During my first week working at NorthStar Vets, I was sitting in a planning meeting with the hospital administrator when there
was a knock at the door. Dr. Jennifer Kim, who leads the oncology department, stepped into the room holding a small cat.
"This is Norman," she said. "He's our new hospital cat, and he needs to get used to being around people."
She put Norman in my lap, turned, and stepped back out of the room. I started petting the little guy and the meeting resumed
without missing a beat. That's the moment I knew I was going to love working in a veterinary hospital.
Recently, I asked friends in the veterinary profession what they loved most about their jobs. Then I took that insight and
created this list of steps you should take now to break into, advance, or reinvigorate your career.
1. Love what you do
Stay true to the kind of work that gets you excited. The thing that makes veterinary medicine great is that people go into
this career because they absolutely love what they do. Most team members knew they wanted to be working with animals since
they were children. You don't necessarily find that level of passion anywhere else.
2. Differentiate yourself
Be yourself and offer your special talents to stand out from the crowd. You possess a unique set of skills that can separate
you from your peers and make you stand out. Over the years, I've started side projects that were not only fulfilling and fun,
but gave me an opportunity to do things that nobody else was doing. From working with Dr. Hillary Israeli to launch Generation
Vet, the first online graphic novel about today's veterinarian, to starting my own consulting business for a brief time, I've
had the opportunity to make my mark on our industry.
3. Be open to new experiences
Take on new tasks and try new things. In my role as marketing director, I work side-by-side with the team at NorthStar Vets
to set the standard for our medicine, culture, and client service. I've also observed this team do amazing things. I've seen
Dr. Michael Doolen and Dr. Garrett Levin's open reduction with toggle-and-suture on a rabbit's luxating hip; Dr. Daniel Stobie's
new approach for correcting luxating patellas currently being studied; and Dr. Laurie Culbert and Dr. Melissa Logan's canine
craniectomy and titanium mesh installation (see "Prepare to be amazed" at right). I was awestruck to watch these miraculous
efforts in animal health.
Equally incredible is the way the veterinarians work with fellow specialists and technicians to solve problems and take a
team approach to medicine. Even the way the team relates to our clients has taught me a lot about empathy, friendship, and
relationship building. If you're looking from inspiration from a leader, Dr. Laurie Culbert, DACVS, is a prime example of
empathy and collaboration at NorthStar Vets. Last fall, she donated her time and expertise to the Marine Mammal Stranding
Center in Brigantine, N.J., to perform surgery on a stranded grey seal with osteomyelitis and an infection. An animal that
would have certainly not survived on its own was healed and released back into the ocean. If you always remember that you
have something new to learn, you will evolve professionally and personally.
Featuring Information from:
