22/04/2022
The Jeepies.
We’re the General Practitioners, the vets like me and you,
Certificates are our ceiling, we might even have a few,
Or maybe not fancied another exam, since we passed our finals.
We’re still our profession’s backbone ( though we don’t do spinals)
We don’t make a fuss, we just turn up and care
Steady, reliable, dependable: we’re going nowhere.
We form the frontline, the first faces you’ll see
Whether routine troubles or dire emergency
We’ll know the difference, and act accordingly.
We tend to decry our knowledge. Part self-effacing, part modesty
Call ourselves ‘jacks of all trades, masters of none’
But really… we’re masters of all, ‘cos we know what needs to be done,
And if we can’t do it ourselves, if we haven’t the toys or facilities,
Then we know where you need to go, and who you need to see;
We won’t wash our hands, we’ll squeeze you in, or keep making the calls
To get your pet what they need... be it home or away.
We’ll call in favours, or phone home with news of another delay
We won’t leave your side; we won’t walk away.
We shall turn up tomorrow, for another helping of the same.
We don’t do sparkling research, maybe not cutting edge or glory,
You won’t see us in the awards and medals, that’s not really our game
But without us knowing what you need, it would be a different story.
Colleges send us your students, we love showing them the ropes
Wellied and gowned; gloved and scrubbed, or just leaning in consults
First catheters placed, shaking samples and fumbled sutures; realistic hopes
You say ‘EMS’ but we still call it ‘seeing practice’.
We’ll care for your young students, invest in their futures
No dream of reward, (just dodging emails from your tutors)
In years ahead we’ll flick through a Vet Rec or sit in a lecture stream,
And smile at the name up in lights, remember guiding their first steps,
Reflect on paying back just a little into this wonderful profession,
And that fortunately the potential of fledglings isn’t what it first seems!
We are your vet, and we know that you rely
On seeing our familiar, friendly face; in this friendly, familiar place
We’re your general practice, not merely bricks and mortar
Nor just a sign on a shopfront, a letterhead or logo
But a team full of hearts that beat even when broken,
A united front - even when we’re taken over!
A team that know every day will bring a broad platter of routine,
Perhaps sprinkled with a little triumph, occasionally disaster.
We’re the practice on the corner, where you’ve placed your trust.
A part of our Community, and that fact counts deep with us.
We don’t know what’s arriving next, but that’s OK, that’s the deal
That’s both the curse, as well as the appeal,
of being a General Practioner - A vet Jeepie, that's me.
