Life lessons from a US Army Veterinary Corps veteran

Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Chosa, DVM

Elizabeth Chosa, DVM, serving with the US Army Veterinary Corps

Elizabeth Chosa, DVM, always dreamed of being a veterinarian, but after September 11, 2001, she was motivated to join the United States Army Veterinary Corps to serve both her country and the animals that help protect us. So, after graduating from the University of Georgia in 2005, she joined the Army and was on active duty for the next 5 years. “My job was pretty intimidating because I was in the Washington, DC, area for my first job…. My primary responsibility was for the National Security Agency; they had 57 dogs at the time. But I was also on call for Secret Service, for [Transportation Security Administration], and for other K9s who do very important work,” Chosa said in an interview with dvm360.

Diverse responsibilities of an Army vet

Chosa with a patient in the US Army Veterinary Corps

Chosa elaborated on the various roles and responsibilities that veterinarians may assume upon joining the military. “Most people who enter into the Army Veterinary Corps right after graduation come in as captains, and captain assignments are usually at a base within the United States. The Army is the only military branch with veterinarians so captains can be assigned to Navy bases, Marine Corps bases, or Air Force bases as well. There are usually some military working dogs and also a clinic for soldiers’ pets, and retiree pets,” she said.

“They are also responsible for food safety and public health, so they do a lot of food inspection for products that are sold in the commissaries. [They] also oversee some public health stuff on the bases, so all that is the responsibility of brand-new veterinarians. It’s a lot more diverse than just coming into a clinical role,” Chosa said. She also explained that there are a variety of different assignments and for 3 years while in the Army, Chosa worked with dolphins and sea lions.

With all these different responsibilities, the job can become challenging to navigate. Chosa expressed that it often felt like [she was] wearing multiple hats and was constantly trying to prioritize certain tasks over others when necessary. “But those types of experiences, of course, were very character building. I grew really fast as a clinician [and] as a human being. I don’t think I could have gotten that same level [of] experience anywhere else,” she said.

Leadership lessons from the military

This unique experience highlights the unparalleled skills and knowledge that can be acquired through a career in the military. The roles taken on within the Army Veterinary Corps also allow for leadership opportunities that can be applied in practice when transitioning out of active duty. “As a brand-new graduate, I had been a vet for a little over a month when I got to my first duty station. All of a sudden, I was the boss of 12 to 15 soldiers at any given time, and I had 3 civilian staff [who] were my employees to manage. I was [also] managing the finances of a veterinary clinic and trying to balance all these different roles. If I hadn’t done that, there’s no way I would have been comfortable becoming a practice owner later,” Chosa said.

“I didn’t expect to love it, and I really loved it. I would have stayed, but I really wanted to be a mom, and then I met my husband and the rest is history. But you get a lot of support when you’re leaving the military; there is a multistep process to make sure you are prepared for whatever you’re doing next,” Chosa said. When she transitioned out, Chosa eventually became a practice owner for 10 years. This transition can sometimes be difficult for individuals because of the differences between military and civilian practice; however, Chosa credits her valuable leadership skills as a practice manager from the time she spent having a clear chain of command and direct reports while serving.

“When I was in the Army, if I had a soldier who did something wrong or broke a rule, there was a very established protocol of how you’re supposed to respond to it. And if you don’t respond to it, here are the consequences laid out for you. Well, then I’m an employer and my employee does something wrong. Now all the pressure is on me, and I can’t lean on the system; I have to lean on only myself,” Chosa said. This was very difficult at first, but she was able to use the skills she learned from that clear chain of command and established protocol and apply it to her civilian veterinary practice.

Practice management training was not taught during Chosa’s time in veterinary school, so the Army gave Chosa the confidence to have tough conversations with employees. “I still had a steep learning curve when I was a new practice owner, but having the experience in the Army really translated well to being a practice owner. Also dealing with difficult clients and not taking that personally, [because] you can’t take stuff personally in the Army,” she said.

Chosa with a recent patient

With these life lessons learned, Chosa believes her experience with active duty was one of a kind and had a significant impact on her journey moving forward in her career. Her advice for those interested in joining is to speak with someone who is in the exact position you are considering. “I think anybody who’s in the Army or has been in the Army is going to be willing to talk about their experience. If you’re not sure how it would go, the more people you can talk to before you apply, the better,” she said. “I also did it to help pay for my vet school. I was an out-of-state veterinary student, so I knew I was going to be in significant debt when I graduated. The Army paid for 3 of my 4 years of school.

“Without the Army, not only would I have never been comfortable being a practice owner, but I [also] probably wouldn’t have been comfortable starting Veterinary Hope Foundation. I understand the value of community and how important it is to have other veterinarians that you can call and lean on after a hard day,” Chosa said. Chosa is the cofounder of Veterinary Hope Foundation, an organization that is dedicated to holding space for hope within the veterinary community.

Chosa currently works as a relief veterinarian for emergency, general practice, and shelter medicine. An additional interview with Chosa can be found on dvm360.com from her time as a Fetch faculty member during our conference in Nashville, Tennessee.