303. Upgrading and best practices

There is always a generation gap between old and young vets. However some young vets have this confidence to communicate with older vets and that is good for them. Young vets who naturally want to group around with their peers and age group. This is commonly seen.

On Jan 13, 2011, I visited two competitor vet practices. It was great that the two younger vets I met were good at communication. One was clean shaven in his head. "Are you helping 'Hair for Hope - Singapore'?" I asked him to be bald to raise fund for the Children's Cancer Foundation? I had not seen a young vet bald in Singapore and he was the first one.

The second vet has 9 years of experience and was excellent at communications. First class, I would say. She offered me a cup of coffee as she could get rid of me after some conversation. She shared some interesting cases of pyometra (photo with yellowish disc in a spleen of a dog with pyometra - splenic abscesses?). She showed me an X-ray of a dog with a 20-cent coin in the stomach in which the endoscope of a referred vet was ineffective. It still needed gastrotomy after endoscope failure. "Is an endoscope so expensive?" I asked her when she mentioned $100,000 for one. I do not think it would cost that much unless it is for racehorses.

I learnt a few veterinary communications and related matters from her and the other competitor. It is good to see other practices in Singapore and in other countries to upgrade oneself and know the industry's best practices as no one vet can have all the vet knowledge in this world.