1. Evaluate your monthly expenses. Identify your current spending habits by determining what items are essential and where you can cut costs. Do you need the $10 iced latte from the local coffee shop, or can you make a pot of coffee at home? Identifying any and all ways to cut costs will help you in the long run.
2. Evaluate your debt priorities. What “bad” debt have you accumulated that you can pay off before applying for a loan? If you’re looking at credit cards, prioritize paying off those with a higher interest rate.
3. Develop a timeline. It’s easy to say you want to pay off your debt or have a certain amount saved up by the time you apply for a loan, but what’s keeping you on track? Establishing a timeline with goals can help. Don’t forget to celebrate your achievements as you build wealth or improve your credit.
4. Ask for help. If you’re struggling with budgeting, it’s okay to ask for help. Many financial advisors specialize in helping healthcare providers, and they can help you develop and stick to a plan.
5. Use budgeting tools. In this day and age, there are many budgeting apps to help you stay on track and consistently monitor your spending. Some apps can even break down how much money you spend on shopping and eating out, allowing you to put things into perspective and identify cost-saving opportunities.

The path to veterinary hospital ownership can be intimidating, but it’s important to know that industry professionals can help you achieve your dream and walk you through each step, and there are various budgeting resources at your disposal. All it takes is proper planning and the drive to succeed. Before you know it, you’ll welcome your first patient and see your hard work pay off.

eterinary school taught me to be afraid of my career.” My heart sank when I heard those words from one of my coaching clients recently. In addition to the empathy and compassion I instantly felt for her for her, I was devastated for our profession as a whole.

For years I’ve suspected this was the case; that our academic veterinary programs have been inadvertently teaching future veterinarians to fear the profession they are working so hard to join. But my client’s unprompted words confirmed what I had concluded from interacting with thousands of veterinary professionals since 2017.

Veterinary school, and the traditional career environment that follows, create the perfect conditions to seed and nurture fear. However, we can’t blame veterinary education alone for this unintended consequence. It actually begins much earlier, during our first experiences as students…

Those enrolled in professional veterinary education are excellent students. They’ve spent most of their lives perfecting their academic performance and are the best of the best when it comes to academic intelligence—a trait that has been woven into their personal identity. Then, they enroll in veterinary school, and we crush them…

It starts with their very first exams, where many fail to land above 90%. This is devastating for a student who has a history of successful study habits and test performance. It’s confusing, too. From their perspective, they’ve done the work, they went to class, studied the materials, presented and assigned, and come test day, they were not prepared for what the exam included. How did this happen?

Herein lies the first problem…veterinary schools have admitted a population of students with a history of performing at the far-right end of the academic Bell Curve, and from that academically elite population, they must recreate a Bell Curve distribution of grades in order for their teaching approach to be considered successful. It’s kind of like taking a collection of yellow marbles and being required to turn that group into a collection that includes every color of the rainbow. It can probably be done, if we get really creative in our approach.

Similarly, the methods many use to achieve a Bell Curve from a population already known to be at the extreme right are often “creative.” Students are subjected to unanticipated testing methods and content detail beyond what was presented, assigned, and actually necessary to evaluate true information comprehension and retention.

The result? Many perform far worse on their first exams than they personally anticipated. This not only shakes their confidence, but it also disrupts their foundation of self-worth as fear of failure presents as a very real potential reality.

Academically, most rebound quickly, figuring out the rules of this new game. Those with aspirations of specializing become determined to win the game, often sacrificing their mental health and physical wellbeing to be perceived as performing well. They operate from a belief that it’s not enough to get good grades—you’ve got to be liked as well if you want to collect strong recommendation letters for the coveted internship spots. In this quest, they mold themselves into who they believe they should be in order to succeed, and lose their sense of individual identity in the process.

