#499

Dr. Jen Koscheka, DVM

Compassion Fatigue in Veterinary Medicine

The words Compassion Fatigue have become more and more synonymous with caregiving/medical professions. But what is it really? And how does it affect those in animal welfare in particular? This presentation will breakdown the roots of compassion fatigue, signs, and symptoms both personally and in the workplace, as well as how to monitor your personal mental health levels and ways to combat fully succumbing to compassion fatigue.

#480

Dr. Daniel Pike, DVM

Practice Startup Fundamentals and Opportunities in Equine Medicine

Dr. Daniel Pike, UGA alumni and owner of Piedmont Equine Associates will discuss opportunities in equine medicine, including internship and mentorship from the financial perspective. We will also touch on start-up finances and other topics relevant to starting a practice.

#434

Dr. Derrick Hall, DVM

Early Career Contract Negotiation

While they can be intimidating, contract negotiations are a crucial part of your professional growth. We will begin with showing why negotiation is so important to helping you lead the life you want inside and outside of veterinary practice. Then we will move into tactics for negotiations, demonstrating practical phrases and techniques that you can utilize and make your own.

#418

Mike Falconer

"Weaponized Reviews – Defense against those using reviews as a weapon"

A BCP Category 2 lunch talk presented by Mike Falconer. The talk will be held in the HPC Amp 1. This lunch talk will cover how nobody in business likes getting bad reviews. Anyone who pours their heart and soul into an enterprise can feel dispirited, and treated unfairly, when receiving criticism; particularly when you have not been given the chance to try and resolve the issue. However, like it or not, reviews are here to stay. They are a fact of doing business today. But what to do when clients use reviews as a tool for revenge? When reviews become weaponized? Mike Falconer, veterinary Hospital Administrator, speaker and writer will discuss how to prevent reviews becoming a weapon, and how best to respond should the worst happens.”

#407

Dr. Erin Johnson, DVM, Rachel Luoma, DVM, Dr. Laura Philbin, DVM

Communicating with Pet Families Along a Spectrum of Care

The Nationwide-VBMA ”Communicating with Pet Families Along a Spectrum of Care” workshop is an interactive communications workshop that will allow students to practice exam room skills, including communicating treatment plans along a spectrum of care best suited to pet family needs.

#406

Dr. Odie Marcovici, DVM

Resume Workshop

The toughest part of resume writing is reviewing and revising! Newly graduated DVMs and experienced DVMs are equally stumped by this one. Distilling years of job experiences and skills down to one page can be tricky! It can also be hard to feel good about a resume that doesn’t seem to have enough experience on it. Bring your resume, make edits during the talk & then have the opportunity for industry leaders to review your resume and provide constructive feedback to keep your resume on target! Jobs will be offered!!

#405

Dr. Jayme Cicchelli, DVM, Dr. Jack Perkins, VMD, Dr. Garrett Ryerson, DVM

Communicating with pet families along a spectrum of care

Together with the VBMA, Nationwide is excited to present ”Communicating with Pet Families Along a Spectrum of Care” this semester. This interactive communications-based workshop will equip students with the essential tools they’ll soon need (in clinics and day one as a doctor!) to communicate various treatment plans best suited to the patient’s and client’s needs. We will review the meaning of a spectrum of care, learn about core communication skills, and apply these communication skills and a spectrum of care approach to clinical exam room settings.

#398

Dr. Jason Smith, DVM

Profit and Loss Statements

A commonly encountered financial statement includes the Profit and Loss Statement (P&L). We will explore key focus areas in the P&L for business savvy leaders.

#391

Dr. Gary Goldstein, DVM

Profit and Loss Statement Analysis

Join Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA) as we welcome Dr. Gary Goldstein from Lakefield Veterinary Group to talk about Profit and Loss Statements! The P&L (Profit & Loss Statement) is a tool, generated monthly, to help you understand how your hospital is performing in terms of overall revenue and profitability. The P&L is designed to be a tool to offer insights to areas of potential improvement or needs at the hospital. The P&L is not a clear indicator of hospital health or well-being; however, happy hospitals generally translate to healthy Profit & Loss statements. The Profit & Loss statement combines revenue automatically extracted from your Practice Management System (PMS). A discussion of what the P&L means high level well as an open discussion on ways you can work with the P&Ls to improve overall profitability.

#387

Dr. Rebecca Stinson, Dr. Rebecca Stinson

Managing Risks as a Business Leader

This discussion will address the exciting world of leadership in veterinary medicine. Today, leadership may take any of a number of forms including medical director, practice owner or shift lead. In all of these cases, others are counting on your guidance. We will address how to manage risks not only for yourself but for your team, your clients and your patients.

#386

Christopher Burnett

Jumpstart Your Finances

CJ Burnett, co-founder of Florida Veterinary Advisors and financial advisor, will discuss personal development in the financial arena to give students a “jumpstart” on finances before graduation and beyond.

#384

Dr. Caren Chellgren, DVM

Getting a Leg Up in Equine Practice

Dr. Chellgren is the owner of Horse & Hound Mobile Veterinary Services near Houston Texas. Hear how she started a successful equine practice while maintaining balance. She will speak on the process of starting her business, things she learned along the way, and how she kept her sanity outside of work.

#383

Dr. Douglass G. Aspros

Leading a Great Team

Dr. Douglas Aspros is the Chief Veterinary Officer for Veterinary Practice Partners (VPP). An experienced companion animal veterinarian, he has been the owner of two AAHA-accredited practices in suburban NY, where he founded and was the managing partner of an emergency practice. He will discuss how to successfully lead a team.

#374

Mike Falconer

The Myth of Time Management

Ever walk into work and become paralyzed by everything that you have to do? Or start the day doing one thing, and then remember something that is more important and that you need to do first? Learn about the magic number seven and how to turn your jobs list into an action plan. Learn how to create a routine you can stick to and how to prioritize everything else. Find out what, how, and why you delegate and leave with actual tools that you will be able to use.

#367

Jessi Farris, DVM

Managing Change

Mizzou alum Dr. Jessi Farris from Heartland Veterinary Partners will be discussing ”Managing Change” (Category 2)

#363

Dr. Laura Garlow, DVM

Imposter Syndrome

As veterinary students, and soon-to-be veterinarians, imposter syndrome is especially prevalent and can truly shake your self-confidence. Learn to recognize the signs and how to manage these feelings that are all too common! Dr. Laura Garlow, Mentorship Program Director at United Veterinary Care, will present on this very important topic.

#362

Rachel Luoma, DVM, Dr. Garrett Ryerson, DVM

Communication with Pet Families Along A Spectrum of Care

A workshop on how to go about communicating with pet families along a spectrum of animal care

#361

Isaiah Douglass

Inflation: The What, Why, and How You Should React by Isaiah Douglass

”Inflation: The What, Why, and How You Should React: What is inflation? How does it impact you? Why should you care? These are all important aspects as you plan your personal and professional career after veterinary school. The discussion will center around the decisions you can make to help alleviate the impacts of inflation as you start working as a veterinarian. ”

#359

Isaiah Douglass

Inflation: The What, Why, and How You Should React by Isaiah Douglass

”Inflation: The What, Why, and How You Should React: What is inflation? How does it impact you? Why should you care? These are all important aspects as you plan your personal and professional career after veterinary school. The discussion will center around the decisions you can make to help alleviate the impacts of inflation as you start working as a veterinarian. ”

#357

Contract Negotiation

While they can be intimidating, contract negotiations are a crucial part of your professional growth. We will begin with showing why negotiation is so important to helping you lead the life you want inside and outside of veterinary practice. Then we will move into tactics for negotiations, demonstrating practical phrases and techniques that you can utilize and make your own. Dr. Annie Chavent is an Assistant Director for the AVMA Student Initiatives team and serves as a regional SAVMA Chapter advisor as well as a co-host of the My Veterinary Life podcast. She is passionate about supporting students as they become the best versions of themselves both professionally and personally.

#355

Dr. Odie Marcovici, DVM

"Green Dot" : A Presentation on Personal Branding

Whether it’s getting that super competitive job you wanted or increasing your hospital’s client base by improving its reputation, creating and developing a brand is the best way to set yourself apart from the competition. This lecture will discuss the concepts behind veterinary branding and will give some insight on how to establish your own successful brand.

#354

Dr. Odie Marcovici, DVM

"Green Dot" : A Presentation on Personal Branding

Whether it’s getting that super competitive job you wanted or increasing your hospital’s client base by improving its reputation, creating and developing a brand is the best way to set yourself apart from the competition. This lecture will discuss the concepts behind veterinary branding and will give insight on how to establish your own successful brand.

#352

Dr. Stacy Johnson, DVM

Know Your Value

Dr. Stacy Johnson will discuss our value as future veterinarians. She will cover topics such as: What are you worth and what should you earn as a new grad? What does reasonable compensation look like? Common contract components, etc.

#349

Dr. Jayme Cicchelli, DVM, Dr. Erin Johnson, DVM, Dr. Jack Perkins, VMD

Communicating with pet families along a spectrum of care

Communicating with pet families along a spectrum of care

#348

Dr. Daniel Phillips

Know Your Numbers: A guide to P&L’s

Dr. Dan Phillips from Mission Veterinary Partners will be giving us a talk about profits and losses in regard to a veterinary practice/ business. Dr. Philips graduated with his DVM from North Carolina University in 2011 and has experience as an associate, a medical director, and a director of university engagement.

#347

The Path to Practice Ownership

”The Path to Practice Ownership” with Dr. Jason McClellan and Dr. Dan Hebert. 1 Hour of Category 2 Credit. Are you interested in practice ownership, but not sure where to start? Tufts V’01 graduates Dr. Jason McClellan and Dr. Dan Hebert will be joining us to discuss the path to practice ownership and long-term financial management. Both are previous Tufts VBMA members that are now small animal practitioners, veterinary practice owners, and members of the VMG, which is a group that connects leaders in the veterinary sector. VMG members believe that practices under veterinary ownership are beneficial to their community starting with the practice’s employees, the patients, and their owners as well as contribute to a healthy veterinary world. Practice ownership has many benefits including a positive work/life balance compared to many associates. Attendees will discover through this presentation multiple pathways to ownership and a host of resources and experts to make that goal a reality.

#343

Alejandro Lopez

How to Get Your Veterinary Practice to the Top of Google Search

Gain insights on how to get your veterinary practice at the top of Google's first page from an online marketing expert. We'll break down a Google search results page and show you how to leverage each of the sections so that your practice can climb to the highest spot of local search results to generate more patients and revenue

#342

Alejandro Lopez

Tips to Leverage Digital Marketing to Grow Your Practice and Attract More Patients

Learn the top tips to optimize your website for search engine results pages and learn how to be seen on the first page of Google to generate more patients and revenue. We'll share best practices for reaching new and potential patients and discuss some of the most effective marketing tools business owners can start using right now to take their practice to the next level

#341

Dr. Daniel Phillips

Know Your Numbers (Understanding the P&L)

In this talk we simplify the basics of the profit and loss statement so that students can learn how to evaluate the financial health of a practice.

#340

Dr. Daniel Phillips

Master the Interview to find the Right Job for you and Mentorship that fits your goals

Classic interviews last a lunch hour or maybe an afternoon of shadowing. Is this enough time to make the most important decision of your career? Probably not. This talk is focused on things that students can do proactively to maximize their interview experience and prepare to ask the right questions to ensure they find the right job with a culture of mentorship that fits their needs.

#339

Dr. Daniel Phillips

Set You Goals and Assembling Your Team

It's never to early to start thinking about your 1, 3, and 5 year plan. Setting goals after vet school is critical to finding the right path, measuring your progress, and holding yourself accountable. We talk about why many people don't set goals and the potential consequences. We also focus on finding the people to contribute to your team to help you get where you want to go.

#338

Dr. Daniel Phillips

Veterinary Mentorship in the 21st Century

Our approach to structured, tailored, goal oriented mentorship. Putting "meat on the proverbial" bones to the nebulous term "mentorship" thrown around too much without definition or context.

#337

Dr. Anna Foster

The Modern Veterinary Hospital Flow

We all know the typical hospital flow: you start in a loud, smelly lobby with barking dogs and scared cats, next you move to a cold exam room with no windows, then your pet is taken to the "back" while you can hear her barking. Shortly after, you receive a confusing treatment plan that comes along with the misunderstood bill, and now you leave as a frustrated pet parent checking out at the front desk. Imagine a world where your pet is sick and you call to speak directly with a veterinarian. After they recommend you come in, you are texted a check in link and address on google maps. When you arrive, you walk straight inside, past the front desk, right into a large open treatment area. You see the doctor right away. You see other families sitting on the floor with their pets. You notice a woman sleeping on a large bean bag with her small dog in her lap who is hooked up to IV fluids. Your pet is treated right in front of your eyes while you are safely next to your pet. The cost breakdown of your treatment plan is explained expertly by the doctor. You check out instantly with a link sent directly to your mobile phone. When you arrive home, your pets medical record is sitting in your email inbox. We will discuss how to use First Principle Thinking to choose a hospital flow that is uniquely best for your hospital.

#336

Dr. Anna Foster

How to Create a Level 3 Customer Experience

How do you excel in customer experience? The answer may not be so obvious. Your employees come first. "The outcome in our industry normally depends on the front-line employees — doormen, bellmen, waiters, maids, the lowest-paid people — and often, in too many companies, the least motivated. These front-line staff represents our product to our customers. In the most realistic sense, they are the product. When our employees are trusted to use their common sense, they can and do turn mishaps into new service opportunities. Then, what the customer remembers is not the complaint, but the outcome." -Isadore Sharp, Four Seasons. We will discuss how to love and empower your employees.

#335

Dr. Anna Foster

Innovation in Veterinary Medicine: Bring Big New Ideas to Life

We have learned that veterinary hospitals are, for the most part, recession-proof and pandemic proof. They have some of the lowest default rates of any business type. This is great news for us, right? There’s more to the story. The ease with which a veterinary hospital can open and operate with little business acumen has led us down a path of complacency and doing things 'the way they have always been done.' Times are changing. Customers demand more. Employees seek flexibility. Veterinary professionals must challenge the status quo. How do we do this in a historically stagnant industry? Democratize innovation. The best ideas come from our frontline employees. Let them feel empowered to use their voice to transform the hospital, the company, and their careers. Creativity and entrepreneurship must be encouraged, celebrated, and rewarded. Look outward for inspiration to industries like hospitality, technology, and the arts. Take risks and embrace failures. A rising tide lifts all boats, your individual innovation contribution improves the entire industry.

#334

Dr. Anna Foster

Operational Transparency in the Vet Hospital

Do you allow customers to appreciate your work? Every single day veterinary teams are heroes. Our customers want and need to see the heroic work we do. Not only does operational transparency allow for less customer complaints, miscommunications, stressed pets, and invoice disputes; it leads to less burn out. Veterinary teams get more thank yous. We work for thank yous. How do we manage the increasing customer demands with accelerated rates of burnout? It's simple: keep people and their pets together. We will dive into ways to increase transparency in your practice.

#333

Dr. Jeff Rothstein

Wellness Plans and Budgetable Care, You Had Me at Yes We can!

This presentation explores the background of Wellness Plans and why even with much hype they have been a failure at many veterinary practices. It then focuses on how to administer them successfully and why having plans available in the future will be very important to practice well-being.

