Balancing Medicine and Management: Insights from Dr. Schmidt, a Clinic Owner and Veterinarian

Hey Future Vets, Sophia here.

Have you ever wondered how veterinarians learn to run their own clinic without prior experience? While it may seem a distant idea, some of us will eventually become clinic owners after becoming licensed veterinarians. However, since most of us are in science undergraduate degrees, we often lack a business or management background. This month, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Dieter Schmidt, a skilled small animal vet and business owner. He is originally from Romania and went to vet school there, but also attended the OVC later on in his life. Dr. Schmidt has been providing excellent care to his patients and clients for over 20 years at Bronte Road Animal Hospital. Throughout the interview, Dr. Schmidt provides insights on how he balances medicine and management, and what it takes to thrive as both a veterinarian and a clinic owner (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the vet’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the FVC). Enjoy!

Q. Why did you want to become a veterinarian? Was this something you always wanted to do, or was there something that influenced you?
A. “Yes, I guess this was something I always wanted. But when I was a kid and where I grew up, I didn’t really have a lot of other options. I liked the sciences, and I didn’t see myself doing anything with math or physics. However, I liked chemistry, and I wanted to be a chemical engineer; but my brother was already doing that, he was four years ahead of me. I would have also liked to do something with the arts, but back in Romania, during the Communist times, there was absolutely no future in any career related to that. But despite all that, I always felt that I could be myself as a veterinarian more than any other profession.”

Q. Can you talk about your journey to vet school in both Romania and Canada?
A. “I’m not sure exactly how it is in Romania now, but I had to take exams to get in back when I applied. For males, we were required to join the army after high school; if you got into university, you would serve for only nine months, if you didn’t get in you would serve for two years. That was an extra incentive for me to study and get into university, because I was worried that if I served for the whole two years I may not return. And like I said before, all the other universities were for mechanics, math, or physics, and I didn’t like that.

The vet program in Romania was a 6-year program, and it was very good as far as theory goes, but there was no practical experience at all. Here, at the OVC, there was a lot of learning on your own but lots of very helpful practical experience. My time in vet school was very different in Canada compared to Romania, I was at very different stages in my life. Back in Romanian vet school, I was in my 20s. But when I went to the OVC, I had already had my oldest daughter, and had to commute every day and work at the same time for three and a half years. The language barrier was also a setback, learning in a foreign language is very difficult. I spoke decent English and I could understand it, but it just didn’t stick in my brain. But, despite all that, I would do it all over again.”

Q. What inspired you to open your own clinic rather than working exclusively as an associate veterinarian?
A. “I worked for the previous owner of the clinic I currently own for five years. I also worked in an emergency clinic at the same time, and worked part-time at a clinic in Burlington. I liked every single place for different reasons, but I didn’t like being told what to do. It wasn’t that my bosses had bad rules or anything, I just like to have my freedom and make my own decisions. For example, if I want to do a spay or neuter for a cat at a Humane Society free of charge, I don’t need to ask for permission from my boss or follow their protocols, I can choose to do the surgery. But, had I known more about the business aspect of the job, I probably would have taken a longer time before I bought it. I didn’t know anything about the business and honestly, I was making much more money then than I am now. Maybe other people are making more money as owners, but I don’t think I am. But despite that, I still think it's worth it.”

Q. What were some of the biggest challenges you experienced when transitioning from being “just a vet” to then becoming a vet and a business owner?
A. “Dealing with staff is the biggest issue I have faced, and I think that it's the same in every single business. I’ve learned how important it is to have a good group, which we’ve had at Bronte Road Animal Hospital for the past seven or eight years. But at the beginning, we had a lot of issues.

We used to hire for skills, but it never worked out. And then at some point, I thought to myself, ‘The techs are working together all day, they should have a say in the new hires’. So from then on, I basically let the techs hire themselves. I like to get along with all of my employees, but I don’t necessarily have to. They are working more closely together than they are with me, and I would rather see them getting along than me having to be the kindergarten cop. If the new person has good character, it always works out. Everybody comes with a different set of skills, and they have to gel together to work out. Hiring for skills is the worst thing you can do in my opinion, you have to hire for attitude. The business aspect of the job, you can learn, but the hardest part is the staffing.”

