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When we talk about the future of veterinary medicine, we often talk about how many veterinarians we will need. We should spend just as much time asking what kind of future those veterinarians will enter. Will they be able to manage their educational debt? Find a first job where they can learn and grow? Serve…

Somewhere tonight, a veterinarian will finish a farm call and begin the long drive home. There may be another call waiting before supper, or a sick animal that will not wait until morning. Another will turn off the lights in a small clinic after a day spent being the doctor, the business owner, the personnel…

The path to becoming a veterinarian is long, demanding, and deeply personal. Yet it leads to a single unforgettable moment: the day a student becomes a veterinarian. After years of study, sacrifice, missed holidays, sleepless nights, and relentless determination, a student walks across a stage, receives a diploma, and enters the profession they have worked…

There is something remarkable about a profession that can take you from the examination room of a veterinary hospital to a windswept pasture, from the delivery of a newborn calf to the operating table of a beloved family pet. Few professions offer such diversity. Fewer still provide so many opportunities to make a meaningful difference…

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the aspens dressed in yellow and orange, especially along the trails high in the Wasatch Mountains. There is something about walking beneath those leaves that grounds me. My mind quiets. The things that felt urgent a little farther down the mountain begin to take their proper…

There is something I have come to believe after years of practicing veterinary medicine, serving in leadership, and listening to veterinarians across this wonderful country. Our profession does not have a passion problem. It has a connection problem. Every day, extraordinary work is being done by people who rarely receive recognition for it. In examination…

I grew up in the small town of Castle Dale, Utah, a community of about 1,500 people nestled in the high desert of central Utah. There were no marble buildings, impressive monuments, or obvious signs that a kid growing up there might one day find himself traveling across the country discussing the future of veterinary…

I do not believe veterinary medicine has a people problem. I believe it has a people-support problem. That distinction matters. Our profession is filled with extraordinary people. Every day, veterinarians, credentialed veterinary technicians, assistants, receptionists, practice managers, and support staff give more of themselves than most people ever see. They stay late for critically ill…

The best veterinary care I have witnessed has never been the work of one person. It is the product of a team whose members trust one another, understand their roles, and are empowered to use the skills they worked hard to develop. That belief is why empowering the veterinary care team stands as one of…

Veterinary medicine has never been a profession that stands still. Throughout my career, I’ve watched us embrace extraordinary advances; from diagnostics, therapeutics, communication tools, and now, telemedicine. Used well, telemedicine can improve communication, increase efficiency, and strengthen continuity of care. It can help us serve our clients and patients better. I support those opportunities. But…