An Open Letter from an Ethical Old Veterinarian

Integrity is not quite dead. Steve D. Vredenburg, DVM, of Banks Veterinary Service in Banks, Oregon writes in the February 1, 2009 edition of Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (Vol. 234, Number 3):

As an aging veterinary practice owner operating a mixed-animal practice near enough to a large city to have a perspective on trends in practice management today, I feel obligated to offer criticism of what I perceive to be a trend harmful to our profession and culture, as well as make some suggestions to improve and integrate our profession and lives.

I am tired of the litany of articles appearing in our trade journals and magazines advocating financial management changes from marketing strategies to helping clients say yes to methods aimed solely at increasing average per client transactions. I don't believe it is ideal to strive for working less and making more money. I believe this is a core component of our current culture's deteriorating work ethic.

I don't believe it is important to maximize our per client transaction, especially when it means selling clients things their pets don't need or shaming them into doing more diagnostics or heroic procedures that may or may not help, but often represent a clear financial hardship. And if we are successful in persuading them to that point of view, expecting full payment up front seems a little sinister, especially when less expensive options may not have been offered. I also don't believe clients want or expect a veterinary technician, however competent, to work up a case and then take the pet back to the veterinarian. It seems to me that there are several things wrong with this, not the least of which is a lack of interaction with your clients. A considerable part of our job is to educate clients. I don't believe it is ethical to pay a technician to, for example, perform a dental procedure on a dog a charge a client a price that would be consistent with a veterinarian doing the work.

I believe that veterinary medicine is more than just business. We are here to improve the quality of life of animals and their owners. We are a service industry. We can influence our clients and our community through that service and by our example, and can enrich our own lives and appreciation for life in that application. We are also people, and as such, we have a fundamental connectedness to other people, to our community, to our past and traditions, and to humanity. That means we have responsibility to do what we can to make our life and life around us as understandable, rewarding, and enriching as possible. I urge everyone to approach their work with passion so it will begin to feel less like work. If you engage your clients, you may find they have interests, talents, perspectives, and insights. They may have something of value to offer you.

I encourage everyone to strive to perfect their craft because it will enrich your soul. This may be the most perfect marketing strategy you can imagine or implement, and it is FREE.

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