Are you referring on surgeries that you or your associates could potentially perform and actually enjoy?
Reflecting on my 40+ years experience in General Practice and training dozens of recent grads, I know many of them were keen to pursue surgery but they lacked both the skills and confidence to fully embrace this role without proper support and guidance.
Learning surgical techniques parallels mastering any other skill—it demands time, patience, and dedicated mentoring. But for this growth to occur, someone within the practice must invest time and effort into supporting and guiding these aspiring surgeons.
I know from my own experience how difficult this can be.You’re busy and you know that you can bowl over those procedures in less than half of the time it takes a less experienced vet to do them. And if you both scrub in then that knocks 2 vets out of your day’s schedule which is not always practical or affordable.
But unless you allow this process to happen your vets will never reach the stage where they can actually take the load off your hands and confidently work through the day’s surgery list.
Fostering this growth within your team is essential for long-term success. By providing mentorship and opportunities for hands-on learning, your vets can gradually gain the confidence and proficiency needed to handle surgeries independently.
Ultimately, this investment not only benefits the professional development of your team but also enhances the overall service and reputation of your practice.