Vetted in Vet Med: Episode 3: Diary of a Corporate Black Woman: Part 4

In this conversation, Dr. Levy and Dr. Wilson discuss the importance of communication and trust in veterinary medicine, the challenges faced in corporate clinics, and the significance of self-advocacy. They share personal experiences of navigating workplace dynamics, recognizing when to leave a toxic environment, and the impact of stress on health. The discussion emphasizes the need for veterinary professionals to find their path, advocate for themselves, and maintain their well-being.

Takeaways

• Building trust with clients is essential for effective communication.
• Veterinary professionals often face challenges in corporate settings.
• Recognizing when to leave a toxic work environment is crucial for mental health.
• Self-advocacy is important in maintaining boundaries and well-being.
• Finding the right career path in veterinary medicine can take time.
• Stress can significantly impact physical health and well-being.
• It's important to have an exit strategy when leaving a job.
• Veterinary professionals should prioritize their mental health.
• Communication with colleagues can help address workplace issues.
• Understanding the dynamics of client relationships is key to success. 

Chapters

• 0:00 Communication Challenges in the Workplace
• 1:25 Managing Stress and Expectations
• 1:25 Managing Overwhelming Workloads in Veterinary Medicine
• 2:08 Navigating Workplace Dynamics and Support Systems
• 10:56 Creating an Exit Strategy from Unsatisfactory Jobs
• 20:11 Finding Balance in Veterinary Practice
• 25:15 Understanding Pet Behavior and Owner Influence
• 36:33 Career Paths in Veterinary Medicine
• 43:21 The Role of Technology in Veterinary Care
• 49:48 Mental Health and Stress Management in Veterinary Work

Transcript

Vetted In Vet Med (00:36)
Hey guys, thanks for coming back to listen to the final part of the Diary of a Corporate Black Woman. We have thoroughly enjoyed sharing our stories and our perspectives of our experiences as black females working in veterinary corporate medicine. So stick around for this last part. The series is finally ending.

and stay tuned for our next episode where we'll have a guest speaker who's also a female black veterinarian. But she's going to also be giving her experiences, sharing her perspectives, working in veterinary medicine, and also as a practice owner. So y'all stick around for that.

Dr. Levy (01:25)
I know I have different ways of communication in regards to communicating to these clients. When I go in there,

Dr. Wilson (01:30)
you

Dr. Levy (01:35)
I do spend a little bit more time with them. And that is why people do like me. Cause I'm like, am genuinely, you know, trying to get to know you and trying to get to know your pet. I'm like, I don't stay in there forever, but there are some times where I might need to be rescued from some of these clients.

Dr. Wilson (01:58)
I always have like, press that button. Press it but it doesn't. But in here.

Dr. Levy (02:00)
But I do,

I feel like, ⁓ I don't know, mean, for the most, a lot of times I would, you know, I'm talking to them, but I am able to convince them to do what it is that I'm, like, they trust me. So they're doing what I'm asking them to do. And even some people would call,

Dr. Wilson (02:19)
Yeah.

Dr. Levy (02:27)
to specifically ask me to go over, you know, even though I may not have been the one to do the blood work, but they would call to request to talk to me to have me go over the results again with them because I would be able to break it down for them to where they understood. And I think that's my main goal is them really understanding what the heck is going on with their pet.

Dr. Wilson (02:36)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Yeah,

Dr. Levy (02:57)
And

Dr. Wilson (02:57)
absolutely.

Dr. Levy (02:58)
I feel like even though the other doctors that I work with, they were direct, but I don't know, I felt like sometimes they were maybe kind of brief. So like they went in, they said what they had to say, did what they had to do and they was up on out of there And... ⁓

Which for some people that works, but a lot of people that's coming in there, bringing their pets in there, they have no clue. They don't know what, yeah. So anyway.

Dr. Wilson (03:32)
You're gonna be like the other

doctor. What the McDonald's? What the Sonic? What the Arby's? ⁓

Dr. Levy (03:43)
Lord, but yeah. And when I had poured my heart out to my boss, like, you know, when I said I was just kind of at my ends, she was saying that, well we actually have a new, like that time we finally got like the person that oversaw our area.

all the vets in our area. So after spilling out my heart to her.

That didn't really get me no where. She did share my concerns with this new person. And then I yet again had to do the same thing to this new position. Somebody I don't know never met. And I didn't even know that we had one starting until I poured my heart out to her. Then she was like, well, have such and such starting. I'm like, I didn't even know.

So then when I met this person, then I had to give all my concerns once again to this new person. And he was really nice. And again, I felt like I was back in the same situation like when I was at the first corporate clinic where now we have a new person that's coming in here to save the day. And I'm already, you know.

Dr. Wilson (04:58)
Yeah.

Dr. Levy (05:08)
I'm already out the door ⁓

Dr. Wilson (05:11)
You tapped out. You

tapped out. I get it.

Dr. Levy (05:16)
So I talked to him about it and I did actually see he followed up. I saw immediate changes like within that week and the following week, but literally it did not last longer than two weeks. And so some of that included adjustments in the amount of pets that I was seeing in the way that things were scheduled for me.

Because I don't want to see a vomiting and diarrhea at five o'clock. ⁓ I feel like there should be a cutoff time for some types of sick cases. And then I feel like even the re-checks, there should be more time allotted for that. They like to throw those in as double booked or triple booked. And depending on what it is, that's like a whole nother sick appointment.

