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Tips to Become the Perfect Locum and Increase Your Value!
30 May 2019How to Become the Most Sought After Locum In The Area
Being a popular locum is both fun and rewarding! More importantly, having a reputation as a high-quality locum opens the door to the best offers and increasingly, higher hourly rates. Here are a few tips that will help you in your locum journey:
Organize Your Schedule
The secret to being a successful locum is preparation and organization. Make sure that you plan your schedule well in advance and think about offering potential employers “blocks of hours” that fit their needs. If you already have a full-time position and are interested in supplementing your income, try to organize your work schedule so you have 1-2 full days to offer per week.
Making money while you vacation is an option as well. When planning your annual leave with your full-time employer, consider using this time as a “paid vacation”. This is great option for those who are interested in visiting other areas but might be on a tight budget, or for those that are trying to maximize their earning potential.
Create an Information-Rich Profile
Employers that are looking for temporary help want to hire the most qualified candidates with varied experience and diverse skill-sets. Always include your education, work experience, and specific skills that set you apart from other locums. Certain skills are highly sought after – and if you specialize in tooth-extraction or orthopedic surgery, make sure they are listed in detail. If you are willing to travel, remote veterinary clinics will be more than happy to help you with the travel arrangement. Remember, this profile is your resume; it’s your way of letting potential employers know why you are different from the other candidates and why they should contract with you![1]
Respond Quickly
Whenever you receive an offer from an employer, timeliness is essential. If you are actively looking for assignments, be sure to review new job postings and offers daily. Veterinary clinic owners appreciate it when you respond rapidly to their inquiries; this also shows that you are attentive and serious about helping them fill their needs.
Prepare a List of Questions
Make sure to prepare a list of questions about the vet practices standard et protocoles. These should be organized and ready before your first day. It will speed up your productivity. Some examples of effective questions might include:
– The fee for a medical exam (and the common procedures provided by the practice)
– The clinic’s vaccine protocols that are in place
– Clinic policies regarding heartworm or Lyme testing schedule
– Which patient management software do they use?
Showing your interest in their practice leaves the clinic with a good impression of you, giving them the impression you will be productive in a short while.
Be Proactive
Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression! When you are selected for an assignment, be prepared for your first day by being proactive. The day prior to your shift, call and confirm that you will be there and the time that you are supposed to arrive. This is a professional courtesy and it will be noticed by the clinic owner and staff. Always check your itinerary well before your first day. You will need to know the time that is required for travel. The day before arriving, be sure to check the weather forecast and travel conditions to anticipate any travel delays or if it will be necessary to take an alternate route. Ask where you can park your car, don’t tke the best spots: they should be left for the clients.
The Perfect Kit for a Perfect Locum
Gather all of the equipment and materials that you will need prior to your first day of work. By preparing a “locum kit” you will always be prepared for any assignment that comes your way. This is especially important if you already hold a full-time position and are supplementing your income through locum assignments. Not everyone brings all of their personal items home every day from their permanent clinic. By having a separate kit, you will not risk forgetting something at a different location. This kit should include items such as:
– Scrubs and uniform
– Proper footwear
– A stethoscope
– A drug dose handbook
– A name tag
– Gloves (If you are allergic to latex)
– A notebook and pen
– Dosimeter
Plan to pack a lunch and snacks (especially on your first day) because there may not be a place or enough time for you to buy food.
Be Professional
Always dress, look, and act professionally. The first impressionthat you make on the clinic owner, the team and the pet owners will be long-lasting[2]. You never want to risk your chances of a continuation of your contact, rehire, and your reputation by being or look unprofessional.
Always make a point of arriving a little early (prior to normal business hours) so that you can familiarize yourself with the layout of the clinic. Find the exam rooms, the treatment and possible boarding areas, and laboratory area . This shows everyone that you are ready to “hit the ground running”.
Bonus Items
If you want to know more about a practice, review their website. Review the information about the veterinarian(s) and the staff (including names if possible), services that they offer, hours of operation, and any affiliations. Chances are that you will fall in love with them. The time that you invest in preparation will go a long way.
Remember the veterinary world is small, and you always want to be known as the best!
[1]“Reachout Yourself: Resumes, Cover Letters, and Interviewing.”| Epstein, H.A.B. 28 Feb 2018, https://doi.org/10.1080/15323269.2018.1400835
[2]”Clothing and People-A Social Signal Processing Perspective.”| Aghaei, M. et al, May 2017. 12th IEEE International Conference (pp. 532-537), https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/7961787
Three Locum Success Stories
29 May 2019Which profile could be yours?
Oxilia is an animal health professionals’ community where the human resource needs of businesses are met by linking to qualified individuals willing to discover new opportunities.
The beauty of Oxilia is that it caters to all types of locums; in fact, our locums rarely have the same profile with each bringing his or her own diverse goals, professional training, experiences, interests, and backgrounds with them.
Three different Oxilia success stories:
Louise, a full-time veterinary locum. Louise is a 52-year-old veterinarian with years of professional experience. Her kids are grown and she now has plenty of free time. Louise appreciates the process of booking her schedule on Oxilia, and finds that this communication tool saves her time and the hassle of emailing back and forth to make arranges for scheduling.
