Paul D. Pion, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology), co-founder, VIN
Today, I’m writing about the sixth item in the VINner’s Oath:
6 I will remember that my expertise, insights, and resources are valuable to the rest of the VIN community and my input is welcome and highly encouraged.
I wish I could eliminate from the psyche of VINners two things:
- the feeling that a response from a non-consultant/specialist is not valuable
- the feeling that they don't have much to contribute.
All VINners have much to contribute to the VIN community:
- lessons learned
- tips and tricks you’ve picked up in practice
- sharing handouts or forms you’ve developed
- answering surveys and polls to contribute to a greater understanding of the veterinary profession
- asking questions or providing feedback on the boards or sending VIN-related comments and suggestions to feedback@vin.com
A long standing quest for VIN is to find ways to give a voice to the silent majority.
One small success in this direction was the addition of Front Page Quick Polls. A quick poll is anonymous. Those, in what I call the silent majority, who are less likely to respond in a post have found ways to voice their opinion through the Quick Polls, sometimes, perhaps often, revealing that the majority of the community does not agree with the position of the vocal minority that we most often read on the boards.
Finding more ways to bring to the forefront the opinions of individuals and the silent majority is an ongoing goal for the VIN community. Not to show one right way or one wrong way, but to demonstrate the diversity of opinions and make certain all views are heard. If you have ideas for how to better accomplish this, please share them.
Thank you for contributing your knowledge and experience to your VIN community!
Next, I will share my thoughts behind the seventh point of the VINner’s Oath:
7 I recognize that VIN is an educational resource and that by providing complete histories and follow-up on the message boards, I am enriching the VIN database for my colleagues.