Q. What non-medical skills have been the most useful in helping you to succeed as a clinic owner?
A. “People skills have been the most useful in helping me succeed. I want all of my clients to be comfortable leaving their pets with me, but sometimes it doesn’t work out and we don’t get along. And that’s alright. I just tell them that there’s always another vet down the road for them to go to here in Oakville, and give them the names of other vets nearby. I tell people to go see a vet when you don’t urgently need their services, just to get a feel for them and their clinic to see if you would be comfortable to trust them with your pet’s life. And even if they are happy with that place, I tell them to try another one, then another one. The bottom line is, I know I won’t get along with everybody; that’s unrealistic. I want to ensure that all my clients are comfortable with me, but I am always going to suggest that people try out many vets before they decide on one.”

Q. How do you balance choosing what is best for the client with the need to ensure that your clinic is creating the profit it needs to survive?
A. “First of all, you have to recommend what you think is best for the pet, not necessarily the client. You do obviously need to consider the client, and their financial situation, but the animal’s wellbeing is always top priority. And then the client can make the decision as to whether or not they can/are willing to pay for your services. The vet’s job is to figure out an alternative plan if the client does not agree to the original treatment plan. Unless I believe the animal is being abused, I always leave it up to the client to make the decision. When I first started out my career, I judged people’s financial situation based on appearances, and I was so often wrong.

So I’ve learned that I can’t try to form a plan for the pet based on their owner’s clothes or car, I have to base it on the pet’s needs only, but still provide cheaper alternatives. I think it’s all about the client’s perception of value. The clients usually think that the higher the pricing, and the more time you put into the case, the higher the value of the service. But that implies that you have to explain why you chose that specific plan, so that the client is informed. And this comes back to having good communication skills. When a client calls for a pricing quote for a spay, I always tell them what the surgery entails. Because if you tell them the price, they won't listen to you anymore. So again, people won’t value things if they don’t understand them, so communicating the importance of a medical procedure is essential.”


Q. How do you maintain positive client relationships while ensuring the smooth running of the clinic?
A. “I always try my best to treat everybody the same, and treat everybody fairly, and everything else will follow. If it doesn’t go well, tough luck for me. I’ve learned that you can’t win with everybody, no matter how hard you try. But you know, I’m trying to have fun and enjoy my job, and it seems to be working out for the most part. Sometimes I have clients that want to stay and chat with me after their appointment, but I have to tell them to leave because I have another client waiting, and knowing they enjoy talking to me is always a nice feeling.”


Q. ​​What’s the most important thing to understand about managing the financial side of a clinic?
A. “With good medicine comes good business. To be honest, I still don’t know much about the business aspect even after 20 years. I never took any business classes, but I’m sure that would have helped. In terms of saving money though, I’d rather make a bit less money than complicate my life. I mean, I’ve seen a lot of vet clinics going above and beyond to save money by boiling syringes or stuff like that. But for me, that's not worth my time. I don’t know if they’re actually saving anything worthwhile. I think that would just add stress for myself and my staff.”

Q. What skills or experiences should pre-vet students focus on now if they want to eventually run their own clinic? 
A. “I think you have to start at the bottom. To eventually be a vet, and to be respected in your role, you have to be better than your receptionist at reception, better than your tech at doing blood draws, and so on. I cannot force my techs to respect me, but if they have my support, they will probably respect me way faster. But this is what I tell every pre-vet student: learn it, follow them, watch them, become better than them. And you can just keep going from there.”


Thank you so much to Dr. Schmidt for taking the time out of his busy Saturday to answer my questions about owning and running a veterinary clinic! All of us at the FVC truly appreciate his insightful answers. The biggest takeaway from this article is this: people skills are absolutely essential to have a successful career in vet-med, and developing skills that aren’t necessarily medical can be just as important for running a veterinary clinic. If you enjoyed reading this article, or have any ideas for future articles, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the FVC; we welcome any new ideas! Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,
Sophia Di Adamo, Senior Editor