Uncharted Veterinary Conference

Revolutionary veterinary marketing & business conference for those forging their own paths and telling their own stories.

Blog

Taking the Plunge: Are You Avoiding a Change that Will Make You Better?

By Tracy Sands, DVM

I chose the subject for my Mic Drop at the October Get Sh*t Done conference because it was my story. I am passionate about creating a veterinary workplace where team members want to come to work in the morning and don't leave emotionally exhausted at night. I learned through my own experience that the best way you can preserve this environment is to let go of toxic personalities even if they are skilled workers. By sharing my story, I hope other practice owners and managers realize that just because someone is skilled does not mean that they are right for your team. If I had not had the support of colleagues telling me that it was okay to let go of a long-term employee, I might not have made the choice to do so and our culture would be less because of it. Now it is my turn to support others in this decision.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Unchartedvet.com editorial team.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Change is so important to Tracy Sands that it is one of her company core values. She graduated in 2004 as a food animal practitioner and has gone through many career steps to get to where she is today. In 2013, as a part-time small animal practitioner, she was told that she would have to be less progressive or leave the practice. Tracy embraced this open door and started her own mobile practice, putting things into high gear. In the past 5 years she has focused on client/veterinary bonds, developing a positive team, and every aspect of Fear Free. When she couldn't fit all the client demand and drive times in any longer, Tracy designed and built Healing Paws Veterinary Care and Pet Resort. Making her practice a place where clients and staff can feel relaxed, respected, and trusted is a priority and, sometimes, that takes making the hard decisions. Outside of work, Tracy spends time with her husband and 2 kids on their farmette and is a cheerleader for all things Uncharted!

California Wildfire Relief Work Gave Me Back My Love of Vet Medicine

by Tyler Grogan, CVT

This Fall, I made a big move across the country to Los Angeles. Shortly after my arrival here, tragedy struck my new community. Fires swept across the state and devastated thousands of lives more quickly than I could ever imagine. It was humbling and terrifying to witness. Tragedy can leave you feeling helpless, but one of the most beautiful parts of being a veterinary professional is our unique ability to offer help during it.

The Woolsey fire had been burning for several days when I saw a call for help reposted on Instagram, to which I felt equipped to reply. Veterinary hospitals and animal shelters were being inundated with hundreds of injured and displaced animals. One veterinary hospital was evacuated, and instead of storing their equipment and supplies, they decided to put them to work and offer free assistance at a Red Cross shelter nearby. I had no idea what to expect, but I knew that I possessed the skills they were looking for. I sent a text to the random phone number and started a three day dose of perspective.

In the moment, the work I was doing seemed heroic to everyone outside of it. Some of it was challenging, and some of it was what you may expect. On my first day, an orange Tabby was brought in by animal control. His color was greyed by the residue of smoke, and his fur was shortened on his hind legs. It was clear he had been closely chased by flames. He huddled quietly in his towel, and the amount of singed fur caked to his face made everyone wonder if we would find eyes when we removed it. A physical sigh of relief came over the team and bystanders alike when he blinked two green eyes gratefully, for the first time looking around our tented clinic. He purred and head-butted me as he settled into his temporary home, and all of us fell silent for a few moments while we let the reality of the situation wash over us.

Thankfully, that was only a small part of what our volunteer work encompassed. Much more of the work we did was simply being there for the people and pets who had left their homes with nothing but the most important things to them – each other. We talked to people about their pets’ stories, educated them about symptoms of stress, and let them know we were there if there was anything else they may need. Does any of that sound familiar?

In this recent experience with the California wildfires, I was able to apply my veterinary skills that I use every day to help in a time of desperate need by a hurting community. Now I am not referring only to my experience with emergency medicine, triage or even dealing with burn wounds. Quite frankly, my experience in burn care is fairly limited. The skills I applied even more were my client communication skills, my compassion and my ability to work well in a team.

These are skills that I would argue almost every veterinary professional has to offer. Volunteering as a veterinary technician has arguably been one of the most rewarding times of my career, and I urge anyone that has the opportunity to do so, too.

It’s very easy to forget in the day-to-day that our dedication to this profession is a gift we can share. We get wrapped up in the thankless days, the difficult situations clients can put us in, and the small compensation for our hard work. We often speak of being cautious with what we give away in our businesses, and rightfully so when our livelihoods depend on them. So, take an opportunity to take the business out of it, and I promise you, you will quickly be reminded why you became a veterinary professional. If you’re searching for fulfillment or a reminder that your skills and knowledge are valued in your community – just offer your time.