Dr. Wilson (06:08)
Yeah, sometimes it didn't resolve, sometimes things get worse, sometimes they got a new issue.

Dr. Levy (06:15)
Right,

right. It didn't last long. It didn't last long. so from there, I just had to try to make my exit strategy. trying ⁓ to think of what the...

Dr. Wilson (06:28)
Thank you.

Dr. Levy (06:36)
nail on the coffin was for me. I think it was, it was that I think I may have like walked into the clinic one day and saw my schedule. ⁓ Cause I was tired of skipping lunch, you know, working through lunch. was overworking through lunch. ⁓ I was over staying late. And also I was experiencing what you had mentioned before about

the car ride in, sitting in the parking lot. Definitely times where I would sit in the car and cry. I always had to pray before I walked in, just trying to set the vibes, the energy for the day. And every day I always walked in. Good morning. I literally said good morning to everybody that I would see.

And you know, some of the people would not say good morning. I feel like I was too much of a bright light up in that dark clinic to where I felt like my presence walking in there was like, yes. I felt like I was disturbing demons in that clinic. I really honestly do. And... ⁓

Dr. Wilson (07:39)
Thank

You disturbed demons

Thank you.

Dr. Levy (07:54)
just me saying good morning and having like a pos because even regardless of what I was going through, I still, you know, would be positive externally. And I don't think they like that. ⁓ So they wouldn't, sometimes they wouldn't even say good morning back to me. ⁓ Or wouldn't say hi, or even that one vet she would come and just start talking to me, hadn't said good morning or nothing.

Dr. Wilson (08:07)
Thank

I believe it.

Dr. Levy (08:23)
but just start talking about a pet that was seen or a different case or something like that. And I would always be like, good morning, before, because I'm like, I don't know why that is just like a stickler. That's just one pet peeve for me.

Dr. Wilson (08:40)
It's an

introduction to the day like, have I seen you today? Just like black folks. You come to somebody's house, you better speak. Same thing, that's the pet peeve. Don't walk in here and don't speak. That's a common courtesy. I afford you this courtesy, you should afford it back to me. The same thing about respect.

Dr. Levy (08:44)
today!

Yes!

Yeah. Yeah.

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

Dr. Wilson (09:09)
And I can take it away too.

Dr. Levy (09:11)
It was weird. And again, I don't know. I don't know. I tried to stay out of the side conversations. I never talked about anybody there. Because I honestly didn't know who I could trust. I just didn't trust nobody. So whatever ways that I felt about people, I never said anything to anybody because

Dr. Wilson (09:27)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

And I

feel like you were worse off than me because you didn't have an outlet. You didn't have anybody to talk to. I had my practice manager. my home girl who was a nurse. you had your allies. And the safe space. And you didn't even have that.

Dr. Levy (09:39)
Uh-uh. Mm-hmm. ⁓

Mmhmm, mmhmm.

I did not, I didn't, because when I was at the other location, I did have the area chief of staff and that was one person that I could vent to. And the vet there, I really, I wish I could have taken him with me to the new location because he...

Dr. Wilson (10:17)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Levy (10:22)
He shared, like we was here on how we felt about our experiences and he had been there longer than me. but he just, he knew he was the only full time vet there. So he just was sticking it out and dealing with it. But he, you know, he had had his, yeah.

Dr. Wilson (10:39)
Yeah.

See, that's

the thing. Like we oftentimes do that. I did that. Just feeling obligated to the job because you're the only person like you have to save and grace. And quite honestly, ⁓

Dr. Levy (10:54)
Yeah

Dr. Wilson (11:01)
When I, I wish not necessarily had this attitude because I got to the point where like, okay, I might be the own person, but I let all this burn. That became the thing. All this can burn. It can burn. I will watch it from the outside because on the inside, I'm not gonna sit here and suffer and drown with y'all. We used to literally refer to those places as the Titanic. Like we are underwater, there's no saving us.

Dr. Levy (11:09)
Thank you.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Wilson (11:29)
The life jackets are gone. The lifeboats have left. Like, it's, we're gone. We're done. Everything's done. So, I mean, we were going through it at the same time apparently because I left in November.

Dr. Levy (11:35)
He does.

Yeah, that was when I put my notice in and I always try to put a fair, what I think is fair, notice if you can. And so I did.

Dr. Wilson (12:00)
but it's

as a very professional way to do things. ⁓

Dr. Levy (12:03)
Yes, yes.

I mean, I try to put together some type of exit strategy that includes, you know, trying to save some funds on the side and also trying to have something secured afterwards. But I knew that I did not want to go into another associate position. So I just.

Dr. Wilson (12:20)
Yeah.

Dr. Levy (12:28)
you know, decided I'm going to go back to relief and then I'll figure things out from there. But I have not ever like as a real adult, I have not just ⁓ walked out on the job. I did that years ago, working at the mall. I said, I'm not coming back. ⁓ After a lunch break at that, I said.

Dr. Wilson (12:34)
Yeah.

Yes!

Yeah.

Dr. Levy (12:56)
She said, not even, can we get you for one day? I said, I'm not coming back. But as an adult, I have not walked out on the job, even though there have been so many times in at that particular location, there have been times where I have literally walked in there and looked at their schedule and even the technicians, they know, you know, and shout out to the technicians that try to advocate for you.

Dr. Wilson (13:00)
Mmm.

