This article originally appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of EquiManagement. Sign up here for a FREE subscription to EquiManagement’s quarterly digital or print magazine and any special issues.
It is important to broaden our perspective of the ways equine practitioners can serve in the equine veterinary industry. The demands of traditional equine practice can sometimes be incompatible with raising a young family or having a career that continues to excite you. Being open to other options should include consideration of industry positions.
Rewards of a Veterinary Industry Position
“The rewards of this challenging profession come not only from improving the lives of our equine patients but also the people that care for and love them,” said Jaci Boggs, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, Equine Technical Services Veterinarian at Zoetis. “This includes caring for other veterinary colleagues who put their heart and skills into their work too.”
Most companies operating in the equine sector prefer the veterinarians they hire have a strong clinical background and years of experience in the field. This allows them to more easily gain the trust of practitioners who interact with them in their new role. Rob Keene, DVM, Senior Equine Professional Services Veterinarian at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, has been in industry for more than three decades. He explained that he was inspired to consider an industry job because he felt burned out in practice and needed a change of pace and life balance. His favorite thing about his job in industry is “the opportunity to contribute to the profession in a meaningful way by helping practitioners be more successful, while being in the middle of the action on a day-to-day basis, along with an expansion of my network of friends and colleagues.”
Sarah Ruess, VMD, Dipl. ACVIM, current AAEP vice-president and Equine Technical Manager at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, addressed what inspired her interest in an industry job: “To be honest, it wasn’t a path I was actively looking at. My passion has always been teaching, so I wasn’t looking to leave academia. But a wise friend pointed out to me that industry really allows you to magnify your impact. So instead of teaching 100 vet students per year, I now have the opportunity to influence thousands of horse owners and veterinarians across the country (and globe). My ‘why’ has always been to positively influence the well-being of horses and the people who care for them. Industry allows me to do that on a large scale, both in maintaining access to safe and effective pharmaceuticals and biologics for horses, but also in supporting people in how to best use those products.”
Veterinary Industry Position Challenges
Industry jobs do have their own work-related stresses. Heavy travel schedules, frequent meetings, and the lack of client-patient relationships can all seem like negatives. “Working in a large corporation and being in the field sometimes feels very far away from where the decisions are made,” said Boggs. “Some people think the hardest thing is the travel, but I love to travel … in general that would be one of my favorite things about the job.”
Keene added that having good life balance with travel can be challenging, especially with friends and colleagues that are all over the country and world. Balancing home life with practice/industry life is the hardest aspect, he said.
Opportunities Associated With Industry Positions
Ruess said that her favorite thing about her job in industry is “in any given week I interact with people from all over the country, every discipline of horse, and every facet of practice. I may talk to a solo doctor in Wyoming one day and a specialist in Kentucky the next. Same with horse owners—I could be doing an owner education meeting in rural America one week for people whose backyard horses are just as important to them as the Olympic qualifiers I may see in Florida the next week.”
“I really love the fact that you have a much more global perspective of what’s going on in the equine industry,” added Boggs. When thinking about equine practice with a narrow lens, sometimes clinical practice seems like the only option, but there are many ways to make a difference for horses and those who love and care for them.
Disclaimer from sponsor: This content is subject to change without notice and is offered for informational use only. All statements are the sole opinions of the author. Synchrony and its affiliates, including CareCredit, make no representations or warranties regarding the content. You are urged to consult with your individual advisors with respect to any information presented.
Related Reading
- Internal Medicine Prepares Veterinarians for Leadership Roles
- The Business of Practice: Getting an MBA
- How To Have a Conversation About Compensation and Benefits
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