#332

Dr. Jeff Rothstein

Starting Your Own Veterinary practice: Good Idea or Bad Idea?

While many think that starting your own veterinary practice is near impossible today, there are those that strongly disagree and want to brave the waters. This presentation goes in-depth and reveals what it takes to successfully start a new practice.

#331

Dr. Jeff Rothstein

How to Enhance Practice Profitability for a Brighter Tomorrow

Appropriate planning can greatly increase practice profitability. We will focus on planning for profit and see how it increases the day-to-day quality of life for the whole team, and also learn how significantly it impacts practice value.

#330

Dr. Jeff Rothstein

Own the Exam Room and Slay Medical Notes

Mastering the exam room is the key to a successful veterinary career, and it doesn't just happen on its own. We'll cover 5 Key tools for excelling in the exam room, and also focus on the importance of the Team Exam and Team Utilization. Time is also spent on how to make medical notes manageable and how to leverage practice software to your benefit. End result is these strategies will lead to a healthy work-life balance.

#329

Dr. Jeff Rothstein

Practice Ownership in The Next Decade; Dead or Alive?

What does the future of veterinary practice ownership look like? The prevailing attitude is that corporate groups will own all or most clinics, partially because most veterinarians are not interested in owning practices anymore. The truth is that a fair number of graduate DVM’s still have an interest in ownership, and opportunities abound.

#328

Dr. Misti May Smith

Be a Boss

This is a presentation that looks at styles of leadership. If you are not a boss, then you have a boss. All of us can become better leaders under a boss or while becoming a boss. Leadership styles are prevalent, but this presentation applies leadership styles to common scenarios that veterinarians face. Learning from great leaders can be quite empowering! I will share some of the best resources that I use to help me facilitate practice ownership.

#327

Dr. Misti May Smith

Career Transitions

Students and seasoned practitioners may come to a point where careers undergo change. This presentation focuses on the reasons for a job change vs. a career change. Comparing healthy and unhealthy reasons for career transitions can make one know which direction to take. This presentation can be for veterinary students who are contemplating such decisions as academia vs. practice; corporate vs. private practice; industry vs. government, etc.

#326

Dr. Misti May Smith

Beyond Graduation

When I graduated, I felt like I knew enough information to be dangerous. Although I think that the veterinary educational process has improved, we still have so many topics that are daily challenges and never in the curriculum. This presentation can be a prepared list of topics such as angry clients, negotiating contracts and benefits, euthanasia challenges, office politics, leadership, debt literacy, etc. However, it is always nice to hear from audiences the topics that are on their minds. It has been my experience that most professional stress has nothing to do with the information we learned in school, its the other stuff that keeps us up at night. Talking openly and candidly about such topics can bring awareness and solutions before they are overwhelming.

#325

Dr. Misti May Smith

Do You Doc

The most important piece of professional success is to make sure that one is honest about who you are and what makes you successful. This presentation will guide participants into finding the answers to what drives their passions. This is can be a short presentation that presents an outline for work to be completed later or can take several sessions to define specific passions for participants. The biggest piece is to learn to "DO YOU" but we must know exactly who that is.

#324

Dr. Misti May Smith

Buy, Buy, Buy

Owning a practice creates such opportunities for personal freedom and financial rewards. I like to share my unique ideas on practice ownership that created financial success while also balancing family my life. You can have both!

#323

Kevin Maher

A Guide to Networking and Mentorship

In this presentation, Kevin will walk through the importance and how-tos of networking and mentorship. Topics covered include: the importance of belonging to state and national associations and organizations, engaging in opportunities to interact with veterinary students at other schools, learning from summer experiences and externships, and how to build credibility among a network of people. Kevin will also cover asking for Letters of Recommendation from employers or mentors, as this is an important component of applying to jobs, internships, and residency programs.

#322

Kevin Maher

Introducing and Managing Change

In this presentation, Kevin will discuss introducing a novel product and concepts into veterinary clinics. Kevin has ample experience in this topic as GVL (GlobalVetLINK) was influential in introducing computers, internet connectivity, digital cameras to veterinary practices in the early 2000s, and VetMeasure is now introducing wearable monitoring technology into veterinary practices. Topics included in this presentation include how to address the veterinary practice needs, discerning a target market strategy through trade associations and industry contacts, hurdles that may be faced in the process, and the use of finding a way your product can address current needs.

#321

Kevin Maher

Developing a Business Plan

Business model innovation can have a stronger, swifter impact on profit margins than service or product innovation, it can disrupt established industries, and it can lead to exciting and vibrant cultures that attract top talent. So what about personal innovation? During this interactive and fun program Dr. Mia Cary will facilitate a conversation centered on five building blocks of personal innovation that mirror the cornerstones of business model innovation. Participants will be invited to create an actionable personal innovation roadmap to help guide you on your continued career journey, regardless of which path and stop you currently find yourself on.

#320

Kevin Maher

From an Idea to a Successful Business: Starting Up a Startup Company

In this presentation Kevin will discuss how to transform a concept into a company that produces a product or service. Examples in this presentation will be based on Kevin’s experiences with GlobalVetLINK (GVL) and VetMeasure. Additional topics covered will include: identifying current problems and how to create/ implement solutions, how to attract funding sources and appeal to investors, how to expand the business, and startup support options including incubators, accelerators and University relationships.

#319

Kevin Maher

Startup Product Development & Validation

In this presentation, Kevin will discuss product development, product validation, and then lead into business models and profit structures. This topic will be based on his experience with VetMeasure, and the process of developing MeasureON! (a harness that monitors a patient’s TPR). The importance of scientific studies and positive user experiences will be discussed.

#318

Dr. Mia Cary

Radically Candid Communication

Raise your hand if you believe communication is always part of any problem, and also always part of the solution. To any issue, at any point of your career. We agree! The purpose of this radically candid communication program is to provide strategies and resources for managing difficult conversations and helping upset clients and colleagues. Kim Scott’s Radical Candor model of caring deeply and challenging directly creates a firm foundation that will set program attendees up for successful, strong, and sustainable communication wins.

#317

Dr. Mia Cary

Powerfully You

Our greatest superpower is being authentically ourselves. We know playing to our strengths leads to our growth and development, It also allows us to bring our best selves into everything that we do. But how do we create and cultivate the self-awareness that is a prerequisite for understanding our strengths? And how can we ensure that our workplace will be accepting of our authentic selves? Researcher and storyteller Brené Brown defines authenticity as “the daily practice of letting go of who we think we're supposed to be and embracing who we are”. During this program we will discuss the pros and cons of bringing authenticity into the workplace, dig deep on the knowledge that words matter, and reinforce why and how to be powerfully you.

#316

Dr. Mia Cary

Personal Innovation aka #youdoyou

Description: Business model innovation can have a stronger, swifter impact on profit margins than service or product innovation, it can disrupt established industries, and it can lead to exciting and vibrant cultures that attract top talent. So what about personal innovation? During this interactive and fun program Dr. Mia Cary will facilitate a conversation centered on five building blocks of personal innovation that mirror the cornerstones of business model innovation. Participants will be invited to create an actionable personal innovation roadmap to help guide you on your continued career journey, regardless of which path and stop you currently find yourself on.

#315

Dr. Mia Cary

Life Hacks: Work-Life Integration

The average person will spend 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime. This includes most of the hours that we are awake during the week and often includes time during weekends as well. Our work is a big part of our lives, not an either/or balance that we should be striving to achieve. It is not work or life. It is work as a part of life. During this interactive program, participants will discuss why work-life balance is unrealistic and how work-life integration will set us free. Tools and resources will be shared for managing stress, finding focus, and learning how to thrive regardless of role, title, or practice type.

#314

Dr. Mia Cary

Active Allyship

You likely have heard the phrase “getting comfortable being uncomfortable” more and more often within the last few months. It means that to help create real change, to expand and grow, to be an antiracist, to stand up for the oppressed and marginalized - we must invite and initiate tough conversations. We must speak up. We must be active allies. Does this ring true but you’re not sure what to do next? Then you’re in the right place. During this program we will discuss important elements of allyship including self-education, leveraging privilege and power, reaffirming that allyship centers on the oppressed, and the power of committing fully. Join us!

#313

Dr. Tierra Price

The Contagious Culture of Inclusivity

Veterinary medicine is known for its historic lack of diversity. The movement is to make vet med more diverse and that's a huge task that will be accomplished over many years. But we don't need to wait years for that change. We have the power, right now, to support everyone in our profession by being more inclusive. Inclusivity is not just a descriptor, but a way of life- it is our mindset, our interactions, and our delivery. The best part about inclusivity, it's contagious. After this session, participants will be able to: - Define and understand the difference between diversity and inclusion - Identify ways to initiate being inclusive in their workplace - Discuss ways to shift the culture of a workplace to be more inclusive

#312

Dr. Tierra Price

Lessons Learned: Starting an Organization from Scratch

Lessons Learned touches on aspects of starting a business or organization that aren't routinely discussed. This includes organizational skills and soft skills such as forming a team, productivity, and sparking creativity.

#311

Isaiah Douglass

Investing - The How To Guide for Young Veterinarians

• The goal of investing • What accounts can/should I have? • How to invest for the student loan tax bomb? • How to think about your 401k plan. • Why you don’t want to mix insurance with investing? • What are mutual funds? • What are exchanged traded funds? • How to be a tax savvy investor. • What is diversification? • How to construct a written investment plan.

#310

Isaiah Douglass

The Ownership Opportunity in Veterinary Medicine

• Why become a practice owner? • The difference between economic and entrepreneurial ownership. • What financial advantages are there to owning your own practice? • How to build your team to be a successful owner. • Business Models – building your vision. • How to market and build a brand. • Dealing with student loans and debt. • Styles of ownership. • Getting ready for ownership.

#309

Isaiah Douglass

even Deadly Sins of Financial Planning

The clinical evidence on why money is so emotional. • The landscape of veterinary medicine for the future. • The ownership opportunity. • What is investing, and what is speculating? • Concentration vs. Diversification? • What insurance coverage do you need vs. don't need? • Why simple estate planning needs to be done and the ramifications of not doing so. • The biggest driver of our personal consumption and the impact of debt. • Why holding cash is a problem. • What do to with excess cash. Pay down debt or invest? • When it is time to change course and adjust long term plans? How do you determine that?

#308

Dr. Lauren Stump

Veterinary Real Estate

Understand commercial real estate transactions and where these might fit related to veterinary hospitals. Also understand the tax code related to real estate ownership

#307

Dr. Lauren Stump

Nestle Purina and working as an industry veterinarian

Career as an industry veterinarian and Nestle Purina.

#306

Dr. Lauren Stump

Companion Animal Nutrition

Can cover a variety of topics pertinent to canine and feline nutrition, please reach out if interested in discussing.

#305

Dr. Anne Vargo

Training beyond vet school, Canine rehabilitation

Instruct on what training pathways there are beyond vet school, outside of internship and residency, like becoming a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Veterinarian, as well as how this can build a practice. I have worked at a canine rehabilitation facility for the last 4 years with an underwater treadmill and our rehab patients and clients become very bonded to the practice.

#304

Dr. Anne Vargo

Working with dog breeders

I am currently the president of the Chihuahua Club of Michigan, the Chihuahua Club of America's health committee chair, and I show and compete in AKC events like conformation and rally obedience. I can shed light on some of the better breeders out there, as well as how to make canine reproduction beneficial to the clinic with a good working relationship.

#303

Dr. Anne Vargo

Hospice and palliative care, as well as getting certified

A discussion about what hospice and palliative care is, how it works as a business model, special consideration like DEA and controlled drugs during transport. Also best practices in end of life care. I can also discuss what the certification process is like for becoming a CHPV.

#302

Dr. Gary Ackerman

Veterinary Real Estate

Understand commercial real estate transactions and where these might fit related to veterinary hospitals. Also understand the tax code related to real estate ownership.

#301

Dr. Gary Ackerman

Veterinary Practice Valuations

Understand what is material and valuing a veterinary practice and how you might both monitor it and improve it.

#300

Dr. Gary Ackerman

Practice Transitions

Understand all facets of the material items in order for you to purchase or sell a veterinary practice.

#299

Dr. Rebecca Stinson

Starting on your own Path

Earning a DVM or VMD is just the beginning. The real excitement comes with the journey day to day. Let's discuss your vision of your career and what steps you may want to consider in order to get there.

#298

Dr. Rebecca Stinson

Protecting You While You Protect Your Patients

Understanding the role of different insurance products in the life of a veterinary student, associate and practice owner

#297

Dr. Rebecca Stinson

Understanding Insurance in Your Contract

This 1 hour discussion focuses on learning the types of insurances and common pitfalls with insurance in typical veterinary contracts.

#296

Dr. Kelley Lay, DVM

"The Partnership Perspective"

Dreams of private practice ownership can be accomplished by several different routes. Knowing that leadership is lonely, but that you can "have you cake and eat it too" are key components to entertaining the idea of a Partnership to reach your goal of being a practice owner. In this discussion, we will review the nature of private practice ownership in general, explore the potential pitfalls and beautiful benefits of being a partner, and ensure that those interested are aware of what they will need to make that relationship a lasting and profitable one for all involved.

#295

Dr. Kelley Lay, DVM

"Negotiating, Acing the Face to Face, and Landing your Dream Job"

In this presentation, we will learn tips to uncover potential employment opportunities, screening strategies to help you assess a practice, and ultimately land a job at the right hospital for you. We will review all stages of the job negotiation process from resources new graduates can utilize to find the right job, to questions you should be asking potential employers, and to the art of negotiation itself. We will evaluate interviewing strategies to ensure you make the right first impression, as well as discuss, in an interactive small group format, standard components of an employment agreement including compensation, benefits and non-competes and discuss strategies for earning a competitive package.

#294

Dr. Kelley Lay, DVM

"Profit and Loss Statements – Obtaining a Practice's "Pulse" in 15 Minutes or Less"

This interactive discussion will teach attendees how to dissect the key components of a P&L such as COGS (cost of goods sold), payroll, rent and net income, and apply the necessary adjustments to improve practice profitability. At the end of this session, attendees will be able to look at key P&L metrics and compare with those of best practices, make adjustments and realize the profound impact those adjustments have on net income, and utilize strategies discussed in the session to improve practice profitability and practice value.

#293

Dr. Kelley Lay, DVM

"Great Expectations"

Frustration and disappointment usually stem from mismatched or unfulfilled expectations. This workshop will teach attendees effective communication strategies to clearly define, communicate, and set expectations for employees. After the discussion, attendees will know how to identify and set goals with employees, the importance of showing appreciation in various ways to employees, steps for conducting effective feedback and having high courage conversations, strategies and tools for creating a culture of accountability, and what to do when expectations are not met. This is an interactive workshop with small group discussions.

#292

Dr. Kelley Lay, DVM

"Private Practice Ownership - How to Make a Competitive Offer when Competing Against Corporate Consolidators"

The ability of corporate consolidators to offer higher than fair market prices for veterinary hospitals can make it difficult for private owners to pursue their dream of practice ownership. In this session, we’ll delve into the valuation process and discuss specific strategies private practitioners can employ to boost their appeal to sellers.

#291

Alexis Wells, CVPM

The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Combating Compassion Fatigue and Burnout

Learn how Emotional Intelligence can play a strong role in combating compassion fatigue and burnout. Understand how Improving self-awareness and practicing self-management techniques can be a powerful tool to improve coping mechanisms.

