VPI Summary

Better late to review than never I suppose, even though I got back 2 weeks ago from California.

I really enjoyed my week in LA and benefited greatly from my week at VPI. The people were amazing and nice. My understanding of pet insurance will really add to my career if I choose the small animal career path.

While I spent 6 years in business prior to starting vet school, I did not have much knowledge on how the insurance industry works. I also did not realize that for some reason the general public does not think of pet insurance in the same way as medical, dental or even car insurance. They do not understand you have to pay for various levels of risks and benefits as you would for car insurance for pet insurance as well. They also do not understand why their pet may not be insurable or why they may still have to pay some amount.

VPI showed me that pet insurance can bridge that gap between medical advancement, higher costs, and an owner’s love for a family member if we understand how an insurance company operates. As veterinarians we must understand and educate clients on pet insurance if we want to continue to offer the best medical treatment options possible.

Learning how an insurance company works is vital in client education if veterinarians are able to educate their clients on pet insurance properly. I now have a detailed understanding of the education pitfalls currently coming between clients, pet insurance veterinarians and small animal medicine.I can use this knowledge to educate my classmates, practitioners I meet and my clients in 2 years to bridge the lack of understanding of how pet insurance works and why it costs and covers what it does.