Career Transitions: Private Practice to Academia

This session will explore important factors to contemplate while considering a career transition. Specifically, the transition from a career in private specialty practice to academic clinical track faculty will be discussed. After completion of residency training, many specialists seek private practice opportunities to gain practical experience. What many clinicians underestimate is that this real-world experience is a valuable teaching tool, from which DVM students and specialists in training can benefit. During this session, the steps to consider during a career transition will be discussed. The differences and similarities between private practice and clinical track academic careers will be highlighted. The discussion will include potential successes and challenges of this transition, including personal experiences of the presenter, whose career spanned over a decade in high volume private practices before pivoting into a clinical faculty role in academia.