A Veterinary Career Success Story: How to Decide Where Your Path Goes Next
A firsthand account of career transitions in veterinary medicine and the tools that help you choose your next move: self-knowledge, purpose, core values and a SWOT analysis.
Introduction
The author looks back on his final days of veterinary school. While his classmates celebrated graduation, he sat apart, caught between nostalgia for the academic rigor of the previous four years and apprehension about what lay ahead. He had all the textbook knowledge that made him a veterinarian, yet he did not yet feel like one.
From there he traces his early career transitions: he moved through the roles of capable clinician, dissatisfied partner, hospital owner and, later, business consultant and commercial relations executive. The arc illustrates just how much flexibility a veterinary degree can offer.
Who are you?
Preference assessments · Every person has a personality that shapes their thinking, emotions and behavior. These psychological traits also influence how we relate to others, how we perform and what we say. Tools such as Myers-Briggs, DiSC and Insights Discovery help you identify your personal characteristics and professional preferences, building alignment between who you are and the environment you work in.
StrengthsFinder · This is an online assessment tool that, rather than focusing on personality traits, evaluates what you do best. It helps you identify your top five strengths and offers resources to develop those competencies.
What is your "why"?
Simon Sinek popularized the concept of the "golden circle." The theory holds that the neocortex processes facts and details, while the limbic system processes feelings and emotions, the "why" that truly drives behavior.
The author's original "why" was to be a veterinarian because he loved helping people keep their pets healthy and, by building strong partnerships with clients, benefit the patients as well. As his path shifted, that purpose evolved: it remained helping people keep their animals healthy, but now through strong business partnerships that benefit clients and patients alike.
The author notes that, even through his career changes, the fundamental "why" stayed intact. Only the details changed.
Core values
Core values are the guiding principles that drive behavior and action. Every individual and every organization has core values.
Before pursuing a career change, you need to understand your own values. Only then can you assess the organizations where you might build a meaningful, lasting career.
What is your next step?
The starting point is to examine what is working and what could improve in your current career. It is worth assessing whether the organization's core values align with your own, whether your "why" fits the organization's focus, and whether there is still learning and challenge to be had.
When considering the development of new skills, such as dentistry, behavior, surgical techniques, rehabilitation or management, you should be prepared to discuss the return on investment for the patient, the team, your growth and the business, including costs, time to implement, marketing and sustainability.
The author shares a personal example: as a practice owner, he had three partners who, at different points, believed in the benefits of veterinary acupuncture and wanted to offer the procedure. He agreed to fund the courses so they could become specialized practitioners. Acupuncture accounted for less than 1% of total revenue, but it delivered non-financial benefits to the patients, the clients and the partners' professional development.
When weighing significant changes, such as specialization, self-employment or a career pivot, it is important to assess the personal, professional and financial benefits, as well as your willingness to commit to the changes those moves require.
Networking
A critical part of answering "what should I do?" is also answering "who can help?". Trusted advisors offer valuable perspective, and a strong network of contacts is invaluable as you move toward new professional paths.
Building a network can be daunting. For introverts, making new connections can feel uncomfortable, but approached with the right mindset, networking is liberating.
There are great networking opportunities in veterinary medical associations, organized professional groups, veterinary conferences, sales representatives, classmates, former employers, LinkedIn and community professional groups.
Evaluating your choices
Running a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats), combined with the strengths identified by StrengthsFinder, helps bring clarity to your decisions.
When assessing the relative risk of a career change, you need to weigh the resources available to you, such as enough income to cover your financial obligations for the next 12 months, your willingness to relocate, your availability to work weekends and the timing you want for the transition.
A SWOT analysis example
Taking the hypothetical position of a veterinarian as a starting point, it is recommended to use your professional competencies to begin the SWOT analysis. From there, you fold in the information about your core values, your personal "why", your StrengthsFinder results and your personality traits, then fill in the strengths and weaknesses.
Conclusion
As the article shows throughout, wise career changes demand effort, time, patience and perseverance. In the author's experience, that change is well worth it.