Amen, amen. There's some real ones out there.

Dr. Levy (13:27)
But

they don't always know how to hide the drama that's already going on before you get there. Because as soon as I walk in the door, and that's one thing, don't come to me with nothing. Let me put myself down. Let me settle in before you come to me with foolishness. But they come because they trying to set you up.

for the day, like make you aware. Like I tried to help you, but they would not listen. I've even had a tech call me before I came in, like Dr. Levy, this is what's happening. And I don't even want that. You know, I appreciate it. Let me come in clueless.

Dr. Wilson (13:55)
Thank you.

Here's what's going down right now. Just in.

No.

Yeah

Dr. Levy (14:22)
You know, just let me come in clueless because now I'm already in my car just upset, you know.

Dr. Wilson (14:22)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm. Just mad. ⁓

Not only am I already gonna sit here for about 30 minutes, I'm mad. I am mad about things that are going on inside this hospital I have not even walked into yet. Jesus. Ugh.

Dr. Levy (14:44)
You know, they tried, several of my technicians tried to advocate for me to stick by what, because at one point there was even the notes under my name as to how many surgeries, how many sick pets. Like there was notes under my name. How long did that last? I don't know, because at some point it disappeared. And it was just, by the end, it was a free for all.

Like there was no acknowledgement of anything that had been previously discussed as far as like what I felt like I needed for myself to get through the day.  It was all gone down the drain and they was doing whatever they

Dr. Wilson (15:25)
Yeah.

Dr. Levy (15:31)
wanted to do with that schedule. And I knew I was leaving. So I said, whatever, y'all can do whatever y'all want to do. It almost felt targeted.

Dr. Wilson (15:38)
Okay.

Dr. Levy (15:43)
at that point but I'm like I'll be out of here.

Dr. Wilson (15:47)
⁓

I'm sure it was. ⁓ The other side of things and knowing how people can be. ⁓

Dr. Levy (15:51)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Dr. Wilson (15:59)
I'm sure it was.

Dr. Levy (16:00)
Mm-hmm. Like I felt like they

wanted me to leave before it was my time to leave. That's what it was feeling like to me with that schedule because it was just some foolishness on there and it was like take whatever comes in. Like it was added to the schedule.

Dr. Wilson (16:07)
Yeah.

Dr. Levy (16:21)
And that's what they were being told to do. They were being told, I mean, I talked to different levels, even within the hospital itself, because I'm trying to figure out, because I'll go up to the front real quick, like, what is happening with this schedule? And that is just what they were being told to do, especially because they had opened up the portal for the...

clients to schedule, that's when it really went down into the toilet, like down the drain. When they let them clients schedule their own appointments, not a request, but an appointment.

Dr. Wilson (16:51)
Yeah.

Yeah. End of the gun.

Yeah, that's crazy.

They should have all been requests, but you know, they went to the gutter with the gutter snipes and lit it up.

Dr. Levy (17:12)
And it wasn't a

perfect system. Oh, and then we had a new, completely new software coming in that we had to learn.

Dr. Wilson (17:18)
Yeah. Was that it?

Dr. Levy (17:24)
And that should not have been rolled out as quickly as it was, because then I heard they had to kind of scale that back, the rollouts.

Dr. Wilson (17:33)
Yeah,

they had to stop it completely. I mean, I knew for a fact that it was unfinished. I was told by... Yeah, it wasn't made.

Dr. Levy (17:37)
AFTEM.

It was unfinished?

It wasn't made for veterinary medicine in the first place and it wasn't finished. I didn't know that.

Dr. Wilson (17:48)
Yeah, and it wasn't finished. It was higher

up saying they'll have to learn it as they go. Mm-hmm. Yep, this is what the tech that helped, this is what I was told. And they were like, we didn't want to do this right now. But they told us to do it. That's where it came from.

Dr. Levy (17:57)
And that's exactly what we had to do.

That is crazy. Yeah, that was,

I think that might have been, I have completely forgot about that, but that might have been, yeah, I think that was the straw. Yeah, that was the last straw, I believe, was when we had to switch over to that. That was very frustrating getting through that, because it was so annoying. Ugh, that was an annoying system. I've never seen anything like that.

Dr. Wilson (18:21)
That was me in there. ⁓

Dr. Levy (18:39)
I hope I don't go to a clinic that has anything like that, because that was stupid. ⁓ Not to say that the old one didn't need new, definitely needed to be modified, but it was a lot more user friendly. I could hop on and figure things out.

Dr. Wilson (18:46)
It works!

It was.

There was a hospital that was down at some point every day, every day, and clients would come in and they would say, well, we can't check you in. can't do that every single day. How does that affect clientele at point?

Dr. Levy (19:10)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. ⁓

Dr. Wilson (19:21)
So I hear, you know, hospital making $10,000 now a week.

Dr. Levy (19:24)
Mmm

Dr. Wilson (19:27)
wait.

Dr. Levy (19:30)
Mm-mm-mm. A week. Oh my gosh. Yeah. Right. That's normally at least in a day, especially if you have a couple of doctors to help you out. Wow. So, yeah. I got up on out of there, but I have in this time...

