Today we’d like to introduce you to Therese Hall.
Hi Therese, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have wanted to be a veterinarian since I was in middle school. Growing up, I was always surrounded by pets and they were a passion for me. I sought out opportunities to learn more about pets, and quickly grew to understand that in any field with pets, the key to growth and success is to know that they are also attached to people and to focus on a joint approach to care that centers on pets and their people. In high school, I worked over the summers as an animal science teacher for a local vocational school and was able to foster my love of teaching and engaging children and their parents in animal husbandry and medical care. This was a unique program in Arlington, VA, in which I cared for and taught care of dogs, cats, prairie dogs, chameleons, birds, geckos, iguanas snakes, ferrets, goats, chickens, a miniature horse, chinchillas, and more. It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am forever grateful for the foundation it gave me. After high school, I pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology at Baylor University and graduated summa cum laude with minors in English and Biochemistry. During my undergraduate career, I loved diving not only into science based curriculum, but also English studies, as they provided a well rounded approach and broadened my perspective to different cultural and societal outlooks, something which I have carried with me throughout my career to allow better relationships to form with a wide variety of clients and team members. After undergraduate, I went to Texas A&M College of Veterinary medicine, focusing on small animal medicine and finally making my dream of becoming a veterinarian a reality. From there, I began practicing small animal medicine in San Antonio after graduation. After 10 years of general practice, I was presented with the opportunity to become a partner and owner of CityVet Leon Springs. This opportunity was intimidating at first, but after much discernment, I decided to pursue it, excited for what the future could hold and for the ability to have autonomy in medical decisionmaking and to be able to build a team with the culture and focus on patient care and teambuilding that I have always dreamed of. After making this decision, everything seemed to come together very quickly – the process that can take several years came together in a matter of months, and I could not be happier to be here.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No road is ever truly smooth. One of the biggest challenges was trying to learn how to balance personal and professional life. I have two amazing children that I am so proud of, and during my time as a veterinarian, but especially during my time as a practice owner, it has been a learning experience to find what works and what doesn’t work in order to have fulfillment inside and outside of the business. My children and family are my biggest priority, and I am blessed to have a support system that allows me to keep that focus even when working hard to establish and grow my new veterinary practice. In addition, the decision to leave my former clinic to pursue this opportunity came with many unknowns, which was very scary and intimidating. It is always easier to stay stagnant and stick with what you know and are comfortable with, but there is no growth without change, and I have grown so much in these last few months with this transition and I truly know this was the path I was meant to pursue.
One particular challenge was that when my son was born, he had a severe congenital heart condition and needed prolonged hospitalization which required us to live in another city during the entirety of my maternity leave. While he is happy and thriving now, it was a life-changing experience both to be fighting for his life on the day to day, but also to be on the other side of the medical table for such involved discussions day in and day out. For several procedures, he set world records as the youngest baby to receive this level of care, and it was truly a defining era of my life. Every breath he takes is a miracle, and we are so grateful for his health. Coming out of this situation, it taught me the value of spending the time as a healthcare provider to truly offer best medicine and to provide in depth explanations for clients. When you are constantly in the position of being the medical provider, sometimes you can forget how scary and stressful it is to be on the other side, but after spending months in the role of patient during my son’s neonatal care, I have a revived sense of purpose and desire to ensure that myself and my entire medical team are answering any and all questions and concerns that our clients have in order to ensure there is confidence in care and to enhance the lives of the pets we treat daily.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a small animal veterinarian and practice owner at CityVet Leon Springs. I see dogs and cats for wellness care, surgery, dentistry, and preventative care. My specialties are dermatology and dentistry, and I truly love being able to grow with pets and their people. In addition, I am so proud of our clinic’s focus on patient care and interpersonal growth. Each and every one of my team members has been hand selected for their focus on excellence. We strive to provide the best customer service and medical care that we can from the moment a potential client calls until they leave the building – going above and beyond to get to know the pets and their people. Veterinary medicine is truly about the relationships – the relationships between pets and pet owners, between coworkers at the clinic, and between the veterinary team and the pets. I have seen personally how when one aspect of this suffers, the entire dynamic suffers, and I am proud of the level of care that the team at CityVet Leon Springs provides to our clients and excited to see how we continue to grow and develop this.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I think the most important quality that I and my entire team has is our dedication to patient care and our passion and sense of purpose. We are all here each day because we truly love our jobs and want to provide the best possible care for every pet who walks in the door. This is more than a job for us – it is a vocation and we wake up each day with a firm resolve and purpose. We understand we are not just going through the motions – we truly care about each pet and want to help them to live their best lives, from the first puppy visit to geriatric care for elderly cats and dogs, we know each person who comes in the door wants what is best for their pets and we are happy to work with pet owners to provide this with a shared goal. We know that there is not ever a one size fits all plan for every pet and we love working with you to determine what is best for you and your individual needs.
Pricing:
- First free wellness exam for new patients
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cityvet.com/location/leon-springs
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cityvetleonsprings
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cityvet.leonspring/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cityvet-leon-springs-san-antonio