#290

Alexis Wells, CVPM

Work Life Harmony: How to Balance Your Career for a Happy, Healthy Life.

Work-life balance implies a competition or a trade-off so that the opposite sides are balanced. In reality, each aspect of life and work combine providing “notes” that come together harmoniously in which one complements the other, leading to an enjoyable result. Determine what work-life harmony means to you and the importance of balancing your career and a happy, healthy life. Learn how to recognize when one of the “notes” is out of tune, and various strategies to re-establish harmony.

#289

Alexis Wells, CVPM

Evaluating Expenses, Hidden Costs, and What to Do About it.

Learn on how to evaluate a profit and loss statement for a better understanding. Understand the importance of industry benchmarks for expense categories. Discover some hidden costs that can wreak havoc on a practice’s finances and cash flow if not planned for. Learn how to create action plans to better control expenses.

#288

Alexis Wells, CVPM

Increasing Revenue through Identifying Compliance Gaps

Determine possible compliance gaps in your practice and the importance of communicating value, delivering effective recommendations and client education. Learn how standard operating procedures and standards of care can increase your overall compliance and provide best patient care. Understand the importance of reducing missed charges, forward booking and lost client recovery in increasing revenue and compliance.

#287

Alexis Wells, CVPM

Making Cents of Practice Finances

The purpose of this presentation is to provide an understanding of financial statements and how to properly evaluate them. Discuss the benefits to an organized chart of accounts, key performance indicators, and budgeting for a veterinary practice. Learn how to utilize this information on a regular basis to make sound financial decisions for the practice.

#286

Dr. David Bessler

Remembering Your Why

Dr. Bessler's presentation encourages students to remember why they chose to become a veterinarian and how they should refrain from selling themselves short. He will talk about his ER Medicine journey and how he created the "VEG" way and now owns 12+ hospitals.

#285

Dr. David Bessler

Business School in Under 1 Hour: Maximizing Your Value as a Veterinarian

Dr. Bessler will teach students how to maximize their value as a veterinarian and discuss Ownership of a Hospital, Understanding a Hospital's Profit and Loss Statements.

#284

Dr. David Bessler

A Story of a Successful Emergency Start-up

Dr. Bessler will speak about his vision to revolutionize emergency veterinary medicine, where it is focused on client AND patient experience. In 2014, he purchased the first VEG hospital, which allowed him to bring his vision to life. There are currently 12 VEG hospitals throughout the US. We plan to have 40 by 2021.

#283

Jeff Sanford

Client Connectivity: Creating Ideal Appointment Resulting in Greater Care and Your Earnings

#282

Jeff Sanford

Understanding Practice Performance In Context of Assessing Your First Job

#281

Jeff Sanford

Understanding the Maze of Compensation and Contract Negotiations

#280

Jeff Sanford

Game On! Competing with Chewy and Corporate: Priming Your Practice for Ideal Care and Better Performance, Resulting in S

The veterinary landscape is changing! Chewy, Walmart, Amazon and others are looking at ways to capitalize on this industry. The United States is due for another economic adjustment or recession. Shortages of veterinarians and technicians are driving up wages. Most veterinarians will expect a 6 figure income in 2020. Furthermore, there is a fervor of consolidating in the marketplace with suppliers and veterinary practices. How are you preparing practice? Is your practice ready for these changes? Working with over 800 practices (400 with DVM students), we found that most practices are operating in a “path of least resistance” and are not capitalizing on the opportunities available to them. This culture can defeat the best intentions and create an environment of apathy, poor standards, resulting in lower earnings. Alternatively, we have found that a growth culture creates an environment where standards are high, staff enjoy coming to work, and the practice grows profitably. When practices gain traction with a clear direction, we have seen hospitals nearly double revenues and tripling profits in a relatively short period of time. Because of this, practice values also went through the roof. It is time to put your game face on! The time is now to get your practice ready!

#279

Jeff Sanford

Top Ten Performance Problems in Veterinary Practices Hurting Culture, Care, and Your Pay

Performance heavily relies on the culture of a practice. In visiting over 800 practices, many with a team of veterinary students, we have found that a positive practice culture toward care creates the most profitable and “happy” practices. Alternatively, culture can defeat the best intentions and strategy, creating an environment of apathy, poor standards, and lower earnings. Three core “practice pillars” have been found to greatly affect the culture at veterinary practices: Leadership, People and Systems. If any of these three pillars is deficient, a practice will never be able to achieve its best. During this presentation, real life examples will illuminate the truth to the importance of practice culture on operations. Ten practice barriers have been identified to be the most problematic toward cultivating an appropriate culture and toward high performance.

#278

Dr. Tannetje' Crocker

Mentorship matters

The value of a good mentor throughout your career as a veterinarian cannot be overemphasized. I discuss the importance of mentorship as a student and new veterinarian. I give specific questions you should ask when interviewing for your first job to find a good mentor. I also share stories from my career where my mentors helped me immensely.

#277

Dr. Tannetje' Crocker

Finding a unicorn practice to work for

There are veterinary practices out there that offer good mentorship and a healthy environment for you to grow and flourish in. They are called "unicorn practices". I will offer ways for students to network and set themselves up to find and be hired by those types of practices.

#276

Dr. Tannetje' Crocker

Discussing finances as a veterinarian

Communicating about finances as a veterinarian is a difficult skill to hone. Having good communication is key to reduce stress in veterinary practice. I give real life scenarios and information for how to handle the different types of clients you will encounter. I can discuss it as it pertains to ambulatory, ER, or general practice life.

#275

Dr. Tannetje' Crocker

ER relief work as a veterinarian

Having practiced as an ER relief veterinarian for over 6 years I discuss the value of having a relationship with the local ER. We discuss how to find relief work, the financial benefit, and how challenging yourself professionally should be every practitioners goal. I also share cool ER cases pictures and videos.

#274

Dr. Tannetje' Crocker

Dr. Crocker- My veterinary story

The veterinarians career path can be full of unexpected obstacles and career course corrections are sometimes needed. Dr. Crocker shares her journey from one career phase to the next. She give tools for making smart decisions so you can find your joy in practice.

#273

Dr. Melanie Bowden

How to become a Kick-ass Vet: Veterinary Workflow, Caseload, & Mentorship

According to PayScale.com the average vet in the united states is paid $84,555. That means for a veterinarian working 40-50 hours a week 50 weeks a year (typical full time employment) they are making $33-44/hour. The average electrician charges $40-100/hour according to PayScale.com. Since graduating I have never made less than $100,000/year and that was working in the Spokane, WA & North Idaho market, not necessarily a high pay urban area like Seattle or Portland OR. In today’s veterinary environment there is a lot of pressure to handle a high case load, have a competitive ACT, and earn enough money to service your student loan debt. In this discussion we will talk about typical clinic work-flow, the benefits of horizontal scheduling and drop off assistants, how to delegate appropriately to team members, & how to be actively involved in team training. We will also discuss how to develop a mind-hive of veterinary mentors and resources to help you grow and develop your skills.

#272

Dr. Melanie Bowden

I Chose Standard Repayment: I am not Crazy. I had $240K in Student Debt. Debt free 2026

There are tons of different options out there for student loan repayment including Income based repayment, graduated repayment, standard repayment and loan consolidation. I AM NOT A FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL. But have extensively studied each of these in deciding how to deal with my student loan debt. We will go through a basic understanding of the options and discuss some of the pros, cons, and things many of my friends didn’t fully understand about income driven repayment until they experienced it. I will then discuss my personal loan repayment strategies and how I am making aggressive loan repayment work for me without sacrificing quality of life and living on Top Ramen.

#271

Dr. Melanie Bowden

What they didn't teach you about being a veterinarian

In all honesty, in private practice the medicine is the easy part of my day. The vast majority of my day is taken up with non-medical issues. Whether it be managing client expectations and brand reputation, to team culture, to financial advising, to end of life counseling, a lot of my job is less about the hard science and more about the soft stuff. This talk will go through personal scenarios and how I handled them, recommendations on how to improve in reading clients and communicating effectively, how to deal with angry clients and the tough conversations. What if you really did mess up? What if you don’t know what is wrong? What if a client questions your ability because you “look young.” I have been there, here is how I dealt with it.

#270

Dr. Melanie Bowden

Building Your Veterinary Career

One of the upsides to the current demand for veterinarians is that you have a ton of options. In this talk we will start with the pros and cons of working for corporate groups vs. private practice vs. internships when first graduating. We will then discuss how the corporate structures of many companies also allows for increased leadership opportunities outside of ownership, including medical director positions. I will share my experience as a medical director, what a typical job description looks like, and how to gain the respect of more experienced colleagues when leading a doctor team. We will then go through what it looked like to set up my relief business, considerations for filling in at other practices, advertising and building clientele.

#269

Dr. Lisa Mausbach

SHRM - How to Attract & Retain Top Talent Associates

The associate compensation debate – the good/bad of each model & a model for the future; managing knowledge workers & the importance of participative management styles, employee/colleague-centric leadership styles; other innovative ideas to prevent burnout including caregiver bill of rights, stop rewarding bad client behaviors & incentivize good client behaviors; staff incentive/reward programs that increase staff accountability.

#268

Dr. Lisa Mausbach

Wave of the Future – Veterinarian “Take the Reins” & Control Your Career

Frustrated as an associate but don't want to own your own practice? Don't settle by giving your time & energy away for someone else to realize their dreams & financial success from YOUR knowledge, skillsets, expertise & hard work. Kaleidoscope careers, Rise of the Independent Contract Veterinarian, Mobile Practice, Telemedicine & much more!

#267

Dr. Lisa Mausbach

Innovative & Actionable Solutions Organizations can Implement to Mitigate the Work-Related Stressors of Veterinarians

Innovative & Actionable Solutions Organizations can Implement to Mitigate the Work-Related Stressors of Veterinarians

#266

Dr. Lisa Mausbach

The Organizational Contributors to Work-Related Stress & Burnout in Veterinary Professionals

Defines occupational stress & it’s contributors; analysis of recent Merck Veterinary Well-being study; identifies & defines employee the burnout-engagement continuum; compares/contrasts burnout to compassion fatigue; introduces job-person mis-match; introduces the 6-work domains (environments) & the factors influencing work-related stress within each domain; effects of burnout in veterinary health care.

#265

Dr. Kathleen Cooney

Pet Loss and Bereavement

Honoring the bond, client expectations, memorialization, ethical aftercare

#264

Dr. Kathleen Cooney

Aquamation (Water-based Cremation)

Science of alkaline hydrolysis, system management, marketing, veterinary integration, client communication

#263

Dr. Kathleen Cooney

Compassion Fatigue

Resiliency, self-regulation, intentionality, core strengths

#262

Dr. Kathleen Cooney

Animal Hospice

Business management, personalized care plans, interdisciplinary team approach, logistics, multimodal approach to care

#261

Dr. Kathleen Cooney

Euthanasia

Techniques, methods, all species, drugs, gentle approach, appointment ideals, preplanning, emotional intelligence, worldwide prospective

#260

Dr. Lowell Ackerman

Veterinary Fees: Understanding the True Cost of Care

For most people who work in a veterinary clinic, the fees that are charged to pet owners may not seem to make intuitive sense. They may seem arbitrarily expensive and sometimes difficult to reconcile and explain to pet owners. This lecture goes through the discussion of how fees are determined based on the expenses associated with operating a veterinary clinic, making sure that all expenses are covered, clients receive appropriate value for the money spent, and that the hospital has a fair return on investment.

#259

Dr. Lowell Ackerman

Improving Veterinary Employee Development: Everyone Wins!

Most veterinarians are employees (associates) rather than owners, but it is important that both employees and owners remain aligned in a win-win relationship. Hiring a new graduate involves challenges because they still have a lot to learn, they don’t yet have a lot of experience dealing with clients, and they are often resistant to charging clients according to hospital policies. For more seasoned employees, it may be difficult to offer raises once they have reached a compensation plateau, regardless of their tenure. This lecture addresses what the hospital needs from associates and what associates need from the hospital so these can be addressed much earlier in the process, for mutual benefit.

#258

Dr. Lowell Ackerman

Is Practice Ownership Worthwhile?

Currently about 75% of veterinarians are working as associates (employed veterinarians), but the continuation of the current veterinary practice model depends on younger associate veterinarians one day deciding to take over the reins of ownership. However, too many veterinary clinics today are not as profitable as they should be, when assessed by common business standards. The good news is that practice ownership can indeed be worthwhile for all concerned with the appropriate focus on value.

#257

Dr. Lowell Ackerman

Pet-Specific Care: A Lifetime of Personalized Medicine

Today’s consumers demand customized products and services. They realize their pet is unique and are sometimes dismayed when their veterinary hospital doesn’t seem to recognize this. Pet-specific Care drives opportunities for veterinarians and veterinary staff to get involved proactively, when there are not only more medical options, but also a much better chance for clients to get actively engaged in and committed to the process. This lecture discusses the value (both medically and financially) of setting up personalized and customized health care programs to address the specific issues of pets over their entire lifespans rather than waiting for pets to get ill before they benefit from veterinary intervention. Better medicine really does lead to better business outcomes!

#256

Dr. Lowell Ackerman

Change is Here! Why We Should Embrace It

If we are not totally satisfied with the prospects for veterinary practice today, then we need to reflect on the current veterinary practice model and see where beneficial changes might be needed. Aspects of the economy, such as income inequality and consumer debt make it likely that people will have to budget for non-essentials, which often includes veterinary care. Technology will also play an important role and there are bound to be “apps” and other things that challenge the current “bricks & mortar” model of veterinary clinics. This lecture explores some of these likely scenarios so that we might proactively deal with these issues before we are negatively impacted by them.

#255

Dr. Mark Acierno

Mortgages & Home Purchase

In this discussion we cover everything related to home ownership. Topics include: When does renting make more sense than buying? How does the bank calculate how much it will lend me (front-end ratio and the back-end ratios). How much should I borrow vs how much can I borrow? The role of the realtor How much of a down payment will I need at the closing? What if I don't have the enough saved for the down payment (PMI & physician mortgages). Is Is a home really an investment? How much should I plan to spend on maintenance.

#254

Dr. Mark Acierno

Student Loans. Ugh – Why is it so complicated

We explore standard and income-based student loan repayment plans (IBR, PAYE, and REPAYE) and who should choose the latter. How to use student loan repayment simulator to estimate monthly payment, projected forgiveness and total payment for student loans is covered. We discuss the “tax bomb” associated with income-based repayment plans and how to develop a plan to pay it off. We examine why REPAYE and marriage are a terrible mix. A portion of time is spent demonstrating why income-based repayment plans are nothing to fear and the concept of "leveraging ones living."

#253

Dr. Mark Acierno

Retirement (Eventually, you’ll want sand not cat litter between your toes)

This talk focuses on how to plan for our future. We dive into strategies for calculating how much we need in retirement and, using TVM calculations, how to invest enough to have this amount saved. We explore various investment vehicles including (401K, 403b, “Simple IRA” or a SOLO 401K, IRA, Roth IRAs) and why it's important to seek-out employers who offer employer sponsored retirement programs.

#252

Dr. Mark Acierno

The Time Value of Money (TVM)

In this finance orientated talk we explore the concept of “time value of money” and the effect of compounding on monies over time. Using an App that is free to download, we discuss the basic math needed to answer many personal financial questions. Some of the questions that can be easily answered after mastering a few concepts include: If you invested periodically (e.g., 401K, IRA, etc.) how much will you have at a future date - due to the effect of compounding the answer may surprise you! How to calculate the amount needed need to save every month for a future event (e.g., tax on loan forgiveness). How much is $1,000,000 really worth in the future.

#251

Dr. Mark Acierno

Investments 101

An introduction to basic investment instruments including savings accounts, stocks, bonds, money market accounts, and mutual funds. Integrated into the discussion is the concept of risk vs reward. We also cover common investment jargon.

#250

Paul Camilo

How To Make Your “Best Medicine” The Best Option (1-2hrs)

Veterinary medicine is more advanced today than ever before. Practitioners have access to great innovative diagnostic testing and treatments. Specialty medicine continues to grow year over year. However, with better veterinary care comes higher expenses. With higher expenses comes more fees to the clients. And here we are, the ability to help pets with advance medical services but having a hard time keeping it affordable for your average person. This talk will cover how to create an ecosystem in an animal hospital where compliance comes easy. Attendees will see how to best leverage pet insurance, wellness plans and financing to create financial success. Reduce the financial burden to clients, allow the doctors to practice high quality medicine and stimulate growth.

#249

Paul Camilo

Clients Gone Wild! Dealing With Disgruntled Clients

This presentation will use real video and audio of disastrous situations to illustrate true management issues and techniques to resolve them. The reasons why clients get upset vary greatly. In some cases their reason is something that the doctor or staff did, Some examples: You can have a client that lashes out at you or your staff for the wait being too long; another client being put in an exam room before them; or not getting a phone call back with their pet’s lab results. In this situation, expect the irate phone call or embarrassing lash-out in your waiting room.

#248

Paul Camilo

Growing Your Dental Department-Communication (1-2hr)

This communication talk will provide attendees with a strategic process for dental client communication. We will teach interpersonal communication techniques influenced by Toastmaster International. Some of the skills covered will be; Building Rapport, Vocal Variety, Body Language, Attention Grabber, The Prolonged Pause, Eliminate Distractions, Overcome Objections, Show Them, Tell Them, Give Them, using a smart device’s camera, VisioCare Consult Technology, etc. Attendees will walk away with a well-defined communication compliance plan for veterinary dentistry.

#247

Paul Camilo

Growing Your Dental Department (1-2hr)

This talk will provide attendees with a strategic process for growing their animal hospital’s dental departments. Attendees will learn how to quantify the active dental opportunity in an animal hospital. We will also share with attendees the top five dental initiatives that have helped animal hospitals grow their dental department. The 5 initiatives are : 1) keeping great records 2) using different nomenclature 3) oral x-rays on every case 4) adopting pictures into the dental culture 5) understanding the 60/40 rule

#246

Stith Keiser

Tips for Starting Up Your Startup

In this session, attendees will learn tips for navigating the startup process including: 1. Determining whether a startup is right for you 2. Exploring if your desired market is right for a startup 3. Understanding the financing process 4. Laying a foundation for success

#245

Stith Keiser

Private Practice Ownership - How to Make a Competitive Offer when Competing Against Corporate Consolidators

The ability of corporate consolidators to offer higher than fair market prices for veterinary hospitals can make it difficult for private owners to pursue their dream of practice ownership. In this session, we’ll delve into the valuation process and discuss specific strategies private practitioners can employ to boost their appeal to sellers.

#244

Stith Keiser

Profit and Loss Statements – Obtaining the Pulse of the Practice in 15 Minutes or Less

This interactive discussion will teach attendees how to dissect the key components of a profit and loss statement such as COGS (cost of goods sold), payroll, rent and net income, and apply the necessary adjustments to improve practice profitability. At the end of this session, attendees will be able to: 1. Look at the four key P&L metrics and compare with those of best practices 2. Make the adjustments to those key metrics that are necessary to realize the profound impact those adjustments have on net income. 3. Utilize strategies discussed in the session to improve practice profitability and practice value

#242

Stith Keiser

Financial Statements: The Stories Behind the Numbers

In this workshop, attendees will: 1. Review key financial documents and indicators to study when assessing a practice’s financial health 2. Analyze a P&L to better understand its components 3. Read the “story” of several hospitals and evaluate potential hospital purchase opportunities

#241

Stith Keiser

Path to Practice Ownership: Step-by-Step Guide to Preparing for Practice Ownership

Review steps on the path to ownership including advantages and common pitfalls of practice ownership, financing options and basic management principles.

#240

Renee Machel

Stress Reduction and Balance

Defining what success means to you and how to ACHIEVE IT! Understand how to establish appropriate boundaries. Gain clarity on the areas in which cause you the most stress and how to form better habits. The art and science behind turning off ruminating thoughts or negative self-talk to promote being present, feeling good, improve sleep quality, and productivity. Increase resilience and inventory checks to lead a life and career driven by your true (and changing) principles or values both of which can empower you in the many roles you hold.

#239

Renee Machel

Wellbeing Simplified

In the veterinary profession today, we’re hearing a lot about wellbeing. Compassion fatigue, burnout, ethical fatigue, psychological distress, depressive episodes, impostor syndrome, suicidal ideation, perfectionism: these are all things veterinary professionals have to be aware of. With all of these mental afflictions and many more, maintaining personal and professional well-being can seem like a large, labor-intensive, and complex task. Not any longer! Attendees will walk away with an easy-to-understand and follow blueprint for maximizing their personal and professional well-being without having to know the cause, definition, and solution of every possible mental affliction that exists.

#238

Renee Machel

Progressive Leadership

Training leaders and aspiring leaders, in their respective industries how to begin operating from places of understanding that yields a workplace culture of collaboration and innovation. Developing empowered teams that are inspired and consistently performing at optimal levels keeping burnout and stifled creativity at bay. Infusing practical and progressive strategies to apply to your life today and take into your career or entrepreneurship leading to more innovation in the workplace. Efforts in a 'Well-Being Matters' Leadership mindset can even reduce turnover and the management of daily 'fires' while improving team morale and individual job satisfaction.

#237

Dr. Kristin Wuellner

Bitter to Better: Changing Your Mindset for Success

“Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.” - Roy T. Bennett Feelings of bitterness develop from many things- jealousy, anger, disappointment to name a few. When bitterness sets in, it transforms our thoughts, affects our relationships, and damages our self-worth. We will explore real-life examples of bitterness in order to gain an understanding how where these thoughts stem from before bitterness becomes a habit. Join us as we develop mindful tactics to identify triggers, counter our negative emotional responses, and create strategies to be better instead of bitter.

#236

Dr. Jon Geller

Providing Care to the Indigent: Street Medicine

A look at the homeless in the US, their pets and the issues and challenges of providing care.

#235

Dr. Jon Geller

Social Entrepreneurship in Veterinary Medicine

Opportunities to get engaged with the community outside of the small circle of veterinary medicine.

#234

Dr. Jon Geller

Creating a Premiere Internship Program

A look at an alternative model for internships, and why it is works for the hospital and the intern

#233

Dr. Jon Geller

Emergency Hospitals: Pitfalls and Potentials

In up close look at the management and leadership required to run a successful emergency practice

#232

Dr. Jon Geller

Practicing at the Speed of Trust

How creating a trust-based practice can improve efficiency, reduce turnover and result in a workplace of choice.

#231

Dr. Lauren Smith, DVM

How to Build Resilience: And How Much Should We Be Expected to Have

Burnout is becoming increasingly problematic in veterinary medicine. And yet, many veterinarians are thriving in their jobs and finding fulfillment in their purpose. So how do they stay resilient through the ups and downs of veterinary medicine? Researchers have identified ten “resilience factors” including realistic optimism, facing fears, spirituality, social support, and physical fitness, among others. These ten factors can be developed and improved upon to help veterinary professionals remain resilient and thrive in their careers. But there is a limit to resiliency. Personality factors and genetics can play a role in what those limits are. So, should resiliency be the sole responsibility of the individual, or should the industry be working towards changes that will help make the veterinary field a more sustainable place for everyone? What changes can we implement to help our colleagues find long and fulfilling careers? And what, if any, options should veterinarians have to continue their careers if they find the stress of full-time practice to be too much?

#230

Dr. Lauren Smith, DVM

Vet Med is a Battlefield�But it Doesn�t Have to Be: How to Harness the Power of Empathy to Bridge the Veterinarian/Clien

There�s a growing disconnect between veterinary professionals and clients. Studies show that empathy is on the decline and this makes it harder for us to connect with the people we�re trying to serve. We expect clients to understand us�that we�re people with lives outside of work; that we deserve to make a living; that we�re trying our best. But do we extend the same courtesy to them? When a client gets upset, or frustrated, or lashes out, do we respond with understanding and compassion, or do we immediately go on the defensive? If we head to work each day expecting to fight a war, that�s what we�ll get. And that won�t make us effective veterinarians, and it definitely won�t make us happy ones. This lecture will teach us how to tap into our empathy and grow it, how to better understand our clients, and how to use empathy to diffuse difficult situations.

#229

Dr. Lauren Smith, DVM

The Curse of Knowledge: How What We Know Can Hinder Us

Neoplasia, radiographs, stifle, echocardiogram—during school, these words become a normal part of our vocabulary and we don’t realize that most other people don’t have a clue what they mean. This is the curse of knowledge; the belief that what we know, others know as well. And in veterinary medicine, where most of us deal with clients without medical backgrounds, this can be a big problem.The curse of knowledge can lead to poor communication, decreased compliance, and clients who feel overwhelmed and untrusting of us and our motives. This lecture will focus on effective communication that will help bond clients to us as practitioners. I will discuss tips and tricks to educate clients using language they can understand. It will also discuss the importance of staying present with each individual client and tailoring the conversation to them so that they feel appreciated and understood.

#228

Dr. Lauren Smith, DVM

Gaining a Client's Trust--Stat

A trusting relationship between veterinarian and pet owner is essential. Whether it’s an emergency and you need a client you’ve never even met before to trust you with their pet’s life—right then and there, or it’s a new kitten appointment and you want to start their them out on the right foot so that pet can have consistent, high quality, life-long care—establishing trust quickly can make all the difference. So how can you make the best first impression possible? What can we do to establish trust from the very moment we meet a client? How do we inspire clients to comply with our recommendations and convince them to come to us with their pet care concerns? This lecture will teach the body language, communication, and emotional skills needed to gain a client’s trust—stat.

#227

Dr. Lauren Smith, DVM

Mime in a Box: Defining and Setting Personal Boundaries

Do you often find yourself saying "yes" when you really want to say "no." Healthy boundaries help us say "yes" to the things that really matter. They help us connect better with our clients, co-workers and patients. And they help us prevent burnout, compassion fatigue, and unhappiness in our careers. So what are healthy boundaries? What are the roadblocks we face in setting them? How do we decide what our individual boundaries are? And how do we effectively and safely enforce them? This lecture will address each of these topics and provide practical tips and advice for living a more boundaried life.

#226

Kurt Smith, MBA

Performance Improvement Culture

This is a discussion on how to develop a culture of performance improvement and safety in the veterinary hospital. The topic covers well researched and proven methods in healthcare - and how they can be implemented in the veterinary team. The topic will cover psychological safety, PDSA cycles, communication and engagement.

#225

Kurt Smith, MBA

Getting Meaningful Results by Using Key Metrics

This topic covers the key performance indicators (KPIs) typically used by veterinary practices, and how to track and use them. Benchmarks for healthy practices will be covered as well as how to set performance goals. The presentation will focus on where to avoid 'analysis paralysis' and team disengagement by being too focused on the numbers.

#224

Kurt Smith, MBA

Strategic Planning in the Veterinary Practice

This is an interactive presentation on how organizations move from Strategic Thinking to Implementation. The presentation reviews several case studies, approaches and situations, and the results. Strategy often fails not because it was a poor idea, but often because of poor planning and implementation. This presentation is ideal for anyone who is a key stakeholder in the veterinary practice.

#223

Kurt Smith, MBA

Understanding Financial Statements

This presentation simplifies the process of how to organize, read and understand the financial statements. This presentation caters to veterinarians who are new to ownership or management roles and would like to have a better understanding of practice finances.

#222

Dr. Michelle Larsen

Creating Values, Vision, and Mission

Workshop style can be for yourself or your practice.

#221

Dr. Michelle Larsen

Interview Do's and Don'ts

List of top 5 do's and don'ts and ways to prepare for interviews

#220

Dr. Michelle Larsen

Resumes and Cover Letters

List of top 5 do's and don'ts and examples of ideal and not ideal cover letters and resumes. Can also critique.

#219

Dr. Michelle Larsen

Exam Room Tips for Introverts

How to not deplete your energy and still find connection with your clients.

#218

Dr. Michelle Larsen

Early Career Transitions

Help with the decision of internship private practice or academic and why to do one, transitioning into practice from school, how to map out your first 10 years and why you should do this.

#217

Jim Poissant

Killing the Cattiness

Staff Conflict is not uncommon in any business, but in a high-stress and emotional environment like the veterinary hospital it can sometimes spiral out of control. We will discuss the connection between clear accountability and employee dissatisfaction, learn how accountability is learned and communication methods that will help to limit or eliminate cattiness in your practice.

#216

Jim Poissant

The Whys of Wellness Plans

Wellness plans are a great way to gain compliance, make it easier for your clients to afford care and stabilize cash flow. This presentation will explore the pros and cons of wellness plans, what pitfalls to avoid and most importantly, how to price your plans appropriately.

#215

Jim Poissant

Inventory Management

In a large business, inventory management is handled by a crowd of individuals, but in a veterinary hospital it’s usually one or two individuals that have to wear all the hats. We’ll use examples from large inventory management to understand what these hats are and how to make smarter decisions about managing your inventory.

#214

Jim Poissant

HR Lessons from Netflix

Netflix turned the world of Human Resources upside down with radical management theories and benefit plans. Find out how your practice can benefit from their example by digging into the concepts that made them one of the top-rated employers in America.

#213

Jim Poissant

Financial Literacy

This presentation covers the three basic financial statements; Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow. We will explore how they interrelate, how they are best used to understand your practice and what their information really means at the simplest level.

#212

Brandon Hess

Top Management and Leadership Pitfalls to Avoid

Management can be a dark and lonely place. As a growing manager I made a lot of mistakes I wish I had known about. As associates, and potential future management team members you'll want to know about these pitfalls before falling into them.

#211

Brandon Hess

Effective Communication and Conflict Resolution

One of the most challenging things in practice is dealing with upset clients, and combative team members.

#210

Brandon Hess

Veterinary Professional Wellness

Compassion fatigue, burnout, work-life balance and suicide awareness.

#209

Dr. James Delano, DVM

Grow A Better Practice - The Competitive Pharmacy

The perception that the internet and Amazon is taking over the world has created a "sky is falling" mentality. Being competitive doesn't always mean cost. Fulfillment of orders in ways the consumer wants will drive sales and insure your pharmacy is competitive with outside forces.

#208

Dr. James Delano, DVM

Financial Planning for the Freshly Minted DVM

In 1987 my debt to income ration was 1.95:1. I became practice owner 30 months following graduation. Half the battle of financial literacy is understanding basic finance concepts. Topics covered include student debt, credit/debit cards and taxes. Understanding production based practice and how this can help your financial well-being are also discussed.