Spending her time between 2-3 veterinary clinics in her region allows Louise to fill her free time. She feels appreciated at these clinics and brings with her a wealth of valuable experience. Louise has also realized that her locum experience provides her with the opportunity to mentor young veterinarians, helping them develop their skills along the way. The ability to have a flexible schedule and earn a high income also allowed her to work on her pet project: improving access for low-income families to her community garden.
Jessica, a part-time animal health technician locum. Jessica is a 32-years-old registered animal health technician (AHT) who enjoys new challenges. However, she also needs some stability in order to maintain a consistent routine for her 6-year-old daughter.
Currently, Jessica works a full-time position at a nearby vet clinic and is able to organize her shifts into two 12-hour-days. The flexibility in her schedule allows her to dedicate one day each week and a weekend here and there for locum work. Through this process, Jessica has learned tremendously from the professionals at each location and has been able to bring her new skills and knowledge back to her full-time job at the vet clinic.
The extra income earned as a locum has also provided Jessica with the opportunity to realize her dream of taking her daughter to Disney! Jessica admits she doesn’t like discussing salary, but Oxilia allows her to set her fees and find contracts without the painful steps involved with finding part-time work. Moreover, she finds Oxilia super easy to navigate!
Stephen, an occasional veterinary locum. Stephen is 28 years old and an avid mountain biker. For as long as he can remember, Stephen’s dream has been to live away from the city and near a national park. However, like many of us, love keeps him in an urban area!
Fortunately, Stephen has found a compromise that works for him! Using Oxilia, he has found consistent and rewarding locum contracts, usually lasting 2 to 3 weeks at a time, and always in a region where he can work hard and play even harder!
Stephen’s stay is organized around the veterinary business owner, who is planning to take vacations. With this arrangement, Stephen enjoys all the perks of being paid for a job he loves, relishes the opportunity of mountain biking in the most beautiful settings in the country, and most importantly, is able to balance his professional and personal lives.
Which Scenario Best Describes You?
Just like the locum success stories above, each locum that has a profile on Oxilia, has a different need, a different dream, their own skill set, and a unique approach to earning a living.
With Oxilia, you don’t have to work full-time or even every week – or month, for that matter. You are not limited to working with just one clinic or even the same clinics in one area. Oxilia matches you with quality, professional opportunities in work locations across Canada and in the U.S.
Oxilia provides you with an easy to use platform with support at every step in the process. We also provide additional resources to help you write the perfect resume, craft sample job ads, learn tips for managing your finances, and strategies for breathing new life into your career.
Once you post your information on the site, you are one step closer to finding the perfect match with help from Oxilia.
Why Oxilia?
There are many reasons so many veterinary professionals are looking to Oxilia as their source of locum employment.
– All job seekers create profiles that are unique to each professional
– Flexibility to choose your work schedule
– You set your own fees and negotiate contracts directly with the clinic owners
– Receive daily updates of new job postings, sent directly to your email
– Employers are looking for all levels of help in clinics, retail stores, outside sales, and more
– Opportunity to travel to areas that you love or would like to discover
You have the freedom to earn an extra income, find your dream job, create a schedule that works for you, or advance your career. This, combined with the ability to travel around the country, provides you with the solution you’ve been looking for.
What are you waiting for? You are just one click away from finding your ideal position with Oxilia.
You do not know how to determine your hourly rate? Look at our statistical analysis of hourly rates of our members, by province and by profile (veterinarian versus TSA).
Missing veterinarian – Missed opportunities
28 May 2019It’s on everyone’s lips right now in North America: there is a serious staff shortage problem in the animal health industry in terms of veterinarians and animal health technicians. Consequences for veterinary practices of such a problem can be far worse than what we might think at first. There multiple impacts, calculated in costs of opportunity, costs of replacement and psychological costs.
Costs of opportunity are the simplest to calculate. A full-time hired veterinarian can bring a business from 320 000$ to 400 000$ in annual earnings, depending on Canadian regions. Based on Benchmarks 2016: A Study of Well-Managed Practices published in August 2016, it’s more around 582 000$ to 614 700$ that a veterinarian can generate in annual earnings for well managed practices. If one of your veterinarians is missing, that’s how much you lose. Your payroll decreases while operation costs (building, mortgage, equipment, hardware, etc.) stay the same. Every month, you pass by between 26 600$ and 33 300$ in earnings for being short of one veterinarian.
Apparently, the tech-vet ratio (4:1) is one of the key factors of success for performing practices. A smaller team has to force its resources to see less patients and to cut corners. Staff shortage can be countered by extending appointment duration, but is it most efficient use of a veterinarian’s time if he or she must execute diagnostics while preparing prescriptions instead of delegating?
Clients from urban areas who couldn’t get any short notice appointment have now access to a large array of veterinary services. If they can’t have an appointment in your practice, they can go elsewhere. Opportunity costs can also reveal themselves on the long term, since those clients who opened files in other practices will now receive annual calls from them about vaccines and follow-ups.
Vermifuge treatment, sterilization, vaccines and microchip for a puppy can earn a veterinary practice between 800$ and 1200$. To not be able to offer multiple schedule options for those kinds of appointments represents a big financial risk.
Replacement costs are harder to calculate. These are all the costs and time associated with the hiring and training process, including costs of publishing an ad, time for interviews and onboarding. Human resources specialists have evaluated that it costs 6 to 9 months of salary to replace one employee. And while you’re looking for a candidate, you don’t see any clients!
