“Rounds” is my favourite part of the day.

Rounds actually used to be my LEAST favourite part of the day … back when I was a student. ‘“Rounds” was when we all gathered around “cage-side” (students, interns, residents and faculty alike) to discuss an ICU case. It was an open discussion; an assessment of the current state of affairs — the success (or failure) of current therapies, and a re-assessment of the patient’s clinical status — pain level, appetite, bloodwork values, and the like.

It was ALSO the time where you would get asked questions — challenged on your research and medical knowledge. It is so crucial for your development as a clinician, so important to have debate about the treatment plan, the medical approach and the diagnosis — but when you’re a student (or at least in my case), it’s NOT so great for that growing GI ulcer you’ve been feeding coffee to since 5 a.m.!

With vet school stressors behind me though, at this stage of my career, I find that I absolutely LIVE for Rounds. Rounds are very different, though, for me today.

For one, I’m no longer a terrified student desperate to excel.

For another, I run Rounds (haha!) so I get to direct how they go.

Finally, Rounds are far more personal now. I work in general practice — my own practice — where what happens here reflects directly on me. How every patient, client and case is treated is a team effort — so it’s important that we talk about all of this together to stay on the same page.

My Rounds aren’t generally cage-side either (sorry to all the hard-working emerg vets out there) but instead take place in our comfortable waiting room, staff lounge or office space. They still involve coffee (sorry ulcer), but they are also more relaxed. It is so imperative that my team feel that Rounds is a safe space for discussion, not a zone where they feel they can make a mistake or say the wrong thing.

We learn so much at Rounds, and ALL of it contributes to the client and patient experience.

I might learn about a bit of communication that happened at the front reception desk while I was in surgery, a question an owner had that I hadn’t considered before, or a technique a technician has used before but I never have. It is not uncommon for a Rounds discussion to trigger further investigation, follow-up or research. I also now have a wonderful opportunity to mentor, and Rounds is often the space where this can take place too.

Some recent clips from Rounds:

“Lucy prefers to sit in the chair, instead of on the examination table for her vaccines.”

“Monty’s mom prefers email and text correspondence instead of phone calls.”

“Mrs. Smith often travels across the border, so let’s make sure we have her travel paperwork ready before her scheduled appointment this afternoon.”

“Last time, Fluffy was sensitive about her nails, so perhaps today we should suggest we do her nail trim on a separate visit than with her annual exam to keep it a more positive experience.”

“Bailey was particularly nauseous in recovery today — we treated it as soon as we noticed, but next time let’s include anti-nausea medication before surgery.”

In having Rounds not only include medical details, the entire team can contribute to creating the RIGHT kind of health care experience. We always come out of Rounds with a large TO DO list to divide and conquer — off we go, tending to the healthcare needs of everyone who needs attention that morning: post-op surgeries, pre-op check-ins, admit appointments, upcoming appointments and procedures.

In 2023 — develop a relationship with your vet, OR your vet tech practitioner OR your vet tech OR your vet receptionist. They are there to help — and honestly, love hearing about you and your pet. The more they know about you, the more they can tailor your pet’s healthcare to suit your lifestyle.

Our Rounds sessions don’t just consist of outlining the medical cases we see (though we can’t devalue this part) — it’s all about the people too. Designing plans that work for them — how often should they get reminders? when we should we check in with them again? was their pet fearful for the exam? could we have altered their anaesthetic protocol to improve their recovery?

Everything is bespoke nowadays … your playlist, your supplements, your subscription boxes … shouldn’t your pet’s healthcare be too?