#207

Dr. James Delano, DVM

Income Statements & Equipment Purchasing

Where does all the money go? These topics are presented in an interactive fashion with the VBMA members. The income statement is compared to attendees personal expense buckets - presenting the concept an "everyday life" format. Practice owners are faced with determining the ROI of a piece of equipment. Sharpen your pencils, bring your calculators and be prepared to figure out how a practice owner decides he he/she can afford that new ultrasound machine (or any piece of equipment).

#206

Dr. James Delano, DVM

Grow A Better DVM - Mentoring Communications in Private Practice

Come get an idea of how to make the WISE COACH exam-room communication tool as well as other communication tools work for your practice. Using these tools and more, learn how to incorporate communications mentoring in your practice for a productive team experience.

#205

Dr. James Delano, DVM

Grow A Better DVM - Organized Onboarding(TM)

Learn how the specific methods of resource dedication and training facilitation laid out in Organized Onboarding will help you grow the next generation of DVMs for your practice. Our team approach to onboarding facilitates the mentoring of associates in medicine, surgery, and communications. The successful integration of this approach has led to greater production, higher ACTs, a higher client-bonding factor, faster reduction of student debt, and most important- retention of DVMs with high job satisfaction.

#204

Mike Falconer

Externships at Craig Road Animal Hospital

A description of Craig Road Animal Hospital and related practices and the high successful externship program that we run for 3rd and 4th year students. (Not for BCP credit)

#203

Mike Falconer

Numbers for Those who Hate, or are Scared of, Numbers

A basic introduction to the numbers behind practice management for students, technicians, and doctors. Learn why certain numbers are important, what they are, and which ones to ignore. How to interpret numbers, and make numbers work for you. Demystify terms like gross, net, EBITDA, profit, loss, average transaction, markup, and understand their relationship to what you do every day. Use actual practice examples to decode what prices should be and why. Use basic math skills (addition, subtraction, and a little multiplication) to get a grip on the financial side of any veterinary practice. Have actual understanding of the basic metrics that all veterinary hospitals use.

#202

Mike Falconer

Disaster Preparedness

Planning for every type of disaster or emergency is almost impossible. But creating strong policies to allow management and staff to adapt can allow organizations to adapt and respond to unforeseen events. Walk through on how to run disaster preparedness exercises. Learn how to make strong protocols to deal with internal and external disasters and how to test them.

#201

Mike Falconer

Myths of Time Management

“They say time is a fire in which we burn.” Time management can seem like a mythical creature, we think we know what it looks like but actually finding it can seem impossible. In this hands on and practical workshop, we will take your actual list of jobs, tasks, and responsibilities and use real world practical strategies to turn them into a workable, and achievable, daily plan. We will also look at the role of delegation, structure, and routine, in personal time management. Touch on the new generation of computer tools, and why SEPs are important. There will also be lots of geeky references.

#200

Mike Falconer

Weaponized Reviews

Reviews are here to stay, and that’s a good thing. But how do businesses defend themselves from those who would abuse the review system for their own ends? I offer practical advice on how to handle Yelp bombing campaigns and how to mitigate their effects. We look at how to prevent, and initially respond, to weaponized reviews. We look at preventing and then handling a weaponized review campaign going viral. And we look at other tactics undertaken by Yelp bombers, other than just posting reviews, and coming to a resolution. Strategize about how to tackle and respond to situations using a set of customized guidelines customized for your individual practice. Actual strategies for replying to and mitigating the effects of adverse reviews, online attacks, and abuse of the review system.

#199

Patrick McGahren

Overcoming Obstacles: The Path to Practice Ownership

From deciding if start-up or acquisition is the right path, to financing, student debt, cash flow, developing a business plan and the importance of a team, this one hour presentation will help guide Veterinarians through the process.

#198

Dr. Sara Caldwell, DVM

Specific Steps to Open Your Own Vet Practice

12 Steps to opening a million dollar practice

#197

Dr. Jennifer Ramirez, DVM

Customer Service: What We Have Learned From a Mouse

This talk/workshop is based on the book by Dennis Snow. We look at the veterinary clinic visit through the eyes of the client and determine best practices to implement to create an extraordinary client visit

#196

Dr. Jennifer Ramirez, DVM

Compassion Fatigue and Suicide Awareness

In this talk we identify how to recognize burnout and compassion fatigue which can lead to undesirable outcomes including suicide. We will look at ways to increase early awareness, resiliency skills and self-care.

#195

Dr. Jennifer Ramirez, DVM

4 Core Communication Skills

Using the Frank Communication principles we look at applying them in our everyday client communication. These skills were developed by veterinarians and are specific to our exam room communication situations so it is extremely practical and relevant.

#194

Dr. Zach Loppnow, DVM

Getting Paid in the Field

A discussion on ambulatory billing, payment structures, collections and accounts receivable, from an associates perspective. How do we manage these things. Ideas for keeping it all in balance. (LA Focused)

#193

Dr. Zach Loppnow, DVM

Client Communications

Setting Boundaries. Managing Expectations. Follow Through. These are the three tenants of successful client communication. This talk will dive into the practical application of these three ideas in your practice. (Not Species Specific)

#192

Dr. Zach Loppnow, DVM

The First Contract

A general discussion of the first contract as a veterinarian. What factors need to be considered beyond just straight compensation, as well as how the contract affects different parts of your life. (Not Species Specific)

#191

Dr. Zach Loppnow, DVM

The First Year of Practice: Tips on how to not only survive, but thrive.

A outline of tips that I have either been taught, or found out through my own mistakes, that I believe are important for finding success as a new graduate in veterinary practice. (Not Species Specific) - Abbreviated Version given at 2019 NVBMA Roundtables

#190

Kelly Lynn Conrin

Resume Creation and Editing

#189

Kelly Lynn Conrin

Financial Fitness

#188

Kelly Lynn Conrin

Contract Negotiation

#187

Marshall Liger, LVT, CVPM

Medical Records: The Value of Accuracy

A patient’s medical record is critically important for a number of reasons. It is both a formal documentation of the patient’s health status and can serve as the clinician’s defense if a question of care is ever raised. This presentation will explore a variety of factors about patient medical records, including: what state regulations require; how to determine what your state regulations are; the significance of standardized records; how the medical record can impact future patient care; how the medical record can help or hinder the clinician in the event of a formal complaint; the importance of transferring records accurately; real life case study examples of acceptable and unacceptable records

#186

Marshall Liger, LVT, CVPM

Bridging the Gap Between the Client and the Practice; Tips to Increase Client Compliance

1. Identify the four factors that influence client compliance 2. Explore each factor, learning how each one impacts client behavior 3. Learn methods to increase the influence of each factor in your practice 4. Identify methods to analyze client behavior

#185

Dr. Michelle Vitulli, DVM

Finding your Target Hospital Location and Creating a Business Plan

We will explore the value in continued goal setting and how this can lead to a more fruitful and well-balanced career. Comparison of the success of all 8 Caring Hands Animal Hospitals will be discussed. Actual demographic data and analysis will be presented to help you choose your future hospital location as well as presentation of creating a business plan. Finally, an update on the new Florida location will be presented.

#184

Dr. Michelle Vitulli, DVM

Practice Ownership: Case Study of transition of Associate to Partner with Caring Hands and the Path to Success

Veterinary practice ownership remains one of the most financially rewarding positions in the veterinary profession. There are about 26,000 animal hospitals in the United States, and less than 10% are corporately owned. There is unbelievable opportunity for young associates to become practice owners. However, it will require serious evaluation and research by the associate veterinarian to determine which opportunity is best suited for his or her needs.

#183

Dr. Chuck Wiedmeyer, PhD, DVM

If It was Easy, Diapered Monkeys Would be Doing It

An overview of how I started a successful business with no experience.

#182

Dr. Chuck Wiedmeyer, PhD, DVM

Potholes on the Road to Success

Will talk about the many failures encountered in my educational, academic and business career which eventually lead to success.

#181

Dr. Peter Weinstein, MBA, DVM

Is there Life After Veterinary School?

It is never too early to start to think about what you will do after graduation. Is there a way to do this effectively and efficiently so you get the best outcome? Absolutely.

#180

Dr. Peter Weinstein, MBA, DVM

Where the Money Comes From and Where the Money Goes in Practice

Understanding the income and expense categories of a practice can help give you a better understanding of how to make a veterinary practice more profitable. And understanding a practice profit and loss can help you better understand your own financial situation

#179

Dr. Peter Weinstein, MBA, DVM

Controlling the Exam Room Experience

How to make effective use of your time in the exam room so that you get respect and trust from your clients and make effective use of your limited time. The Exam Room is Show Time for you...here is how to be a star!

#178

Dr. Peter Weinstein, MBA, DVM

Being a Leader in Your Practice

Just because you are a veterinarian (or future veterinarian) doesn't mean you will be a leader in your practice or job. What does it take to be a leader and what do you need to do to be successful as a leader.

#177

Dr. Peter Weinstein, MBA, DVM

Can you Afford to Buy a Practice with $250k in Debt....Can you Afford Not To

Understanding how practice sales are financed and determined so that you can understand that owning a practice is really the only way to get out of debt in the long term.

#176

Dr. Ernie Ward, DVM

Pet Obesity - Pathophysiology and Practical Solutions

The #1 health threat our patients face -- and a disease you're not taught much about in veterinary school!

#175

Dr. Ernie Ward, DVM

Creativity and Leadership

Developing your leadership skills, working within clinic teams, planning your future, remaining intellectually curious and avoiding burnout through creative endeavors.

#174

Dr. Ernie Ward, DVM

Personal Wellness - Daily Rituals to Tilt toward Optimism

Simple steps and daily rituals anyone can take to improve health, enhance enthusiasm, and perform better in the classroom or exam room.

#173

Dr. Jill Lopez

Why it is time for gender balance, inclusion, and diversity in veterinary medicine

According to the AVMA, 63% of small animal practitioners are female. Women also makeup 81% of all veterinary students. Sadly, although women outnumber men in the veterinary field, they are still underrepresented in leadership roles. Our record on diversity is even worse, with only 1% of our profession identifying as African American, well below the nation norm. This lecture discusses three ways we can change veterinary medicine for the better including promoting diversity, gender balance, and supporting inclusion.

#172

Dr. Jill Lopez

Simple ways to have better communication in the workplace

To be successful, veterinary health professions must be able to communicate effectively. These tips focus on simple ways to make your communication more effective with a focus on audience, listening, and explaining your goals.

#171

Dr. Jill Lopez

Branding secrets for your clinic...and yourself

How to create a dynamic and memorable brand that can help pave the way to be remembered for your expertise and personal uniqueness leading to a more successful and rewarding career. Learn why personal branding is important and complete a brief personal assessment exercise to help create a powerful personal brand.

#170

Dr. Jill Lopez

Life lessons learned from the most successful people in our industry.

What separates the most successful veterinary professionals from the average associate? Aside from the fact that they probably paid off their student loan in a lump sum, it is how they deal with life and business. Learn about some of the most successful people in our industry and how they rose through the ranks.

#169

Dr. Jill Lopez

et Candy's Guide to Vet School

Vet Candy Guide to Vet School focuses on physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing for students entering or already enrolled in Vet School, including tips on how to create a budget, secrets to a healthy relationship with food, and easy ways to stay physically fit.

#168

Tim Schoenfelder

Teamwork

How to Build and Unify a Strong Team

#167

Tim Schoenfelder

Communication

How to Communicate Effectively and Be a Great Motivator.

#166

Tim Schoenfelder

Eliminating Student Loan Debt

Ways to Eliminate Your Debt After Graduation.

#165

Tim Schoenfelder

Leadership

How to Be an Effective Leader That Others Will Follow.

#164

Tim Schoenfelder

Owning Your Own Clinic

Exploring Affordable, Easy Ways To Be The Owner of a Clinic.

#163

Dr. Mark Russak, DVM

“Practice success in ANY economy…. tips and plans to help pave the road to an outstanding practice.” (2-3 hrs)

A review of the current state of the veterinary economy and action plans for practice success. your veterinary small business. However, avoid these top 5 mistakes commonly made with social media!

#162

Dr. Mark Russak, DVM

The case for diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary medicine. (1 hour)

#161

Dr. Mark Russak, DVM

A primer of Basic financial concepts of companion Animal Practice (1-1.5 hrs)

#160

Dr. Mark Russak, DVM

Ethical and Moral Practice decisions…interactive real case discussions (1 hr. +)

#159

Dr. Mark Russak, DVM

Everything (or at least a lot) you need to Know About Veterinary Business, Finances and Management." (1 -1.5 hrs)

Put your veterinary business knowledge to test. Does the thought of “performance based compensation” make you uneasy? What does your average transaction cost need to be to and how many appointments do you need to see each day to justify an $80,000 salary? …. This is NOT a lecture! This is an interactive discussion and quiz (no pressure)!

#158

Dr. Mark Russak, DVM

Communication in The Exam Room...Getting the Client to Yes…(1.5-2hrs)

You do not get to put into practice your medical and surgical skills without the client's permission. ...the key to that happening is communicating with the client to establish trust, understanding and bonding. A client that understands what you are doing, why you are doing it and trusts you this will help you to get the client to "yes".

#157

Dr. Mark Russak, DVM

Combination of exam room mastery / practice developing talk (About 4.0 hrs)

#156

Dr. Mark Russak, DVM

Mastering the exam room-the keys to allowing you to practice great medicine and surgery and increasing client compliance

Good Medicine is good for the pet the client and for the bottom line...only if the clients lets you do what the pet needs and deserves!

#155

Dr. Mark Russak, DVM

Developing the million dollars plus practice…. without the Million-dollar building (2.0-2.5 hrs.)

Real world tips and insights related to high tech-hi touch customer service and professional and financial success.

#154

Dr. Mark Russak, DVM

Choosing a Practice (1.5 Hrs.)

Keys to practice choice including, evaluating what is the “right fit”, red flags, finances etc. etc.

#153

Dr. Mark Russak, DVM

Introduction to the AAHA/Vet Partners Mentorship Toolkit. (1 hr.)

Looking at the new mentorship program and how to use it and why.

#152

Dr. Mark Russak, DVM

Internships and mentorship’s. The myths and realities. (1.5 Hrs.)

No other presentation presents the facts and realities in this eye opening manner.

#151

Rebecca Rose, CVT

Job Seeking Tips for Veterinary Professionals

Whether you are new to working within the veterinary community or not, there are a few tips and tricks that may help you land the ideal position at the best veterinary hospital for YOU. First, you may need to do some soul searching to determine your personal and professional values. Then consider what you are seeking in your career within the veterinary practice (i.e., what will make or break “the deal”). Finally, set expectations on what to identify for the interviewing process. Let's get candid and be honest about "red flags" in the hiring process. Your first job past college can make or break you. Let's set you up for success!

#150

Rebecca Rose, CVT

"I'm not in it for the money," exploring limiting beliefs and behaviors related to money

What are your beliefs about money setting you up for failure? It is good to identify your personal relationship with money and how to manage it. Money is neither good or evil, it is a tool, but you may have unconscious ideals that will not serve you in your career as a veterinarian. While exploring and defining limiting beliefs we may touch upon behaviors you never knew existed. Then we will outline how to retrain your brain to help you reach your goals in financial stewardship.