You think you can find someone quickly? Based on an article from DVM360 magazine “The Year Ahead: Things Are Looking Bright for The Veterinary Profession”, only 0,5% of veterinarians were unemployed in 2017. If you’re looking to hire a head hunter, know that you can expect costs of 15% to 25% of your employee’s annual salary.
Psychological costs are almost incalculable but will leave you with a long-term scar. A withdrawn, disheartened team with the ultimate consequence of having a veterinary owner in psychological distress that could lead to professional exhaustion. Health and family are also on the line. Animal health is a field where a lot of professionals tend to throw themselves body and soul into, without listening to signs of stress.
Maybe you find this article is a bit of a downer. The animal health field is far from being the only one affected by staff shortage. Just think about the restaurant industry. Experts wonder, is this crisis caused by a real lack of candidates or are we in fact looking at a re-assessment of the employee-employer relationship.
Some websites are already revolutionizing how an employee works with its employer. Upwork, the platform who reached 10 billion dollars worth of contracts over the last year only, connects freelancers with businesses with specific human resources needs. The hype around Airbnb and Uber shows it as well: people want flexibility. In veterinary medicine, more and more professionals find themselves at ease and interested in short term contracts. In fact, this change can increase job fulfillment and self-development.
This tendency to espace from tradition is what drives Oxilia to create a flexible community that responds to veterinary practice owners’ needs. This is a direct solution to the increase of turnover rate in the last decade, while being a truly less expensive option instead of the traditional hiring process.
Job ads website Workopolis tells us that 51% of employees keep a position for less than two years. And we’re not counting here the frequent maternity leaves.
Oxilia opens the door to a network of excited professionals ready for new challenges in their field without having to manage human resources on a daily basis. An increasing flexibility in animal health professionals to better answer the changing needs of practices, that’s our philosophy!
Sources:
http://veterinarybusiness.dvm360.com/benchmarks-2016-shows-strong-revenue-growth-higher-staff-levels
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4982574/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4466835/
https://www.peoplekeep.com/blog/bid/312123/employee-retention-the-real-cost-of-losing-an-employee
Finding Freedom in Veterinary Medicine, by Caroline Brookfield
26 May 2019Oxilia is proud to partner with Dr. Caroline Brookfield, a locum veterinarian for 21 years, for a series of blog articles that will center on giving veterinary professionals some insights on the locum life and offer them a new perspective on their career in animal health.
A seeker of the unconventional, Dr. Brookfield is passionate about communication, and has been developing diverse skills over the years through veterinary medicine, entrepreneurship and artistic endeavor. In this article, find out her view on how one can start as a locum, where one should start, and what the locum lifestyle is all about. To all veterinarians and technicians out there wondering if the locum life is a viable option or not, this is for you!
***
I have always been a bit restless. In fact, one of the main reasons that I chose Veterinary Medicine was the ample opportunity for new challenges. I started off with some full-time clinic jobs early in my career. I always yearned for more control, less drama, vacations without permission, and a flexible schedule. I had a hard time being an employee, but I had no desire to become a practice owner.
After leaving Guelph upon graduation in 1997, I moved to Florida for a few years before a big backpacking trip to South-East Asia. On my return, I decided to return to the Canadian lifestyle, and planned to settle in Calgary. I had spent a summer externship position at the Calgary Zoo and loved the city, mountains and dry climate. First, I needed some cash, fast. After an intense 6-week stint at a Florida ER, working almost every day straight and entire weekends at a time (ER shifts in those days!) I drove up to Calgary, with a sense of naïve optimism. Jobless, clueless and cashless, I arrived with my belongings packed into my pick-up truck, and my dog in the cab, like a cliché country song.
Stop the highlight reel. Small Problem. I couldn’t find a job. I was a few years out of school, confident in my clinical and communication skills. There were a few postings, but after a few quick phone calls, realized that none were a great fit. I started looking for work as a locum tenens, which is a self-employed position where you act as a “substitute” veterinarian (or technician), usually for a short or intermittent time. I had some experience with working as a locum in Florida, but I had no idea how to start offering locum services, and being new to Calgary I did not have many connections. Back then, there were no online services or networks to make easy connections like there are now. I began networking at the local vet association, reaching out to other locums and clinics to let them know I was available, and over the next few months, built a client list that within a year kept me busy. Soon, I was booking in Calgary for a year in advance! I even managed to score a 2-month locum term in Saipan, Mariana Islands. Truth be told – I didn’t even know where Saipan was when I applied.
I was a bit nervous about being self-employed. I am not the most organized person, and I was worried about the business side, especially taxes and insurance. Seeing business owners everywhere gave me confidence. If they could do it, so could I! I remember sitting down and comparing locum work with the associated costs involved (license, insurance, health care) to a full-time job at the time. It actually came out fairly even. But, I loved being a locum. One of my core life values is freedom, so being a locum allowed me to be in charge of my own schedule, without having to ask a boss for time off. A surprising benefit for me was removing myself from gossip and clinic drama. I had not realized how much ongoing staff conflict and passive aggressive battles had worn down my motivation over time. I learned so much, by working at many different clinics, I picked up really cool tricks and tips to improve my quality of care.
I started with a part time job as a stable base salary, and used locum work to supplement my income. Many locums start out this way, as a low-risk option to trying the locum lifestyle.
Be conscientious in meeting Canada Revenue independent contractor requirements. If you get a long-term job at one clinic, you should check with your accountant to find out if you should be an employee or a locum.
