In this episode, we talked with Ruthie Lindberg, VMD, and Justin Jornigan, DVM, about their experiences raising young families as equine practitioners and practice owners. Both doctors have two young children and busy, growing practices. With help from their spouses, they have found ways to prioritize their families despite their busy careers.
Lindberg said navigating parenthood has both logistical and psychological elements. By shortening her workday and with her husband’s help, she has been able to concentrate more on her children’s needs. On the psychological level, she credits letting go of perfectionism and embracing “good enough” with her continued success in practice.
Jornigan said his kids’ lack of perfectionism has been one of the fun things about being a parent, because they’ve loosened him up. He only has two to three hours with his children on workdays, so “I do everything in my power to get home on time,” he said. “Parenthood has made me much more efficient at work!”
“We live by the philosophy of family first,” Jornigan said. When his second child was born with airway issues, he had lean hard on his support system because the NICU was two hours away and the practice and farm needed looking after. Receiving so much help from others was incredibly moving and reinforced his family-first mentality.
In sharing their greatest joys, Lindberg told listeners about bringing her 3-year-old daughter along on calls to see mares and foals and enjoying her inquisitiveness and questions. Similarly, Jornigan enjoys watching his kids explore the things he and they love.
About Dr. Ruthie Lindberg
Ruthie Lindberg, VMD, is the owner of Pinewood Equine, a two-doctor equine ambulatory practice in southern New Jersey, which focuses on providing the highest quality care on the farm, with an emphasis on client education and customer service. Lindberg graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2014 and completed her internship at Rhinebeck Equine. Following her internship, she worked as an associate in general equine practice for several years before opening her own practice in 2019. She is passionate about finding creative solutions to help veterinarians find success in equine practice. She is married with two young children, ages 3 years and 6 months.
About Dr. Justin Jornigan
Justin Jornigan, DVM, grew up in North Carolina, where he raised chickens, pigs, and goats as a child and spent many hours with horses, sparking his interest in veterinary medicine. He spent summers working with his mentor, Jeffrey Schutz, DVM, the founder of Foothills Mobile Veterinary Service. Jornigan attended North Carolina State University in Raleigh for both his undergraduate and veterinary degrees. In 2013, he became the sole owner of his mentor’s practice. He opened a haul-in clinic facility in 2020 and more recently a companion animal facility. Foothills Animal Hospital is now a three-doctor practice that serves all the species residing in the community. Jornigan is married and has two small children.
Related Reading
- Veterinary Wellness Briefs: Practicing While Pregnant
- The Equine Practitioner’s Mid-Career Crunch
- The Business of Practice: Balancing Parenthood With Equine Practice
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