Find your ideal veterinary career path beyond private practice

Many veterinarians consider career transitions yet lack awareness of the options beyond private practice, or structured guidance on identifying roles that would be a good long-term personal fit. Beyond Private Practice: Veterinary Careers and Pathways addresses these gaps directly, moving past generic job listings to offer a methodical process grounded in self-assessment and career exploration. Written by Valerie E. Ragan, DVM, an AVMA public service award recipient who has advised hundreds of veterinarians through career changes, this book provides a proven framework for finding lasting professional fulfillment.

Beyond Private Practice begins with self and career assessments as the foundational step toward identifying a well-matched career trajectory. Readers learn how to uncover less visible career opportunities in government, industry, academia, and other sectors, then navigate the transition process strategically. The book draws on nationwide survey data from veterinarians seeking career changes and references research on the divergence between initial veterinary career aspirations and eventual pathways.

Readers will also find:

• A structured approach to self-discovery that aligns personal strengths, passions, and values with specific veterinary career opportunities
• Guidance on exploring non-traditional veterinary sectors including government, private industry, academia, and international positions, and entrepreneurial opportunities
• Strategic methods for career transition that replace ineffective online job searching with targeted, purposeful exploration
• Insights drawn from nationwide survey data on veterinarians seeking career changes, including demographics and drivers for transition
• Practical tools developed through over a decade of career transition workshops attended by several hundred veterinarians

Designed for veterinary students exploring career options and practicing veterinarians contemplating a transition, this book serves as a structured guide to identifying and pursuing careers that align with individual talents and goals. It also supports veterinary colleges meeting accreditation requirements for professional development and career guidance curricula.

Valerie E. Ragan, DVM, is Emerita Professor of Practice, and former director of the Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, where she trained veterinary students in non-practice career areas from 2009 to 2025, and maintained a Career Transition Google group with nearly 1000 members. A recipient of the AVMA's 2017 public service award and the 2025 United States Animal Health Association’s Medal of Distinction, Ragan has led career transition workshops since 2012, and has advised hundreds of veterinarians. Her own career spans private practice, government, private industry, and academia across domestic and international settings.