"I Have A Dream", Vet Med.

My fellow veterinarians, animal advocates, and champions of the future of our noble profession - we are at a pivotal moment in history, a time that demands a renewed commitment to the values that define us as compassionate custodians of life. For too long, we have labored in the shadows of corporate greed, sacrificing our time, resources, and souls to uphold the sacred calling of caring for the creatures we cherish.

I have a dream for the veterinary industry.

I dream of a day when wealthy corporations and private equity firms that have sunk their talons into the veterinary industry will be forced to emerge from the shadows and face the hard questions we have been asking for far too long.

Where are the profits they have reaped on the backs of the individuals who have dedicated their lives to this profession?

Where is the reinvestment in our practices, our people, our futures?

Emerge from your boardrooms and face us!

I dream of a day when they will answer for the industry they've transformed, not for the better, but for their bottom line.

Come out of hiding I say! Face the veterinarians whose tireless efforts, whose student debt and sleepless nights, whose sacrifices of family time and personal dreams, have lined your pockets.

Answer for the unsustainable workloads, the soul-crushing debt-to-income ratios, and the emotional toll that has become synonymous with our profession!

Tell us, how do you justify the ever-widening gap between the value we provide and the compensation we receive?

I have a dream that one day, upon graduation, every new veterinarian will find a welcoming sanctuary in private practice. I dream of a veterinary landscape where new graduates step not into the maw of corporate clinics where they are exploited; but into the welcoming arms of private practices. Where seasoned professionals stand ready to mentor, to guide, and to nurture - not just their clinical skills, but their very souls as caregivers.

I have a dream that independent veterinarians will rise as the true leaders of our profession, standing tall against the tide of corporate consolidation. I dream of a future where the true heroes of veterinary medicine are not the CEOs and executives who have siphoned wealth from our profession, but the independent practitioners who have built thriving, sustainable practices through sheer grit, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to the animals we serve. Where our voices are amplified, our expertise is celebrated, and our contributions to the health and wellbeing of our communities are finally recognized.

I have a dream that we will find the courage to turn away from the siren song of corporate promises. That we will recognize the true cost of their generous signing bonuses and shiny facilities, and of the illusion of the security they offer.

I have a dream of a profession where our worth is not measured in profits generated, but in lives touched, in pain alleviated, and in the way in which the sacred bond between human and animal is strengthened. Where our clinics are not just businesses, but sanctuaries of healing and compassion.

I have a dream that our work-life balance will no longer be a distant ideal but a lived reality. That the demands of our profession will not overshadow our lives, and that every veterinarian will have the time to nurture their own well-being to care for their families, and to pursue their passions beyond the clinic walls. We will create a culture where self-care is not a luxury, but a necessity and where burnout is the exception, not the rule.

I have a dream that the financial rewards of our profession will be equitably shared. That veterinarians will earn what they deserve, and that the value of our work will be recognized in both words and deeds. I dream of a future where the wealth generated by our industry is not concentrated in the hands of a few, but rather distributed fairly among those who have dedicated their lives to the care and healing of animals. As veterinarians, we will achieve financial independence, and we will build legacies that inspire the next generation of veterinarians.

I have a dream of a veterinary landscape where the autonomy and integrity of the profession is not constantly under siege by the whims of shareholders and accountants. Where we are free to make decisions based on the best interests of our patients, our clients, and our own well-being - not based on the insatiable appetite for profits that has consumed so much of our industry. We will reclaim the heart and soul of veterinary medicine, ensuring that the care we provide is driven by our passion for animals and not by profit margins. We will be the voices for our patients and the advocates for our clients, untethered by corporate interests and guided only by our oath to heal.

This is my hope. This is the faith that will propel us forward. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to struggle together, and to stand up for what's right, knowing that our efforts are not in vain.

My friends, this dream is not out of our reach.

But to grasp it, we must be willing to walk away from the false promises of corporate veterinary medicine. We must stand firm in our convictions, find strength in our solidarity, and forge a new path forward - one paved with the principles that have always defined our noble calling.

It requires only that we stand UNITED, that we remember the oath we took, and that we have the courage to reclaim our profession.

We must be willing to reject the notion that bigger is always better, and that profit is the only metric that matters. We must be willing to choose a different path - a path that prioritizes people over profits, animals over algorithms, and community over consolidation. A path that recognizes the inherent value of the human-animal bond, and the sacred trust that exists between a veterinarian and their clients.

We must demand transparency, accountability, and justice from those who seek to control our industry.

We must support and uplift one another, as independent practitioners and as a community. And we must never forget the reasons why we became veterinarians in the first place: to heal, to serve, and to make a difference in the world.

This shift requires courage. It demands that we, as a collective, reject the allure of the corporate machine. Let us not be seduced by their signing bonuses and their promises of streamlined efficiency. For those promises often come at the cost of our autonomy, our compassion, and of our very souls.

Let us instead, invest in each other.

Let us build a network of supports, where knowledge is freely shared, where collaboration trumps competition, and where the well-being of the veterinarian is valued as highly as the well-being of our patients.

So let's rise up, veterinarians of all stripes, and demand accountability from those who have exploited us for too long. Let us create a future where the bond between healer and patient, between practitioner and community, is the foundation upon which our profession is built.

And let us never forget the power we hold, not just as caregivers, but as agents of change.

If the great Martin Luther King, Jr. were one of us, he might put it this way:

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, but stand together, united in our pursuit of a future where veterinary medicine remains the beacon of hope, healing, and humanity. Let freedom ring from every private practice and independent clinic. Let it ring from the hearts of every veterinarian who dares to dream of a better future. And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every corner of our industry, we will speed up that day when all veterinarians, new and seasoned, will join hands and walk together toward a brighter tomorrow.

This is my dream. This is our dream. A dream where the heart of veterinary medicine beats strong and true, fueled by passion, integrity, and an unwavering commitment of he oath we took.

A dream that will only be realized when we, the healers, reclaim our power and rebuild our profession...brick by ethical brick.

May it become reality.