Some lessons aren’t taught in veterinary school.
They come from years of practice, difficult cases, leadership challenges, and countless interactions with clients, colleagues, and patients.
These are the principles that quietly guide how I practice, lead, and live as a veterinarian.
1. I Never Shake Hands While Sitting
Whether with clients or colleagues, respect stands.
Small gestures often reveal big character.
2. I Never Talk Bad About Food During Industry Dinners or Team Meals
Gratitude always comes first.
Someone prepared it, someone paid for it, and someone shared it.
3. I Don’t Eat the Last Treat in the Lounge Unless I Brought It
Respect even shows in small things.
Courtesy is often demonstrated when nobody is watching.
4. I Protect My Team and Support My Peers
In the clinic, loyalty is leadership.
A strong team is built on trust, not fear.
5. I Don’t Speak First in Negotiations
Whether with clients, suppliers, or partners, listening gives leverage.
The more you understand, the better decisions you make.
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6. I Never Take Credit for Cases I Didn’t Touch
Real leadership uplifts, not hijacks.
Recognition should always go where it is earned.
7. I Dress Professionally, Even During Routine Days
My presence reflects my pride in the profession.
Professionalism is communicated long before a word is spoken.
8. I Say What I Mean and Mean What I Say
To clients, staff, and myself.
Integrity is my currency.
9. I Ask More Than I Answer
Curiosity keeps my practice sharp and my learning alive.
The best clinicians never stop learning.
10. I Leave Profanity Outside the Clinic
Professionalism should never be compromised.
Words shape culture.
Culture shapes standards.
11. I Don’t Put My Phone on the Consult Table
Full attention is the best form of care.
Patients and clients deserve presence, not distraction.
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12. I Listen First, Smile Sincerely, and Make Eye Contact
With pets and people alike.
Trust begins when people feel seen and heard.
13. If I’m Not Invited, I Don’t Force My Way In
Respect for space earns long-term trust.
Relationships grow best when they are built naturally.
14. I’m Proud of Where I Came From
Every rural case, tough client, and underdog moment shaped me.
Growth means honoring your journey, not forgetting it.
15. I Never Beg to Stay Where I’m Not Valued
I know my worth and walk with it daily.
Respect, like trust, should never have to be chased.
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Final Thoughts
Veterinary medicine is more than diagnostics, surgeries, and prescriptions.
It is also about character.
About how we carry ourselves when no one is looking.
About the standards we uphold when it would be easier not to.
These rules may never appear in a textbook, but they shape the kind of veterinarian we become.
Because in the end, people may forget the cases we handled.
They may forget the lectures we gave.
But they will always remember how we treated them—and how we carried ourselves along the way.
Sharing this helps others understand what it really means to be a vet. Like and follow if you’re with us.
Dr. Geoff Carullo is a Fellow and the current President of the Philippine College of Canine Practitioners.
