Most Viewed Blogs
Responding to 'Vets Only Care About Money'
Stand up to abusive clients with these pre-set responses!
Morbidity and Mortality Rounds
'The only mistake in life is the lesson not learned.' -Albert Einstein.
Evaluation of an Experienced Veterinarian
Determine your TRUE WORTH as an experienced veterinarian.
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About
Dr. Ann Herbst
Meet Dr. Ann Herbst, creator of KICK ASS VETS, and who she is as a professional, and as a person.
KICK ASS Useful Links
Physical Exam Templates and more useful links and resources in one convenient location!
Welcome to KICK ASS VETS
Learn about the aims, goals and ideas behind KICK ASS VETS.
Career Alternatives
Telemedicine: Is it for You?
Vetster provides Telemedicine to pet owners, and an income source for vets and techs, from home, on your own terms.
An Exotic Passion
Interview: Journey across the country to pursue an EXOTIC passion with Dr. Luke.
Humans ARE Gross
Interview: Travel through vet medicine, the army, and human medicine with Dr. Sean.
Pursuing Pathology
Interview: Journey through the sample platter of veterinary medicine with Dr. Hayley.
A Different Path
Interview: How Dr. Jessica fell out of love with clinical practice, but didn't fall out of love with the profession.
Working In Industry
Interview: There is an industrial revolution occurring in the veterinary industry!
The Research Job
Interview: The 'hows' and 'whys' when it comes to being a research veterinarian.
Client Communication
Dealing with Shitty Clients
Change your mindset and immediately have a happier day, and have clients treat you better!
Difficult Clients: Self Preservation
Protect yourself and your mental health from toxic clients.
Difficult Clients: General Tips
Some general tips can be applied to various types of difficult clients!
"I Know Better" Clients
Clients that 'know better' are both annoying, insulting and time wasters!
Bully Clients
Bullies come in all shapes and forms, so recognize and deal with these clients effectively!
Manipulative Clients
Manipulative people use various tactics to try to get their way, often at the expense of veterinary staff.
Dangerous Clients
Some clients are down-right dangerous, and strategies to manage them are vital.
Upset Clients
Managing sacred, stressed and guilty feeling clients is one of the hardest parts of the job.
Discussing Mistakes with Owners
'To Err Is Human'- but that doesn't mean that owners will all forgive us.
Responding to 'Vets Only Care About Money'
Stand up to abusive clients with these pre-set responses!
Daily Life As A Vet
Red Rubber Feeding Tube Technique for LFB
Perform your Linear Foreign Body surgeries with a single enterotomy +/- gastrotomy with this technique!
Flexivet CPR Training
CPR training is so important for all clinics, and more important for the mental health of all veterinary staff!
HOW to Get Your Lunch Break
Strategies for staff and managers alike to ensure lunch breaks are taken!
Value of Your Lunch Break
Skipping lunch is the 'norm' in the vet industry. Here are many reasons this needs to change!
Combatting Medical Biases: Part 3
Avoid those mistakes that our personality can subconsciously lead us to make.
Be a KICK ASS VET During COVID-19
Be a source of calm, efficiency, stability and progress for your clients and your patients!
Combatting Medical Biases: Part 2
Human error affects a large percentage of our patients, learning how will decrease the rate.
Combatting Medical Biases: Part 1
Our personalities come out in the way we practice medicine, and it isn't always good.
Tips for Surviving Night Shift
Night shift and shift work can knock you down, these tips can pick you up.
Resolutions To Be A KICK ASS VET!
You don't need to wait for Jan. 1st to improve!
Gold Standard vs. Real World Medicine
New graduates are the life-blood of a profession.
Determining Your Dream Job
Unconventional Approach to the 'Right' Job
Don't waste your time looking for jobs in the wrong ways.
Which KICK ASS Fish Are You?
Find the best possible 'ecosystem' for you and your professional happiness!
Red Flags for Picking a Clinic
Signs that should send you running from a clinic.
Green Flags for Picking a Clinic
Signs that a clinic might be amazing to work for.
Picking Your First Job
Sort out the good clinics from the bad to start off your career on a good note.
Expectations vs. Reality
Expectations vs. Reality:
Vet vs. Client
Part 4/4: Clients can be amazing, but they aren't always as magical as school implies.
Expectations vs. Reality:
Vet vs. Boss
Part 3/4: The boss-employee relationship isn't always the magical mentorship you think it's going to be.