Dr. Wilson (19:32)
That's you're there. Yeah, it's supposed to be making 45 50.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Dr. Levy (19:57)
It's no looking, there's no looking back for me just from what, you know, being there this, the period of time that I was there. Because you know, before I was only there for the two weeks. So I didn't really know nothing.

yeah, so I mean, in any situation, I would just try to have an exit strategy as best as possible. And if you have to walk up on out of there then that's just what it is. Because I know that feeling all too well of walking in and wanting to walk right back out. ⁓

Dr. Wilson (20:19)
Mm-hmm.

You got to get on there.

Dr. Levy (20:39)
but if you can stick it

through.

If you can make it to your end date, whatever that date is, then I would try to make it. And that is, this is kind of venturing off, but that is one of the other reasons why I do like relief because if I go to a clinic that I do not enjoy, then I can not go back there again because...

Dr. Wilson (21:07)
Yeah.

Dr. Levy (21:10)
I told you about the ⁓ the urgent care clinic that I went to that I tried to venture off into urgent care because I'm like, well, I was doing this technically at my previous clinic. I was working as urgent care. But this was nothing but, you know, and I'm like, then it was only me and one technician.

Dr. Wilson (21:14)
Yeah.

Dr. Levy (21:36)
The lobby was full. All the rooms were full.

Dr. Wilson (21:41)
I do not enjoy emergency medicine. I do not enjoy emergency medicine. I do not enjoy emergency medicine.

Dr. Levy (21:48)
I think I had two to three sets of radiographs. had to be said, one had to be sedated. The rest were like fight wounds, ear infection, skin infection type of stuff. But there was a few chronic like illnesses there that I'm like, should you be here? Like you really should be at emergency. ⁓

Dr. Wilson (22:13)
Yeah.

Dr. Levy (22:16)
But you know, that urgent care is like that buffer in between and then they're open later. My shift was from two to nine. I didn't get out of there until almost 1030. I said, know what? This is not for me.

Dr. Wilson (22:32)
No, no, no.

Dr. Levy (22:34)
This is now and I never

went back and they were like, it's never like this. And that's what they always say. It's never like this. I said, well, I'm not coming back to find out if it is.

Dr. Wilson (22:42)
Who pays people to lie about that?

Who pays y'all to lie about this? Be real. Be real. I've always been real with people who would interview. Like, I'ma be 100 % honest with you. Like, this, this, that, and the other. Like, you take it as you will, just like any other corporate situation. I feel like my advice is that, again, when I was started, it's not for everybody.

Dr. Levy (22:48)
Bye!

Dr. Wilson (23:10)
But you also, just like I told a doctor coming in, out to, shout out to Gibbs. I'm not gonna say everything, but shout out to Gibbs. Know your boundaries. They will test them every single time and they will try you at every corner, just when they feel like you get comfortable or you feel like you're at your weakest moment. I hate to say it like that and that's neither like.

Dr. Levy (23:24)
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Dr. Wilson (23:37)
negative or positive comment like that's just what it is then they will try it and you just got to learn how to say no if that's not what you want to do that's not what I sign up for show me where I have to accept what this is now within reason of course but like you don't have to do it boy that I'm just like ⁓

Dr. Levy (23:41)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Yeah, they gonna push them boundaries.

Dr. Wilson (24:07)
Who's paying me for this? It was so many times. just like, and I know there's also a generational thing. I'm talking about before they're like, know, oftentimes we had to do jobs in order to, you know, to prove ourselves. And what have I been doing this entire time?

Dr. Levy (24:15)
Eeeeh, no.

Right.

Dr. Wilson (24:28)
I'm not going to do the job that you want me to do and not pay me for it. Come on. There are some responsibilities that I would take on, but again, know your boundaries within reason. Let them know.

Dr. Levy (24:44)
Yeah. Yeah,

I remember one of my friends. So before I started, I did talk to a couple of people that worked with the company for years. And so ⁓ one of the girls, she was also down to part time. And so one thing that I always remember, she told me in preparation was to advocate for yourself.

Like that was her biggest thing. And I noticed, I'm like, I just had to keep advocating, keep advocating. And it's like, to what point? Like you just get tired. Like I was tired of having to re-advocate for myself because it was the same things over and over again. And when nothing is, you know, changing, it's like...

Dr. Wilson (25:28)
Yeah!

The only people I want to repeat often, I mean repeat things to is my kids. I don't want to do that. I don't want to do that. The only people that I'm gonna do that for. All rest of y'all are grown I don't have to keep saying the same thing over and over again. Respect my boundary, respect what I say Respect, I don't want to see six sick pets back to back to back to back.

Dr. Levy (25:44)
my kids. Right?

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Back to back. Back to back.

Dr. Wilson (26:08)
That's within reason. Because otherwise, like, I'm not your girl. I'm have to get on down.

Dr. Levy (26:16)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. So, I don't know. Like I said, it's...

It was a learning experience for sure. So try to take something from each of my experiences, but it's not somewhere that I would want to go back to. Because it's just certain things that even when I go into private practices that I do not experience there. And one of them, interesting enough, is aggressive pets, the amount of aggressive pets.

Dr. Wilson (26:51)
Yeah.

Isn't that interesting? Baby, where I'm at? These pets they'll be bad, but it's like.

Dr. Levy (26:59)
That is very interesting.

Mm-hmm. That was one thing that I noticed that, yeah, everywhere has pets that are fearful, anxious, stressed, some of them, yes, aggressive. But the number, the amount, like, I felt like we had so many aggressive pets and they feed off of the energy that they're in.

Dr. Wilson (27:22)
Yeah.

