Newbie at an Emergency Clinic? Don't Panic! (pt. 2)

5 more HUGE tips to thrive and grow into your role!

Okay gang, you know the drill. We’re back with Part 2 of MasterClass: How Not to Make a Complete Fool Out of Yourself at Your First Emergency Vet Job.

Quick recap from Part 1: learn on the job, do your tasks well, know protocols, take care of yourself, and AVOID the Q-word. Survived all that? Congratulations! I deem you ready for the next challenge.

6. Ask for feedback (diligently!)

Six months into my first emergency job, I was not happy. Not with the job, but with myself. I kept making silly mistakes, and I was convinced I wasn’t a competent employee (hello imposter syndrome). So I worked up the courage and finally asked the owner veterinarian and the head technician for feedback. Here’s how I approached it:

"I've been here for [insert time]. Is there anything you think I can improve on, or something I still haven't been doing well? If you're too busy right now, I'm happy to talk about this some other time. I just really want your feedback so I can grow."

Now, I apologize, but I don’t remember exactly what they said (I’m notoriously known for having a 2-second memory). However, I do recall the feeling of relief afterward, and a noticeable increase in trust from my bosses. They were appreciative that I’d taken the initiative to reach out and to ask for feedback. So, by putting yourself up for thirty seconds of awkwardness, you get directions to improve, and impress your bosses. SCORED!

Brace yourselves…it’s for the greater good (your own learning)!

7. Be a team player.

For one, be adaptable and flexible. Say your colleague is stuck explaining something to a client. Meanwhile, another client rushes through the door with a collapsing dog. Although your usual task is cleaning and assisting at the back, you happen to be right there. With the clinic’s intake protocol already memorized (you did read Part 1, right?), you check with your colleague and swoop in to get the dog to the veterinarian quickly. BOOM—you just saved the dog, the vet, and your colleague all at once.

Once you've got your own tasks down, look for ways to improve the workplace. There was a receptionist at my emergency clinic who was exceptional at organizing the towel shelves (Diane, you are an angel). She was such a pro that when she left, everyone was complaining about how fast the laundry room descended into chaos. So be a Diane! Make life better for everyone!

Note: During COVID, our clinic had a strict no-clients-inside policy, which significantly reduced the quality of communication between clients and veterinary staff. So I made a brochure walking clients through the entire process: from pulling into the parking lot, to what happens inside the hospital, and the reasons behind long wait times. When the owner veterinarian saw it, she was in awe. My two cents: Think outside of the box and get creative!

8. Make connections!

I’ve learned that in most fields, your career is shaped heavily by your connections. I KNOW I KNOW, as a fellow introvert, the idea of putting myself out there used to fill me with dread. But it has to be done. Who knows, once you get past the discomfort, you might just find a lifelong friend or mentor!

The staff who train you will be your mentors not just during your time there, but long into the future, if you nurture those relationships. If you see someone being open to your questions and willing to teach, make an effort to chat during the quieter moments. You can even take it a step further and ask if they'd be up for a coffee or a short chat outside of work.

Note: These connections are crucial if you ever apply to veterinary school, since most schools require letters of recommendation. A great letter comes from a meaningful, lasting impression, so keep those connections in mind!

9. Polish your customer service skills.

Unfortunately, you cannot escape humans in veterinary medicine. I’ve grudgingly rolled up and down that hill a couple of times.

Customer service skills will benefit you far beyond the job. If you've looked into vet school applications, you've probably heard of the CASPer. This is a test of your EQ and your ability to navigate ethical dilemmas involving PEOPLE (I can hear the introverts crying). But here’s the thing, it is a skill, and skills can be learned, right at the front desk with clients. To do well on the CASPer, and in this profession, you need to balance the needs of everyone involved. And to do that, you need strong customer service skills.

You will meet difficult clients in this field: frustrated ones, heartbroken ones, unreasonable ones. So always keep this in mind: your job is to help, not just the animal, but the owner too. Picture a client whose senior dog has a splenic mass, while also grieving his mother and drowning in debt (Warning: this scenario will DEFINITELY come up in vet school). Imagine how you would feel as this client. Shitty? Conflicted? Guilty? Overwhelmed? Feel all of those, and let your empathy lead. Don't be a Ron Weasley.

Note: Full article on client types and how to respond coming soon. This topic deserves its own post!

10. The mindset I want you to have…

Tell yourself this, again and again, whenever you make a mistake or feel like a failure:

It’s okay to fail. It’s okay to make mistakes.

Mistakes make you human, and they’re some of the best opportunities to grow. They don't mean you're not cut out for this, or not enough, or not meant to be in this profession. Whatever voice is saying all of this in your head, that’s your imposter syndrome talking. I want you to look at it in the face, slap it real hard, chuck it out the window, and keep going.

As well, give yourself some grace. That doesn’t mean shrugging things off like they never happened. It means learn the lesson and move forward without beating yourself up. Don’t let your mistakes stop you from becoming the vet you’re meant to be.

Veterinary medicine has enormous learning curves, and anyone you look up to has made mistakes that have kept them awake at night (either in tears or in cringe. I’ve had a fair share of both). You will get there, with patience for yourself and perseverance in improving every day.

Note: See my reflections, written during the early days at the emergency clinic:

2nd-day:

I don't know if it's just me, but it always feels hard whenever I finally understand something. Like I finally got the hang of the ACA stuff at the back, I felt so comfortable, but that took like two months or something. Now I've moved to receptionist, the first day of training I thought I got it. On the second day, which was September 8th, I felt so overwhelmed and couldn’t manage without others’ help. I'm not sure if it's me, or just that I'm not used to it yet, or that it was a super busy day.

But I know I'm trying my best, and I know I will only improve. That’s what I have in me. I need to respect that it'll probably take another two months to finally get used to the job. So next time, learn how to organize your stuff, do things one by one like Diane said, take some patience during calls to get the correct information, then put the info on the desk for the vet quickly.

You can do it!

1-month:

It’s now almost a month. I’m not completely there yet, but I’m getting there. I start to do receptionist stuff faster and more easily now, getting into gear. But I still lack experience. I can’t be like Faith (another colleague) yet, not because she learns faster, but because she has more experience than I do. I just gotta accept this is where I am. It’s not a competition, it’s a marathon, and I’m trying my best. I just need to calm down, empathize more, and ask for feedback more.

Wow, I have always been a reflective soul.

In summary, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, and allow time for things to stick.

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In Part 2, we covered: ask for feedback, be a team player, make connections, develop your customer service skills, and above all: believe in yourself and keep going.

That’s a wrap on the Newbie at Emergency Clinic series! If you’d love more series like this on any aspects of veterinary medicine, drop a comment and let me know!

Until next time…