Panel: Learning to Leading: Insights and Strategies for Career Transition

It is a shared experience across all specialty areas in veterinary medicine that each diplomate will make the transition from resident trainee to an independent board-certified specialist, for both private practice and academic positions. This transition comes with inherent challenges, such as: providing excellent patient care while adapting to a new hospital, establishing boundaries, learning new skill sets, and in some cases, starting a service as a new specialist alone. The goal of this session is to discuss challenges and opportunities associated with this transition, and understanding how to best set trainees up for success with finding long-term personal and professional satisfaction in their careers. Our discussion may shape how we train future ACVIM residents.

While the panel will have prepared discussion points, attendees are encouraged to come prepared to ask questions or discussion points related to the following:
• Biggest challenges in transitioning to a post-residency career from an academic and private practice perspective (role changes)
• Equipment, budgets, and setting up a service
• Incorporating into an established service
• Navigating ultrasound coverage if a radiology service does not exist
• Improving efficiency in completion of day-to-day tasks
• Tips on training new technicians, and working with well-established technician teams
• Communicating with colleagues, trainees, technician, and client service representatives (especially in high stress times)
• Boundary setting, advocating for oneself, and establishing work- life balance
• Deciding when to leave a practice, and factors that panelists have found helpful in making their decision to leave a job