Imagine the flexibility. Book yourself off for a month – travel to Fiji to volunteer at a spay/neuter clinic, followed by a long vacation at the beach. Take summers off to be with your kids, or winters off to go somewhere warmer. Take some days off midweek to get cheaper tickets and shorter lift lines at the slopes, or to avoid crowds at the beach. With the rise in part time employment and flexible work hours, more clinics are looking to locums to fill their temporary needs.
There are some challenges to being a locum. Flexibility is required, as well as an easygoing attitude. You will be most successful in a clinic if you see yourself as a service provider to the clinic team, the owner and the clients. It can be a balancing act, but if you ask a lot of questions, check your ego at the door, and come from a place of service, the rest will come easily. Most potential conflicts arise around a lack of communication. Drafting a checklist of requirements to review with your clinic is essential. For instance, if you refuse to perform certain surgeries like declawing a cat – make sure this is in an introductory document or checklist to discuss. Do they work with exotics? What if you stay late or miss a lunch break? Clear communication is crucial. Some locums offer a clinic visit before they agree to an extended term.
Now, the boring stuff (luckily, it’s easy). You need to be organized. Contracts, taxes, bookkeeping and tracking mileage and expenses is mandatory. I have a bookkeeper and an accountant to help me with those aspects. Using a service like Oxilia will help you with some of the other daunting tasks like marketing, finding business, contracts, and income tracking.
If you are considering the locum lifestyle, here are a few suggestions:
#1. Keep your current job and start by picking up extra shifts here and there. You will slowly develop your confidence to take on longer jobs. Create the life YOU want to live – being a locum can be whatever you want it to be – it does not have to be all-or-nothing.
#2. Call your local small business support, such as the one in Alberta, or start with the Canada Revenue Agency. You don’t have to do it alone – there are so many organizations and resources to help you set up a business. It is definitely much easier than trimming a puppy’s nails! People do it every day, even the guy selling hot dogs at the park!
#3. Contact a locum agency. Agencies like Oxilia have excellent tips, resources and support to make your transition seamless.
#4. Strategically contact clinics if you have a set of criteria that you prefer (AAHA, Feline only, etc). Networking can be useful but also time consuming, so find the “low hanging fruit” first by checking listings and ads for locums wanted to avoid wasting your time.
#5. Get to know other locums – learn about what systems they use, give each other referrals, and have a network to bounce ideas off.
#6. Make sure that if you work as a locum, you have a contract. If you go through Oxilia, they will arrange this for you. It’s crucial!
#7. Use technology – apps like Mile IQ, Waveaccounting.com, and many others will help you to manage your business needs so that you can keep saving pets’ lives.
Now, after 21 years, I can say that I still love working as a locum tenens. I feel so good about offering a service to my colleagues to allow them to take the time off they need to refresh, while supporting the lifestyle I want. The richness of experience, relationships and networking as a locum is unmatched. I have learned so many new skills, and many of my interesting contract positions have resulted from the diversity of people that I meet in my business.
Thanks to my locum lifestyle, I’m heading to New Zealand with my family for a wedding in December. Who goes to New Zealand for a few weeks? I’m clearly going for a month, with a stop in Tahiti for a week on the way home. Try to ask your boss for that kind of vacation, I dare you!
Caroline Brookfield provokes professionals to thrive by showing them how to play in the margins of convention. Veterinarian, entrepreneur, aspiring stand-up comedian and mom, she lives in Calgary, Alberta. Find her on Instagram (@artfulscience) or online at www.carolinebrookfield.com.
5 things that all veterinarians wish they knew before graduating from school
25 May 2019For a couple of years now, veterinary education in Canada has met a fresh desire to change. Some schools have already transformed their academic curricular while other programs are initiating a reform of their own. The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges had already stated in a 2008 convention the need to update the North American veterinary medicine programs, bringing different schools to start a refurbishment of their programs. The consensus: less long oral presentations by the teachers to allow more time on helping students prepare for the real world and to give them tools to be independent.
The faculty of veterinary medicine at University of Calgary has substantially changed its curriculum for future students over its 2016 reform by promoting innovation more and drawing away from traditional teaching methods. The Ontario Veterinary College from the University of Guelph has built an innovative educational program, earning the first place in the best Canadian veterinary medicine institutions ranking. In Quebec, the University of Montreal will give birth in 2019 to its first group of graduates who started the program reform back in 2014.
The reality of veterinarians is constantly changing and their training must reflect the current state of the profession. Too often, veterinarians are faced with situations and challenges that give rise to the question: “Why didn’t we address it more in school?”.
We therefore want to present you our (abbreviated) list of what most veterinarians wish they knew before graduating from school. The Oxilia Team wants to mention the precious help of Dr. Angelique Perrier-Edmunds, veterinarian since 2010 and vice-president of the VMAQ (Veterinary Medicine Association of Quebec in small animal practices).
#1 – MONEY TALK
A deeper knowledge about money on many levels is what new graduates cannot count in their work arsenal. Any new veterinarian will confirm it pretty quick: one has to be able to speak about money with clients. And it’s a hard truth for everyone starting a career in that field: more than half of the time you’ll spend working will be spent talking about money. You’ll soon realize that services must be offered depending on the budget of each client.
Newcomers must learn how to create an adapted budget plan. They need to identify what is the best treatment to apply and what are the ones that can be put aside. Basically, it’s about doing what’s best for the animal according to a given budget.