#149

Rebecca Rose, CVT

Leveraging your DYNAMIC veterinary team!

Let's talk veterinary team dynamics, services and profitability! You just landed your first job in a veterinary hospital. GOOD FOR YOU! Now, how will you amp up and be as productive as you possibly can be? How will you generate the services you need to, provide the best possible care, be an asset and profitable? Together we will identify time management tips, learn more about team leveraging, delegation and how to impact the bottom line. You are now a part of a team; lead through example and flourish

#148

Rebecca Rose, CVT

It takes a TEAM to offer extraordinary veterinary care

Veterinary team members are formally trained, eager and passionate. Get the team rowing in the same direction to offer the best possible care for the patient and pet parent. Together we will discuss trust, training and communication being key components in team satisfaction and patient care.

#147

Rebecca Rose, CVT

Effective Veterinary Team Communication : A key to building a team

Success in your career (regardless of your role on the veterinary team) comes from effectively communicating. There is no one greater skill that will boost your career and job satisfaction. As a new veterinarian, how do you engage and establish a relationship with the team, allowing for trust, synergy and teamwork? Together we will dive into components of team communications.

#146

Dr. Lance Roasa, JD, MS, DVM

Practice Ownership: You can make it happen!

Veterinarians wishing to purchase a practice or start a practice will be guided through the search, valuation, negotiation, closing and transaction process. The discussion will examine common mistakes, traps, and also opportunities. The presenter will use his experience as a practice buyer, seller, and transactional attorney that commonly works through the transition process. Particularly addressed are the cash-flow requirements and financial aspects of the practice negotiation.

#145

Dr. Lance Roasa, JD, MS, DVM

Knowledge is Power: Using Facts to eliminate the Gender Gap

Gender inequality is real in veterinary medicine, just as in other professions and careers. Pay inequality will not “go away” on it’s own and requires disruption by those affected. You can help close the pay gap by knowing the facts, statistics and biases and putting them to use in your contract and salary negotiations. This session is taught by a veterinary practice owner, veterinarian and attorney who has hired, managed, and fired male and female veterinarians, and negotiated countless veterinary salaries. This interactive and thought provoking discussion is designed to teach you how to overcome the biases that can be affect female veterinary associates and earn more.

#144

Dr. Lance Roasa, JD, MS, DVM

How do Veterinarians get Paid?

Veterinary association compensation plays a major role in our employment relationships, but many don’t fully understand the mechanics of the compensation scheme. Understanding the theory behind the money flow and the incentivization methodology will help both employers and employee perform better in their roles. The discussion will specifically address salary, base or production, base and production, Pro-Sal, straight production, profit sharing and other common compensation packages. The presenter will use his experience as a former associate, current practice owner and contract attorney to teach the pros and cons of the packages, and help you create the ideal compensation package.

#143

Dr. Lance Roasa, JD, MS, DVM

Business Leadership for Veterinarians

No matter their job title, a veterinarian is a leader within their organizational team upon graduation. Leadership skills used in business fields are deep and diverse, but rarely taught in veterinary medical training. Most veterinarians in private practice stumble around business leadership using ineffective communication, poor leadership strategy and outdated motivation techniques. In this discussion we will explore leadership needs and styles among veterinarians as well as discuss employee motivation techniques for the team around you. Successful businesses are based on highly motivated and skilled employees; business leadership is essential training for successful veterinarians.

#142

Dr. Lance Roasa, JD, MS, DVM

The Art and Science of Negotiations

In this highly interactive session, we will teach your chapter how to negotiate effectively and give them the tools to earn a extra $5,000-$10,000 in their first year out of veterinary school. This is taught from the perceptive building a strong relationship with the employer and specially address negotiation strategy for women.

#141

Dr. Andy Roark, DVM

The Jedi Mind Trick

10 Techniques for getting colleagues, bosses, or support staff to do what you want without manipulating, twisting arms, begging, or threatening. All based in classic communication and negotiation principles, these tips are clearly illustrated with examples from practice.

#140

Dr. Andy Roark, DVM

Working With The Cash-Strapped Client

If money were no object, veterinary medicine would be so much easier! Unfortunately, finances are a big factor in quality pet healthcare. This session is all about developing effective strategies for talking about money and getting pets the best care possible when resources are limited.

#139

Dr. Andy Roark, DVM

How To Be An Exam Room Rock Star

Medicine is a duet. When you and a pet owner are both singing the same tune, pets will get great healthcare and pet owners will happily follow advice and return year after year. This session is all about delivering a veterinary experience pet owners will eagerly line up for.

#138

Dr. Andy Roark, DVM

Diffusing The Angry Client

This six-step program was created using data from the hotel, restaurant, and airline industries. It is a systematic approach to dealing with angry or complaining clients and one that every staff member should know.

#137

Dr. Andy Roark, DVM

How To Drive Change In Your Veterinary Practice

Change is both difficult and necessary. This program is probably my most popular, and it outlines key steps that anyone can take to help create change in their organization. The stories I tell here will make you laugh, cry, and, most importantly, remember.

#136

Michael Powell, CFP

Basic Finances

Discussing how to properly budget, planning for emergencies, credit cards, student loan and investment basics.

#135

Michael Powell, CFP

Financial Planning for Veterinarians

This topic discusses student loan repayment strategies, investments 101, insurance, things to plan for as you start you career, and other important financial areas to pay attention to.

#134

Dr. Kimberly Pope-Robinson, DVM

Perfectionism

Tips on How to Become a Recovering Perfectionist. Perfectionism or high-achievement syndrome is a common trait of those that enter into the medical field, and the speaker has found this to be especially true in the veterinary industry. This is a great personality trait to drive the individual through their schooling and training, however it is often not so great in providing them with a sustainable authentic fulfilling career. This talk takes the audience through one veterinary professional’s personal journey of finding a way to accept her perfectionism tendencies. This journey brought her to recognizing personal shame and how to then develop shame resiliency. These tips on how to become a recovering perfectionist literally saved her life and she wants to share them with the profession.

#133

Dr. Kimberly Pope-Robinson, DVM

Team Work Dynamics

Working in the trenches – What 12 Mile Mud Runs teach us about working in a veterinary hospital. Many of us would agree that each day working in a hospital brings a level of uncertainty, which is often unwelcome. The appointment book can be described as a “guestimate” to how the day is going to proceed. Each day provides challenges and each day there is a team that works to come together to approach these challenges in the hopes of a positive outcome for all involved. Those individuals show up from their own purpose, yet everyone has the same overarching theme in being part of the team. To support the power of the human animal bond and the positive value that all lives have in this world. Tackling a 10-12 mile military obstacle course provides a unique view into the daily journey of a veterinary team. Having visibility to this journey from the mud runners perspective, can help us all find value in each other and also in ourselves as we navigate through this profession.

#132

Dr. Kimberly Pope-Robinson, DVM

Managing Emotions in Tough Conversations

How to Manage Personal Emotions in Tough Conversations. There are multiple factors that need to be determined and shared during a conversation with a client when their pet is suffering with a difficult or complex medical situation. These conversations can elicit a number of emotions from the veterinarian and their staff when attempting to support the client through a decision. This presentation covers the traps that a team can fall into due to the emotions within themselves not being recognized and addressed during these conversations. It will provide direction on how to partner with the client and shares ideas and tools with the audience to help manage the emotions related to these conversations. While there is no right answer on how to have these conversations, this presentation helps to define the situation and allows the audience to recognize that we are all normal in our struggle and that true connection and acceptance of our own emotions is in fact the answer.

#131

Dr. Kimberly Pope-Robinson, DVM

Human Animal Bond and Our Wellbeing

The Unspoken Connection; How the Human Animal Bond Can Both Hurt and Save Us in This Career. This lecture is designed to take a look into how the human animal bond presents itself in both the struggle and survival of our careers within the veterinary profession. The Human Animal Bond is often the critical piece that drives each of us into the profession, yet the reality of the profession both challenges that value of the bond and can also promote an unhealthy reliance on that bond. However, it is not all compassion fatigue and an over connection to the bond. This lecture will start to look at the dynamics of this bond in the profession and how in fact it can provide support to our wellbeing. The bond is powerful, and this lecture is to provide visibility on how that power can be better understood in hopes to find that individual path to each of our authentic sustainable careers within veterinary medicine.

#130

Dr. Kimberly Pope-Robinson, DVM

Overall Wellbeing and Sustainability

Finding The Path To Honor Ourselves As We Live the Veterinary Oath. We each come into this profession following and honoring the veterinary oath in our unique way. Along the way we often lose ourselves from the challenges and struggles of the space that is veterinary medicine. In this process many lose their drive to stay within the profession. The goal of the 1 Life Connected is to provide a space that allows each individual to find their unique path to sustainability while they honor the veterinary oath. 1 Life Connected does not tell people how to do this, instead it creates the permission for individuals to follow a framework to find longevity within the veterinary industry. When we uniquely honor the veterinary oath and also commit to Be 1 Life Connected, we find sustainability. Attendees will come away with understanding what this commitment states and then begin to find how each piece applies to themself. In the end, allowing each individual to start the journey to Be 1 Life Connected and find their sustainability within the veterinary industry.

#129

Cassi Pettyjohn, DVM

What do your clients expect of you?

The first day of being on your own is a scary thought, but it doesn't have to be scary. We will talk about what you think your clients want vs what your clients really expect of you.

#128

Cassi Pettyjohn, DVM

Ownership vs Non Owner DVM

While there are many benefits of owning a practice, it is not for everyone. We will discuss what it really means to own a practice and what the pros and cons are. There are many advantages to being an associate as well. You need to think about what fits in your life.

#127

Cassi Pettyjohn, DVM

Where to invest your money to succeed

You are about to start your life. It's time to think about how to make your money work for you. Do you pay off your student loans first? Do you invest? Do you buy a house? The answers are here for you!

#126

Cassi Pettyjohn, DVM

The Future of Veterinary Medicine

As a private practice owner we are seeing corporations buying up a lot of our industry. The private practitioner is becoming less and less while the specialists are becoming more abundant. We will discuss how this will affect your decision now and what veterinary medicine will be like in the future.

#125

Cassi Pettyjohn, DVM

Internship vs Associate Position

The number one question coming out of veterinary school is: Should I take an internship or should I take a job in Private Practice? What are the benefits of both? What do I want out of my career? All topics will be covered with a look into the future on how this decision can affect you financially and professionally.

#124

Dr. Garret Pachtinger, DVM

Small Business Creation / Development

Contact directly for specific lectures

#123

Dr. Garret Pachtinger, DVM

Work-Life Balance

Contact directly for specific lectures

#122

Dr. Garret Pachtinger, DVM

Social Media​

Contact directly for specific lectures

#121

Dr. Garret Pachtinger, DVM

Emergency / Critical Care

Contact directly for specific lectures

#120

Bob Muscat

Marketing: Here's what I would do if I were you.

Marketing is how businesses get and keep a customer - profitably. Yet many businesses fail this essential aspect and focus instead on operations. Bob will share the five questions every business should be able to answer as well as discuss some useful actions you should take when planning your business.

#119

Bob Muscat

Business Strategy: It's not what you think.

Many small businesses struggle needlessly because they either have no strategy or follow a template without thinking. Successful businesses understand customer profitability and set up a management system to do just that. Bob will show attendees the essential tools they need to run a profitable business and why most advice is utterly wrong in today's competitive environment.

#118

Dr. Dani McVety, DVM

In Defense of Money: Why you shouldn't be ashamed of financial motivation

Do not enter veterinary medicine thinking, or even expecting, to not make any money. There is nothing wrong with earning a good income and there are very particular ways you need to think in order to set yourself up for success. Dr. Dani discusses the three most important changes you MUST make in your life if you want to truly be wealthy - and not just balance-sheet wealthy, but actually sustained high net-worth.

#117

Dr. Dani McVety, DVM

Avoiding School Burnout

Dr. Dani discusses how to make your dreams a reality, and avoiding the "daily grind" that occurs for many students and professionals. This talk focuses on life balance, relationships, health, and fulfillment. Veterinarians often experience burnout very early-on in their careers based on the combination of the rigorous hours, job demands, and their common personality traits. By understanding how to combat compassion fatigue in vet school, and set expectations for life beyond the classroom, you can be better equipped for a fulfilling future!

#116

Dr. Dani McVety, DVM

Top 5 things that will ensure your success in vet school

An interactive discussion that helps students with tips on surviving vet school, regardless of what year they are in. This is a great talk to begin the year with, as it offers fantastic tips on staying grounded despite the rigorous demands of vet school.

#115

Dr. Dani McVety, DVM

Entrepreneurism in the Medical Field and Beyond!

Whether you dream about, plan on, or are even remotely considering starting your own practice, acquiring an existing one, or simply being a valued, integral part of a business, you need to hear some things before you set out on your own. You need to know what will lead to your success, what obstacles will be in your way, and most importantly, what your true vision is supposed to include. I may not have all the answers, but I guarantee you that if I can do it, anyone can. Other topics offered by Dr. Dani that relate to entrepreneurism and workplace success include: Networking, Thriving with Coworkers, and Laws for Success.

#114

Dr. Dani McVety, DVM

Gold Standards of Compassionate Communication (Verbal and Nonverbal)

The words you use and the words you fail to use say more about your intentions and emotions than you may think. Verbal communication anchors a client’s feelings and experience about you and your ability to help their pet before you’ve even presented them with an estimate. When combined with non-verbal communication (body language), verbal “anchors,” set the client (and you) up for a good experience. In Dr. Dani's verbal communication presentation, she addresses handling difficult discussions, conveying positive emotions, responding to clients’ concerns, and sets the foundation for the entire team to ensure the best experience possible. Her nonverbal communication presentation addresses awareness of unspoken subtleties, and offers tools to discern, confirm, and reshape the attitude a client may be feeling without saying a word.

#113

David McCormick

What else does your program need?

We can work together to build a program that fits your schedule and what is needed.

#112

David McCormick

Personal Financial Health

This session covers the basics of personal finance, things that you can be doing now that can have significant impact on your financial future.

#111

David McCormick

Practice Financial Operation & Management

This is a dive into the financial side of veterinary medicine - fixed & variable expenses, income-expense ratios, profit & loss statements, balance sheets, and more. All the core financial elements plus the management perspectives on how to use the data to track and improve your practice.

#110

David McCormick

Practice Value & Ownership - Yes you can!​

What makes one practice worth more than another? Can you buy a practice when you have no money? Yes, you can own a practice and your debt will not get in the way. Learn more about practice value, the purchase process and how the ownership cash flow makes the purchase possible.

#109

David McCormick

Veterinary Practice Financial Health - and why it matters!

What makes a practice financially healthy and why is this important to you as an associate? Learn to make sense of the revenues and expenses data - and more importantly, what it means to your compensation! These are important details that can impact your veterinary career whether you are interested in practice ownership or not. Depending on the time available, this session can add in case studies on practices that were financially sick and recovered.

#108

Elliot Matloff

Employment as a new veterinarian and the contracting process

Your due diligence as an associate and employment talking points.

#107

Elliot Matloff

Insurance and Financial Planning Needs as a Veterinarian and/or practice owner

Disability, life and health insurance, investments, retirement.

#106

Dr. Dan Markwalder, DVM

Culture: The key to practice success

Culture will beat strategy all day long. I will outline the why, how and benefits of developing a culture no matter your role as a veterinarian.

