I feel fragile and vulnerable on any given day. Having a coach or accountability partner will help keep you on track by breaking down your goals into smaller steps, then help you work through your unwillingness to feel the pain when it comes up.

Practice increasing your willingness to push by setting small goals for yourself daily. Try to push yourself just a bit harder than you did the day before. Whatever your big goal is, you will begin to reach it as you take steps to train your brain to be willing to push.   

Dr. Julie Cappel

Join me on The Veterinary Life Coach Podcast