Young practitioner sets sights on ownership

Two years out of veterinary college and Dr. Valeri Devaney is plotting her course up the professional ladder.

The 27-year-old practitioner working in Norco, Calif., says she's already had talks with her boss concerning his future retirement and subsequent buyout. She knows another colleague looking to sell within 10 years.

In a generation that views life outside of work with added significance, Devaney's intention to take on a work-heavy ownership role seems somewhat rare. The self-described busybody says normal working hours are nothing compared to the 70 hours to 100 hours she spent in her externship each week.

"I remember not so long ago working 24 straight hours in a weekend," she says. "When you're busy, it's true you don't have a lot of time to do stuff. But I'm the type of person who has to be doing something. I don't know what to do with myself when I'm not working on something."

Family plans

Still, Devaney doesn't plan to devote all her energy on veterinary medicine. Future plans outside of work include marriage and having a family. But right now, motherhood seems a far-off ambition, she says.

"I've worked so hard to get to where I am, I literally haven't had a long-term relationship," Devaney says. "I'm not thinking about marriage right now, but that doesn't mean I don't envision it happening. I would like to get married and one day adopt—give a home to a child who doesn't have a family."

Until that time comes, Devaney is content to spend time with family and friends.

"Having just moved here, I don't have a lot of organized activities to do in my spare time," she says. "But I do have a life outside the practice. When I'm on call, work comes first, but I definitely finish my business day and then that personal time, it's mine."