Why I do not wear a tie

When I had just graduated from veterinary school and during my internship, I wore a tie every day to work. When you first graduate and head off into practice, it is very daunting. You have all of this medical knowledge, but there is an art to how to effectively communicate all that information to many different types of people who bring their pets to you. The owners also can smell a newbie, and many will not believe what you are telling them when you are fresh off the DVM turnip truck. So I figured that I would look like a more credible and seasoned veterinarian by wearing a tie. Other than in the Silicone Valley, isn’t that what all the experts do? I was also fighting the fact that I looked like I was about 14 years old when I first entered practice. I figured a tie would at least help me look the part of a veterinarian who knew what he was doing.

So one day, I walk into my first exam room of the morning – adjusting my tie so as to be sure the owner noticed it as I came into the room. I enter to find a slightly older gentleman and his 12-week-old lab*. The owner was as nice as he could be, and the puppy was very happy and energetic. Before I actually start examining the pup, I am talking with the owner about how things are going at home. I am telling him all the brilliant tactics that I learned in vet school about house breaking and training, and I am actually thinking of what a great job I am doing! The owner wants to tell me some stories about the puppy so I sit down on the floor to play with the dog and listen. As I am intently listening and playing with the puppy who is trying to chew my hands, lab coat, stethoscope, and everything else he can get into his mouth, the pup grabs my tie. Of course, he grabs the small part of the tie, which is used to tighten it. As soon as I look down at the tie in his mouth, I can see the twinkle in the pup’s eyes as he realizes this is going to be a fantastic game of tug of war. I feel the noose tighten around my neck and before I can grab it, the puppy has pulled it really tight. In my best effort not to look completely incompetent, I try to get the puppy to let go of the tie, however; the harder I pull to free the noose from his mouth, the harder the dog pulls. The owner is still telling stories about the pup, and I don’t think he’s noticed that I am turning blue and that the dog is actually pulling me to the ground. Finally, the owner must have looked over and seen my situation and my struggle for life with his friend. He pauses his story and nonchalantly says to the dog, “Leave it,” and sure enough the dog lets go. As I take this huge breath and the color returns to my face, I stand up and try to play it off and get on with the exam. The owner now is totally silent and is staring at me with a big smile on his face. I finish my exam, still slightly winded from the incident, and walk thankfully out of the room. As I close the door, I hear the owner bust out laughing. I hear him tell his dog, “Good boy, but next time, try not the kill the vet!”

So needless to say, after that incident, I realized that wearing a tie to work might be the death of me – so credibility or not, no more ties for me. What’s the worst thing your dog has done with your attire?

*By the way, labrador owners, I don’t mean to pick on this wonderful breed…love them…but they do seem to be at the root of a many a funny dog story!