Re: OTsorta/small animal McVeterinary Clinics?

On Sun, 4 May 2008 05:43:54 -0700 (PDT), PM <hayebail@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

Does anyone know the scoop on the vet. clinics found in the PetSmart
mega pet supply stores? A friend has switched her dog's care to one
of these clinics, called Banfield Pet Hospital. Sounds like a
franchise ??? But the interesting thing she's told me about her
experience is that several of the practitioners she's spoken with
there attended vet school somewhere in the Caribbean. I'd heard of
offshore med. schools, but not vet.. Sooo, all kinds of questions pop
up, re: quality of training, quality of care at these places, is this
a trend...the franchise McVet clinic, does this pose a problem for
traditional practices (as did chain pharmacys, for the independent),
etc. Anybody?
Thanks,
PM

Graduaes of foreign veterinary schools sit fairly stiff exams to get
US licenses. I believe that most, if not all, do their clinical
rotations in US schools who have agreements with some of the off shore
schools.

I know some colleagues who work for Banfield. They're quite competent,
some are exceptional, just like anywhere else.

I think that, for many things, a corporate ownership may be good--bulk
ordering, staff scheduling, etc.

That said, personally, I'd sell my own blood before I worked for that
particular corporation.
Don't like their particular flavor of corporate mentality. They seem
to me to be rather gorilla-like.
I know of a private practitioner in California whom they shafted,
when she did nothing wrong but pick up a case that one of theirs had
botched...
.

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