A Day in the Life of a Veterinary Receptionist

People often underestimate how much a veterinary receptionist juggles in a day, until they’ve walked a mile in our shoes. Let me walk you through what a typical day can look like on the front lines of vet med.

I start my day by setting up my workspace and grabbing a much-needed coffee. Once everything is loaded up, the first thing I do is check the schedule. I want to know who’s coming in, what kind of appointments we have, and how I can best set up our rooms to keep the day flowing smoothly.

Next, I check for any alerts in the system, anything flagged for the doctor’s attention, any files that still need to be made up, or last-minute appointments that slipped in after yesterday’s shift. If I’m working with another receptionist, we’ll do a quick rundown together so we’re on the same page before the day gets rolling.

As the first client arrives, I greet them by name with a smile, weigh their pet, and start building that rapport. I’ll let them know I’m just going to get their room ready, hold the door open, and welcome them in with a quick “How are you doing today?” Once they’re settled, I’ll page the doctor and get the appointment officially checked in on the computer.

Behind the scenes, I’ve already got a checklist open on my screen to keep track of all the day’s tasks. Priority number one: follow-up calls. Any patients who had surgery yesterday are at the top of the list, we want to make sure recovery is going smoothly. Then I’ll check in on pets who recently started new medications. Did that ear infection clear up? Is the new pain medication helping?

Once follow-ups are done, I circle back to my emails. I scan quickly for anything urgent, maybe a client asking if their sick pet can be squeezed in today. If something needs attention, I flag it and adjust the day’s flow accordingly. Then it’s on to non-urgent emails, text messages, and online prescription or food orders. Many clinics have systems that allow clients to communicate digitally, and it’s our job to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

Meanwhile, the phone’s ringing, a client is here to pick up food, someone else is checking in for their appointment, and a doctor just asked for a patient history. That’s the beauty (and chaos) of the front desk, you’re the hub of communication for the entire clinic.

Once I’ve tackled the immediate fires, it’s on to the slower tasks. I’ll check lab results to make sure everything has come back. I might follow up on client orders that have been sitting for a week or two, sometimes people forget they placed them, or they grab a replacement off the shelf without telling us. A quick call can clear that up and free up our limited storage space.

If there are prescriptions ready for pickup, I’ll call those clients, too. Depending on the clinic, I might also be responsible for inventory, placing orders for food, medications, and supplies, often by a certain cutoff time. It’s not glamorous, but it’s a critical part of keeping the clinic running.

And lunch? Well… sometimes it’s a proper break, and sometimes it’s eating a granola bar while returning a call or printing vaccine records.

The rest of the day continues with more appointments, more phone calls, more curveballs. Clients have questions, doctors have requests, and the front desk keeps everything spinning. Before I know it, it’s 5:00 PM. Time to cash out, tidy up, and prep for tomorrow, because we get to do it all over again.

Your First Week as a Veterinary Receptionist

What to Expect

Starting a new job can be overwhelming, especially in the fast-paced world of veterinary medicine. Whether this is your first time working in a clinic or you’re a seasoned receptionist joining a new team, your first week is about setting the foundation for everything to come. At Pawsitive Reception, we believe in setting you up for success from day one.

Let’s Start With This:

Before we dive into the logistics, I always like to begin with a simple conversation: What do you think the role of a veterinary receptionist is?

I’ve heard every answer under the sun, and there’s no “wrong” one, but here’s what I believe:

You are the face of the clinic.

When someone calls, walks through the door, or sends an email, they aren’t talking to the doctor or the techs. They’re talking to you. You are the first impression and the lasting connection. That’s a big deal. So just remember this:

You are important. You run the show.

You’ve got this—and I’ve got you.

The Pawsitive Reception Approach to Week One

Your first week is all about foundations, not perfection. We don’t throw you in the deep end. We ease you in, support you, and build you up. Here’s how we do it:

1. Sit Down & Set Expectations

We don’t start at the front desk. We start somewhere quiet and comfortable. We talk through:

• What’s expected of you

• What support you’ll have

• What your first week will look like

• And most importantly, why your role matters

Then we go over our Client Care Foundations:

• Hospitality: Warm, welcoming, and kind - every time

• Client Education: Clear, compassionate communication

• Medicine: Understanding your role in patient care

2. Your Sole Focus: Answering the Phone & Booking Appointments

In your first week, your one and only goal is this:

Answer the phone. Book appointments.