Girl, I was gonna

say, are we the drama? Are we the problem?

Cause we were talking about this yesterday in a clinic and how their dog was, is anxious, but it's most likely feeding off the owner's anxious nature and people don't realize that. When you guys are anxious, your pet is going to be anxious. So you presenting them to us as anxious really gives a lot of information about you as well. So not saying they can't be anxious by themselves, but the way that you're like trying to drill it in, calm down.

Dr. Levy (27:48)
⁓ yeah.

Yes.

Yeah.

Yes. It's gonna be fine.

Dr. Wilson (28:06)
Calm down, we're we're gonna be fine. We know how to handle this.

We're professionals, we know how to handle this. With that being said, it's like the anxious pet was not as bad as you made it out to be. So that, like I feel like this typically like the worst of it, like, ooh, get the... But, ⁓ my God.

Dr. Levy (28:13)
Yes.

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

Dr. Wilson (28:37)
It's like, it was like, why are y'all so angry?

Dr. Levy (28:40)
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. So many.

Dr. Wilson (28:42)
the lot of y'all and

honestly to me is the degree too because

Dr. Levy (28:48)
Mm-hmm.

These are babies that's really coming for you.

Dr. Wilson (28:52)
I just feel so good. Like, they will

rip your throats out. If they, like, if they could. The ones I'm seeing, like, they climbing up the wall trying to get away. Like, you know, cat might skittle it past you, all right, move so I can get out this kennel so I can climb up your wall. No, these cats coming into this, course. They were coming out the kennel at you. At you.

Dr. Levy (28:59)
Yes.

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Wilson (29:20)
You are the target.

Dr. Levy (29:23)
That's if you could even get them out the carrier.

Dr. Wilson (29:26)
Yeah, honestly, ⁓ if you growl good enough, I'm not unzipping it. We're good. Call the parents. Call the parents. I'm not doing this today.

Dr. Levy (29:34)
Way to, yeah.

Definitely,

yeah, I've gotten to that point too. And what I'm saying is I do not experience the amount and the degree of aggressive pets at private than I have at the corporate clinics that I have worked at.

Dr. Wilson (30:01)
Mm-hmm. I mean like, hey, vets chime in. if your experience is different, let us know. But this is what it is. I feel you. I feel you on this. I feel you.

Dr. Levy (30:13)
It's, you know, at least, and I've been to multiple private practices where, and some of which I have worked at for months at a time. And it is more, you know, the appointments are scheduled, the timing, you know, is appropriate for what they're coming in for. Like some of them don't have less than 30 minute appointment slots Like 30 minutes is the standard.

Dr. Wilson (30:23)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Levy (30:40)
for healthy and then they can go even longer. So it's spaced out to where it's not a lot of people in the lobby at one time. Like you may have one or two, like maybe one additional owner coming in if somebody came in early or later, whatever, but it is not a bombarding. of

Dr. Wilson (31:00)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Levy (31:01)
patients and owners in the lobby. I have not ever seen that at any of the private clinics I've been at.

Dr. Wilson (31:04)
Okay.

baby and all the pheromones and the anxiousness from the owners to the pets Everybody is just like.

Dr. Levy (31:20)
It creates the mood from right there as soon as they enter the hospital.

Dr. Wilson (31:23)
Yeah. Okay, Kato

He Amening back here.

But no, I hear you and I feel you. ⁓

I just

I don't even know what else to say. That's just really the reality of things. not as inviting as you would want things to be, it sounds like. Yeah. One thing about it is I had to tell the nurse yesterday. This might be something that other incoming veterinarians and even some now that you just hadn't to that point, but...

Dr. Levy (31:43)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Dr. Wilson (32:11)
I am not a wrangler. I'm not gonna fight your dog. You should want to, but I'm not gonna fight your dog or your cat. Especially not your cat, because your cat gonna win and I'm not doing that. I'm not losing my fights. No cat.

Dr. Levy (32:13)
Girl, yeah.

Mm-mm.

Nah.

Exactly. No, not

going to emergency and going through surgery. You're going to emergency and you're to be on some antibiotics and you may have to have surgery. And that is the truth. That is the truth. Yeah, no, I'm not wrangling nobody.

Dr. Wilson (32:31)
You're going to the emergency clinic. You're going.

You're listening.

Dr. Levy (32:51)
It's good to be in tune with, you know, the, I'm very observant, very keen on the behaviors and mannerisms of pets. Some of them can still get you despite that. However, if you're questionable coming in, you're getting a muzzle And it's for you to put on as the owner. Cause that's the true test.

Dr. Wilson (33:11)
⁓ Period. Period.

Yep.

Try it.

You're not snapping my hand.

Dr. Levy (33:22)
That's the truth test right there. If you as the owner cannot put the muzzle on, then that shows you something right there. And even when, you know, we have had to place the muzzle, cause some of the owners even be like, uh-uh, I can't do that. He gonna bite me too.

Dr. Wilson (33:29)
That ought to show you something.

Who's doing it?

uh-uh. So you can't control your own pet. ⁓ no.

Dr. Levy (33:55)
That right there is the beginning of me retreating. I'm already putting the game plan together. What drugs are we sending home for this baby?

Dr. Wilson (34:08)
Because you're not coming back without drugs

Dr. Levy (34:08)
And then sometimes I'll be watching them

when they because I said, well, you know what? I'm going to give you some time and some space to put that muzzle on. We'll step out and we'll come back in. And then I'll be peeping through that that window.

and just watching the struggle.

