Why Dr. Jamie Richardson is loving life
When most veterinarians finish school, they usually settle down in a nearby practice to help the animals closest to them. Others however, have itchy feet and find their practice best performed through travel. Dr. Jamie Richardson has practiced all over the world, taking her veterinary skills everywhere from South Africa to Hong Kong.
Through her travels, Dr. Jamie learned many important things. The most important being the power of listening. No matter where you go in the world, the simple truth is that people love their dogs. In South Africa children would carry their pets 10 or more miles to reach the clinic and get their pets care. In Hong Kong, language barriers sometimes made it difficult to communicate, but the concern for these beloved animals was no less there.
Most people who seek out veterinary care do it because they love their animals, and listening is the most important thing a veterinarian can do to help solve their problems.
When Dr. Jamie at last ended her long world tour of the world and joined a practice in New York, she chose to make active listening a part of her practice. Thanks in part to her experiences around the globe and what she learned, she is now Medical Chief of Staff at Small Door Veterinary.
Problems in the vet world
Like many other veterinarians, Dr. Jamie is concerned about the mental health of the veterinary world. It’s hard to let go of work after a difficult day, and crippling debt is a serious problem that follows vets long after they’ve left veterinary school.
Although there are no easy paths forward to reducing stress caused by stress, she recommends clinic owners offer apps like Headspace and memberships to gyms and other fitness locations as a way to help staff clear their head.
She also thinks that appointments should be farther apart, so that staff can spend more time focused on each client. More time will not only be less stressful for staff and pet alike, but will help give them a chance to provide the active listening she feels is so important.
A team player
Through all of her experience, ranging from intense shelter medicine to a more low key practice, Dr. Richardson learned how valuable being a team-player is. When people come together for the good of animals, the result is an improved experience for everyone. Other traits she values, and credits to being part of her great success, is dedication and the ability to hustle.
The world of veterinary medicine is huge. Thanks to Dr. Jamie’s experience around the world, from attending Royal Veterinary College to her travels around the world and finally back home have helped her in many ways. Not only has she learned a great deal about medicine, including diseases not common in the USA, but she’s also learned that many of the same problems the veterinary world seems to have aren’t.
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