That’s it. No emails. No inventory. No medical files. Don’t worry about what I’m working on. Just get comfy with the phone and the schedule.

Why? Because:

• The phone is scary for a lot of people, but by the end of the week, for you it won’t be.

• You’ll be asked all sorts of questions, and it’s totally okay to say, “Let me find out for you.”
  

  • That’s how you learn.

  • That’s how the answers stick.

  • That’s how you become confident.

Plus, booking appointments teaches you how to use the practice management software. You’ll naturally start learning how to:

• Search and update client records

• Navigate through reminders

• Understand basic medical history

You’re doing more than you realize, just by picking up the phone.

Two Types of “First Weeks”

Not everyone starts from the same place. So here’s a breakdown:

If You’re Brand New to Vet Med:

• Everything will be unfamiliar.

• You’ll have a lot to learn, but you’ll be supported every step of the way.

• You’ll build your confidence with time and repetition.

If You’ve Done This Job Before:

• You already know how to be a veterinary receptionist.

• But you don’t know how this clinic runs.

• Every clinic has different doctors, policies, systems, and client expectations.

• You’ll bring your skills, but you’ll still need time to adjust to a new flow.

It’s just like when I train as an independent hire, I know the job, but I don’t know the clinic. And that’s okay.

One Step at a Time

Your first week isn’t about being perfect, it’s about starting strong. You’re going to learn. You’re going to ask questions. You’re going to grow.

And by the end of that week? You’ll already be on your way to becoming an essential part of the team.

Want more insights like this? Follow along for more blogs from Pawsitive Reception, where we support veterinary receptionists at every stage of their journey.

Burnout in Scrubs

How I Knew I Wasn’t Okay

Burnout doesn’t always look like tears or dramatic breakdowns. Sometimes it looks like showing up to work, doing everything right, and still feeling completely empty.

I didn’t realize I was burning out at first. I was just annoyed, constantly irritated with my coworkers, convinced I was the only one pulling my weight. Mistake after mistake would fall into my lap, and I was the one fixing everything while everyone else seemed to coast by. I kept asking myself: Why are we all getting paid the same when I’m doing the work of three people?

It started slowly. I stopped connecting with my coworkers. No more shared laughs, no more personal stories. I wasn’t my usual bubbly self. I clocked in, smiled for clients, did my job, and left. On the outside, everything looked fine. But inside, I was simmering with resentment and exhaustion. I felt invisible, and worse, I didn’t feel like myself anymore.

And when people asked if I was okay? I lied. I didn’t want to be a burden.

The truth was, I was edging toward depression. I was emotionally drained, mentally checked out, and pushing myself to keep up with everything and everyone. I thought if I just kept going, things would get better. Spoiler alert: they didn’t.

What finally shifted was realizing that I couldn’t keep carrying other people’s slack as if it was my responsibility. I started journaling, leaning on loved ones, and reminding myself that other people’s lack of effort wasn’t a reflection of my worth or something I needed to fix.

Eventually, I found a counselor I really connected with. Now, I meet with her monthly, not because I’m in crisis, but because maintenance matters. Just like we care for the pets in our clinics, we have to care for ourselves.

If you’re wondering if you’re burning out, here are a few signs I wish I’d paid attention to sooner:

• You’re emotionally detached from coworkers or clients

• You’re constantly frustrated or irritable

• You feel invisible or underappreciated, even when you’re giving 100%

• You’re physically present but mentally checked out

• You avoid asking for help because you “don’t want to be a burden”

Here’s what I learned the hard way: taking care of yourself isn’t selfish. It’s necessary. Eat nourishing meals. Move your body. Say no when your plate is full. And ask for help, even if you think you should be able to handle it all. You’re human, not a superhero.

Burnout doesn’t have to be your breaking point. Let it be your turning point.

5 Things Most People Don’t Realize Vet Receptionists Do

When people think of veterinary receptionists, they often picture someone answering phones and booking appointments. But the truth is, vet receptionists wear many hats behind the scenes—and they play a vital role in the smooth operation of every clinic. Here are five surprising things you probably didn’t know veterinary receptionists are responsible for:

1. Social Media Management

Yep, that adorable puppy photo or informative parasite prevention post you just saw on the clinic’s Instagram? Chances are, your vet receptionist had a hand in creating or scheduling it. Many clinics rely on reception staff to manage their social media presence, keep content fresh, and engage with the community online.

