My skill set
I’m not a people-person, so I work in shelter medicine and ECC because there are fewer clients. I am, however, a good communicator so I like the freedom both of these settings give me to discuss cases fully and thoroughly with staff and owners. I am pragmatic and good under pressure at multi-tasking and prioritising, hence ECC. I do not have a plant-brain (more addled mummy-brain) so the 10 minute consult where you have to access minute detail in the pigeon holes of your mind don’t work well for me any more. I am quite a visual person and have good 3D memory, so I’m good at imaging – I can usually work out what I’m looking at intuitively. I can also differentiate the pink/purple blobs under the microscope quite effectively, so my current job description is:
Imaging and cytology working for an animal shelter and a local first opinion veterinary hospital out of hours clinic. I LOVE my job, but that’s because I discovered my strengths early on, developed them and now use them for the majority of my work. Having a practice that supports and recognises individual skill and talent works well for both parties. I still do all the other GP vet stuff, but the balance is firmly in favour of what I’m good at!
