Amity Vision

21st December 2019

Many have asked me, “Lennon, why do you do so many things that no other vet practices do? Like having your own YouTube channel, organising monthly Evening Talks for Pet Owners, running Amity Evening for your Amity members or spending so much time in either personally or making videos to share veterinary knowledge to the public?”

Why do we choose to invest our time to produce such materials when no other vet practices do it? Why do I even write a weekly blog? What is the point? What is the intention or the purpose?

Is it purely marketing? There are plenty of methods that use less energy, time and effort so why like that?

Today, I am going to share with you our Amity Vision and perhaps, more importantly, the Why.

Amity Vision: To educate the UK public and the veterinary profession about

the value of veterinary medicine.

The Why:

The Public Perception of Veterinary Medicine and the Reality as I know it…

1. Most people think that being a vet is cool. Many times when I say I am vet, people would say something like, “Wow, you are so lucky! I always wanted to do that!” The reality is that 38% of vets would leave the profession if given a chance.
2. People have said being a vet is such a rewarding job. I would completely agree. The reality is that the veterinary profession is TWICE more likely than the medical profession and FOUR times more likely than the general public to commit suicide.
3. Vets are rich and veterinary medicine is extremely profitable. The reality is 58% of vet practice in UK have less than average profit margins ie <12%, usually more like 7%.

I believe that there is a tremendous disparity between public perception and the reality of veterinary medicine and the answer lies in education, or in this case, the lack of it. And as to the reason why, we need not look further as the answer lies within. The veterinary profession has to take responsibility.

We fail to educate ourselves to our clients, customers or the public for that matter. We have allowed the existing perceptions to form without our input. By our inactions, lie our action and the associated results.

There is too high a wall and too wide a gap between veterinary medicine and the public. The public simply do not understand the profession and vice versa. It is my intention to tear the wall down and close the gap. The existence of Amity is not only to act as veterinary practice providing value for its members and its patients, it is also to change the way that veterinary medicine is being presented to the public.

It is to communicate to the veterinary profession how important the pet owner is and how treating their pet is simply not enough. It is also to educate the public about the value of veterinary medicine.

It is a tremendous vision that we have set ourselves and everyone in the Amity Team is committed to it. This is a vision that will take decades to fulfil and we are taking steps every single day. The reason is truly and purely because I love being a vet and the profession too much to allow such perceptions and reality to continue existing.

‘We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.’ – Albert Einstein

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