2. Website Content Creation & Management

From writing blog posts (like this one!) to updating holiday hours or adding new services to the clinic website, receptionists are often the ones making sure the clinic’s online presence stays current and professional.

3. Inventory Management (Yes, Even Expiry Checks)

Receptionists play a key role in making sure the clinic is well-stocked and nothing has expired on the shelves. They help track what’s running low, receive shipments, and check expiry dates on medications and supplies—keeping patients safe and the clinic compliant.

4. Preparing Prescriptions

In many clinics, receptionists are trained to help prepare prescriptions for client pick-up. That might mean measuring out medications, printing labels, and double-checking dosages under the supervision of a veterinarian or technician.

5. Running Lab Work

You read that right. From preparing blood samples to running fecals and urinalysis in-house, some receptionists are trained to assist with diagnostic testing. They ensure samples are labeled correctly, results are logged, and everything’s ready for the vet to interpret.

The Bottom Line:

Veterinary receptionists do so much more than greet clients and answer phones. They’re multi-skilled professionals who keep the clinic running smoothly—from front desk to behind-the-scenes. Next time you visit your local clinic, give a little extra appreciation to the receptionist—you never know what task they just finished before saying “hello.”

“Not Just a Receptionist”

Why Vet Receptionists Deserve Better Training

When you first get hired as a veterinary receptionist, chances are, you haven’t gone through a formal program that prepared you for the job. And even if you have taken a course—like the Veterinary Office and Animal Care (VOAC) program I did at Douglas College—the reality is, reception and admin work are only a small piece of the puzzle. In my six-month program, we spent maybe two weeks focused on the front desk side of things.

But here’s the thing: being a veterinary receptionist isn’t like being a receptionist anywhere else.

Before I worked in vet med, I was a receptionist for businesses like The Royal Bank of Canada and KPMG. I worked in customer service and hospitality in restaurants and retail stores—you name it. I know customer service. And I brought all of that experience with me into every vet reception role I’ve had. But even with all that background, nothing quite prepared me for how different veterinary reception is.

Yes, you need customer service skills. But you also need medical knowledge.

You need to know:

• What diseases we vaccinate against.

• What different parasites look like and how we treat them.

• How to pronounce and understand medical terminology.

• How to recognize an emergency.

• How to triage a phone call while also checking someone in, filling out a prescription, and comforting a client who’s just said goodbye to their pet.

It’s a lot. It’s not just “booking appointments and answering phones.” It’s being the first and last point of contact for every client. It’s wearing a hundred hats. And most of the time? You’re learning all of it on the job.

The problem is, when we hire receptionists based purely on personality and toss them into the deep end with little to no training, we set them up to fail. And if the person training them is already overwhelmed, under-supported, or under-trained themselves, now you’ve got two receptionists struggling—and the client experience, the team, and the clinic suffer for it.

Onboarding shouldn’t be guesswork. It shouldn’t rely on who happens to be available to show someone the ropes between phone calls and checking in surgeries.

Veterinary receptionists deserve structured, thoughtful, dedicated training. Because this role is critical. It’s medical. It’s emotional. It’s high-pressure and high-stakes. And when we invest in proper training, we create stronger teams, happier clients, and better outcomes for the pets we care for.

It’s time we stop saying “just a receptionist.”

We’re client educators, care coordinators, and the front line of every clinic.

We deserve to be trained like it

So We Know Why—But How Do We Train Better?

We’ve talked about why veterinary receptionists deserve better training. But now let’s get into the real question:

How do we actually do it better?

Because here’s the truth—most clinics don’t have a structured way to train new receptionists. The training usually falls on an already-overworked team member who’s juggling their own responsibilities while trying to onboard someone new. That means both people are operating at half capacity. The new receptionist isn’t getting proper support, and the experienced one is burning out. It’s not efficient—and it’s not sustainable.

That’s where Pawsitive Reception comes in.

1. Dedicated On-Site Support

I don’t just hand over a workbook and wish you luck—I show up. I step into the training role so your team doesn’t have to. Your staff gets to focus on their jobs, and I take care of the new hire. They learn the flow, the language, the triage, the tech, the communication—and they learn it from someone who knows both vet med and professional reception.

At the end of it? You’ve got a receptionist who’s trained, confident, and clinic-ready—without pulling your existing team away from their work.

2. Flexible, Self-Paced Online Modules

If bringing someone in physically isn’t ideal, no problem. The Pawsitive Reception online training modules are designed to slot into the real-life flow of your clinic.

