020: How To Avoid Compassion Fatigue Through Community Involvement w/ Robin Van Metre - a podcast by Dr. John Arnold, DVM
from 2018-05-15T10:00
Have you ever had to tackle a pet owner at the veterinary office before? Today’s guest has! She also tells us about how her black belt in karate has come in handy as a vet, not only physically (except this one time!) but mentally.
On top of being an ER vet doctor, Dr Robin Van Metre also works with the National Association for Search and Rescue, K9 TECC, K9 Medic, is the Director of the Canine Hero Foundation, and is the extern and intern coordinator at Fort Collins Vet Emergency and Rehab Hospital.
Today she talks to us about so many things, including how she protects herself from compassion fatigue by giving back to the community in a way that she’s passionate about. She tells about her experience working with several organizations to help working dogs. And she also talks about the only three types of cases that walk into an emergency room.
In this episode:
- How she applies her black belt karate skills in the vet ER
- How she got through the first two years of vet school as a tactile learner who had trouble learning from lecture halls
- Characteristics she looks for in interns
- The importance of giving back to the community to protect your compassion
- The only 3 types of cases you see walk into an ER
- The importance of knowing your bone pile
Quotes:
“I was a very tactile learner. I couldn’t learn by sitting in a lecture hall or even reading from a textbook.” 19:02
"I’m not going to run out of compassion, … but you do have to set limits and boundaries on what you’ll allow people to do to you.” 33:32
“The name of the game is to avoid your bone pile, the mistakes you can make that would cost an animal it’s life." 55:26
Links:
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National Association for Search and Rescue
K9 MedicCanine Hero Foundation
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