MBA vs CVPM: Which one holds more practical value for Practice Management?

Written By: Katee Spence, CVPM, MBA.

First of all, what a loaded question! Which one of my credentials holds more value when it comes to practice management? I have spent the better part of a month or so contemplating this question and putting into words how each one is just oh so different. However, I have to say that holding a CVPM is the more practical choice if it is one versus the other and here is why.

Let’s start with dissecting the main differences between the two. Going to B-School for an MBA is a somewhat broad degree. When in graduate school you are going to learn some very valuable skills that will help you and carry you through a career in any business, and I have certainly applied some of the concepts of management, accounting and human resources that I took from grad school. The drawback though is that you won’t have any knowledge of the veterinary industry or some of the uniqueness of what we deal with in industry. Although one can apply these concepts to Practice Management it is not as easily applied as the things you will encounter while pursuing your CVPM. To even be accepted to sit for the CVPM exam you have to meet two criteria that I really think makes this designation more practical for a career in practice management, and that is that you have to have managed a practice for 3 years with specific duties and have to have 48 hours of Veterinary Management related CE. That is a huge commitment to this industry and shows that you are invested not just in business management but our industry as a whole!

To dive deeper into the practicalness of a CVPM I want to share that I walked into a practice with ZERO vet med experience and an MBA in my pocket. I was so unprepared for all of the things I would need to learn to effectively manage this practice! Now, granted this was a 5 FTE practice at the time that I came along, and full disclosure, I bit off a little but more than I could chew at first. I truly started as a receptionist with a Master’s degree with the plan to move into higher roles pretty quickly. I had to learn the inner workings of how things were currently going before I could even begin to think about moving things forward and making changes. Let’s not also forget that I had to earn the trust of the staff, the doctors and ultimately the PO as I was not someone from their “side.”

Fast forward, 4 years later I was the practice manager running the show and the practice had grown to 6 FTE, gone paperlite, and so many other things I was able to accomplish! Not to mention the rapport and relationships I had built with the staff, DVMs and PO. I was ready to go for my CVPM and really commit myself to Vet Med. (#vetmedforlife !) Even with an MBA and the 3-years under my belt it still took me another 2 years to rack up the management CE, submit my application and sit and pass the exam. I learned so much more in doing all of that CE, being a member of the VHMA, reading forums, posts, and networking with other managers (shout out to VV Platinum for taking that to the next level!). Additionally, I continue to learn so many new things through the continued CE that is required to maintain my certification.

With all of this being said, without a doubt holding a CVPM should hold more clout in practice than an MBA! Someone who holds a CVPM has immersed themself in management specific to our industry and continues to do so regularly. As CVPMs we have no choice but to keep up with what is going on, be forward thinking, and be the leaders of management in our practices and industry.