Dr. Suzanne Sculley opened her own private veterinarian practice in 1996. Below, she shares details about that journey, including the highs and lows of owning a private practice and why she ultimately decided to join forces with VCA Animal Hospitals in 2015.

My husband is also a vet!

After we graduated, we worked for other people – he went into large animal care, and I went into small animal. I asked my employer if I could open a satellite clinic closer to our hometown of Hannibal, Mo., but they weren’t interested in that. So, my husband and I decided to start our own private practice.

Part of it was the lure that we could make more money, we own it, we’re investing in our future.

And while that can be true, we found it to be very challenging. We quickly realized we did not receive business or marketing education at veterinary school. We jumped into having a small business without knowing what it truly means.

The financial piece weighed on us.

We had to make payroll and pay bills. We had to make sure we were saving for taxes all year long. Then, we had to hire an accountant for payroll tax and other tax, which we didn’t know existed. Then there’s the whole insurance side of having the business.

The further we got along in private practice, we also learned about the value – and expense – of providing the benefits our teams wanted and needed. We were always stressing about how we could support them without putting a huge financial burden on the practice.

Vacation, time off, sick time – the administrative burden weighed heavy on our shoulders when we were trying to take care of our people and pets.

So, when the opportunity came to sell the practice, we took it.

The best part about joining a larger veterinary organization is that we could focus primarily on caring for our patients. We no longer had to worry about the administration of payroll, benefits, or whether we could afford to upgrade our equipment – all things that traditionally stretched us thin. Joining VCA meant we instantly had access to a wide range of support, from a medical operations team that is on the leading edge of veterinary medicine, to a financial team and human resources (what VCA calls People & Organization) to help with taxes and recruitment. VCA even has a team focused on upgrading hospitals, handling permitting and purchasing to make sure our hospitals are places where you can deliver world-class care.

The minute VCA walked in, we were asked what we needed.

Before we joined VCA, we did not have digital radiology, because it wasn’t in the budget. VCA quickly switched us over to digital dental and radiology. It’s unbelievable how much VCA invests in their clinics in terms of new and upgraded equipment. VCA is very focused on what you need to practice the best medicine and how you can ensure you’re taking care of your patients and employees. And I still feel like I have an ownership mentality.

For a new graduate, the mentorship piece… I can’t tell you enough how important that is.

You can’t put a price on mentorship. I had none when I started my practice. Deciding where to work is a big decision. Think about these things as you’re picking your practice: Are they asking you about your goals? Where do you want to go? They should be.

You may not know right after you graduate, but opportunities are there. At VCA, there’s a whole network of specialists and specialty practices that are in your network. Your career isn’t locked into a specific kind of veterinary care. If you have an interest in exotics, they will help educate and support you. They’re looking at career progression all the time.

When I think back to the beginning of my career, I probably would’ve snubbed my nose at the idea of working for a large veterinary organization or selling my practice to one – and that would’ve been a big, missed opportunity for me.

Private practice has its rewards, particularly if you are business savvy and have the proper support to create a successful practice. And a large veterinary organization has its benefits, as I’ve described above.

My advice, ultimately, is to look at all the pieces of the puzzle before you decide what is right for you.