Buying your own practice within years of graduation can seem like a daunting prospect. Jocelyn Whitworth DVM ’13 took the plunge this fall to purchase a solo small animal general practice in Colorado Springs, CO. We picked her brain about this decision and what advice she might have for fellow alumni.

College of Veterinary Medicine: What brought you to Cornell in the first place?

Jocelyn Whitworth: I applied to several veterinary schools, but I chose Cornell because all the other schools spent a lot of their recruiting time talking about how many of their faculty had gone to Cornell.

CVM: Why did you decide to purchase your own practice?

JW: I always planned on owning my own practice. Part of the appeal of veterinary school as opposed to other career options was the possibility of being my own boss. My spouse and I decided to commit to staying in Colorado Springs long-term, so it seemed like as good a time as any.

CVM: Tell us about this practice and why you decided that it was the one for you.

JW: I spent six or eight months looking at practices for sale in my area. This one was ideal – not only was it in good enough shape that the bank would loan me money for it, but it also wasn’t too far from my house. And it didn’t have any characteristics that would have been deal-breakers for me.

It’s a small practice in an older part of town, near one of the Army bases. We’re a staff of five, myself included, and many of the clients have been coming here since before I was born. I’ve felt very welcomed by so many of the clients and neighbors.

CVM: What other options did you consider before deciding this was the right move?

JW: I considered working relief long-term. I had a really great time at all my relief gigs. It was so interesting to see all the different ways people practice. However, the more that corporate consolidation kept happening in the veterinary world, the more I wanted to get out there and be an independent practitioner.

CVM: How has practice ownership gone so far?

JW: It’s great, honestly. Sure, there are headaches, but it’s wonderful to be able to make my own decisions about basically everything. It’s a lot of work. There were a hundred tiny, paperwork things I had to learn that were a little annoying, but I had a good transition team and my staff – all of whom stayed on from the previous owner – are amazing and have helped me immensely. I guess it’s possible that a year from now I will think this was all a bad idea, but so far it’s been everything I wanted and more.

CVM: Where do you plan to take the practice from here?

JW: I really like being the neighborhood GP, so I don’t necessarily want to take the practice in a drastically different direction. I have some small-time ambitions for getting a few fancier diagnostic toys when I can afford them. It would be nice to get an associate in a few days a week sometime. Right now I’m relying on a few regular relief doctors to save my sanity. But the building is small – in order to become a bigger practice I would need a physically bigger building, and I don’t think my clients would like that anyways.

CVM: What pearls of wisdom or advice can you share with future graduates and alumni?

JW: So many people have told me that I am really brave during this whole process, or have asked me how stressed out I am. I’m not really that stressed out, and I don’t feel brave. Getting the financing was the most stressful part.

The most important thing that I wish more people knew is that financing is much more about the practice you’re trying to buy than you yourself. If that practice has the kind of cash flow it needs to support the owner and pay the loan, you should be able to get the financing. I would really encourage anyone who’s thinking about buying to keep thinking about it, and probably even take the plunge if you can find a good practice.