How You Can Help During Disasters

If you’re a veterinary professional, animal shelter employee or anyone who wants an opportunity to offer help to animals in a disaster situation, here are links of organizations that you can become a part of! Even if you are not available to offer much time, many of these organizations will keep your information on file, and reach out to you if the need for volunteers arises!

Red Rover Responders
Florida State Animal Response Coalition
Disaster Animal Response Team of SPCA LA
Humane Society of The United States

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Unchartedvet.com editorial team.

Tyler GroganABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tyler Grogan is a Certified Veterinary Technician currently working in Los Angeles. She is passionate about our profession and helping support the superheroes in it! Outside of the clinic, Tyler shares her home with two feisty calico cats and her husband. She loves spending time exploring as much of the world as she can, including her new home of California!

Can Change Really Happen in 4 Days?

By Michael W. Miller, DVM

I had an 11 hour drive to get to Uncharted GSD, and I was excited about it.  Some people would think that seems like a strange thing to look forward to, but that peaceful ride was supposed to allow me to get my mind ready for the conference… oh, and allow me to practice my “Mic Drop” over and over as well.  (On the way, I discovered that talking to the other cars on the road is a bit less emotionally charged than presenting to a room full of my Uncharted friends and idols, but that’s a story for another time.)

Anyway, I had another reason I was looking forward to the drive.  In the past I had traveled this route several times, but never during the fall.  I had imagined how the mountain terrain would look when the trees changed colors.  I love autumn, and now I was finally going to get to see the Appalachian Mountain version!

However, Mother Nature didn’t cooperate.  The mountains were their normal, green selves that I had always seen before.  A few trees were starting to change, but that’s not what I was hoping to see.  I was disappointed.

Fast forward 4 days.

As I headed back north, I noticed much more color.  The mountain sides were spotted – still with a lot of green – but now with reds and yellows creating a stunning view through my windshield.

I thought maybe I was just more impressed now because I’m still riding an “Uncharted high” and looking at everything through rose-tinted glasses.  Yeah, that must be it.  Nothing could change that much in only 4 days, right?

But I think these conferences are the evidence that just 4 days CAN completely change everything.  It did for me—all three times so far.

I always leave Greenville feeling different than when I showed up, for the better.  No, that’s not right… for the way, way, way better!

There’s just something special—something magical—that happens here.  You find that there was a reason you are here that you don’t even realize.  You discover an opportunity to improve your practice or yourself that you didn’t know was necessary, or even possible.  The exchange of ideas and sparks of inspiration are happening throughout the conference, from the keynote speeches to the workshops to the late night talks in the hotel lobby.

You were a normal tree with green leaves when you arrived, but now you’re leaving as a tree with breathtakingly colorful leaves.  You have changed.  In only 4 days.  Yes, that really happened.

And now for the part that all of the previous attendees have experienced before, and the newbies will be suffering for the first time:  The Uncharted Hangover.  Those beautifully colored leaves are going to get rained on, blown around by the wind, and fall off.  The glowing happiness you felt as you left the conference will dim.

But guess what?  You now have a whole mountainside of fellow trees, who may be different than you, but are still standing tall alongside you, to help you through the winter.  Use them.  You need them, and they need you, too.

We will all get out the other side and be bigger and better when those leaves come back.  And, if you’re lucky enough to be a flowering tree, you get to go through another quick but strikingly beautiful transformation in the spring when your flowers bloom over another 4 days in Greenville at the next Uncharted Veterinary Conference.  It will be different, but just as powerfully awe-inspiring as the colorful changing leaves.

So, yes, it is true.  You aren’t just imagining it.  A lot can change in 4 days.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Unchartedvet.com editorial team.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Michael W. Miller, DVM is a part-owner of a four hospital practice and splits time between Lakewood Animal Hospital and Pine Bluff Animal Hospital in Morris, Illinois. He has a special interest in exotic animal medicine – especially reptiles, but he also enjoys working on dogs and cats including his mischievous shelter mutt named Wombat.

Finding Myself at Uncharted

By Jade Velasquez, LVT

I recently attended the Uncharted Veterinary Conference and I was curious to see what all the hype was about. I knew there would be great lectures and good people. But I didn’t quite realize just how life changing it would be. I walked in and thought I entered “conference life”; a world where there is little sleep, lots of learning and way too much networking. Conference life is a place that leaves me drained when I come home. I am tired, my mind is overwhelmed and thinking of all the ways I can implement the things I have learned. Many of them don’t come to fruition. But I was wrong. I did not enter conference life. I came home. [Read more…] about Finding Myself at Uncharted