Last month, I shared the special place VHMA is for us as managers in veterinary medicine. Since then, I have thought a lot about my personal path and how I got to where I am now on my career journey. It is surely not the traditional route many of you have taken. I was not a Vet Tech or assistant and never worked in the kennel…until recently.
Recognizing that everyone’s path is quite unique – and acknowledging that there are many of you whom I have not yet met – allow me a few moments to tell you about the unusual route that led me to manage an animal hospital and the VHMA.
So, where to begin? I studied theater as a Technical Design and Production major at the University of Oklahoma. I was even a Managing Director of a professional theater company for several years as part of my career path.
While I enjoyed the theater, most of my professional life was spent in the youth services sector. I worked in day camp and overnight camp settings and youth development programs. I enjoyed the spirited vibe of seeing youth grow and experience new things. I progressed from leadership role to leadership role until I found myself working as the CEO of a Campfire USA Council. That’s when it stopped being so enjoyable. You see, in a heightened role of responsibility, I focused on administration, fundraising, and activities that removed me from the youth themselves – the individuals who made the youth development field so energizing (kind of like pets in our worlds).
I decided it was time to try something new. That’s when I learned from a theater friend that Dr. Linda Ellington, the owner of Dearborn Animal Hospital, was searching for a practice manager so that she could focus on her true love – veterinary medicine. Luckily, my professional paths in both theater and nonprofit management had honed my skills in administration, human resources, finance, marketing, and most of the boxes she hoped to check off when hiring a practice manager. She took a chance on me. I am so glad she did because here I am now, 14 years later, a hospital administrator who, like you, loves the veterinary industry. I am also a passionate advocate for practice managers and the VHMA and feel honored to be VHMA’s president now.
So, what does all this mean? It means nobody’s path is ever straightforward, but chances are good that taking it will undoubtedly be interesting. So keep an open mind and see where the journey leads.
Finding the joy in what you do is really important. So, as you assess your path, think about what makes you happy and feel good. Yes, you will have forks in the road that may force you to choose your next direction. That’s when the friendships and connections you have made through VHMA can be vitally important. Many of them are just a click away on MemberConnect, a phone call away, or a text away. Perhaps your path was recently transformed by things you learned or people you met at VHMA’s Annual Conference. Or maybe it will be in 2024.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Sincerely,
Scott Zimmerman, BFA, CVPM
VHMA President
#PracticePulse