Dr. Wilson (34:28)
Mm-hmm, and I mean it ain't nothing like a owner that's afraid of their pet. ⁓ jumping

Dr. Levy (34:31)
This.

So ain't nothing like it. Yeah, or they want to be the

ones to try to hold, but they scared to. You ain't doing that. Absolutely not.

Dr. Wilson (34:41)
Oh no, we're not, we're not doing that. We're not

doing that. Baby, I had a dog bite his own sweet meat. That little part behind it, oh, that little flap, ooh. I said, ooh. Yeah, he's not better when you hold him. So we need a, I don't know, a Trazadone.

Dr. Levy (34:52)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. ⁓

No.

A little Traz

Dr. Wilson (35:12)
Little Traz and then when you come back in we gonna get a little poke.

Dr. Levy (35:15)
We gonna get a little pokey poke, yeah? Yeah.

Dr. Wilson (35:18)
You're going to sleep. You're being immobilized, my friend. Mm-mm.

Mm-mm.

Dr. Levy (35:24)
⁓ lord. And when they get bit or scratched and you try to offer them a paper towel to clean it up and they be like, no, I'm all right.

Dr. Wilson (35:33)
⁓ Why do you have this pet in your home? He will eat your face while you're asleep like imagine falling and becoming incapacitated This animal is gonna eat you That's how he feels about you. If he's gonna bite you I can't imagine what he would do if you were a weak link in your own home No Nope, nope and no, that's why I got a way it was comes up into my house. You see it

Dr. Levy (35:37)
Be?

This animal is going to eat you.

you

Bye.

Dr. Wilson (36:03)
They start acting strange. The dog big enough, he's still getting a muzzle. If your head bigger than mine, my head is a little round, if your head is bigger than mine, we're getting a party hat

Dr. Levy (36:08)
And I

Dr. Wilson (36:20)
I'm so sorry, could be the sweetest dog in world. Be sweet and with a party hat.

Dr. Levy (36:21)
Yeah.

Yeah. And you know, some owners are so against it like, he's never had to have one of those before. Or they feel a kind of way about their pet having to have, a muzzle placed on. And it's like, it's really not that serious. It's to protect everybody up in here You know, you can get bit too.

Dr. Wilson (36:33)
Mm-hmm.

See.

Because you can get it too

You're not safe. You're not as much as you think you are. not safe.

Dr. Levy (36:50)
Bye!

And sometimes when you put the muzzle on, they be more calm with the muzzle on and they just stand there.

Dr. Wilson (36:56)
But

sometimes they're like protect me from myself Because I got a lot of feelings I Got a lot of feelings I get that I've been there I protect me from my look I remove myself from situations all the time Sometimes I may very well need a muzzle as well. Like come on They know them to those better than you know them a lot of

Dr. Levy (37:02)
Right. I know I'm crazy. Help me.

Yes. Right.

⁓ So I guess, ⁓ you know, let me think of some takeaways.

Dr. Wilson (37:31)
It's a takeaway.

Okay, I think that you should really evaluate where you want your career to go. You don't have to figure it out right off the bat. If corporate medicine is for you, if you like the money, if you do like fast pace, if you do... because there are some people out there I met that like she she paying she paying for her child school out of pocket you know.

Dr. Levy (37:53)
They liked it.

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Wilson (37:58)
⁓

So that's, she don't mind. And that's okay. This is not a judgment. This whole thing was not a judgment. This is our experiences, our perspective. These are our stories. So just figure out what direction you want to go in and go for it.

Dr. Levy (38:04)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yep. Learn. You say that again.

Dr. Wilson (38:18)
Mine is not corporate medicine.

I said mine is not corporate medicine. And it took me since 2008 to realize it. And so that's okay. And, you know, again, things can still change, but like just making the decision based off of your self-awareness and mental space and your goals and objectives are gonna be the easiest way to figure out.

Dr. Levy (38:44)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Wilson (38:49)
if this is for you.

Dr. Levy (38:50)
Yeah.

And it doesn't have to be forever. Nothing has to be forever. If there's a goal that you're trying to accomplish, this can help you, especially if it's a financial goal, it can help you achieve that. Definitely advocate for yourself. Know what your boundaries are. Because I think sometimes you might not even know what your boundaries are until...

Dr. Wilson (38:54)
wish you well.

Dr. Levy (39:18)
you're being pushed too far in a certain area and you realize like, I don't like that. So you do kind of learn some of those things along the way and then you're able to take those boundaries with you into your new positions. And then I guess that goes back with advocating for yourself, speaking up for yourself and not waiting until it's too late.

Dr. Wilson (39:20)
Thank you.

I don't like this one.

Dr. Levy (39:46)
addressing things head on so that they don't linger. And those would be the biggest things. I mean, yeah, you do need to pay attention to your metrics, your numbers, knowing what those goals, the expectations that they have of you, what they even are, because for the longest, yeah, you signed up for that part. And ⁓ initially, I didn't even know what those numbers were.

Dr. Wilson (40:00)
You You did found us for that part.

Dr. Levy (40:11)
No one informed me.

Dr. Wilson (40:14)
I still don't really know a lot of those numbers. Yeah.

Dr. Levy (40:19)
So, you

know, having that conversation to know what do they expect from you. And, you know, it's a two-way street, so you can voice what you expect of them as well. And one question I always got any time I presented an issue was, whether I would have those meetings with my technician, my huddles.

