The People Behind Veterinary Medicine

I’m officially at the end of Day 2 of AAHA CON, and my mission is still in progress.

My full review of the conference will come later—after I’ve completed all three days, gotten home, and had some time to process the event in its entirety. Because if you know me, you know I need to mentally pick everything apart before I decide how I actually feel about it. 😂

But today, I found myself paying attention to the people.

Remember that CSR I mentioned yesterday? The one who referred to herself as being “down on the totem pole” and immediately sent me down an entire rabbit hole about how we value support staff in veterinary medicine?

Well, I ran into her again today.

We got to chat a little more, and guess what?

She’s pretty freaking amazing.

She runs her clinic’s social media page. She processes health certificates for her practice. She has ambition, she wants to grow, and I could genuinely see her stepping into a leadership position someday.

And excuse me—health certificates?!

Anyone who has the stamina to deal with health certificates is automatically worth approximately $1 million in my eyes. 😂

But what really caught my attention was her ambition. There was just something about her. She seemed eager to learn, interested in growing, and beyond all of that, she just seemed like a genuinely nice human.

And these days, that matters so much.

You can teach processes. You can teach software. You can teach someone how to complete a health certificate—although apparently that requires a level of patience I personally do not possess. 😂

But ambition, curiosity, kindness, and genuinely caring about what you do?

Those are things we should be paying attention to.

And Then There Was the Vet Owner...

I also met a veterinarian who owns his own clinic, and I really enjoyed talking with him and hearing about his practice.

He has the heart.

We talked about some of the realities of running a veterinary practice, and unfortunately, despite putting our minds together, we never did figure out how to get blood from a turnip.

Maybe tomorrow. 😂

But I enjoyed the conversation because it was genuine. Just two people in veterinary medicine talking about the realities of trying to provide good medicine, run a business, take care of people, and somehow make all of those things coexist.

Sometimes You Just Need a Good Lunch Table

And then there was lunch.

I happened to share a table with a few people I had seen speak during the conference, along with this lovely couple who have had an AAHA-accredited practice for 36 years.

Thirty-six years!

We all chatted a little over lunch. Nothing planned. No giant discussion about how we’re going to save veterinary medicine. 😂

It was actually much simpler than that.

It was just really nice.

Different people from different parts of veterinary medicine sitting around a table, eating lunch and talking.

And somehow, the universe knew that was exactly what I needed.

There was something really nice about simply sharing space with people whose messages had resonated with me and who clearly care about where this profession is going.

And that couple? Seriously so wholesome. You could just sense the sweetness in their energy. Thirty-six years of AAHA accreditation is pretty incredible, but what stood out to me even more was simply how lovely they were.

Maybe the Best Parts Aren’t on the Schedule

I think that’s becoming one of my biggest takeaways from this trip.

You go to a conference expecting the education to happen inside the lecture hall.

And obviously, a lot of it does.

But sometimes the things that stick with you happen in the hallway, over lunch, or during a random conversation with someone you almost didn’t meet.

No denying today was tiring.

My brain is full.

My social battery has questions. 😂

But overall?

It was a really good day.

I met some really good humans.

And after spending so much time talking about what’s wrong with veterinary medicine, it’s been pretty nice being reminded of who is still here trying to make it better.

One more day.

Mission still in progress. 🐾

Practical tips, honest insights, and gentle support for veterinary professionals navigating the realities of clinic life.

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