We warn them. We tell them to stay aware. We scare them to death. And we do this without equipping them with any knowledge or skills to navigate the stress and anxiety they will likely experience. We do not help them to normalize their experience, and so many secretly believe they are the only ones stressed out and suffering. They experience deep shame for the negative emotion they experience, especially when they believe everyone else is doing great. This quietly compounds the problem.

In addition, we encourage them to practice self-care without teaching them what that actually means, and without creating the space for them to actually do so. The unintended result? Emotional crisis that is hidden and attempted to be compensated for through academic success: “If I can get good grades, I must not be as bad as I secretly believe I am.”

In the real world, veterinarians unknowingly replace those academic scores with two things: 1) patients who get better and 2) clients who are happy. They replace practice of veterinary medicine with a new, unattainable expectation: the perfection of veterinary medicine. In addition, they interpret a fundamental tenet of the Veterinary Oath in a completely unintended way: “First, do no harm” becomes “If my patient shows the slightest evidence of discomfort, I’ve failed.” Unknowingly, they’ve created a scenario where failure becomes their only possible destination.

Meanwhile, they are literally fearing for their lives. Every moment of discomfort, every bad outcome, every ugly client interaction…they all become relatable justification for why veterinarians take their own lives. And we’ve taught them to watch for it, as if they don’t have choice. Add to that their mountain of student loan debt and the belief that staying trapped in a profession where they are failing is the only way to repay it, and suicide becomes a viable exit strategy.

So, where do we go from here?

Truth #1: Our value and self-worth are never contingent upon anything outside of ourselves; they are absolutes simply because we exist. They can’t be created, they can’t be destroyed, and they are absolutely never dependent on any experience in veterinary medicine.

Truth #2: Negative emotional experiences are not evidence of failure or indicators that circumstances exist that need to be fixed. All emotions, including negative emotions, are natural human experiences and created only by internal thought patterns including our own opinions, beliefs and conclusions. Our emotional wellbeing, therefore, is never dependent on patient outcomes, client behavior or anything outside of ourselves.

Truth #3: Learning to leverage the space is the single most effective way to decrease stress and anxiety and expand personal wellbeing, no matter what happens at work or in the world. You are the creator of your own reality. You are powerful. You don’t need external validation to believe in yourself.

We have an opportunity to get in front of the mental health crisis that has become the acceptable norm in veterinary medicine. The bright future we dream of is within our reach. It is our responsibility to create it not only for ourselves, but for all of those who are yet to come. It’s time break the cycle!

t seems like everything is “smart” these days…your refrigerator can tell you when you’re out of milk, your thermostat can adjust to your favorite temperature and your car can nearly drive itself. Artificial intelligence is even creeping into the veterinary world. But before we get carried away and give AI complete control, let’s take a moment to reflect on why, just maybe, pet care businesses aren’t quite ready to trust an AI model with their marketing needs.

Firstly, AI cannot appreciate a clever joke, and what’s pet care marketing without some good old-fashioned canine humor? Sure, it can theoretically generate a joke based on complex algorithms and data patterns, but will it truly understand why a dog crossing the road is funny? To AI, that dog is just a variable, running risk assessments for incoming traffic.

And let’s not forget about those consultation calls. Imagine your customer, a proud Poodle mom, getting advice from AI: “Your pet has a 37.2% probability of having a diet-related problem based on current data input.” With all due respect to our robotic friends, that’s hardly a comforting or personalized response. AI doesn’t know that the Poodle has a penchant for filching roast beef from the Sunday dinner table.

On to the technological aspect…Yes, AI can analyze data faster than a Greyhound chasing a rabbit. It can churn out email campaigns, social media posts and even blog content while you’re still fumbling with your morning coffee. But AI doesn’t understand the emotional bond between humans and their pets. It can’t tell a heartwarming story about a cat, Mr. Whiskers, who kept pawing at his owner’s chest and saved her life by detecting early-stage breast cancer. AI also can’t empathize with the traumatic experience of Mrs. Johnson when her beloved parrot, Chirpy, flew out of the window. Imagine AI attempting to send an uplifting message: “Dear Mrs. Johnson, we hope you are 87% less distressed about Chirpy’s adventure.” Talk about a mood killer!

