Getting to Know ICVA Chair Dr. Karen Robertson
An interview with Dr. Karen Robertson, who has served on the ICVA Board of Directors since 2013 and recently began serving as Chair.
In a recent interview, Dr. Robertson shared her latest career shift in veterinary medicine, her involvement with ICVA, and her goals for her tenure as Chair of the Board of Directors.
Dr. Robertson received her DVM degree from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. She began her career in swine veterinary medicine, where she spent several years in private practice. While practicing, she also held corporate roles in the pharmaceutical and nutrition sectors, providing technical and business leadership services to other veterinarians.
After practicing for 29 years in the swine space, Dr. Robertson recently made the transition to small animal practice. She currently works at a local veterinary clinic where she is re-learning the intricacies of small animal medicine and training for surgeries.
“A veterinarian degree is like a passport – where you travel with that passport is entirely up to you,” Dr. Robertson stated.
Dr. Robertson went on to describe the differences in her career trajectories, “When I worked in swine medicine, the main goal was to ensure the animal was being well cared for while pursuing its purpose of becoming high quality, safe protein. I worked with herds and was very involved with the producer and the business. From the financial aspects to the care of the animals, I was involved in all aspects of pork production. Now working with small animals, it’s entirely different. I’m working with individual animals and basically treating members of clients’ families. The transition has been extremely enjoyable and rewarding.”
With her extensive background in swine medicine, Dr. Robertson joined the ICVA as an item writer in 2007. From there, she continued to develop her passion and dedicate more energy to the ICVA mission.
She has served on the Board of Directors since 2013, previously serving as Chair in 2016-2017. During her tenure she has helped complete three strategic plans, an organizational rebranding effort, engaged with the University of Houston in a Foresight project, and completed numerous workshops.
Looking ahead to this year as Chair, Dr. Robertson has several goals in mind, including capitalizing on emerging technologies to provide assessments outside of the traditional format of multiple choice. “Not everyone learns that way. We have limited ourselves as a profession because there is a lot of great talent out there that may not have the same learning or assessment style.”
“I’m excited to see new technologies become a part of the ICVA exams and assessment portfolio.” she stated.
When describing her leadership style for her Chair position, Dr. Robertson stated, “My leadership style is inclusive, I like to make sure everyone on the board has a voice – even when the voice is dissenting. We need to have a safe place for everyone to share their thoughts and ideas.”
In closing, Dr. Robertson reiterated how her career path has taken twists and turns, fueling her love for learning and teaching her how to adapt to new challenges. She encourages students to be flexible in their career journeys and find what truly makes them happy. “Maybe vet school was way in the past. Think back to the ‘can-do’ attitude you had to have to get into vet school. Why would you say ‘can’t’ about anything? If you aren’t happy about where you are in veterinary medicine, then change it up! I’m a great example of that, 29 years as a swine veterinarian, and now I’m happily pursuing new aspects in veterinary medicine.”