Hate Your Job, But Love Your Work?
Written by: Dr. Bonnie Bragdon DVM, MS
Why Ownership?
If you have ever thought to yourself, I love my work diagnosing and treating animals, but I absolutely hate my boss, my job, my colleagues, my pay…. Well, you get the drift… “I hate my job”, consider practice ownership. And before you decide you never want to own a business, and this blog isn’t for you, consider how you can own your destiny, if not your practice.
You as a licensed veterinarian own the keys to the profession. Without you, no one can sell drugs or tests or operate a veterinary practice. No private equity firm or large national practice can generate revenue, make a profit, and deliver a return on investment without your work and your consent. Ownership of the veterinary profession and its future is yours, no matter if you work for yourself or an employer.
If veterinarians don’t own veterinary medicine, someone else will. Life is a contact sport. Fight for what you love.
The Meaning of Ownership
Ownership of a thing implies possession of or responsibility for something.
Veterinarians possess deep knowledge and understanding of animals and their care and take responsibility for establishing standards of care, preventing pain and suffering, and preserving health so animals can thrive.
Ownership isn’t about buying or purchasing your way to power but leading responsibly and with good resource stewardship. Veterinarians who own their personal destiny and the veterinary profession are comfortable with conflict, prepared to manage risk, and work toward their vision of a better future.
Create your destiny and the path towards better, rather than let others define you. Sometimes just ignoring the “noise” of everyday problems helps you focus your energy on making changes and learning new skills. If you have ever thought, “I could do better than my boss / manager / co-worker”, its time you explore leadership and ownership.
The Value of Ownership
With responsibility comes rewards. Intangible rewards include the satisfaction of doing work with purpose, coaching others to be their best selves, contributing to the well-being of animals, and being the hero you were meant to be. Tangible rewards can include creating a positive workplace culture for team success, keeping wealth generated from your hard work, managing your time your way, firing toxic team members, and leading your way to success.
The autonomy that comes with leadership and ownership improves mental well-being and financial health. Looking to start the conversation about owning your own hospital? Reach out to your local DVMmatch Professional to discuss your career aspirations and how we can help you achieve them.
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About Dr. Bonnie Bragdon DVM, MS
Dr. Bonnie Bragdon is a leader in the veterinary medical field, with more than 20 years of experience gained from professional roles supporting diverse commercial and clinical activities. She currently serves as Chief Commercial Officer of CenterPoint Bio-Tech, which is developing novel technology to improve the accuracy and accessibility of in-house diagnostic equipment for veterinarians across disciplines. Dr. Bragdon’s passion is bringing cutting edge products to her colleagues in clinical practice to improve the care of animals and the veterinary healthcare teams who serve them. As a licensed veterinarian supporting commercial organizations, her top priority is to ensure scientific and technical data are carefully interpreted and applied in clinical practice. Tapping skills, she developed during master’s level training in veterinary clinical science and business administration, she works to educate veterinary clinicians about the medical and practical use of products across practice types and species focus. Her career began in clinical practice, and she understands veterinarians’ pain points and needs. After receiving her DVM and master’s in veterinary clinical sciences from the Ohio State University, she practiced companion animal medicine and surgery for ten years. She now works across functions in early stage startup diagnostic companies to lead and advise in the development of diagnostic devices utilizing surface acoustic wave biosensors, holographic cell reconstruction, and proprietary electroporation techniques for the continuous extraction of interstitial fluid.
Dr. Bragdon is enthusiastic about contributing to the veterinary profession and has served in volunteer roles for the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Industry Veterinarians, and the Society for Veterinary Medical Ethics. She is cofounder and president of the Independent Veterinary Partners Association (IVPA). As its cofounder and leader, she has grown IVPA membership to more than 400 hospital members through marketing, strategic partnerships, and business development. Her passion for evidence-based medicine inspired her to earn a master’s degree in veterinary clinical science at The Ohio State University while simultaneously studying for her DVM degree there and raising two children. She has continued her education by completing master-level training in business administration and executive leadership at Georgia State University, completed other sales courses, and pursued additional leadership expertise through individual executive coaching.
For more information on the IVPA, visit https://www.iveterinarians.org/
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