Clients don’t have the same understanding of costs attached to a veterinary service. Some may think that the amount that is charged is directly used to pay the veterinarian’s salary. One has to explain in a nuanced manner the implications of costs of machines, drugs and other supplies. But how do you prepare students for such situations? With a series of practice cases, with fictional budgets and costs for each treatment. Money management really is a major part of a veterinarian’s routine and students must be made aware of it.
#2 – BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
“I am no manager, but I’m managing all day long”, has pointed out Dr. Perrier-Edmunds in our recent phone conversation. It is very clear that not all veterinary medicine students want to own a practice one day. However, having more classes about finance management and resource handling would allow more future veterinarians to better understand the implications of running a practice. Specialized workshops, mandatory classes or even an entrepreneurial branch in the program would give interesting options for students having an interest in business management or for the ones who plan to work as associates.
#3 – SOCIAL SKILLS
Many veterinary students are still convinced that the biggest part of the job in a practice is working with animals. They
will be surprised to learn that working with humans takes the same time, if not more, than working with patients. Just like explained above with the money talk, it’s always the pet owner who decides. Therefore, maintaining a good communication channel with your client is a must. They will expect you to present them the differences between one drug and the other, what steps does it entail, for what effects and for how much.
Preparing yourself to deal with negative feedback is another major thing. All pet owners don’t consider their pet the same way, which reflects on how intensely they will argue with your recommendations. Tactfulness will be essential. What you think is the best treatment for the pet won’t always be considered by the client, depending on the client’s perspective on his animal.
Adding up to clients, a veterinarian must learn to work in tandem with other staff members like animal health technicians, receptionists, other veterinarians and also the practice owner or manager. More than knowing who does what, new veterinarians have to know what tasks can be delegated to colleagues. The way to practice those reflexes at school would be to give students made up cases where they have to collaborate, interact in a diplomatic manner and divide the workload.
Newcomers will also be surprised that delicate social skills will be needed outside of work shifts as well. One has to know how to deal with this aspect of the job. “You have to learn to set your boundaries because it really can get annoying. To a point where people come to you with tons of questions on Facebook. Dealing with this side of my job is something that I haven’t quite managed to seize just yet”, explains Dr. Perrier-Edmunds. People will feel the need to express their passion over their pet if you tell them what you do for a living. New veterinarians have to be prepared for it and know their limits.
#4 – EMOTION MANAGEMENT
“Student internships go really fast”, adds Dr Perrier-Edmunds. “Students observe, they don’t have to deal with anything and they’re obviously not as invested emotionally as you can be in a real situation”. A veterinarian’s daily routine is a rollercoaster of different cases. There’s a particular challenge given by the contrast between some situations. You might have to announce the necessity to euthanize an old dying dog while doing the annual check-up of a cat in perfect health. Tears mix up with laughs. Veterinarians learn early on that dealing with their own emotions is a major part of the job, and it can be a challenge. “Switching modes or mindsets is a necessity when you deal with multiple clients at a time”, specifies Dr. Perrier-Edmunds.
Also, veterinarian’s guilt is threat that needs to be known at school. The point is, the finality is never up to the veterinarian. It’s simply part of the job.
The non-stop rhythm of work shifts added to the heaviness of cases can create major stress and even depression. A solution would be to work on one’s ability to be resilient in front of daily situations. Stress management and life balance workshops are great examples of tools that can be used to raise student awareness on the health implications of those aspects of a veterinarian’s career.
#5 – CHOOSING YOUR PRACTICE WELL
When getting their diploma, graduates will have the choice of the practice in which they want to start their career. It is important for young veterinarians to make a decision according to their values and vision. A practice’s policy will often depend on its location. If you choose a practice in rural area, policies and rules will be fairly different than what is done in big cities. If the practice authorizes convenience euthanasia, will you be ready to do it? If your practice manager asks you to treat an exotic animal when you usually treat small animals only, how will you deal with it? Geographically isolated clinics can face those kinds of situations. How about offering new graduates a guide with suggested questions to ask themselves and to ask a practice, in order to establish if a practice is in line with their personal philosophy?
Given the constant evolution of the job, veterinary school programs will always be in need of a reform. That being said, a better and broader awareness on the current reality of the job is what schools need to have if they want to keep their programs up to date. Building school curriculums grounded in reality will enable students to take advantage of a strong toolset to enter the veterinary world.
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How being a casual athlete makes you a better worker
24 May 2019What’s a casual athlete? A casual athlete is a term used to identify individuals who aren’t real professional athletes, but who place sports and other physical activities in their daily routine. And they are serious about their sport and their physical condition, which justifies the term casual athlete as appropriate. Here’s why being one can actually help your work.
THE SKILLS
What you develop as a casual athlete is actually pretty close to the requirements and personality traits requested from most businesses. Making time in one’s schedule for physical activity demands time managing skills. You have to be able to evaluate the actual time it takes including travel, meal and shower time around that activity. Casual athletes also make for great team builders because they know how to work with other athletes to achieve a common goal. Whether it’s in a hockey match or in a circuit training at the gym, casual athletes surround themselves with other people and they have to find a way to make things work. They learn how to bring the teamwork to a whole other level. That’s exactly what you’re asked regularly at work.