It also doesn’t know what it hasn’t learned yet. When it comes to product marketing, AI is excellent at remembering what products were bought and how often. For example, your client will receive an email when it’s time to reorder Spot’s flea and tick medication, but AI doesn’t know that Spot was tragically hit by a car last week. While AI’s message might be timely, it doesn’t account for the recent trauma experienced by Spot’s owners.

Or consider the case of blog writing. AI can quickly generate a 500-word article on the benefits of neutering, complete with statistics, but it lacks the narrative flair that keeps readers engaged. A seasoned veterinary writer might weave in a charming tale of Mr. Jingles, a once feisty tomcat who, after his neutering, gave up his wandering ways to embrace the peaceful home life, thereby encouraging pet owners more effectively.

On a more serious note, when it comes to medical advice, AI hasn’t quite mastered the nuances. It might direct an owner to apply salve on a Husky’s hot spot, but it won’t understand if the husky, named Zeus, is a bit of a drama king and might need a more delicate approach. And what if AI recommends a diet change for a stubborn feline who would rather fight the vacuum cleaner than give up her favorite salmon treats? Cue AI sending an email reminder: “Your cat may experience a 32.5% weight reduction.” Meanwhile, the cat in question has already decided to go on a hunger strike.

In conclusion, while AI’s speed, data handling and 24/7 availability make it a tempting prospect for pet care marketing, it still has a long way to go before it can compete with the warmth, humor and individual understanding that humans bring to the table. From the inability to tell a truly humorous joke to the failure in empathizing with pet parents, AI falls short of the standards set by human intuition and interaction.

For the foreseeable future, the critical tasks of catering to distressed pet parents, creating engaging narratives and establishing genuine relationships will remain in the capable hands of humans. After all, it takes a pet lover to truly understand another pet lover—and that’s something AI, in all its binary glory, just can’t replicate yet.

ike most veterinarians, my average day is a mix of routine and regular. Probably the biggest difference is I have about three different ‘average’ days,” shares Dana Varble, DVM and CVO of North American Veterinary Community (NAVC).

“I work at a first-opinion and referral exotic-pet-only practice, Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital,” Dr. Varble continues. “At Chicago Exotics, I see appointments, perform surgery, and collaborate with my colleagues, other exotic-exclusive veterinarians, veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants, our client care team, and practice manager. I get to see everything from routine annual exams on house rabbits to the rare—I just performed a spay surgery on a mongoose, for example!”

Dr. Varble started with a B.S in Zoology from Southern Illinois University when she graduated Suma Cum Laude, then headed off to University of Illinois for her veterinary degree. From there, she pursued a non-traditional clinical rotation schedule at many colleges across the country to follow her exotic animal dream. In addition, she achieved her Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation from ASAE in 2021. Being a CAE means that she has proven her commitment to association leadership with advanced study in things like diversity, business operations and leadership, which plays a big part in her role with the NAVC.

“Most days I work from home for NAVC as the Chief Veterinary Officer,” she shares. “As the CVO, my primary role is to lead our programs team who design and oversee our in-person education events while contributing to our virtual education, leadership teams, providing data and information to our board of directors, and consulting and speaking on behalf of NAVC through our many PR opportunities.”

“As I transitioned within my roles at NAVC, I was lucky to be able to continue my international work, currently working with the NAVC team to promote international veterinary education with BSAVA, WSAVA, SEVC, and LAVC, among others. And I serve as a board member to the Veterinary Innovation Council,” she shares.

In addition to all of her important roles, she writes the Today’s Veterinary Practice column called “The Secret Life of Vets” in which she explores diverse topics like personal and professional development and wellbeing, while letting her sense of humor shine with fun analogies and light-hearted tone to remind us that we are more than just clinicians—we are human beings first. The column recently won the silver and bronze awards from the Florida Magazine Association’s annual Charlie Awards for best writing in the professional trade and technical category.

