Dr. Alex Miller earned his veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania and practiced in the Northeast United States, Spain, and Northern California before joining Boehringer Ingelheim as a professional services veterinarian. With a master’s in leadership and certification in compassion fatigue, Dr. Miller’s mission is to provide the veterinary profession a bright future for decades to come.
| 8:00 AM-8:50 AM |
Motivation in Vet Med: A Recipe for LemonadeVeterinary medicine certainly has its lemons. The daily grind can sometimes feel like checking boxes rather than addressing our personal and professional goals. Yet we’ve all had those days that just flew by, when we were truly fulfilled and sufficiently challenged. Not every day can be perfection. But jobs don’t design themselves. As practice managers, owner veterinarians, or team leads, we can play a critical role in shaping the workplace to fit the common motivators found in every person. In this presentation, we’ll explore the psychological theory behind human motivation and how to apply it in the workplace. Specifically, we’ll look at why the sticks and carrots model fails us and how autonomy, mastery, and relatedness are the vital ingredients for turning lemons into lemonade. |
| 9:00 AM-9:50 AM |
To Care or Not to CareWaking up enthused by what the day has to offer, but not so emotionally depleted that you can’t get back to sleep at night: surely this is the goal for most veterinary professionals, and arguably anyone seeking a fulfilling career. In this module, we’ll explore the latest trends in veterinary wellbeing, defining and giving a face to buzz words like burnout, compassion fatigue, and wellness. We will review how powerful and cherished emotions, like empathy and compassion, can fester and turn malignant without proper attention. Finally, we’ll discuss several actionable mindsets and practices to build emotional awareness, connection, and resiliency to restore veterinary medicine’s position as a fulfilling career choice. |
| 10:20 AM-11:10 AM |
The Double-Edged Sword of Workplace Communication – Part 1Ask around: Who went in to veterinary medicine for the people, and who went into it for the animals? Furry friends may be what drew most of us to the profession, but it’s skillful communication that determines most measures of success, including patient outcome, bonding with clients, team productivity, and professional fulfillment. In this course created by the American Veterinary Medical Association, we’ll examine the critical role that effective communication plays in all walks of life. After illustrating the connection between wellbeing and communication, we’ll differentiate transactional versus relational communication, practice situational tactics that promote connection, and draw attention to connection busters. |
| 11:20 AM-12:10 PM |
The Double-Edged Sword of Workplace Communication – Part 2Ask around: Who went in to veterinary medicine for the people, and who went into it for the animals? Furry friends may be what drew most of us to the profession, but it’s skillful communication that determines most measures of success, including patient outcome, bonding with clients, team productivity, and professional fulfillment. In this course created by the American Veterinary Medical Association, we’ll examine the critical role that effective communication plays in all walks of life. After illustrating the connection between wellbeing and communication, we’ll differentiate transactional versus relational communication, practice situational tactics that promote connection, and draw attention to connection busters. |
