Practice ownership aspirations among veterinary students and recent graduates are influenced by autonomy, perceived responsibility, and career interests.

Integrating business management education and experiential externships into veterinary curricula may increase practice ownership interest.

This observational cross-sectional study examined factors influencing practice ownership aspirations among 282 US veterinary students and recent graduates (within 5 years of graduation), surveyed between June and December 2024. Approximately 50.4% of respondents expressed interest in owning a veterinary practice, a proportion notably higher than figures reported in broader profession-wide surveys. Among those aspiring to ownership, the primary motivating factors were the freedom to practice medicine autonomously, job satisfaction, and leadership opportunities. Conversely, those uninterested in ownership most frequently cited the burden of responsibility, back-office administrative tasks, liability and legal concerns, and stress or burnout as deterrents. Logistic regression analyses identified male gender, membership in the Veterinary Business Management Association (VBMA), and interest in or current involvement in mixed-animal practice as significant predictors of ownership interest. The study underscores a persistent gap between clinical education and business management training in veterinary curricula. The authors advocate for integrating comprehensive practice management education into veterinary programs and expanding experiential learning opportunities, such as practice management-focused externships, to better prepare graduates for the realities of ownership. These findings have important implications for veterinary educators, professional organizations, and the profession's long-term workforce sustainability, particularly as corporate consolidation continues to reshape practice ownership landscapes.

This summary was distilled by AI and may occasionally misinterpret data. Confirm critical details with the primary literature before clinical application.