When the new receptionist isn’t needed at the front desk—or while the team is managing high call volume—the trainee can jump on the computer and work through short, focused lessons.

They’re bite-sized. They’re practical. They’re not weeks-long commitments that leave you paying someone to sit behind a screen instead of learning hands-on.

3. Continuing Education for Current Receptionists

This isn’t just for new hires.

I offer CE videos and resources designed to help current receptionists level up their skills too. Maybe they’ve never been taught how to deal with a difficult client without escalating the situation. Maybe they don’t realize how valuable that price shopper on the phone could be—because no one’s ever explained it in real terms.

I’m giving them strategies. Tools. Confidence. And a perspective that says, “Hey, you’re not just answering phones—you’re building client relationships and clinic revenue.”

Veterinary reception is hard.

It’s emotionally exhausting. It’s fast-paced. It requires medical knowledge, empathy, communication skills, and nerves of steel.

And yet… so many receptionists are thrown into it with zero training and told to “figure it out.”

Let’s stop doing that.

Let’s give vet receptionists the training they need—and deserve—to actually succeed in this role.

Whether it’s on-site support, flexible modules, or CE content for your current team—Pawsitive Reception is here to make sure the people holding down your front desk are equipped, confident, and proud of the work they do.

Because this job isn’t easy.

But with the right training?

It can be a lot more rewarding.

From Front Desk to Founder

How I Turned My Vet Receptionist Role Into a Business (And Why You Can Too)

There was a time I worked at an accounting firm as an admin assistant. It wasn’t a bad job—but I felt like just a number. I’d started there as a receptionist and eventually moved into admin, but I was unmotivated, unfulfilled, and for the first time in my life, I didn’t want to go to work. And that was very unlike me. I’ve always had a strong work ethic. I just knew deep down—I wasn’t where I was meant to be.

One night, my husband asked me a question that changed everything:

“If you could do any job in the world without needing to go to school for it, what would you do?”

I didn’t hesitate: “I’d be a dolphin trainer.”

He laughed at first—like, c’mon, be realistic—but I stood by it. That moment got me thinking seriously about working with animals. I did some research and found the Animal Health Technologist program at Douglas College, but I wasn’t ready to go back to school full-time. That’s when I discovered the VOAC program—six months long and a great way to get my foot in the door.

I completed the program and started working in veterinary clinics. I loved the environment, the pace, the clients—but despite being trained as a vet assistant, I kept getting placed at the front desk. My background in customer service made me a natural receptionist. And honestly? I didn’t mind. I realized I had a superpower there.

I thrived in that role. I connected with clients, kept the clinic running smoothly, and became someone the team could rely on. When I left for my first maternity leave, I was missed. Not because anyone else was slacking, but because I genuinely brought something extra to the table. When I returned, I saw how big the gap had been in my absence. And the same thing happened again during my second maternity leave—but this time, I was training others to take over for me, and it never quite stuck. They’d leave. It was overwhelming. There wasn’t a system in place to help them succeed.

That’s when the idea hit me: There has to be a better way to train veterinary receptionists.

While I was on leave, I started sketching out what would eventually become the foundation for Pawsitive Reception. At first, it was just a guide based on my “Client Care Foundations”—the three pillars I built my front desk success on. But the more I talked it through with my husband, the more it became clear: this could be more than just a guide. This could be a business.

There’s schooling for techs. There’s schooling for assistants. But there’s almost nothing for receptionists—yet we’re often the first and last point of contact in a clinic. We set the tone, manage chaos, and juggle emotional, medical, and logistical challenges. We deserve tools. We deserve training. And clinics deserve support to onboard and retain great front desk staff.

That’s how Pawsitive Reception was born.

It started as something small—just an idea I couldn’t shake—and now it’s a growing training platform for veterinary clinics who want better onboarding, stronger client communication, and confident receptionists. I’ve built guides, recorded videos, created modules, and I’m just getting started.

Why You Can Do It Too

I wasn’t a businessperson. I didn’t have a fancy degree. I just knew I was good at something that mattered, and I saw a gap no one else was filling. That’s all you need to start.

If you’re a receptionist, a tech, an assistant—anyone in the vet world—you have insider knowledge. You know the daily struggles, the burnout points, the workarounds. That’s your advantage. Your experience is valuable, and someone out there needs what you have to offer.

So if you’ve ever had that little voice saying, “There has to be a better way”—follow it. Start small. Dream big. You never know what you’re capable of until you try.