When asked what the biggest challenge is in caring for exotic pets, Dr. Varble explained it is the lack of readily available, evidence-based resources for their medical care, because they are not as commonly seen in veterinary offices as dogs and cats are.

“We have to work hard in exotic pet medicine to promote and enable research, peer-reviewed publications, and evidence-based medicine to be sure we are offering these devoted pet owners the very best care we can,” she continues. “This is one of the reasons I have continued to serve as the managing editor for the Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery for the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians.”

For veterinary medicine in general, Dr. Varble finds excitement and passion in seeing the innovations and technologies grow as our industry gains access to developments in human medicine.

“Look at how AI is being utilized for idea generation, radiology interpretation, diagnostic assistance, and how new immune therapies are being used as innovative cancer treatments,” Dr. Varble continues. “Now, more than ever, veterinary medicine and human medicine are more entwined with developments and innovations in technology, pharmaceuticals, and diagnostics, often occurring simultaneously.”

Through her hard work and willingness to don many hats, Dr. Varble is able to advance the veterinary profession as a whole, both in the exam room and behind the scenes, to create a better world for all species.

or many of us, “stress” has become a common term tossed around with a flippant remark or a threatening stare. You most likely have blamed stress when explaining why you failed to complete a task: “Things are really stressful today; I’ve barely had time to breathe.” Or, perhaps after you snapped at a co-worker: “Don’t mind me, I’m stressed out.”

As often as we use the word during our day, have we ever taken the time to understand stress and its effects on our mental health, the team, and our family and friends at home? Just what is stress, and how can we relinquish its hold on our daily activities?

At this point, you may be thinking that since stress is a personal state of mind, the business has no “business” in the employee’s mind; however, this is where the stance to “leave your problems at the door when you come to work” comes into play. You have most likely said this phrase or been on the receiving end. The truth is, the business should pay attention to team members’ stress, regardless of its source.

Stress can also have a ripple effect. Not only is Sue stressed, but now her manager is stressing about speaking to Sue. The team is whispering about how worried they are about Martha, adding stress to their own lives. In addition, everyone is wondering what is wrong with Jack because they are tired of picking up his slack which is causing them stress. Stress was not left at the door when they walked in to work that day. Stress came with them, and it affected everyone else on the team.

ewey is my ultimate advocate. He means everything to me and I make sure he’s taken care of. If he’s warm and happy, then I’m warm and happy,” shares Cody, a young man experiencing homelessness in Colorado who has received services for his dog, Dewey, from The Street Dog Coalition.

The Street Dog Coalition (SDC) is an international nonprofit founded in Fort Collins, CO in 2015, which now has over sixty teams across the country and in Ukraine, providing free medical care and related services to pets of people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. Entirely volunteer driven, SDC cares for both the pet and the person at their far-reaching pop-up street clinics.

Living a nomadic life on the street is an informed decision made by some, but for many, it is not a choice. Living on the street can be dangerous, lonely and taxing—socially, emotionally and physically—especially when there is little to no access to care. Understandably, people experiencing homelessness with companion animals describe their pets as a source of unconditional love, comfort, safety, support, motivation to reduce substance use, and even to continue living.

That said, unhoused individuals should not have to make the impossible decision between having a roof over their head or staying with their beloved pet. This is why The Street Dog Coalition is endorsing the Providing for Unhoused People with Pets (PUPP) Act. If passed, the bill will establish a grant program administered by USDA. Funds will help local governments and nonprofit organizations that provide shelter or permanent supportive housing to retrofit property to accommodate unhoused individuals with pets, while also providing additional veterinary services, including spaying and neutering, vaccinations and other basic medical procedures.

If you’re interested in being a part of The Street Dog Coalition by volunteering, donating and/or advocating for both ends of the leash, please visit their website, www.thestreetdogcoalition.org