By Katie Burns

Communication with clients is vital to veterinary medicine as a service profession, according to Dr. Jane R. Shaw.

Dr. Shaw delivered the Bustad Memorial Lecture on the topic of "Perspectives on the Human-Animal Bond" Monday morning. She is director of the Argus Institute at Colorado State University, which seeks to strengthen veterinarian-client communication, and recipient of the Leo K. Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award for 2008.

Taking a course for physicians on the healer's art was a pivotal experience for Dr. Shaw. Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, who developed the curriculum for "The Healer's Art: Awakening the Heart of Medicine," did not think the course would apply to veterinarians. Dr. Remen changed her mind, though, after reflecting on her relationship with her cat.

"Veterinary medicine is a community of healers in service of animals and the people who love them," Dr. Shaw said.

Veterinarians can become mechanical in practice, Dr. Shaw said, instead of remembering that veterinary medicine is both a service profession and a people profession. Communicating with clients is part of the work, and building relationships with clients and patients can help replenish veterinarians as caregivers.

"As caregivers, veterinarians need healing, too," Dr. Shaw said. "We've seen colleagues burn out. We've seen turnover in our practices."

Dr. Shaw said veterinarians need to take the time to meet the person and the patient in front of them—truly listening, being present, and trusting the process rather than always rushing ahead.

"I have this inner voice that's always chatting at me, and sometimes I need to really quiet that down," she said.

Dr. Shaw thinks veterinarians should consider scheduling longer appointments as well as additional follow-up appointments. She said you also can try to build the whole practice around relationships with clients so that technicians and other staff members can help with time management.