Every January, we write our resolutions with the best of intentions. We promise ourselves we’ll eat better, sleep more, set boundaries, find balance, and chase that long-delayed dream. And yet—by February—many of those goals have evaporated as quickly as they were written.
This year, what if we approached resolutions differently?
What if, instead of focusing on habits we may or may not maintain, we focused on reshaping the conversations that drive our profession?
Because in Veterinary medicine, some conversations play on a loop. You know them by heart:
- VCPR and telemedicine
- Veterinary technician utilization
- Workforce shortages
- Corporate consolidation
- The rising cost of care and client expectations
- Mental-wellness strain across every team
- The future of Veterinary education and licensing
These aren’t new topics—and yet, they consistently dominate our meetings, conference panels, social feeds, and advocacy priorities. The repetition isn’t because we lack creativity; it’s because these issues matter deeply, and we haven’t yet cracked them open in ways that inspire real movement.
So in 2026, perhaps our greatest opportunity is not simply to revisit these conversations, but to reimagine them.
Why Our Conversations Feel Stuck
Veterinary medicine is a passion-driven profession, but it is also a profession under strain. When a field is stretched thin, conversations naturally trend toward scarcity:
- Scarcity of time
- Scarcity of staff
- Scarcity of emotional bandwidth
- Scarcity of financial resources
In scarcity, we repeat the same worries, frustrations, and questions.
- We talk in circles.
- We wait for someone else to change the system.
- We hope the next task force, grant, or legislative push will “fix it.”
But 2026 offers us something powerful—a moment to pause and ask:
“How can we bring new energy, creativity, and courage to the conversations we’ve been having for years?”
Bringing New Perspective to Old Topics
1. Workforce Shortages → A Workforce Reimagined
Instead of asking, “Where are all the veterinarians and technicians?”
Ask: “How do we redesign roles, workflows, and incentives to make careers sustainable and joyful again?”
This shifts the conversation from scarcity to opportunity—inviting innovation around technology, scheduling models, compensation structures, and team culture.
2. VCPR & Telemedicine → Access, Trust, and the Future of Care
Rather than debating telemedicine as if it’s a threat, let’s ask: “How do we build systems that maintain trust, ensure safety, and meet pet owners where they are?”
This opens doors to new models, new tools, and collaborative regulatory frameworks.
3. Technician Utilization → Technician Leadership
Instead of lamenting underutilization, consider: “What would it look like if technicians were empowered as clinical leaders within their scope?”
This reframes the issue from frustration to strategic advantage.
4. Corporate Consolidation → Collaboration and Responsibility
Rather than dwelling on who is buying whom, we can shift the narrative to: “How do all sectors—corporate, independent, academic, nonprofit—share responsibility for the strength of Veterinary medicine?”
This perspective fosters unity rather than polarization.
5. Mental Health and Burnout → Proactive Support Systems
Rather than repeating the crisis, we ask: “How do we intervene earlier, normalize help-seeking, and design workplaces that protect people before they reach a breaking point?”
This moves us from awareness to action.
Choose Your Issues and Commit to Action
We can’t solve everything. And we don’t need to.
But each of us can decide: What matters most to me in 2026—and what am I willing to do about it?
- Maybe it’s advocating for telemedicine reform.
- Maybe it’s supporting technician advancement.
- Maybe it’s joining a coalition, mentoring a student, volunteering for a task force, nominating a colleague, participating in legislative conversations, or joining a wellness initiative like Project Sticker.
Action doesn’t need to be monumental. It just needs to be intentional.
The issues you choose to champion this year can help shape the future of Veterinary medicine—because meaningful change rarely comes from grand resolutions. It comes from consistent, committed action driven by purpose.
A Profession Ready for Renewal
2026 isn’t just another year on the calendar. It’s an invitation.
An invitation to deepen our conversations, to rethink our approaches, and to rediscover the passion that brought us into this field. If we bring more curiosity, more openness, and more courage to the discussions we’ve been having for a long time, we may finally begin to unlock new solutions—together.
Veterinary medicine doesn’t need new resolutions. It needs new conversations that lead to meaningful action.
Here’s to a year of reimagining, reconnecting, and driving change that sticks.
Welcome to 2026. Let’s talk differently. Let’s act intentionally.
And let’s move Veterinary medicine forward—together.