Thank you for this post—I don't know much about medical history, so I loved learning the background of the stethoscope. I also appreciated the way you discussed the pros and cons of the stethoscope and other methods of testing, grounding it in the lives reality of vets, doctors, and patients. Your clear-eyed but empathetic take truly makes a difference for the layperson to understand the complexities and demands of being a good vet. I know from my own experience that the vets that have taken the time to physically lay hands on my dogs are the ones that have been better "listeners," be it something I'm trying to describe or something the dog's behavior is "saying," and I feel like the care is markedly better. I especially loved the way you talked about the moment of reflection in listening to the animal's heartbeat. Thank you for sharing!
I enjoy your articles and often relate to your experiences. When I was in practice I used my stethoscope as a routine part of the exam, and appreciated how the owner granted me thirty seconds of silence to listen to their pet - and gather my thoughts. Fun reading that it works for you too.
Absolutely, glad you enjoyed! The whole notion of “who cares about the physical exam, other tests are better” actually becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as people become less comfortable and proficient with them. The fear of de-skilling is why I’ve really dialed back how much and when I use LLM tools; I don’t want to lose the ability to read and write that I spent decades building
Thank you for this post—I don't know much about medical history, so I loved learning the background of the stethoscope. I also appreciated the way you discussed the pros and cons of the stethoscope and other methods of testing, grounding it in the lives reality of vets, doctors, and patients. Your clear-eyed but empathetic take truly makes a difference for the layperson to understand the complexities and demands of being a good vet. I know from my own experience that the vets that have taken the time to physically lay hands on my dogs are the ones that have been better "listeners," be it something I'm trying to describe or something the dog's behavior is "saying," and I feel like the care is markedly better. I especially loved the way you talked about the moment of reflection in listening to the animal's heartbeat. Thank you for sharing!
I enjoy your articles and often relate to your experiences. When I was in practice I used my stethoscope as a routine part of the exam, and appreciated how the owner granted me thirty seconds of silence to listen to their pet - and gather my thoughts. Fun reading that it works for you too.
Very interesting read! Thanks for sharing so much on the history and studies. It also serves as a great reminder to keep our physical exam sharp.
Absolutely, glad you enjoyed! The whole notion of “who cares about the physical exam, other tests are better” actually becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as people become less comfortable and proficient with them. The fear of de-skilling is why I’ve really dialed back how much and when I use LLM tools; I don’t want to lose the ability to read and write that I spent decades building