Radical vet support. Radically overdue.

We’ve been the last ones in the clinic, replaying the day, finishing charts, shoveling in unhealthy snacks because we never had a break. All the while, wondering if we made the right call on those weird cat radiographs. As a veterinarian, it sucks to be alone. Even if you aren’t physically flying solo, you may feel alone mentally or emotionally. You likely know the feeling, and I, for one, can say, that causes distress, too.

That’s how I felt just eight years into practicing as an associate veterinarian. When I was in vet school, I was constantly surrounded by support, medical expertise, compassion, and a clear path to follow – growing and learning within a community of people who shared my passion. What a stark contrast to practicing in a clinic.

Every conversation I had with my vet school friends and mentors echoed the same sentiment: there was only one way to be an associate vet. Everyone seemed to just accept the way things were at face value. I knew there had to be a better way.

Shattering the status quo and creating necessary change

When IndeVets approached me to join their founding team and lead the veterinary team I had a few conditions:

We must create a new way to be a happy, thriving vet.

We must recognize that our humanity and fulfilling personal lives are critical to being a great vet.

We can’t leave vets to fend for themselves anymore. Our vets must feel supported – a radical change from the (sadly) accepted standard.

Our journey as a company over the last seven years has held true to these stipulations. We’ve built a team of hundreds of exceptional vets across the country who are happy with how we practice.

Flexible Choices All Day, Every Day.

We created a way to support vets so we can do what we love without life-altering compromise. The foundation of that support starts with empowering our vets to take control of the balance between their personal and professional lives. How do we do that? By giving you many choices of how, when and where you work.

Sounds a bit like relief? Sure, but only the flexibility part. In fact, we like to say we created a whole new way to be a vet. We call it a Flexible Associate IndeVet and there are many ways to do what you love. We offer different roles for vets that can be as flexible as we want (or need) or as predictable as we desire – or a little bit of both. Roles that allow us to lead other vets. Roles designed to help us find clinics we can call home and still be a part of the IndeVets team. Full-time, part-time. Work more hours for more money if you want or need to. Mentor an up-and-coming new grad. Work less or take more time off whenever you need to – you choose.

Taking It Up a Notch (or six)

Our commitment is so much more than our awesome ways to work. And more than an employee assistance plan or an annual review. We want our support to be radical –- something vets have never experienced before or even imagined.

Here’s how we deliver that radical support:

1. Clinical excellence with active mentorship from a team of seasoned GPs
2. On-going professional and personal development delivered through IndeAcademy, our robust CE and bespoke training programs
3. Dynamic and sincere mental health support led by a dedicated veterinary social worker
4. Intuitive technology designed to make our work lives easier
5. Easy access to all our vets for collaboration, comradery, and connection
6. Dedicated Advocacy Team to support our doctors

Surrounded (literally) by support in every way, every day.

IndeVets are supported at every turn by an Advocacy team made up of five key people who support them every day, in every way.

1. Veterinary Success Advisor (VSA): The very first support person our IndeVets come in contact with. VSAs guide our new vets through the recruiting process. They’re vets, too, and always available. Because we believe in lasting relationships not hand-offs.
2. Strategic Support Manager (SSM): The key coordinator, point person, and problem-solver for all day-to-day non-clinical needs. The SSMs are especially focused on maintaining positive relationships between our vets and the clinics in which they work.
3. Director of Clinical Excellence (DCE): A senior-level leadership vet who provides professional development, guidance, and clinical advice for the squad.
4. Area Clinical Lead (ACL): An ACL supports the Director of Clinical Excellence and is a key point of support for the IndeVets in their local squad.
5. Vet Social Worker: Go-to mental health support, whenever you need it. Because sometimes caring for animals can be hard.

In addition, every vet is grouped into squads by geographic region and has the support of two more team members, helping put it all together with our partner hospitals:

• Hospital Development Rep who works diligently to create new clinic partnerships to increase the choice of hospitals where IndeVets can work.
• People Support Manager who ensures every IndeVet has the human resources support needed to navigate our (awesome) benefits and everything else IndeVets offers.

Keeping our commitment: a new, higher standard for support

Support has never really existed for veterinarians and the promise of radical support in their professional lives isn’t even on their radars. But here with us, we are happily breaking these industry norms, so our vets learn to expect the support they deserve and can access if freely.

There is no reason for vets to compromise on the things that matter so much to our wellbeing.

All that, all in one place? Absolutely. But you don’t have to just take my word for it. This is just the beginning, and I can’t wait to tell you more. In the next part in this series, I’ll share real-life examples of how support works for several of our IndeVets, in their own words.

Don’t want to wait? Sign up right here for our no-strings-attached monthly webinar where you’ll talk to vets just like you. Even better, you can chat with one of them directly at any time, too.