How to hire our first Cert qualified Vet?

RE: How to hire our first Cert qualified Vet?

Nick Taylor — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 11:29:19 GMT

How did you manage to design your own rota?

RE: How to hire our first Cert qualified Vet?

Sara Ramsey — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 09:35:43 GMT

Definitely!

- looking at and comparing blood results over long periods of time

-sooo long preparing estimates and explaining how your insurance limit is up regarding diabetes but now we have pancreatitis and DKA.

-helping management with complaints.

-trying find suitable pharmaceutical preparations for tricky patients.

-phone calls and emails

I know first opinion vet's do this too, but I have found all of my patients are the "tricky ones" and no straightforward vaccines or cat bite abscess to balance it out. Almost every consult generates a task.

Not complaining, I was lucky enough to be able to design my rota (after a long time on the coal face I might add!)

RE: How to hire our first Cert qualified Vet?

Nick Taylor — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 09:22:21 GMT

I guess this time element is why referral cases are so much more expensive than routine. Thats good to know.

RE: How to hire our first Cert qualified Vet?

listhestar — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 19:02:40 GMT

Also this. Cert holders need time to do the cases justice. It can be tricky balancing everything.

RE: How to hire our first Cert qualified Vet?

listhestar — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 18:14:49 GMT

I've joined places with no other cert holders as a nice team and good options for working up. That said it can get lonely with case management and I end up seeking advice outside my usual practice.

RE: How to hire our first Cert qualified Vet?

Nick Taylor — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 10:21:58 GMT

Thanks Sara. So in summary you need time to do what you excel at and a great support team. Top advice thank you.

RE: How to hire our first Cert qualified Vet?

Sara Ramsey — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 19:03:23 GMT

For me, as a medicine cert holder..it would be being given time to conduct thorough histories and have informed discussions with owners about the way forward.

Also time to research and contact specialists if I had no peers to discuss difficult cases with

And a consistent rota so I can confidently fit my clients in..not having to squeeze them round ops days or vaccine days.

Good ultra sound machine, good blood pressure machine and a nursing team that I can delegate confidently to perform ACTH stim tests, PTH assays without error. We recently have assigned nurses to the medical team and are hoping to get the same relationship that ops nurses and surgeons have

RE: How to hire our first Cert qualified Vet?

Jill Butterworth — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 20:47:33 GMT

Why won't your existing vets 'upskill'? If they are too tired to study, how about thinking about the Improve courses? I did a couple and didn't take exams but it definitely improved my practice and was a nice jolly once a month.

RE: How to hire our first Cert qualified Vet?

Nick Taylor — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 13:34:21 GMT

Well said Sarah, I agree. But that leaves me with the problem of how to get that first person? Why would they join?

RE: How to hire our first Cert qualified Vet?

Stephanie Wellings — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 19:12:34 GMT

I have a certificate and I’d agree with the sentiments above - I don’t think its necessarily a meaningful distinction to make between cert vs non cert holders.

I think the medicine certificate made me generally more confident at medical cases, more willing to work up more in house than refer, but this is very variable depending on equipment, time, owner finances etc and I don’t think I’d be a hugely different vet if I hadn’t done the certificate. In contrast I’ve done non-cert CPD in cardiology and surgery which means I perform procedures that nobody else in the practice does, and would otherwise be referred.

I’d look at where your skills gap is, or an area you want to develop, and find a vet who is keen to develop that area and hopefully mentor others. To attract them, everyone’s motivation is different. Why not ask the candidates what would sway them?

RE: How to hire our first Cert qualified Vet?

Sarah Keir — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 17:58:07 GMT

I agree with Michael Woodhouse. Not all certificates are equal (no, really, some are just overpriced CPD) so if you are looking to expand what you can offer then you need to attract a certificate holder that is able and willing to grow a service. Someone who is willing to start up and grow a service will have at least some idea of what and how - make sure you ask this at interview.

From the other side, practices need to follow through on their promises for extra services and not just use it to attract staff.

RE: How to hire our first Cert qualified Vet?

Nick Taylor — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 15:46:13 GMT

Thank you for your wise words. Sadly our amazing vets are not wanting to take on that training at the minute

RE: How to hire our first Cert qualified Vet?

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 15:41:38 GMT

As someone who has one - a certificate is not that hard to do in general practice. My strongest advice would be to support existing vets in the practice to do further study in areas that interest them. I would also urge against throwing silly money at certificate holders and pay them based on what they can achieve in practice, in terms of skills and revenue. I know a number of excellent surgeons who do 'advanced' procedures without further qualifications. I know cert holders who do less than some general practitioners.

I'd urge caution in relying too heavily on cert holders for a referral service......