UC Davis Announces Two Summer Programs- Vet Business and Entrepreneurship
UC Davis
Whether they go into practice or stay in academia, most veterinarians come to their careers because they love animals—but they may not have the skill set to build a practice or commercialize their innovations.
That’s where UC Davis can help with two summer programs: its popular Foundations of Veterinary Business Program and the new National Veterinary Entrepreneurship Academy.
The Foundations of Veterinary Business Program, co-presented by the School of Veterinary Medicine and the Graduate School of Management, provides a cost-effective and time-efficient course to develop a solid business foundation and the practical skills to manage a successful veterinary practice.
The program is designed for DVMs working in the profession as associates, practice owners or leaders of large corporate practices. Hospital administrators and veterinary students with a strong interest in future practice ownership will also benefit. This is the second year of the program; last summer, the course registrations sold out.
New this year, the National Veterinary Entrepreneurship Academy will help researchers, faculty, postdocs and students in veterinary medicine and science gain the knowledge and networks to identify, develop and validate the commercial potential of their research or idea.
The academy is presented by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, a global leader in veterinary research, and the Mike and Renee Child Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The academy leverages the university’s more than 10 years of experience presenting academies for the greater UC Davis community.
Foundations of Veterinary Business Program
The Foundations of Veterinary Business Program, launching May 15, includes online learning modules developed by the Graduate School of Management in conjunction with two mandatory, weekend on-site sessions at UC Davis, Friday-Sunday, June 26-28 and Saturday-Sunday, August 1-2.
“We’re building on the success of last year’s program to even better meet the needs of working professionals,” said Dr. Jim Clark, Foundations of Veterinary Business Program coordinator. “Participants will gain essential knowledge while benefiting from interactive learning and networking opportunities with a cohort of colleagues who are current or future leaders in the profession.”
Instructors include business experts from the Graduate School of Management faculty and experienced practice owners and consultants from the veterinary field, including Jim Clark, DVM, MBA; Jim DeLano, DVM; Robin Brogdon, MA; Whitney Hischier, MBA; and Jeff Sanford, MBA.
Topics include managerial accounting, finance, marketing, strategy, human resources, operations and much more. Participants will work in teams to analyze veterinary businesses and present at the final meeting.
The course is designed to introduce key business concepts and explore how they are applied in a successful veterinary practice. Participants will learn how to interpret financial reports and make calculations to assess performance and guide decision making. They will also learn effective leadership and create a thriving practice using successful marketing. There are no course pre-requisites and prior knowledge is not essential. The course uses only a few mathematical equations, and participants need only have a basic understanding of algebra.
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will receive a certificate from the UC Davis Graduate School of Management and the equivalent of four days continuing education credit. Participants will have continued access to course materials for future reference.
Zoetis is the Foundations of Veterinary Business Program’s “Platinum Partner.” The priority registration deadline is May 1. The fee for this unique program is $3,500 and includes access to the online learning modules, two catered in-person meetings, materials and resources, and education fees. Enrollment is limited and applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. More information can be found at https://gsm.ucdavis.edu/post/foundations-veterinary-business.
National Veterinary Entrepreneurship Academy
The National Veterinary Entrepreneurship Academy, which meets July 13-16, 2020, offers faculty members and graduate students at veterinary schools across the nation—as well as anyone else who may be interested—an understanding of which research or innovations are candidates for commercialization and options for moving commercialization forward.
The academy takes experience from 13 years of regional academies to a national level, and continues the collaboration between the Mike and Renee Child Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the School of Veterinary Medicine.
The curriculum includes:
• An intensive opportunity for participants to frame and explore the market opportunities of their research and ideas.
• Hands-on workshops to guide them through the steps necessary to address the technical, business, and market validation of their ideas.
• Seminars and panels led by UC Davis faculty and leading investors, industry executives and entrepreneurs.
• The tools to communicate the broader potential of their research.
• Mentoring sessions for participants to focus their approach and hone their pitch.
“UC Davis has a rich entrepreneurship ecosystem that flourishes across our campus,” said School of Veterinary Medicine Dean Michael Lairmore. “Now we are making this wealth of expertise available to a wider audience. Our National Veterinary Entrepreneurship Academy addresses the fundamentals of what aspiring veterinary entrepreneurs need to be successful as they take their research out of the lab and into the world.”
Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health is the “Platinum Partner” to the National Veterinary Entrepreneurship Academy. The $2,500 tuition includes all instruction and course materials, the opening reception and a networking mixer, and continental breakfast, lunch and dinner during the academy. More information can be found at https://gsm.ucdavis.edu/nvea.
