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

Objective: To identify factors influencing veterinary students and recently graduated veterinarians in the desire to pursue practice ownership. Methods: This observational cross-sectional study distributed a 28-item online survey via social media and email from June to December 2024 to veterinary students and recent graduates (< 5 years) in the US. Participants ranked factors influencing practice ownership, and logistic regression analyses assessed associations with demographic characteristics, education, and previous experiences. Results: We analyzed responses from 282 participants. Overall, 50.4% of participants aspired to own a practice. Among aspiring practice owners, the most frequently ranked reason was freedom to practice medicine how they desire, followed by job satisfaction and leadership opportunities. Conversely, among participants not interested in practice ownership, the most frequently ranked factor was the responsibility of practice ownership, followed by back-office tasks, liability and legal responsibilities, and stress/burnout. Logistic regression analyses revealed that men, Veterinary Business Management Association members, and those interested in/currently working in mixed-animal practice had higher odds of interest in practice ownership. Conclusions: Approximately 50% of participants reported an interest in practice ownership, a proportion higher than reported in profession-wide surveys. Consistent with prior research, barriers to practice ownership included the responsibilities associated with ownership and concerns about work-life balance. Clinical Relevance: This study highlights the need to integrate more comprehensive practice management education into the veterinary curriculum. Experiential learning opportunities, such as externships focused on practice management or ownership, may help bridge gaps between clinical training and business skills.