September 2017 – The on-call phone
Wow, nothing really prepares you, does it? I was very fortunate not to join the on call rota straight away; some of my friends had been on call from their first month, week and even day of work, but the tachycardia and feelings of dread at taking possession of the on-call mobile still hit me hard. I’m not sure when these feeling cease, I hear they’re replaced with apathy and dismay but to be honest, anything is better than the gut twisting terror I experienced a few weeks ago. But then again, being on call is great. What else tests you as much as being the only vet in the practice with the responsibility of making decisions? That’s not to say I didn’t call my 2 nd on-call for help when on my first night I was presented with a seizuring cat, or message a partner when I wasn’t sure about the possibility of a tendon repair. Once I got over my decidophobia there was almost a masochistic desire to be the one in charge which I certainly didn’t expect! Should I be worried?! Being on ca