April 2018 – Unhappy client, unhappy vet
Sometimes I forget I’m only 9 months out of vet school, when the routine of each week seems wearing and the on-call phone rings in my dreams. But other times I feel so out of my depth it’s like I graduated just yesterday. However I’m feeling, I obviously always try to do my best for the animal in front of me and think through the problem logically. Sometimes I get it wrong, and that feeling of inadequacy is the worst thing I can feel. Or, at least I thought it was… But what about when you think something went well but the client is unhappy with the service you provided? This happened to me recently and I was completely unprepared for the blow, it felt almost physical and certainly ruined the rest of my week. It’s one thing to know I’ve made a mistake but quite another to think everything was fine only to find out afterwards it was not. I suppose these mismatches in vet/client expectations happen to us all, but do you ever forget the first time? I know that I am still dwelling upon it