Episode #
47
Friends: The Next Generation – From Classmates to Entrepreneurs
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In this episode of the Veterinary Business Podcast, Dr. Peter Weinstein sits down with two accomplished veterinarians and entrepreneurs, Dr. Christie D’Andrea, founder of Veterinary Urgent Care Center, and Dr. Rebecca Swimmer, founder and CEO of Vet Villa. Join us as they share their inspiring journey from classmates at Tufts University to successful business owners. They discuss their paths to veterinary school, the challenges of entrepreneurship, balancing work and family life, and the importance of maintaining grit, tenacity, and a strong support system in the veterinary field.
Whether you’re a veterinarian, practice manager, or aspiring entrepreneur, this episode is packed with valuable insights on leadership, practice ownership, and navigating the business side of veterinary medicine.
Tune in to learn how you, too, can turn your veterinary passion into a thriving practice.
Key Takeaways:
- From Veterinarian to Entrepreneur:
Dr. Christie D’Andrea, Dr. Rebecca Swimmer shared their journeys from veterinary school to owning thriving practices, emphasizing the importance of understanding your goals and having a clear vision.
- Support Networks Matter:
The value of building a strong personal and professional network is crucial for overcoming the challenges of veterinary practice ownership and achieving long-term success.
- Balancing Business and Family:
Both veterinarians discussed the realities of juggling business ownership with family life, offering practical advice on setting boundaries and making time for personal priorities.
- Creating a Positive Work Culture:
Building a supportive, respectful, and inclusive workplace is key to employee retention and client satisfaction. Dr. Christie D’Andrea & Dr. Rebecca Swimmer highlighted how maintaining a strong workplace culture impacts a practice’s success.
- Lessons in Grit and Tenacity:
Entrepreneurship is not easy, but through persistence, grit, and adaptability, Dr. Christie D’Andrea & Dr. Rebecca Swimmer showed that it’s possible to overcome obstacles and grow a successful veterinary business.
Listen to this Episode on
Timestamp
- 00:00 – Introduction to the podcast and today’s guests.
- 03:56 – Dr. Christie D’Andrea & Dr. Rebecca Swimmer’s paths to veterinary school.
- 08:40 – From classmates to entrepreneurs: the origin of their businesses.
- 14:18 – Challenges of starting a veterinary practice and lessons learned.
- 23:40 – Balancing work and family life as female entrepreneurs.
- 30:48 – The role of culture in building a successful veterinary business.
- 37:45 – Key entrepreneurial lessons: grit, resilience, and teamwork.
- 50:11 – Advice for aspiring veterinary practice owners.
Christie D’Andrea, DVM
Veterinarian and Founder of Veterinary Urgent Care Center
Dr. Christie D’Andrea is a resourceful and patient-centered veterinarian known for her exceptional care, practice development, and growth. With a knack for leadership, she inspires improved performance and service attitudes among her team. Her strong interpersonal skills have helped her build lasting confidence and trust with clients, associates, and strategic partners.
Dr. D’Andrea earned her Bachelor of Science from The University of Michigan in 2005 and honed her passion for veterinary medicine while working with a cancer research team at MIT. She graduated from Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. Her career began with six years in general practice and emergency medicine.
In 2017, Dr. D’Andrea founded the Veterinary Urgent Care Center (VUCC) in Quincy, MA, with a vision to provide critical, high-quality care and create a positive work environment for veterinary professionals. Over the past five years, she has expanded VUCC to five stand-alone urgent care hospitals in MA and RI, with more locations planned for 2024.
Outside of her professional life, Dr. D’Andrea is an avid scuba and free diver, enjoys spearfishing and snowboarding, and is the mother of a spirited 4-year-old girl. Her family includes Leo the pittie, TurtleDove the cat, and a pink toe tarantula named Fluff. Dr. D’Andrea also dedicates time to supporting NicaLove, a non-profit animal sanctuary and veterinary center in Nicaragua.
Connect with Dr. Christie D’Andrea:
Rebecca Swimmer, DVM
Los Angeles Animal Specialty, Emergency & Rehabilitation – LAASER
Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine – Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA
Masters in Neurobiology – Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Bachelors in Animal Science (with High Honors) – University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
Dr. Rebecca Swimmer grew up in the suburbs of Chicago knowing from the age of five that she wanted to become a veterinarian. It has been her lifelong dream come true to open Vet Villa Animal Hospital and to combine high quality veterinary medicine in a loving environment.
Dr. Swimmer’s educational pursuits began at the University of Illinois where she received her Bachelors of Science with High Honors in Animal Science. While an undergraduate, she developed a special interest in neurology and went on to pursue graduate studies at Harvard University where she graduated with her Masters in Neurobiology.
She continued her educational journey in Boston where she received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Tufts University. Research has played a large role in her journey, and she has been honored with training grants from the National Institute of Health both as a student at Harvard University as well as during her training at Tufts University. She has presented her research findings at veterinary conferences and has also been published in The Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
After completing her formal education, Dr. Swimmer moved to Los Angeles where she completed a rigorous small animal rotating internship at the Animal Specialty and Emergency Center (ASEC). While at ASEC, she received advanced training with board-certified specialists in Emergency and Critical Care, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Radiology, Cardiology, and Oncology. She further applied this knowledge and honed her skills during her years as an emergency and critical care veterinarian prior to transitioning to small animal general practice. She has also enjoyed donating her time to the community by performing spays and neuters for local rescue foundations.
Dr. Swimmer’s professional interests include preventative wellness care for both dogs and cats, trauma medicine, dermatology, and geriatric medicine including hospice care to improve comfort for older patients.
Dr. Swimmer loves sharing her free time with her husband, young daughter, and her two rescue kittens, Atlas and Squirrel. She is excited to be part of the San Gabriel Valley. High quality medicine, state of the art equipment, and compassionate care are the foundations of Vet Villa Animal Hospital.
Connect with Dr. Rebecca Swimmer :
