Introducing the New Order Of Veterinary Leaders

On this week's episode of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, welcomes Pam Hale, DVM, MBA, JM; George Melillo, VMD; and Keith True, DVM, MBA, to discuss a new group making its way to veterinary medicine: the New Order of Veterinary Leaders (NOVL) . The trio explains to Christman what the goals and aspirations of NOVL are and how they are using their years and successes as veterinarians and business professionals to provide support and encouragement to veterinarians through coaching and business training.

Below is a partial transcript

Pam Hale, DVM, MBA, JM: So barriers to ownership, obviously, what started probably 20 or 30 years ago, which sort of led to this growth in veterinary groups, is a lot of young DVMs coming out of school not wanting to get a loan to pay for a practice, considering the school loan debt that many of them have, and also the feeling of the need to learn more medicine before they enter into practice. Ownership, which we all do, coming out of school. Traditionally, what is it? Fifty-60, years ago, you might come out of school on a Friday and open up your own practice on a Monday or you would go in and work with Doc Joe for 5 or 6 years and start buying into the practice, but as we've grown into veterinary groups, we also need veterinarians that are in those important roles that help to give us agency. I know I've done some of my best work, even as a clinician, as a leader, as a regional medical director, when I've answered to another veterinarian, because we know that they can help us and they understand exactly what we go through each day.

Don't get me wrong. I do believe we need our paraprofessionals around us—and paraprofessionals being those non DVMs—not just at our hospital level, but even at the corporate home office level. I think we need those [professionals] around us. But I do believe that veterinarians also should bring that most important part of what our profession needs, and that's the veterinary medical leadership and the business leadership, which I know, Dr True and Dr Melillo can talk to.