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
It’s the casual athlete’s motto. It’s what they do on a daily basis. Pushing through hardship. And when they have reached a point where it gets easier, they ramp up the challenge. There’s never an ending goal of being a casual athlete. The finish line always hides another finish line a little farther. And those obstacles show in different shapes through the process; sickness, weather conditions, laziness and peer pressure are just a few of the things that get in the way of maintaining an active lifestyle. Casual athletes are used to fighting the desire to quit on a regular basis. So those traits of determination and obsessiveness will unavoidably show at the workplace, where obstacles always get in your way.
CONFIDENCE
It has been proven that playing sports and exercising often improves self-confidence. At the end of the day, staying fit and active means striving to be the best version of ourselves. Developing the toughness and a discipline in order to get concrete results on one’s body takes a lot of effort and the reward is a better physical and mental health. Obviously, this reflects directly on someone’s work attitude and their ability to adapt to new conditions.
A BALANCED LIFE
Someone who takes time to include sporting activities in their daily routine demonstrates a priority of keeping things balanced. Physical activity decreases stress and keeps your head in a good space. Whether you are a locum or an employee, engaging your whole body into something other than work not only changes your mind from the work itself and enhance creativity, but makes you a well-rounded professional.
Did you know that all of the Oxilia team members regularly include sports in their daily life? Here’s a rundown of what each one of the Oxilia peeps actually does in their spare time.
Victor
An outdoor beast. Long runs in the woods, kayaking and horseback riding are among his major hobbies. What gives an edge to Victor in terms of cardiovascular activity is that he a
ctually rides his bicycle to work every day. That efficient mix of incorporating sport as a part of the daily routine is something the rest of the team can all learn from, and we haven’t all caught up with that, just yet.
Charles
One hell of a gym lover. Pushing his limits is what he strives for, whether it’s in the fitness area of the community center where he trains, on the treadmill or the stationary bicycle several times a week. On top of being a boxing and basketball enthusiast, Charles did last April his first half-marathon.
François
The chameleon of sport. As long as the sweat’s not happening in the gym, François will be willing to do it. A fan of long walks and runs in the forest, he also enjoys biking, swimming, fitness (at home) and tennis. But the thing he loves the most and what makes him so intense about sports: triathlon.
Jean-Simon
is an outsider at heart. If it’s a sport that can get you in touch with the wildlife, J-S will go for it. Aside from random hikes and treks in the forest, what he gets the most thrill out of is scuba diving.
Tommy
is a team player. He plays hockey several times a week and enjoys competition. But above all else, he is probably the biggest golf addict you’ll ever meet. When we don’t see him at the office, we know it’s because he’s probably on the green somewhere, going for his double eagle. At least he brings his Bluetooth device on the court.
Jokes aside, the point here is that we are all casual athletes at Oxilia. We embrace multiple sports and cardiovascular activities in our personal lives so we can bring our best at work. Sometimes in a fast-paced workplace, it’s easy to think that the work itself counts as physical activity. A lot of runs, getting files for this and that, getting clients every quarter of an hour, etc. But the most important thing is to do physical activity outside of working hours. To have a free mind to concentrate on yourself, in a space or room dedicated to just that.
At Oxilia, sport isn’t at the center of our daily conversations, but we include all kinds of sporting activities and events in our lives on a casual/part-time basis so our work can benefit from it. That’s the meaning of being a casual athlete.
And you? Do you try to maintain an active lifestyle and do you play competitive sports? Here’s a great article on the positive impact of encouraging team sports within a workplace: https://www.talk-business.co.uk/2017/02/28/workplace-sports-can-boost-business/
And here’s another link for healthy snacks ideas you can bring to work: https://www.snacknation.com/blog/healthy-office-snacks/
4 essentials often forgotten in veterinary practice management
3 August 2018Every manager of veterinary practice will surely confirm that managing a practice is a whole lot of work! Whether it’s managing one clinic or a group of clinics, a clinic specialized in small or in large animals, a startup or a mature company, there will always be challenges to overcome. The many, many tasks required in founding and maintaining a functional and prosperous practice can be quite overwhelming, and this is why we thought it would be great to discuss it here. Veterinary practice managers, this is for you!
No 1:Your practice’s performance can be increased now
Setting monthly profit goals isn’t enough anymore; you can’t expect profits to grow every month in a consistent manner because you cannot predict customer behaviour. What managers often forget to do is to take a look at the economic cycles when creating their annual budget. Keeping an eye on GDP variations through business quarters allows you to have an idea of when the expansion and recession periods will occur.
Any business can easily access the different economic indicators on the Government of Canada Website: https://canadabusiness.ca/business-planning/market-research-and-statistics/canadian-economy/
Ups and downs in the economy should always be considered in the establishing of team goals. Predicting the different periods in the economic cycle also means preparing for the slow season, from March to June. How will you cope during this season? If you need locums to add workforce in your clinic, you can book them more than a year in advance. Hiring locums can allow your business to reach your team goals, even during the slow season..
Advance booking, a necessity!
Not all practices instinctively do this yet. If you can coordinate your veterinarians, technicians and receptionists so the future appointment fits the patient and customer’s needs and availability, do it!
Additionally, setting common team goals creates an environment that values hard work and effort. This increases teamwork within your staff. Moreover, reaching goals that are partially based on economic cycles will reveal flaws in your performance and your customer service. However, the environment you create must not become a source of major stress for your staff and your patients, because your practice’s performance can only be as successful as your customer service allows it to be.
