18 columns
inside
Confessions of a
swine veterinarian
When a weird case presents,
sometimes the best a surgeon
can do is rely on hard-earned
talent and intuition.
Page 42
Ed Branam
Protect & Defend
Page 30
Abby Suiter
Take Charge
Page 55
Amanda L. Donnelly
Talk the Talk
Page 39
Continued on Page 32
The decision was easy for Angie
Hawkins, DVM. Six years after
graduating from Mississippi State
University and still owing more
than $200,000 in student loans, the
married mother of two chose to do
what few veterinarians do: Become a
hospital franchise owner.
Dr. Hawkins signed the paper-
work with the startup company
Easyvetclinic, took out an $80,000
loan and in July 2017 opened the
first Easyvetclinic franchise in a Mur-
freesboro, Tennessee, strip mall. Just
like that, she was a solo practitioner,
running a walk-in wellness clinic,
setting the hours to suit her lifestyle
and, soon enough, turning a profit.
"We initially wanted to buy an
existing practice," Dr. Hawkins said of
she and her husband, a Tennessee
Department of Transportation district
supervisor, "but the debt we would
have had to take on didn't seem fea-
sible. And then we considered start-
ing a full-service clinic, and again the
amount of debt wasn't feasible. So I
reached out to Easyvetclinic, and the
low startup cost and not going into
much more debt got my attention."
Practice ownership
can happen early in a
veterinarian's career, and
perhaps at a lower cost of
entry, through one of a small
number of franchisers.
By Ken Niedziela
The
fast
track
Apt apps
The right mobile application
can enhance your practice,
your relationship with clients
and, most importantly,
pet health.
Page 34
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