I pray that Mark Opperman’s legacy will be long-lasting [go.navc.com/Mark]. What I learned most from Mark is that those three initials after my name, DVM, are important and valuable. Every time I heard him speak, no matter the topics presented, he would point out that DVMs greatly undervalue what we are worth. The last time I heard him, he said we were worth more than $250 an hour. He meant it, and he looked people in the eye as he said it. And because of that, I believed him.
Getting overwhelmed can be part of the job, but we have one of the best jobs in the world. So many of our clients will say, “I wanted to be a veterinarian but …” But we get to do it!
Mark taught us not to be embarrassed to say we are worth it. He reminded us that even if we are older, we can share some of our collective wisdom with our younger colleagues.
May you rest in peace, Mark.