Growing up in Norway, Kristian Sorbo considered many career paths, including becoming an airline pilot. However, it was his annual summer job milking dairy cows that sparked his interest in veterinary work. In 2005, he moved to Scotland, where he earned his veterinary degree and began his career in veterinary medicine.
After a decade of working as an associate veterinarian and a roving surgeon in the UK and the US, Dr. Sorbo settled in Boston. In 2022, he took on the role of medical director at Mill Brook Animal Clinic, a full-service hospital in Arlington, Massachusetts, operated by Rarebreed Veterinary Partners.
At Rarebreed, Dr. Sorbo is known as an innovator. An early adopter of new technology, including AI, he is always striving to elevate his clinic’s operations and share his experience with others.
When a partner pharmaceutical company presented a mini-MBA program to Rarebreed leadership, Dr. Sorbo didn’t hesitate to enroll. We spoke with him to find out how this program reshaped his management approach, what learnings he applied to his clinic, and who else could benefit from a mini-MBA. We are sharing the conversation with Dr. Sorbo in his own words.
One of my main goals going into the program was to grow as a leader. I wanted to be able to steer the practice in the right direction, bring my team together around shared goals, and make sure everyone’s happy along the way.
If you don’t care about the pretty credentials and just want to learn the essentials and principles of business administration, then a mini-MBA is right for you. If you see yourself managing several clinics, it can certainly help shape you as a good leader and mentor for your team. However, if you see yourself primarily as a clinician, the time commitment might be hard.
I don’t think YouTube or a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) can replace an actual MBA or even a mini-MBA. One of the biggest benefits of this format is the networking and camaraderie you build with your classmates. We met once a month to discuss management challenges and support each other. This is the difference between doing clinical continued education and formal business education.
The most valuable thing I learned from the program wasn’t financial acumen. It was understanding business psychology — how I interact with my staff, manage emotions, and find the right people for the right roles.
Veterinary medicine is one of the hardest professions. Whether you’re a receptionist, technician, or doctor, you deal with sick animals and stressed owners, and there can be a lot of heavy-hearted stuff going on. Navigating these sensitive areas while trying to implement change is one of the most challenging aspects of leadership. My mini-MBA taught me how to get the staff on board with the change by helping them understand the “why” behind it.
I used to feel guilty about addressing performance issues because I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Now, I approach it differently — I see an opportunity for them to grow and improve. Not addressing issues would be a disservice to my team.
I also learned to be curious about my staff. Why do they come to work every day? How can I ensure they continue to choose to work here? This curiosity has helped me see my colleagues not just as coworkers but as fascinating individuals who share this workplace with me.
My mini-MBA taught me mindfulness skills. As a leader, you need to learn to take care of yourself. It’s not just about what happens to you, but how you respond — or even react — to it that matters most. You need to learn to reduce the impact of negative events around you.
I took a critical look at myself to identify which qualities, traits, and behaviors I needed to either eliminate or strengthen to become a better medical director and mentor.
I’ve come to realize that I shouldn’t feel responsible for solving every problem myself. While I can bring attention to issues, I’ve learned that the best leaders are those who know how to delegate.
I’ve learned to structure my ideas and problem-solving approach more effectively, bringing order to chaos. I now analyze and diagnose structural issues within the business with greater clarity.
One improvement I brought from my mini-MBA is optimizing the patient journey in our clinic. During patient check-in, our technicians now use a prompt list to identify any additional services the patient might need.
For instance, if someone comes in with a minor issue but also needs an annual vaccine, we offer to administer it during the same visit if appropriate. This system is much more efficient for us and client-friendly. It’s a win-win-win: the clinic opens up future appointment slots, clients save a visit, and pets win because, let’s be honest, who hates vet visits the most?
Personal development is just as important as clinical education. Even for those who aren’t aiming for leadership roles, improving communication skills can make a big difference in their work.
You can learn the most extraordinary surgery technique, but if a client has a negative experience with you as a person, they’re not going to trust you, they’re not going to let you operate on their animal, they’re not going to come back. Applying social sciences in the veterinary space is paramount.
