Comments on: Know a Winning Practice When You See One

By: Valerie

Valerie — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:53:08 +0000

What a good idea, Brenda – scheduling interviews with veterinarians on a staff meeting day!
I would like to put an old stereotype to the test. Namely, the injunction to stay away from a practice run by a married couple who are veterinarian and hospital administrator. I have interviewed at a couple of such practices and got a very good impression of both (I know, N = 2…). It would seem that if the couple are in agreement and harmony (which was the case with both practices I witnessed), there is continuity and consistency to how the practice is run and represented. If this “united front” is founded on sound medical and business practices, so much the better, right? So I want to know where this stereotypical fear of husband-wife practices originates, and what experience people have had in this respect.

By: Teri and the cats of Furrydance

Teri and the cats of Furrydance — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:37:06 +0000

Great post and great reply, Brenda! Yep, lack of regular staff meetings IS a big red flag…sigh, it’s a problem where I work now. One thing I looked for when job hunting (as a vet tech) was 1) whether the practice had a website and how updated it was and if they had staff bios and photos along with the Doctors. To me, that meant the staff was an important and valued part of the team!

By: Brenda Tassava, CVPM

Brenda Tassava, CVPM — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:42:19 +0000

These are excellent points! I would look at one other area: staff meetings. How often does the practice have staff meetings? I love to schedule interviews with potential veterinarians on our staff meeting day (held weekly). I want them to be able to sit in on a full staff meeting, so they know what they can expect, as well as observe the culture of our practice in action. A big, red flag would be lack of, or inconsistent staff meetings.