Would I have the, did I have that? Did I talk about that with them? What your expectations from your technicians and your receptionists are and ⁓ making

Dr. Wilson (40:44)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Levy (40:55)
sure that you do have those huddles so that they know every doctor is different. And so they know what your expectations of them are. But.

Dr. Wilson (41:05)
And that's really

good because a lot of our, my experience, a lot of our vets and techs and all that, we can tend to be a lot more introverted and neurodivergent and just very

Dr. Levy (41:18)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Wilson (41:24)
to ourselves and have a very ⁓ low Social battery. So we have to be able to fuel ourselves enough to get those conversations out because regardless of how you are as a person, it's still important to have those conversations. I mean, how else are you going to address the conflict? Everybody is not gonna do it for you.

Dr. Levy (41:47)
Mm-hmm

Dr. Wilson (41:49)
You have to face it head on and conflict doesn't necessarily have a negative connotation. You can just have a conversation. There's an issue, conflict, however you want to address it, just make sure that that is something that you focus in on. And it kind of leads me to my last takeaway is that everybody is not going to always respect your goals.

So understand that if they don't do that, it's not on you to change that.

Dr. Levy (42:24)
Mm-hmm

Dr. Wilson (42:27)
⁓ so just try to kind of hone in on again, what you expect of yourself and keep that focus. Don't let anybody change the trajectory of like where you're going. Of course there's fine lines, right? Like people are trying to give you opportunities, but if it doesn't sit right with you or if that's not what you saw for yourself.

Dr. Levy (42:44)
Yes.

Dr. Wilson (42:55)
and it's giving you a bad feeling. That's not what you saw for yourself and like, no, maybe I'm curious. That's, but just keep your focus, period. Because it can go a whole nother way.

Dr. Levy (43:02)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah, keep your end goal focus. And I think the other thing I did want to mention was about notes, because that was one of my biggest struggles. And so I have a whole template that I take with me to all the clinics I go to to help with this, creating stamps and templates for like even the common conditions.

So I do have something like that. And then some of the clinics that I go to now, they even incorporate AI into their note taking process. So they have it hooked up to the computers in the room. everything that you're saying, ⁓ they'll basically email, you'll get an email of everything that was discussed in the exam room with the owner.

Dr. Wilson (43:52)
Great.

Dr. Levy (44:05)
And then you can copy and paste that and modify it how you need to add it to the patient's file.

Dr. Wilson (44:11)
Wow, that's crazy.

Dr. Levy (44:17)
And you can do that yourself. mean, I don't know. I mean, you could probably do that with chat GPT, but I know that they do have specific ones for like, know, veterinary medicine related. But you're going to have to pay for that subscription, you know, out of your own pockets. But that feature has been nice at some of the clinics I've been to is that AI feature. And I'm like, I did say that.

Dr. Wilson (44:30)
Yeah.

⁓ I mean, I hear you just the notes and the AI stuff. mean, that's having somebody record you is it's catch 22 but for the note purposes, for the note purposes is very convenient and good. I mean, of course I told the story about my old boss, but in the same breath, like these corporate lawyers are very

Dr. Levy (44:45)
⁓

no.

now

Dr. Wilson (45:14)
good at their jobs, but you need to protect yourself in the meantime. So that's the best way to CYA.

Dr. Levy (45:14)
Mm-hmm.

Yes, yes.

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. And now what I do, since I'm not even really overwhelmed with the patient load at the clinics that I go to, but immediately I go and I feel out, you know, I just put the notes in right then and there. And then it's just enough time to do everything. Like it's crazy. I have time to be in the rooms.

then we do all the things we need to do. I go, sit down because the technicians are pretty much, you know, they're doing everything that they need to do. So when you have a good, strong team and, you know, an appropriate way to schedule these appointments, it all works out even financially. Like, you can see half the amount of pets and

Dr. Wilson (45:57)
Bye bye.

Yeah.

Dr. Levy (46:16)
either make the same or probably even more.

Dr. Wilson (46:20)
Yeah, because you're spending

time having those conversations and everybody's happy.

Dr. Levy (46:25)
Everybody's happy, even the pets are happy.

Dr. Wilson (46:27)
really

more willing to advocate, more willing to spend money, having the time and the education to spend it.

Dr. Levy (46:36)
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. So I have time to sit down, type in all my little notes, and then go on to the next, then it's time for the next pet Like, it's this crazy

Dr. Wilson (46:38)
it was cool.

Yeah. I used to hate when clients say, I see how busy y'all are. That's not okay. That's not okay. Don't say it like your baby is not a number. It's not a number. It's not okay. Like I would have this whole mental meltdown of like, stop saying that It's not okay. ⁓

Dr. Levy (47:00)
Exactly.

It's not okay.

Yeah. I mean, it's really a numbers. It's a big numbers thing in the corporate clinics. And that's the biggest difference is the quality gets, you know, washed out. Like it gets diluted and you're fighting for your life trying to maintain the quality of care.

Dr. Wilson (47:23)
I don't know.

⁓ honey, that's a real thing ⁓

Dr. Levy (47:40)
Yeah. But, ⁓ okay. Well, can I get the backstory on my shirt?

Dr. Wilson (47:48)
Get around, let's hear it. Let's hear it.

