It Takes More Than a Village

By

Dr. Elisabeth Klapstein, 2021–2022 CVMA President

here is so much more to practicing veterinary medicine than just the medicine itself. First, there is the recordkeeping. Then, there is keeping up with regulatory compliance, your continuing education, and maintaining the day-to-day needs of your practice. Combined, these responsibilities can be overwhelming, especially if you are trying to go about it on your own. And this doesn’t even take into account the emotional and mental stresses of the job! Surviving and thriving in this profession requires the ability to manage all the extraneous responsibilities of veterinary medicine while cultivating a healthy work-life balance. While this is no small feat, the good news is that you have support available at your fingertips.

Here, the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” could be amended to say, “It takes a village and a state to support a veterinary professional.” Your village is your local veterinary medical association (VMA) and the state, of course, is your state VMA—in this case, the CVMA. Both are important to your professional success and personal well-being.

Local VMAs come in all sizes, depending on your region. Some California metropolitan local VMAs are large, with hundreds of members or more, while others in rural areas are more intimate with a smaller member base. In either case, these organizations are an important resource— professionally and personally. These local VMAs allow you to share your joys, struggles, achievements, knowledge, and experiences with colleagues in your locale. Through your local VMA, you have the opportunity to connect and build these valuable relationships at meetings, continuing education seminars, and social or charitable events. Coming together to laugh and learn with others who share your experiences in life and share your passion for our profession is relaxing, reassuring, and rejuvenating. Knowing you are part of a veterinary community helps to give you strength and to increase your general sense of well-being. Additionally, the stronger your local

Tmembership, the more of a voice you have with local governing bodies on small business interests and issues relating to the veterinary profession. Joining your local VMA promotes the profession, helps your “village,” and is good for your mental health. In short, membership in your local VMA is important to you and all veterinary professionals in your area.

But the support you need and deserve does not stop at the local level. The CVMA expands the scope of your community. It connects you with your peers from across the state, offering you a broader view of the profession and the issues it faces statewide.

Perhaps the most important work the CVMA does is to promote and defend the veterinary profession at the Capitol and beyond. Each year, hundreds of legislative bills are introduced that affect the profession and animals throughout the state. The CVMA has a team monitoring these bills year-round and advocates on your behalf to legislators, their staff, and relevant personnel at the Veterinary Medical Board. Your voice is combined with your colleagues’ voices from across the state to become the unified voice for the profession.

The CVMA also provides you services, products, and resources critical to managing a successful career and practice. Because of our membership’s strength in numbers, we are able to offer these benefits at discounted prices and, in some instances, complimentary. Member benefits like free legal advice for veterinarians, one-stop regulatory consultation, and CE offered in convenient formats, locations, and times free up your schedule to concentrate on other aspects of your professional and personal life.

It is important to join both your local and your state VMA. The number of delegates your local VMA sends to the CVMA to represent you is measured by the number of local CVMA members. Add your voice, expand your community.

Both your local VMA and the CVMA are your community. The more you get involved, the more you will receive. Volunteer for local charitable projects, or join the California Veterinary Medical Reserve Corps in providing medical aid to animals during disasters. Join a committee or participate in your local or state VMA leadership. Make a difference in your community and your state!