#105

Dr. Dan Markwalder, DVM

Leadership

All veterinarians are leaders: how to be an effective leader as a doctor.

#104

Dr. Dan Markwalder, DVM

How to have financial freedom as a veterinarian

Practice ownership or partnership can be an exciting path for many veterinarian. I will explain the do's and don't to becoming a owner/partner.

#103

Dr. Dan Markwalder, DVM

Mentorship/Coaching

What does mentorship really look like for a new graduate: 3 key traits that make for successful mentoring.

#102

Dr. Lauren Mack, DVM

NEW! A psycologist's perspective on veterinary medicine and what we need to learn!

My husband is a practicing therapist and psycologist focusing in trauma. He has a unique perspective on how veterinary medicine effects us mentally and emotionally as people and professionals. He has watched me learn about grief, struggle with my team, fight with myself and sweat to build a business. We hope to bring our combined lessons and perspectives to the table and help people avoid some of our struggles.

#101

Dr. Lauren Mack, DVM

Buying a practice - Year 1 - What I would have done differently

I discuss the disaster of a purchase transition I experienced and what I would have done differently in my first year of ownership and practice.

#100

Dr. Lauren Mack, DVM

Large Animal Practice.

I discuss the challenges associated with beef medicine (livestock in general) from pricing and scheduling to payment issues. I have rennovated the practice and constructed a facility and I discuss the challenges associated with banks and loans, rennovation and design, and working in a segment of our industry that has little to no benchmark data.

#99

Dr. Lauren Mack, DVM

Building a great team culture that actually works.

There is a lot of discussion on culture out there, but I do my best to simplify the core needs of a team and share what we have learned from our mistakes. We are an all female team under 35 years old.

#98

Dr. Lauren Mack, DVM

The Culture of Agriculture

I discuss the challenges of rural, agricultural practice and the ups and downs of working in a small town entrenched in tradition and dependent on agriculture.

#97

Dr. Tim Loonam, DVM

Careers in Military Veterinary Medicine

VBMA Category 4. 50 minute presentation endorsed by the US Army Veterinary Corps. As a veteran and former career Army officer, I explain the differences and training between enlisted and officer ranks, where officers come from, how officers are trained, and then the specifics of being a Veterinary in the Army, Navy and Air Force. We also discuss roles of veterinarians in the National Guard and Reserves. Can be expanded to 100-minute with adding an my experiences in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

#96

Dr. Tim Loonam, DVM

How to Be An Exam Room Super Hero

VBMA Category 3. Multiple veterinary surveys tell us our industry is failing in the basics that occur in the exam room. Here we discuss how to bond with clients and their animals, how to best utilize your techs, how to handle the problem clients, where does euthanasia fit into the client-doctor-patient relationship, and numerous tips to keep you on-time in today's fast-paced, competitive environment

#95

Dr. Tim Loonam, DVM

Veterinary Practice Financial Statements

VBMA Category 1. 50-minute presentation on the most important financial statements in veterinary practices: P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement. Lively discussion of a potentially dry and boring topic! Not only important for practice owners for especially for young associates to know and understand what keeps their practice owner up at night. Can be expanded to 100-min by including discussing of the decision on whether to pursue practice ownership and/or whether to pursue an internship.

#94

Dr. Tim Loonam, DVM

Intro to Practice Acquisition and Start-up

VBMA Category 1 or 2. 50-100 minute presentation discussing buying, partnering, or building a veterinary practice, either mobile, leasehold, remodeling, or design build. Discusses why practice ownership is the way to financial freedom, as well as the pros and cons of ownership. Also discusses practice loans, various types of lenders and preparing your credit score.

#93

Dr. Tim Loonam, DVM

Veterinary Job Search and Interview Seminar

VBMA Category 4. Best as two 50-minute presentations. Includes 50 page handbook specific for new graduates and current veterinary students; this is not your father's resume advice! Discusses resumes/CV's, cover letters, how to 'creep' on a practice or position, interviewing, and fantastic self-knowledge drills. Includes an evidence-based discussion to help decide whether or not to do an internship.

#92

Tom Seeko

Your Most Important Asset

During this presentation we cover your most important asset and all the things that you can do to protect that asset with disability insurance, life insurance, auto insurance, and legal documents.

#91

Tom Seeko

Creating Balance Within Your Finances

We discuss what a balance sheet is, how it applies to your personal finances (and business), and what it means to get organized financially.

#90

Tom Seeko

3 Financial Things You Can Control as a Graduating Veterinarian

When you graduate it can be scary that now all these financial decisions need to be made (while trying to get acclimated to your career!). We spend our time in this presentation to review the 3 things that you can control and how to ignore all the noise that you have little control over.

#89

Tom Seeko

Student Loan Workaround for Starting or Buying a Veterinary Practice

VBMA members have a strong desire to learn about practice ownership. Many are discouraged to own a practice due to the high amount of student loans. The great news is there are lots of opportunities available to start or buy a practice even with student loans. We dive into important things you should be doing to become a practice owner and steps to get there even with student loans.

#88

Tom Seeko

Jump Start Your Finances

Financial knowledge is invaluable. While you're in school this is the perfect time to get a jump start and prepare for the real world as a veterinarian. Our presentation is designed to provide actionable steps that you can take as a veterinary student and important things to consider when starting your career.

#87

Dr. Justine Lee, DVM

How not to be a broke veterinary student

This lecture reviews simple financial tips on how to tackle the debt-to-income ratio, the growing student debt, and how to become more financially savvy as a veterinary student.

#86

Dr. Justine Lee, DVM

Anything emergency/critical care/toxicology

I can lecture on anything emergency, critical care and toxiciology related too! As the only double-board certified veterinary specialist in both emergency critical care and toxicology, I'm passionate about educating and teaching through clinically relevant, practical CE!

#85

Dr. Justine Lee, DVM

What they don’t teach you about small business ownership in vet school!

This lecture reviews the random business advice never taught in veterinary school, including steps on how to start your small business, the importance of social media in promoting your small business, and the growing pains with developing your business plan.

#84

Dr. Justine Lee, DVM

Top 5 mistakes to avoid on social media

This lecture reviews the importance of social media as a way of connecting with your pet owners and to help promote your veterinary small business. However, avoid these top 5 mistakes commonly made with social media!

#83

Dr. Justine Lee, DVM

How to survive as a female in a dog-eat-dog world

This lecture reviews the gender shift in veterinary medicine, and the move towards a "pink-collar profession." Dr. Lee reviews whether we should "Lean In" as females, how to combat common mistakes as a female small business owner, and how to battle work-life balance and family planning as a small business owner

#82

Brittany Koether, DVM

Transitioning from vet school to the real world

Discuss startups, opening your own business, being new to a practice, the importance of culture and fit, internships, telehealth, etc .

#81

Josh Klein, BA

Defy your Debt

Topics include; how to figure out how much debt you have, should you consolidate your debt, what if you can't afford your minimum payment, what happens if you miss a payment, which loan should you try to pay off first (after you are paying the minimum on all of them), how much money in interest can be saved by paying off loans early, how having debt impacts your ability to buy a home, what the interest rate on a loan really means.

#80

Josh Klein, BA

Your Path to Financial Freedom

Topics include; what is financial freedom, what is investing versus saving, why should you start saving today in your 20s when you have your whole life to save, the best resources to save and invest for someone with not a lot of money, should you pay off loans or invest, the 8th wonder of the world; compound interest.

#79

Josh Klein, BA

What is "The Market" and Why Should I Care?

Topics include; what a stock is, how a stock comes to exist, what the stock market is and why does everyone care so much, different types of investments you may hear about and what they are, what % can you expect the stock market to return and what does that number really mean, The biggest predictor of personal investment returns over your lifetime.

#78

Josh Klein, BA

Credit and How it Impacts You

Topics range from what goes into a credit score, to what you can do to improve your credit score,to what kinds of things having a good credit score can impact, all the way to what steps you can take today to save up to $100,000+ over the course of your life

#77

Josh Klein, BA

Personal Finance

Mr. Klein can work with any client to develop a presentation that is perfect for their audience. Please see examples of topics he has covered in the past.

#76

Dr. Dan Johnson, DVM

How not to be a broke veterinary student

This lecture reviews simple financial tips on how to tackle the debt-to-income ratio, the growing student debt, and how to become more financially savvy as a veterinary student.

#75

Dr. Dan Johnson, DVM

How to Handle a Veterinary Medical Board Complaint

Follows an actual case to illustrate the Veterinary Medical Board complaint process in detail, so students will be careful how they practice, hopefully avoid Board complaints, and be prepared in the event they are ever involved in one.

#74

Dr. Dan Johnson, DVM

Equipping Your Practice and Charging Appropriately

This lecture explains the process of equipping and stocking a new practice, and cautions students not to overextend themselves financially. It uses Dr. Johnson's practice to illustrate how to generate income, charge for services, and design a payment policy.

#73

Dr. Dan Johnson, DVM

Building and Growing Your Practice

Using his professional life story as an example of how to cultivate a niche practice, Dr. Johnson asks attendees to consider what unique skills and abilities they have, where the opportunities for a new practice may be found, and how to go about starting and marketing a new veterinary practice.

#72

Dr. Dan Johnson, DVM

Social Media and Reputation Management

You can get your veterinary practice noticed by designing a social media strategy that covers: how to get started; where, what, and how often to make posts; ways to boost engagement with your clients; and online reputation management.

#71

Alexandra Losif

Roadmap to Veterinary Practice Ownership:

This seminar is specifically designed to provide education on all of the aspects of a transition of purchasing an established practice. This will entail looking at acquisition options such as associate buy in, associate buy out, partnerships, expansions, etc. . We will deep dive into all of the avenues that are addressed to have a smooth transition, including but not limited to seller/buyer transition plan, cash flow analysis, buyer business acumen, preparing the buyer financially of what it takes to purchase and engaging the right partners to get to the finish line. Some of the professional guest speakers may include veterinary specific attorney to discuss the legal aspect of contracts and leases, cpa who will look at the numbers from a different lens, and a practice broker to speak on behalf of where to even start your practice search.

#70

Alexandra Losif

Blueprint To Success – Veterinary Startup Roundtable

This seminar entails a roundtable with all of the parties that are involved in a startup transition. Whether you are in a position to entertain a startup for the first time, or it is an additional location to grow your business, this seminar is for you. We will be leveraging the specialists in the market who specialize in providing every piece of the puzzle to bring the startup from a dream to reality. This will include experts not limited to veterinary specific contractors, marketing partners, architects, equipment/supply specialist, attorneys, cpa’s, etc.. The value provided in this workshop is the power of the team that is needed to get a startup from a blueprint, to grand opening.

#69

Alexandra Losif

All You Need To Know About Veterinary Transitions

Whether you are looking to sell your practice in the near future, or want to look into practice ownership, this lecture if for you! We will be deep diving into the exit strategies & options that a seller has to have a smooth transition including but not limited to where to begin, options, optimizing your practice and getting it ready for a smooth sale, along with what the ideal buyer looks like. In addition, we will be deep diving into what a prospective buyer can do to get themselves financially in a position for a purchase , including but not limited to education in regards to their debt, cash flow, purchase options, and a smooth transition. This event will typically leverage a guest speaker who will be able to provide an insight on practice valuations , such as a practice broker as financial institutions cannot speak on behalf of valuations and will bring in an expert .

#68

Bert Hockenberry

Preparing for practice ownership 101

Systems and strategies you can implement beginning today to best position yourself for practice ownership.

#67

Dr. Quincy Hawley, DVM

The Science of Being a Great Veterinary Leader: How to Awaken the Principle of Power Within

What does it mean to be a great veterinary leader? Do you consider yourself a great leader? While there are many different thoughts on what makes a great leader, there is certainly a science to being great, and in this 50-minute breakthrough session, Dr. Quincy Hawley – a leader of 3 different professional associations – shares the keys to unlocking the principle of power within you. Any person can become a great leader, and by following certain universal principles you will infallibly become a great leader. Veterinary students are primed to be amazing leaders​, and it is our duty as veterinary professionals to discover the amazing leader within so that we may play our role in advancing the veterinary profession to greater completion. Attend this lecture to become empowered, informed, and inspired!

#66

Dr. Quincy Hawley, DVM

Creating a Culture of Diversity and Inclusion for Business Success

As a subject, diversity and inclusion tend to be the elephant in the room, and too frequently, talks on this subject live up to being awkward and unproductive. The truth is that we all play a role in diversity and inclusion, and we are all necessary parts of creating a culture and climate in which we can all thrive to our full potentials. In this 50-minute breakthrough session, Dr. Hawley removes all finger-pointing and blaming and makes this talk on how to achieve business success through diversity and inclusion both entertaining and effective! This is a new light on diversity that welcomes and embraces everyone in a comfortable way. Attendees can expect to leave this talk feeling well-informed on the true importance of diversity and inclusion. Attendees will leave feeling empowered and proud to be who they are as individuals. Lastly, attendees will leave feeling motivated to help other members of the veterinary profession and veterinary organizations reach their full potentials.

#65

Dr. Quincy Hawley, DVM

7 Secrets to Well-Being for the Veterinary Professional: Keeping it Real

Would you go into a dog spay without forceps, needle-holders, hemostats, suture, and a scalpel blade? Of course you wouldn’t! Why? In order to succeed at spaying a dog, you at least need the appropriate tools to perform your surgery. Along these same lines, it would be silly to go into a challenging profession such as veterinary medicine without being equipped with the proper toolbox to maintain your personal and professional wellbeing.

#64

Eric Garcia

Social Media

As a client retention tool and as an opportunity to grow business.

#63

Eric Garcia

Digital Communications

Apps, Texting Clients, Successful Social Media Communications, etc.

#62

Eric Garcia

Marketing

Marketing exclusively for veterinary practices.

#61

Dr. Caleb Frankel, VMD

All things technology

Many more such as Communication Hacks for Vets, EVMR and Digital Tx Sheets, Apps, etc

#60

Dr. Caleb Frankel, VMD

Anything emergency/critical care/toxicology

I can lecture on anything emergency, critical care and toxiciology related too! As the only double-board certified veterinary specialist in both emergency critical care and toxicology, I'm passionate about educating and teaching through clinically relevant, practical CE!

#59

Dr. Caleb Frankel, VMD

The Future is the System

Why doctors fail and how to chart a future for our profession.

#58

Dr. Caleb Frankel, VMD

Technology to Wow Your Team​

Technology tips/tricks for use in practice.

#57

Dr. Caleb Frankel, VMD

Top Tips for Thriving as a New Grad

Uncommon guide to thriving as a new graduate.

#56

Dr. Tyler Foreman, DVM

Practice Efficiency and Lean Six Sigma

The discussion is an introduction to Lean Six Sigma methodology and how it can be used to make clinical medicine more efficient.

#55

Dr. Tyler Foreman, DVM

Job Searching and Negotiation

The discussion focuses on the resources and methods veterinarians use to search for jobs.

#54

Dr. Tyler Foreman, DVM

Career Development and Leadership

The discussion touches on all the various jobs and career opportunities available to veterinarians and how to build the necessary qualities for those positions.

#53

Dr. Tyler Foreman, DVM

Financial Statement Analysis

The discussion reviews the three most common financial statements in business with real examples of how they are used to manage a practice.

