Lessons from James Herriot

In 1989, while in college, I was lucky enough to have a semester abroad in England.  While there, I decided I needed to make a pilgrimage to James Herriot’s clinic. I had always wanted to be a vet, I loved his books, and the life he led spoke to me.  It turns out it was less easy to find his clinic than I anticipated as the name of the town in his books is a pseudonym.  However, with some investigative work (this was pre-Google), I figured out where in Yorkshire he was located and took the train.   I didn’t want to bother anyone so I just found the hospital, took a picture, and enjoyed a day being in the community that I had read so much about.

So why do so many of us love these books and find them so inspiring?  What is it that appeals?

For me, I have always loved 4 main things about veterinary medicine: pets, their people, being part of a community, and the actual science.  James Herriot’s stories show his passion and love for all of these as well.  His ability to laugh and appreciate human foibles and interesting characters is as important as the pets he loves.  I believe that when people think about a career in veterinary medicine, if they don’t value all 4 of these, that they will struggle both with school and with practice.

As we think about James Herriot and what gave him a rich life as a veterinarian, we have to remember how rooted he was both in his care for pets and as a member of the community in which he worked.  In a recent JAVMA article, Charlotte Hansen, a statistical analyst at the AVMA Vet Economics Division, reported research that shows increasing numbers of veterinarians with low compassion satisfaction.  Low compassion satisfaction is defined as decreased gratification drawn from work.  While she hypothesized that these might be due to high educational debt and declining real income, I believe that losing sight of WHY we do what we do and not realizing the importance of being rooted in our community are other additional players.   It is easy to get caught up in Yelp reviews, keeping up with your emails, performance conversations about production goals, and forget why you joined the profession in the first place.

The reality is that we can never go backward and most of us will never live in Yorkshire.  I also spent enough time working with friends at their mixed practice in Idaho to all know how really hard rural veterinary care can be.  However, re-connecting with our passion and building community can and should occur wherever we practice.  How do we become re-energized and more connected? Here are 6 actions to consider:

• Write down WHY you went to veterinary school. Use that why to figure out what you would like to do more of in 2018. Post it by your desk or computer for inspiration.
• The next time something crazy happens at work, think about how you would make it into a good story if you were writing a book. Looking at situations as a storyteller often lets you either find the humor or find perspective.
• If you are a practice owner or medical director, ASK the veterinarians that work for you WHY they are veterinarians and what goals they have for professional development. Then, support them in getting there!  Professional goal setting annually can be an incredible way to motivate yourself and others to concentrate on what matters most.  It can also be how you find a new avenue to pursue in your practice.
• Join your local veterinary medicine association and attend a meeting. Getting to know your colleagues in your community and having in person friends in the trenches to talk to is a great way to get support and also just make things more fun.   In addition, our local, state and national associations are critical in advocating for the rules and laws needed to make our jobs doable and our independent practices viable.

  

• Have your practice find a local group or charity to support. This might be building a relationship with your local shelter or sponsoring a kids’ softball or baseball team.  You could plant trees on Earth Day or have a clinic team do a group run to raise money for a community organization.  Picking an organization to support consistently over time will allow you to build connections that will be meaningful for both sides.
• Give a talk at your kids’ class or any local school on veterinary medicine. Bring a pet and a stethoscope, bring gowns and masks for dress -up, or maybe radiographs of funny things pets eat.  One year I brought our guinea pig and a portable ultrasound so the kids could see a teeny heart beating. The smiles you get will remind you why you joined this profession.