“I’m a veterinarian. We are the subject of emotional blackmail on a daily basis. We only hear from distant friends and relatives when they want ‘free’ advice. We hear from our clients: ‘You are just recommending that to pad the bill,’ ‘You are only in it for the money,’ ‘If you cared about animals, you’d do (insert expensive procedure, test, medication) it for free.’ We get asked about payment plans because our clients don’t quality for loans or credit cards. We get blamed all the time for complications and poor outcomes. Our job is physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially exhausting.”
“So, here’s the deal. If you are asking us for free advice, don’t. We deserve our off time, and we deserve to be paid for our professional opinions. If you are a distant friend or a relative of a veterinarian, call us to say hi and see how we are, not just because we are some sort of free resource that you want to use. If you are angry at us for our recommendations and don’t trust what we are telling you, don’t shoot the messenger. Feel free to get a second opinion. But you need to realize that veterinarians typically do not recommend ANYTHING (test, procedure, medication) unless it is in the best interest of the pet. Have an emergency fund, get pet insurance, plan for caring for your pet.
We cannot care more for your pet than you do, especially financially. Veterinarians and their staff are the lowest-paid medical professionals in the US. We are probably getting paid less than your plumber. Our student debt load is the same as an MD. And our staff? They aren’t getting much more than minimum wage. Last, if your pet has a poor outcome or a complication, it’s not always the veterinarian’s fault. This is medicine. Medicine is not an exact science. Guarantees and warranties that a pet will get better just because they are receiving medical care is not realistic. We don’t wish complications and poor outcomes on any of our patients, but we get them. They hurt us emotionally just like they hurt you. Lashing out at us does not help anyone.”
—58, Texas
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/lizmrichardson/employee-job-secrets-and-stories