Dr. Levy (47:52)
So while Black veterinarians do matter, I stand strongly on that, especially since we are less than 2 % of the veterinary population. ⁓ My mother-in-law, for my birthday, bought me a shirt that said, and I'm gonna put the picture of it when I post this, it said, Black veterans matter.

Dr. Wilson (47:58)
you.

Here we go.

You

Dr. Levy (48:22)
Ha! ⁓

Dr. Wilson (48:30)
Yeah

Dr. Levy (48:34)
my God, so as soon as I pulled this shirt out, I was just died laughing, because while yes, Black veterans do indeed matter. ⁓

Dr. Wilson (48:44)
They are important as well.

Dr. Levy (48:49)
I myself am not a veteran and I thank every last one of them for their service. ⁓

Dr. Wilson (48:57)
Yeah, I'm saying thank you

for your service. Thank you. ⁓

Dr. Levy (49:00)
but I'm

not a veteran, but she thought that that was veterinarians. And I'm like, what black veterinarian shirt is just like easily found in a store? no, it doesn't exist. And she was with a friend who she showed her the shirt.

Dr. Wilson (49:16)
Yeah.

and it's still purchased, still got purchased.

Dr. Levy (49:30)
And

she even thought, you know, that that was correct and purchased the shirt. And so then my sister's friend, she found this one and sent her the link for it. And that's how I ended up with this shirt.

That will be the conclusion of this episode, this series. We can always bring it back if we need to, but I think we really touched on quite a few areas of importance.

Dr. Wilson (49:54)
Woof woof woof.

you

Yeah, because I, you know, there were some things I think I pulled out, you know, black women relationships in professional settings and there was mental health too. So we got some things to expound upon, but.

Dr. Levy (50:16)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Yeah. And when you are stressed, I must add, when you are stressed, whether it is physically or mentally,

Dr. Wilson (50:31)
Thank you.

Dr. Levy (50:36)
Your body, your body is going to let you know. So you can keep going.

Dr. Wilson (50:41)
Oof.

Dr. Levy (50:45)
and keep pushing, but your body will let you know at one point in time, it's gonna break down. And that I experienced, because when I'm stressed, I can't eat. And so that's usually the thing that happens is that I will lose weight. That's one thing. But the other thing that I experienced this past year,

Dr. Wilson (50:47)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Dr. Levy (51:09)
I really felt like it was an attack. was between, it was a month long from October to November. And it was me being sick. I was sick for a whole month of coughing. And this was during a time of real high stress in that clinic. And this was when I went ahead and put, cause I'm like, my health, no.

Dr. Wilson (51:15)
Mm.

Good luck.

Dr. Levy (51:37)
And that's when I put my resignation in. Because I was trying to think, I was like, what was that last thing that like really was like, uh-uh, it's time to go. But it was that. It was once I was sick because it was just seemed like a regular cold. And then like after a while I was coughing for weeks and it was a productive cough.

Dr. Wilson (51:38)
Same, same, same.

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Levy (52:03)
And eventually I'm like, I had lost my voice. I've never like just lost my voice like that. And so what?

Dr. Wilson (52:14)
At

one point I Feel like I had that at one point. I didn't lose my voice but the whole coughing thing yes, I remember my aunt asking me how long have you been coughing because I was like no, I'm not gonna die But I mean it was also for me, you know the whole my Graves disease flaring I had had under control on a whole

Dr. Levy (52:16)
Alright.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Right.

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Wilson (52:44)
holistic note. no, we're not doing that. No, no, You're not forcing me into medication and surgery. So I feel you.

Dr. Levy (52:47)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah

So eventually I went to urgent care because I'm like, this is going on for too long and ⁓ tested negative for, you know, like flu and COVID, no Strep And so we didn't know what it was, but I had to be put on antibiotics because there was decreased airflow in my lungs. I'm like,

She didn't say pneumonia, but that was what it felt like. Cause at one point I felt like I was getting better. And then all of a sudden I started feeling sick all over again. And so it does sound like I was like working my way towards the pneumonia. And then I had to be on antibiotics, which is something I've never had to be on antibiotics for like an upper respiratory infection. ⁓

Dr. Wilson (53:27)
Thank

Bye.

Bye.

Hmm

Dr. Levy (53:46)
and then soon after that, but it was a period of a month long. And I'm like, I remember being especially stressed around that time prior to me, you know, getting sick. And I feel like even last year in general, I got sick so many times, at least three to four times, and I don't normally get sick that often. So it definitely,

Dr. Wilson (54:09)
Mm.

Dr. Levy (54:13)
you know, had to deal with the stress. To where now it, you know, just kind of opens up these pathways for whatever viruses or bacteria, whatever, to just take over. Yeah, but you got to know, you got to know when to go. You got to know when to go and it should not afford, you know, it shouldn't cost your

Dr. Wilson (54:25)
Do it's thing. Yeah, sit down.

Dr. Levy (54:41)
health, your self-care, or any type of well-being, mentally, physically, spiritually, none of that.

Dr. Wilson (54:42)
Mm-hmm.

Yep. Gotta know when to fold.

Dr. Levy (54:52)
Alrighty.

You sound like an old poker player.

Dr. Wilson (55:03)
It's a country song. Ain't it like George Street? I know.

Dr. Levy (55:12)
Well, already that will conclude this episode and this series. Y'all stay tuned.

Dr. Wilson (55:19)
Woohoo! Next time.