One of the things that is interesting about the veterinary profession is how wrong a lot of the “experts” can often be. The people who were bemoaning that there were ‘too many vet schools pushing out too many graduates for too few jobs’ a few years back are the same people who are now complaining of how hard it is to hire an associate veterinarian! Dr. Dave Nicol does not belong in this camp at all. Not only is he willing to talk the talk, but he is also willing to walk the walk, with a career that includes managing and owning large and small practices on multiple continents.
Dr. Nicol’s latest book, you can read my review of his first book “The Yellow Pages are Dead” here, is timely and astute. While the need, and competition, for new graduates has never been greater, it seems that as a profession we seem to be failing them in multiple ways. “So You’re A Vet…Now What?” aims to fill the gap that is not being filled by most employers and is certainly not being filled by the veterinary schools. Chapters range from how to not get sued to “your health and wellness,” handling the emotional toll of euthanasia, and how a new graduate should choose a first job.
As well as focusing on the major issues facing new graduates, “So You’re A Vet…Now What?” also tackles the more complicated subject of company culture and the new graduates place in fostering great leadership, in themselves and others. The book aims not only to foster great new graduates, but help turn them in to excellent veterinarians that clients will want to see, employers will want to employ, and staff will want to work with.
Dr. Nicol’s friendly, and conversational tone makes “So You’re A Vet…Now What?” an easy and short read, I finished the book in a single sitting that lasted a little over three hours; however, it is also a book that new graduates will want to refer back to. With some great stories, I want to know what happened to the vet through the glass – see chapter five, and real-world examples, this book is literally the new vet’s handbook.
For employers, there are some controversial topics, and I find a couple of the ‘lines in the sand’ a little too ridged. Additionally, since Dr. Nicol hails from the UK and currently practices there, it is little U.K. centric which American readers may find a little jarring; however, these are all very minor quibbles / observations on an excellent and important book not just for new graduates but for employers of new graduates and the larger profession beyond.
The book is available as a digital download from http://www.drdavenicol.com and a printed version is forthcoming.
Mike Falconer 