Expectations vs. Reality:
Vet vs. Profession
Part 2/4: Identify the common misconceptions about what it's like to be a vet.
Expectations vs. Reality:
Vet vs. Self
Part 1/4: Manage your own internal expectations to have a happier career.
Increase Your Worth
KICK ASS Performance Review
You can make $10,000 in one hour... by preparing for your performance review.
How to be a ‘Valuable’ KICK ASS VET
There are more ways than one to be valuable to a clinic!
Combatting Clinic 'Smoke Screens' for Raises
Get past the "No" when asking for a raise.
KICK ASS Negotiation Tactics
You should always negotiate for both yourself and your employer's sake.
KICK ASS Interview Guidelines
Put your best foot forward and remove the fear and stress from the process.
Evaluation of a New Graduate
Determine your worth as a new graduate.
Evaluation of an Experienced Veterinarian
Determine your TRUE WORTH as an experienced veterinarian.
Locum/Relief Work
KICK ASS Boundaries for Locums
Locuming can leave you just as stressed and exhausted as full-time work, if you don't set the right boundaries!
Veterinary Clinics Created the Locum
A look into how locums are born, and clinics' role in the process.
Vet Locums: Love ‘em, Leave ‘em or Join 'em
Locums have made a choice... should we support them, or eliminate them?
Pros and Cons of Veterinary Locuming
Locuming has it's advantages, but do they outweigh the disadvantages??
Tips for Veterinary Locums
Get the most out of your 'gun-for-hire' career!
Be a KICK ASS Locum Vet
Locums can be amazing and valuable to clinics too!
Management
KICK ASS Tips for Hiring a Vet
Making your job ad shine is imperative to getting the RIGHT applicant! Having details and more specific data in your ads will help.
Managing Client Complaints
Clients will complain.. how you manage them makes all the difference.
How KICK ASS Managers Fire Clients
Fire clients in a clear, concise and professional manner.
Which Clients KICK ASS Managers Fire
Determine which clients are just annoying, and which ones are toxic and need to go!
Why KICK ASS Managers Fire Clients
Toxic clients have both an emotional and financial toll on your staff and your business. Fire them!
Clients NOT Customers
Clients have deference to professionals, while customers' only compass is their wants/desires.
Get Value From New Graduates!
New graduates are a gold mine if you just VALUE them!
Dropped Shifts During COVID
Management through COVID is imperative to long term employee retention.
What Millennials Want
Millennials are the majority of the workforce, so embrace them.
Mental Health
Imposter Syndrome
Chances are you will experience Imposter Syndrome in your career, so tackle it head on!
KICK ASS Confidence
Confidence is knowing that you cannot know everything, and new/recent graduates need to know this!
Burning Out
Interview: The process of burn out and recovery with Dr. Joe
Dr. Sarah on Chewing the Cud
Interview: Dr. Sarah discusses the vet industry, and how to make it better.
Don’t Be An Anti-Vaxxer On Life!
Don't miss opportunities due to fear or your own subconscious blocks.
Avoiding Superhero Syndrome
How trying to do it all can be hurting yourself, as well as those around you.
Tips for Working Holidays
Working the Holidays can be hard, but it can also be fun!
Recover Yourself After a Mistake
How to go on, and be a KICK ASS vet after making a mistake.
Morbidity and Mortality Rounds
'The only mistake in life is the lesson not learned.' -Albert Einstein.
Be Charitable On Your Own Terms
Being manipulated and bullied into freebies isn't charity...
New Graduate Corner
Pressures of the Newly Graduated
Interview: New graduate revelations and where the profession needs to improve with Dr. Salvador.
New Graduate Growing Pains
Interview: Journey through graduation, an internship, GP practice, and vet challenges with Dr. Yu Wern.
Jumping Into Emergencies
Interview: Working emergency, on commission, and navigating Imposter Syndrome with Dr. Brooke.
Going Job Picking
Interview: The emotional rollercoaster of picking a job as a new graduate with Dr. Maddie.
Tips to Consider Before Quitting
When to quit a job and when to stick it out can be a hard decision.
Tricks and Tips for New Grads
Look more experienced and display confidence as a new grad with these tips.
Tips To Be a KICK ASS Mentor
No everyone that mentors chooses it or is a natural...these can help.
Tips To Be A KICK ASS Mentee
Be an active and effective mentee to get the most out of your relationships.
Four Mentors Every Vet Needs
No matter your career stage, you should always have a mentor... or four.
Stay In Touch With Kick Ass Vets