Is a career as a veterinary office manager in your future?
Are you perhaps wondering what they do?
Within the veterinary practice alone, there are many careers beyond the typical nurse and surgeon.
If a practice manager sounds of any interest to you, you may have several questions.
A vet office manager is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of a vet practice group.
This guide will further dive into the duties of a vet practice manager and additional information to help you on your career path.
Table of Contents
What Is a Vet Office Manager?
A vet office manager also known as a veterinary practice manager has the duty of overseeing the operation of a veterinary practice.
Sometimes vet office managers may even be in charge of a group of practices.
A vet office manager’s role is to ensure that the practice runs smoothly, keeping the interests of clients and patients first.
Additionally, there are various ways that vet office managers can help the practice grow and ultimately become involved with their community.
It should be noted that vet office managers are not directly involved in caring for the animals.
However, the decisions that they make will have a huge impact on the effectiveness of patients being treated.
Vet Office Manager Responsibilities
Manage Daily Operations
One of the main duties of a vet office manager is to manage the daily operations.
This means that office managers should, at any point, alter procedures and systems that are in place.
Office managers should also confirm supply receipts, and oversee client accounts.
It’s also possible for an office manager to be in charge of accounts payable and receivable, inventory, payroll, and more.
Managing Finances
Vet office managers have to manage all finances including expenditures, expenses, and employee scheduling.
It’s possible to also oversee budgeting and preserve managerial accounting information for vet practice owners.
Manage Staff
Vet office managers are in charge of hiring and training new staff.
They must also invest in new hires by ensuring they are developed and manage performance reviews, including disciplining and terminating employees.
Manage Records
Client records should always be up-to-date.
This responsibility is that of the office manager.
Keeping client records up-to-date means ensuring that vaccine status, medical history, and lab reports are current.
Oversee Marketing
Marketing is huge in any business, and it is also the responsibility of the vet office manager to ensure it’s successful.
Office managers may work closely with the marketing team to create and put various marketing strategies in place.
This helps to increase the practice’s revenue and growth.
Maintain Client Relationships
Being an office manager of any type also means that you get to deal with both the good and the bad.
As a vet office manager, you will be responsible for managing client inquiries as well as those dreaded complaints.
Additional Tasks
Besides the obvious, vet office managers are also responsible for creating schedules and making sure that their office is completely staffed.
Advertising is also necessary to increase business growth.
Managers can take charge of additional tasks that may not be clearly labeled as someone else’s, such as contacting clients, ordering food for meetings, and obtaining quotes for a roof replacement.
Skills Required to Become a Vet Office Manager
Being able to fulfill your responsibilities as a vet office manager is necessary.
But to be a successful practice manager, the following useful skills are a must-have:
- Communication skills: Vet office managers must communicate with people from all walks of life, and they should be able to do this effectively. Some of these people include clients, sponsors, and employees.
- Interpersonal skills: Managing a business also means effectively managing staff, and this requires practice managers to have excellent interpersonal skills.
- Leadership skills: Vet office managers must keep staff motivated and ensure the practice runs smoothly. This allows patient care to always be of the highest quality.
- Business management skills: Practice managers are also in charge of the operation of the business, so having excellent business management skills is a must.
- Organizational skills: A practice manager must maintain important files and records, so having good organizational skills is needed too.
Becoming a Vet Office Manager
Now that you’re aware of the responsibilities of a vet office manager, you’re probably wondering what the path is to becoming one.
Unlike the path of a vet nurse or surgeon, the path to becoming a practice manager is a bit different.
Vet office managers can come from a variety of backgrounds.
The good news is that vet office managers are not required to become qualified in their profession.
Vet office managers don’t need to meet any specific qualifications to work in the field.
However, many vet office managers have some type of degree in either the veterinarian or business sectors.
Moreover, those looking to become a vet office manager can move up the ladder by starting at the administrative level.
Many times, you can even achieve a position as a practice manager by taking external training classes and obtaining a certificate via the Veterinary Practice Management Association.
The certificate is beneficial to have because it helps those interested in developing their managerial skills in various areas of management.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a vet office manager need to be certified in order to be hired?
Vet office managers don’t need to be certified to be hired.
But if you are looking to stand out and appear more valuable to an employer, you do have the option of obtaining certification by taking the Certified Veterinary Practice Manager exam.
This exam can be taken via the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association.
To this date, there are close to 500 CVPMs in the United States.
Is a career as a vet office manager in demand?
Most veterinarians in today’s day and age will need a practice manager to successfully run their business.
A confident and well-trained practice manager is the essence of any smooth-running practice.
So what does this mean?
It means that vet office managers are indeed in demand.
Many vets who start their practice are not business savvy even though they are experienced in medicine and diagnostics.
This is where the job of a practice manager comes in.
The need for experienced, knowledgeable vet practice managers is only expected to increase in the future.
Are vet office managers required to have experience?
While veterinary office managers may be required to have some experience, it ultimately depends on the employer.
Sometimes, owners of vet practices prefer managers to have at least one to two years of experience working as an office manager elsewhere.
Moreover, some employers would like to see office managers have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in business administration or management.