No 2 :Rethink human resources
Think about the way you train new staff. Is it optimal? Training never ends and can always be improved. Get rid of the “I’m fully trained, I have nothing else to learn” mentality. There is always something new to learn and a new way to improve your everyday routine.
Do you usually set up group meetings or individual ones? Do you communicate the same information in one place simultaneously to all your staff members? Do not forget that your team is formed of professionals with different positions and with different daily routines. Sticking exclusivelyto group meetings is not always an optimal solution to maximize the retention of information or to increase the personal awareness and responsibility of your employees. There are specific topics that are better addressed individually or in small groups.
Opting for a more ‘human’ approach within a business is always a smart move, but it has to start from inside the business! A managerhas to create meaningful relations with his/her staff that exceed the polite “Hi, how are you?”. Be open to their questions, concerns and stress factors. Ask your staff for help, and show some gratitude for their hard work. When it’s time for performance evaluation, prioritize a non-biased and neutral system, such as the mirror evaluation (an evaluation system in which the employee reviews his own performance and compares it to his employer’s review during an individual meeting).
What about your staff’s work environment? Do you offer a quality workplace with enough resources to accomplish all tasks and to potentially exceed them? Do you have an employee manual with clear instructions that are easily accessible? The work environment and the relationship with the employer are considered first by your employees when they decide whether they want to keep working at your practice or not, not compensation.
No 3:In case you are absent, do you have a plan B?
Here is a hypothetical situation for managers who do everything on their own: you have to leave the practice for an indeterminate period. What is the next step? Are you ready for any unforeseen event? Do you know who can handle the payroll and the bills? Make sure you choose someone you trust, like a chief associate or an assistant. Is there a step-by-step document available for that person? Think about it!
Your receptionists or associates must also know how to maintain inventory and know which companies to contact for reparation requests. Make a list of things to verify, such as all the drugs needed on shelves, the quantity required, the expiry dates, etc.
Make sure you are not the only person in charge of human resources. Train someone else to manage schedules for you, lighten your load .
Are you in contact with a legal company or an attorney for your legal documents? You must have at least one great legal contact in your address book in case of a dispute or a particular situation in which you can’t make a decision on your own.
No 4 :Review your finances
Go find advice from outside the business. You need to talk with CPAs who possess a neutral point of view of your practice. You do the same when you ask a second opinion about a patient to one of your colleagues. Ask a professional about your business, the most successful veterinary practices do thisfor every one of their departments.
External advice will help you have a better understanding ofyour practice’s financial status. An accountant’s advice will allow you to reduce costs, find divergences, prevent employee mistakes and fraud and find innovative strategies to improve your operations.
And there you have it! The 4 essentials tools often forgotten in veterinary practice management. Did you identify with some of the things mentioned? Succesfully managing a practice is a tough challenge… but it can be done, with great organizational skills and a sense of priority. Think about what you can easily apply on a daily basis for your business. Share your thoughts with us!
Charles Brien, August 3th, 2018
Sources:
https://www.vmdtoday.com/practice-management/avma-2018-using-the-business-cycle-to-optimize-practice-profitability
https://www.vmdtoday.com/practice-management/improve-compliance-improve-your-bottom-line
https://www.vmdtoday.com/practice-management/mvc-2018-staff-training-done-right
https://www.veterinairesaucanada.net/documents/practice-management-essentials
https://www.vmdtoday.com/practice-management/preparing-for-the-unexpected
https://www.vmdtoday.com/finance/accounting-tips-for-the-busy-veterinarian
https://inside.6q.io/5-top-reasons-why-employees-leave-their-jobs/
Oxilia’s DNA
26 July 2018Oxilia, locum community
Oxilia is a community regrouping veterinarians, veterinary technicians and students who dedicate their hearts to animal care and who value a happy working environment. Many people have asked us the meaning of Oxilia and where the willing to create this community came from. In an effort to inform you more on the foundations of Oxilia and to keep you up to date on the animal care world, it is a pleasure to present you the first article of a blog article series that will be published on our platform monthly. To begin, what’s better than to tell you about our DNA.
Oxilia’s DNA
Born from an entrepreneurial passion and a desire to make the profession evolve, Oxilia has been created by two veterinary doctorate students, François Asselin and Jean-Simon Richard. It is based on common values such as mutual aid, freedom and simplicity that the Oxilia community was founded in 2017.
The mission of Oxilia
Oxilia has the objective of connecting freely the professionals and institutions of the veterinary field across Canada in order to guarantee a better service to the customers and their pets. In order to do so, a user-friendly platform has been created. To do locum work or ask for a professional has never been this easy! Just connect online, create your profile and depending in what you’re looking for, you can either submit for job offers or go through the potential candidates for your offer.
Meaning of Oxilia
Rooting from the latin word Auxilia that means help, rescue and assistance, Oxilia was the name given to Roman army troops assigned to rescue and support the legions. Oxilia therefore strives to help clinics, hospitals and other veterinary institutions all around the country in giving them a window of contact with animal health professionals. Together, we are equipped to face the staff shortage of the veterinary field while participating in the well-being and good care of a larger number of animals.
Join the Oxilia community
A community there to be a partner in your career growth or your company’s development.
- You want new challenges?
- You want to gain experiences from different veterinary institutions?
- You are looking for a first experience?
- You would like to fulfill a position within a team?
- You need to find replacement for a maternity leave?
