Alan Stockdale, Tatiana Rogers, Taylor O’Malley, and Rikki Vellman have decided to take on the world of veterinary school while simultaneously tackling an MBA. This combination of veterinary medicine and business know-how is giving these students a serious edge when it comes to practice ownership, and they are here today to shed light on what sets them apart in the big picture.  If you have any desire to learn about business, an MBA may be the push you need to set yourself apart from the crowd and get serious about business ownership. Learn what inspired these four students to do a dual degree and the benefits, hardships, and lessons learned from both the business classroom as well as the veterinary clinic.  These students believe in working on yourself rather than on paper, not conforming to any cookie-cutter molds, and ensuring that your veterinary business makes money at the end of the day. A look inside the mind of four bright, inspired and slightly tired DVM/MBA students, the class of 2023 is here to shed some light on the next generation of veterinary students, veterinarians, and practice owners.  Have you ever considered a dual degree to help increase your effectiveness in a practice environment? Share your education journey with us in the comments on the episode page.    In This Episode How owning a business can help you relinquish your debt faster  Understanding the role ownership can play in being a good clinician The biggest takeaways from business school to apply to your practice today Discover the financial perks of doing an MBA at the same time as the DVM The similarities and differences between students in vet school versus business school    Quotes “My ideas for my MBA is to be an innovator and an entrepreneur and I think I really want to try to redefine how veterinary medicine is practiced.” (22:10) - Rikki “What we see differently is the big picture, when we get out we want to be a part of the business administration side and not just the medical side.” (23:27) - Rikki “When you look at it from a business standpoint I think it really helps you provide better care, just as a doctor or a clinician, it really helps you bridge that connection between the medical side of things and the client service. And it helps change the perspective of the client.” (27:50) - Rikki “I wholeheartedly believe that at the heart of every veterinary practice, it is a business.” (37:14) - Rikki “It's kind of nice that we can have other perspectives from other areas of business. With our MBA’s we can kind of see what has been working in other fields of business and kind of use that for ourselves, that adds a little more value as well.” (45:07) - Alan “Keep an open mind and explore those different degrees, there are Ph.D. and all sorts of different dual degrees that you can get, I think they will help you in the future because there are so many things you can do with veterinary medicine.” (51:24) - Rikki “We need innovative minds, we need different perspectives, those are all very important. So don't be discouraged if you feel like maybe you don't fit what a traditional veterinarian might be, because there is no cookie-cutter, be you!” (54:23) - Tatiana    Links Follow Dr. Fit Vet (Tatiana) on Instagram   Enjoying these stories? Consider supporting Podcast A Vet on Patreon & check out our awesome patron-only perk Find the full show notes here  Keep up with everything Podcast A Vet Follow Podcast A Vet on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Join our free community of dedicated vet professionals looking to improve their practices and lives in our free Facebook community! We'd love it (and you) if you would take 1 minute and leave us a review on iTunes!