#52

Dr. Tyler Foreman, DVM

Specialization vs. General Practice

The discussion focuses on the pros/cons of going into specialized medicine after graduation with a particular focus on the financial aspects.

#51

Byron Farquer

Your Career and options beyond clinical medicine: your next 30 years

This lecture illustrates numerous options for the DVM including practice ownership, consulting, management, speaking, industry, media, entrepreneurialism (starting your own company/ventures). It is designed for veterinary students and new graduates, with the goal of enlightening them on the many and vast opportunities for DVM’s beyond clinical medicine. Case studies are used throughout to illustrate real-life success stories.

#50

Dr. Robin Downing, DVM

Variety of pain management topics tied to business

Variety of pain management topics tied to business.

#49

Dr. Robin Downing, DVM

Git 'Er Done - Putting it All Together for the Patient and Client

The data continue to show that compliance in veterinary medicine leaves much room for improvement. This session provides a practical approach to enhancing compliance in any practice setting.

#48

Dr. Robin Downing, DVM

Fear Free Practice is the Wave of the Future

The Fear Free movement is transforming veterinary medicine as we know it. Seeing the veterinary visit through the eyes of our patients opens the door to enhanced medical care, greater career satisfaction, happier staff, relaxed patients, and more satisfied clients. This cycle of good becomes self-perpetuating and contributes to the bottom line of practice success.

#47

Dr. Robin Downing, DVM

Better Medicine is Better Business

This session focuses on the linkage between medicine and business and the inescapable fact that continual improvement and enhancement of the medicine we practice enhances any practice's bottom line.

#46

Dr. Robin Downing, DVM

Reframing Veterinary Medicine Through a Bioethical Lens

Veterinary medicine has evolved to a level of sophistication that demands a focus on the question, "Just because we CAN, does that mean we SHOULD?" Clinical bioethics provides a framework for difficult decision making that can be translated for application to veterinary medicine. This session provides an overview of that translation and application.

#45

Dr. Jim Dobies, DVM

Acute Care - The Frontier of Vet Med

Paradigm shift in the veterinary practice model.

#44

Dr. Jim Dobies, DVM

Mental Health as a Professional

You are not alone. My experience, strength, and hope.

#43

Dr. Jim Dobies, DVM

Professional Development​

The Do's and Don'ts of advancing your veterinary career.

#42

Dr. Jim Dobies, DVM

Practice Management

Practical tips for small business owners.

#41

Dr. Caitlin DeWilde, DVM

Social Media Workshop

Bring your computers and we'll walk through how to set up a Professional/Public figure veterinarian account on Facebook, tweak your personal profile to make sure it's prospective employer-friendly, and cover the basics of LinkedIn.

#40

Dr. Caitlin DeWilde, DVM

How to Use Social Media without Crashing Your Work-Life Balance

How to use social media, personally, professionally, and on behalf of your practice in reasonable ways. Learn ways to identify your time spent, make the goals, and utilize tools to stick to them and work efficiently. Avoid the depression, anxiety and burnout that comes with social media addiction.

#39

Dr. Caitlin DeWilde, DVM

Responsible Social Media Use

We'll discuss responsible social media use for the veterinary student, the practicing veterinarian, and the practice itself.

#38

Dr. Caitlin DeWilde, DVM

Adding Value as an Associate

Using your digital know-how and being social media savvy can bring a great deal of value to your practice outside of your normal production. Learn how to put your skills to work for you, your negotiations, and building up your clientele. Add value to not only your practice, but your role within it.

#37

Dr. Caitlin DeWilde, DVM

A Leap of Faith: The Journey to the Next Big Opportunity

This presentation was given at the 2018 National meeting, about how we envision our career paths to be ladders, but they often end up as jungle gyms. My advice on how to take the leap to the next rung, and what to do if you fall off.

#36

Oliver Buckmaster

Paying yourself first

Identifying your living expenses and lifestyle costs, and implementing automatic systems that create wealth and savings without affecting your minimum lifestyle dignity floor.

#35

Oliver Buckmaster

Being approvable

Establishing systems to become financially organized and be able tp purchase or start your first practice

#34

Oliver Buckmaster

Protecting your most important asset

Understanding your income potential and protecting it.

#33

Ethan Dawe

Student Loan Debt and Repayment Options

Possibly the biggest financial decision of your professional life will be how you choose to pay off your student loans. After literally hundreds of 1 - 1 student meetings with veterinary students, all of your questions will be answered.

#32

Ethan Dawe

Cover Letter, Resume, Compensation & Interviewing

First hand knowledge of exactly what prospective Employers are looking for and how to Interview the interviewer. Empowering knowledge you must know as you start your job search. You will understand how to "Know your Value" to a prospective employer.

#31

Ethan Dawe

Business Finances & Evaluation - Catergory 1 & 2

1 to 3 hours of Category 1 & 2. Everything you could possibly want to know about about how a veterinary practice finances work and how to evaluate a clinic. Detailed and entertaining.

#30

Dr. Adam Conroy, DVM

Master the interview for mentorship and career success

The interview is a two way street. You should be prepared to ask as many if not more questions than your potential employer. This is a how to guide to land that perfect job, or more importantly how to not end up in a dead end job.

#29

Dr. Adam Conroy, DVM

The evolution of mentorship: real expectations of what mentorship should look like

Mentorship is a phrase that has lost alot of its meaning. Every employer knows that young vets desire it, so everyone says they offer it. But how many employers truly do it well. It may surprise you, but not many. We will describe what real, customized mentorship should look like and how to find the job that will offer it. Don't settle for any "mentor" ...find YOUR mentor

#28

Dr. Adam Conroy, DVM

The importance of goals and assembling the right team

We will discuss Why tangible goals are so important, Why vets stop setting goals, and Why most vets don't accomplish these goals. Furthermore, we will explain why assembling a team of mentors and like minded individuals will be necessary and vital in your success.

#27

Dr. Adam Conroy, DVM

5 year plan to financial success

All vets will go through 3 landmark milestones post graduation, some will accomplish 4. In this talk we will breakdown all the advantageous things you can do PRIOR to graduation to have that RIGHT first job. We will discuss what your first year should look like (customized mentorship). Then we move onto the confidence years and caution this is where most vets get comfortable and stop growing. Finally we will discuss the fourth milestone- true financial freedom and work life balance. Everyone starts at the same starting point, unfortunately not all vets make it to the finish line.

#26

Priscilla Cherry

Contracts and Interviewing​

Things to look for in a contract and how to look for and interview for your dream job.

#25

Priscilla Cherry

Financial Metrics of a Well Managed Practice

How to diagnose a practice based on a profit and loss statement.

#24

Dr. Cherie Buisson, DVM

Creating a Culture of Respect

Everyone wants to be respected. In veterinary medicine, that doesn't always happen. Become the driving force for a move toward mutual respect in practice that applies to yourself, your team, and your clients.

#23

Dr. Cherie Buisson, DVM

Euthanasia

It's difficult for you, your team, your clients, and your patients. Euthanasia doesn't have to be the most dreaded part of practice. Learning how to make it less stressful for everyone is key.

#22

Dr. Cherie Buisson, DVM

Hospice and Palliative Care

Hospice veterinarians fill the gap between "there's nothing more we can do" and the death of the patient. We strive to help other veterinarians eliminate this phrase from their vocabulary and realize there's always SOMETHING we can do to alleviate suffering.

#21

Dr. Cherie Buisson, DVM

Impostor Syndrome

Do I belong? Am I good enough to be here? Have I fooled everyone into believing I am more than I really am? SPOILER ALERT: the answers are YES, YES, and NO. Some of the most successful professionals in the world doubt themselves and feel unworthy. It's normal, and there are things you can do to stop it.

#20

Dr. Cherie Buisson, DVM

Compassion Fatigue/How to Be Happy In Veterinary Medicine

Compassion satisfaction is what all of us are seeking in veterinary medicine. Compassion fatigue and burnout run rampant in our profession. The secret is to show ourselves the same kind of compassion we show our patients. It is possible to be happy and survive in this profession, but we have to learn to put ourselves on our own priority list.

#19

Debbie Boone, BS CVPM

Introduction to a Fear Free™ Practice

Description: If you have been hearing a lot about Fear Free™ Certification but don’t know if it is right for you – this class has the answers. Presented from the business and human resources perspective of Fear Freesm this class walks you through the process and the “why” Fear Free Certification is a valuable tool in your customer service toolbox. Learn how Fear Free certification has helped with staff burn out and compassion fatigue and how it drives positive social media reviews.

#18

Debbie Boone, BS CVPM

Communication Skills for the Veterinary Team

Effective communication by every member of the team is the key to patient health. If you consider every mistake or upset client event that occurred in your hospital in the last several weeks you would have to agree that someone fell down in their communication. It could be the client, the doctor or the team. Better communication enhances patient care, decreases “drama” among staff and creates a culture that is positive. The better our communication skills are the better our hospital. Learn basic communication skills and learn to look forward to your job every day.

#17

Debbie Boone, BS CVPM

Embezzlement – Protecting your Practice from Fraud

No practice owner likes to think they have employees who steal, but the fact is that fraud is a common problem. 55% of the cash stolen in a hospital is taken by the front office team but other members are just as guilty. Learn how to put practical systems in place to protect your hospital from embezzlement. Trust, but verify!

#16

Debbie Boone, BS CVPM

Compliance – How to Improve this Revenue Driver

All practices know that compliance to recommendations is a long-time problem. Clients simply won’t do what we tell them they should for their pets. Or will they? The answer lies in your team and how they are trained to consistently reinforce your message. During this class you will learn to create a standard protocol – and why you should – and to understand that training your team to “preach” your message is the key to compliance. Students participate in role play

#15

Debbie Boone, BS CVPM

Professionalism in a Fish Bowl – How to Properly Comport Your Self in the Public Eye

Sometimes it is difficult to remember that at any moment someone is watching us – our expression, listening to our words, our tone , not to mention our attitude towards our patients, our clients and each other. In an age where good manners and professionalism seem to be disappearing how can teams know what is appropriate? Where are the models of proper behavior? This session teaches how to present yourself well and gain respect while being “on stage”.

#14

Kate Boatright, VMD

Difficult Conversations: End Of Life Discussions

One of the most difficult conversations to have with clients involves end of life decision making. These conversations must balance the needs of the patient with the emotional and financial needs of the client and can take a large emotional toll on the veterinary team. We will discuss management of cases where clients refuse euthanasia in a critically ill patient and others where clients request euthanasia for a patient that could be treated. How do we, as veterinarians, handle these conversations and maintain our emotional and mental health? (Category 3)

#13

Kate Boatright, VMD

Difficult Conversations: Working With Financial Limits Of Clients

In school, vet students learn the gold standard of diagnosis and treatment. The clients and patients we see on clinical rotations at our teaching hospitals tend to be those who have the means to pursue advanced diagnostics and treatments. After graduation, away from the ivory tower, veterinarians are often faced with balancing tighter financial limitations of clients with the best interest of the pet. There are often flexible ways to get the information we want and need for a patient while still working within a client’s means. (Category 3)

#12

Kate Boatright, VMD

Finding The Right Fit: Tips For Finding The Right Job To Start Your Career

We will discuss what questions to ask yourself and your potential employers to try to find the best fit. We will also discuss what to do if you end up in a less-than-perfect position and how to get out and get back on track. (Category 4)

#11

Kate Boatright, VMD

Kickstart Your Career During Veterinary School

We will discuss how student groups and extracurricular activities can provide networking and experiences that can set you apart in the job market and how you can effectively use your summers to prepare for life after vet school (hint: it’s not all about working!). I will also review my personal career path experiences and give suggestions for how to plan your clinical rotations to optimize your experience before entering practice. (Category 4)

#10

Karlene Belyea

Dealing With Negative Mojo

Do you work with negative people who affect the moral of your entire team? Managers say that one negative person is their biggest problem when trying to accomplish tasks. This session will help you learn techniques to deal with these individuals and help you diffuse conflicts. We will discuss ways to adjust your behavioral style to improve communications, body language techniques that make a difference and using words that work. You’ll have fun and leave with great ideas to use in your professional and personal life.

#9

Karlene Belyea

How to Have Work/Life Balance in a Dog Eat Dog World

In this stressful, fast-paced world, many of us face depression, are overwhelmed, lack work/life integration, endure financial challenges and have information overload. And we all need help! This presentation will help you find ways to be happier, think more positively, put yourself first, live in the moment, learn to forgive and stress less. Life doesn’t have to be so hard! You will leave with strategies and tips you can use immediately to improve the quality of your life.

#8

Karlene Belyea

Making Body Language Your Superpower

Did you know that 93% of communication does not come from the words you say to your coworkers and clients? Communication begins before you even open your mouth! In a research study at Tufts University, they discovered that when people watch 30-second soundless clips of real physician-patient interactions, their judgments of the physician’s niceness predict whether or not that physician will be sued. Body language is important! This presentation will help you learn how to build rapport with your team and clients, gain confidence, know when someone's lying, gain power in a situation, improve your own body language and interpret other people's body language.

#7

Karlene Belyea

Generational Differences: Successful Strategies for Young People

You already know that Millennials outnumber Baby Boomers and are the dominant generation in our workforce. But do you know how to better work with older generations and Gen Z, the oldest of which will turn 22 in 2018? Four generations are currently in the workplace and each has different values, causing communication challenges and conflicts. This session will help you understand other generations better in a fun and productive way leaving you with new ideas and strategies to make you successful at work and at school.

#6

Karlene Belyea

Behavioral Differences

Each person in a work or school environment has differing behavioral styles. Some people may be dominant and fast-paced, others may be detail-oriented and slower-paced, and some may be more sensitive, social or people-focused. Team members tend to judge others in the workplace who are different from themselves rather than recognizing and valuing the differences each behavioral style brings to the team. Using DiSC® Workplace as a model, participants will learn about their own style, learn how to recognize the styles of other people and learn how to better manage conflict. They will also gain insight on how others interpret their behavior and learn how to adapt to other communication styles.

#5

Dr. Tony Bartels

Veterinary Internship Economics

A numerical overview and strategic analysis of the internship decision using published statistics and data on veterinary internships. We discuss the resources available to help veterinary students analyze the internship decision for their desired career path.

#4

Dr. Tony Bartels

Student Loans and Repayment Strategies

For those entering veterinary school in the Fall of 2017, the estimated total cost of attendance (tuition+fees+average living expenses) for four years ranges from $158,000 to $362,000 depending on your state of residency and school you attend. You can compare costs at schools you’re considering, by visiting VINFoundation.org/CostofEducation. While scholarships can help, most veterinarians finance their education through federal student loans. For those who borrow, interest accrues on the majority of veterinary school loans the moment they are received, which further increases educational costs. During the Climbing Mt. Debt sessions, we discuss a number of strategies that veterinary students can use to decrease their costs while in-school and be more prepared to enter loan repayment strategically. The earlier you start to consider your borrowing and repayment options, the less stressful student debt becomes and the more money you can save.

#3

Dr. Douglass G. Aspros

Running a Profitable Practice

Understanding your P&L and the metrics that drive practice success.

#2

Dr. Douglass G. Aspros

Partnership Models: co-ownership

While partnerships are common in veterinary medicine, corporate/doctor joint venture models are not. I talk about the value - making practices competitive in the current environment while allowing for veterinary leadership and wealth creation - and also the limitations of the JV model.