- You are faced with one of your employees’ extended absence?
- You are apprehensive of the holidays your employees plan to have?
Does one or more of those questions ring a bell? If so, we would like to invite you to join to the Oxilia community through a simple and quick form. Just choose whether you are a clinic or a professional and go through the profile questions. Then you will have access to the platform and will be able to browse through and if you want to, submit for an offer or create one, accordingly. You need more information on how Oxilia works? We invite you to look up our Terms of serviceas well as our Privacy policy.
Oxilia has been created for you by professionals just like you. Together, we are building a community with the mission of improving the animal well-being and work satisfaction.
Welcome to Oxilia!
In Canada, do we declaw or not?
25 July 2018Our third blog article has finally arrived and we wanted to take this opportunity to talk about a very current topic discussed by as many professionals as pet owners: the declawing of cats. Is it a questionable thing or a necessary one? Are all veterinarians in agreement over it? Is the declawing still happening in the different Canadian provinces? Those questions will be approached in this text that is meant to be a summary, not an opinion paper.
First of all, what is the process of declawing cats?
Also called onychectomy, the operation implies in the removing of the third and last bone in each of the cat’s toes. As opposed to the human fingernails that grow from the skin, the cat claws grow from the bone, which explains why it is needed to get to the bone to remove the claw. Usually done with an anesthetic on domestic cats, the surgery remains for most of the time a decision by the pet owner that will frequently ask this to be executed jointly with the sterilization.
The declawing debate
A growing number of professionals and medical practices is condemning and intensely protesting the practice of declawing. Why ? Because they consider it to be useless, but also strongly opposed to what the veterinary ethic is. Since March 2017, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) has opposed itself to it and uses the words “partial amputation of domestic felids’ toes” to mention it. Results from researches had in fact allowed the CVMA to take position regarding the question, having discovered that the surgery causes unnecessary pain as well as bad side effects for the animal and its long-term physiology.
Even though the veterinarians always have the right to say no when asked for a cat declaw, but declawing remains a common request among domestic cat owners. The main reason: wanting to avoid furniture damage by the cat. Some veterinarians have said that they were against the declawing ban, saying that it is still the unique way to guaranty house and children protection. It must be said that a good number of veterinarians will proceed to declaw the cat if there are risks that the owner may otherwise abandon or euthanize the animal. There is certainly a duality between the veterinarian/client relationship and the veterinary ethic. Adding to that, the revenue attached to such a surgery is sometimes huge for certain practices.
Looking for compromises
Veterinarians must be aware of the alternatives that must be presented to domestic cat owners. First of all, a regular cut of the claws made by a professionalis recommended once every two weeks. Then, the use of claw protections, small caps also called soft paws or masked claws, used to cover the entire surface of the claw. The product used is obviously not dangerous for the animal and the caps don’t get in the way of the natural retraction and extraction of the claws. Cats use their claws for self-defense and to mark their territory. The purchase of scratching postscan be appropriate. Those are made out of a solid material that is appealing to the cat and destined to be used by the cat to mark its territory. These scratching posts can be on the corner of walls, or take the form of scratching towers. As long as it is tall and solid enough so the cat can easily land its claws and stretch on it as well.
However, those preventives can’t really work if they are not preceded by a proper educationof the cat and the family as well. Just like the dog, positive reinforcement works. The children need to recognize the signs of frustration from the animal and respect its environment.
The presence of declawing in Canada
In Australia, New-Zealand, Israel, Brazil and in almost 25 European countries, declawing cats is already banned and considered inhuman. West Hollywood was the first North American city to forbid the surgery. The New York and New Jersey states both are currently in talks over the question. In Canada, even if the CVMA has stated to be against the procedure, veterinarians can still agree or not to do it if there is no law in their province forbidding not to.
Since March 15th 2018, Nova Scotia became the first Canadian province to ban the declawing of cats. Based on behavioral studies, the provincial association now considers the declawing of cats to be in conflict with what the veterinary ethic is. The news created a reaction wave among veterinarians across Canada. Since May 8th 2018, British Columbia became the second Canadian province to take a stance in deciding to ban the declawing of cats. The College of Veterinarians of B.C. has stated that there is no particular condition for the cat owner to justify this operation, and that there are other ways to get rid of the animal’s behavior problems.
Since the beginning of 2018, veterinarians and organizations from Ontario, Alberta and New-Brunswick all declared publicly that they would like the rest of the Canadian provinces to follow Nova Scotia and British Columbia’s example.
For that matter, the Prince Edward Island Veterinary Medicine Association is not planning to ban the surgery in the province, since the numbers have showed a great decrease of the demand of cat declaw in veterinary practices. The provincial association correlates this result with the work done to educate the public on the matter.
Nova Scotia and British Columbia are therefore the only two Canadian provinces to actually ban the declawing, and not just stating against it. Nonetheless, there are practices in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec that have already taken steps to make a change and decided to ban the declawing in their practice. Practice owners and professionals who work with them all play a big decision-making role that could push the provincial organizations to actually take position on the matter. For this wave of change to really work, it takes a small-scale thinking.
We would like to bring the discussion to you! What do you think? Are you for or against cat declawing? Do you believe that the ban is the solution or should we prioritize a better public education on the matter? Do you know of other alternatives to the surgery than the ones we named in this article? Share your views in the comments and thanks to all our readers!
Charles Brien