Dr. Brianna Cormier

The Journey to Mt. Airy Veterinary Associates

After graduating from Tuskegee University, Dr. Brianna Cormier began her veterinarian career at a large, busy practice. But with an upcoming marriage, she wanted to find something closer to the new home she would share with her husband that would give her better work/life balance. Beyond a shorter commute, Dr. Cormier was also seeking a practice with a more consolidated footprint — one location vs. several — and a less demanding pace.

While talking with the recruiting team at VetEvolve, she learned more about two practices closer to her new home in Maryland that were looking for part-time associate veterinarians. As she discussed her relocation plans with Jessica DeCesare, they were able to work out a mutually beneficial arrangement where Dr. Cormier would commute from Northern Virginia until her wedding and help both practices, forming a hybrid full-time position.

As her wedding approached, Dr. Cormier reached out to Jessica again and shared her career interests in growing her leadership skills and expanding her veterinary clients to add exotic pets. She had been enjoying working at Mt. Airy Veterinary Associates with her hybrid position and was drawn to the “Carroll County vibe”: a people-focused culture of kind and genuine team members, including the practice manager at the time, Tanya Andrews. With the former owners set to retire, Dr. Cormier joined the team full-time in August 2021 and became their Medical Director.

Cohesion and Continual Development

As Medical Director at Mt. Airy, Dr. Cormier has been able to lead the way on important factors for the practice. One of her primary responsibilities, besides providing top-level service and care to clients and patients, is to work throughout the practice to make sure veterinarians and staff have everything they need to provide comprehensive care. She’s responsible for coordinating various elements, like recommended preventive care products and medical protocols, to ensure a high-level standard of care for the practice.

Dr. Cormier is keenly aware that having happy and healthy employees is important to having a great culture and serving their community. So, she also focuses on maintaining Mt. Airy’s strong internal fun, ‘undramatic’ culture through regular team social events. From larger holiday-themed events, like Easter Egg hunts and snowman-building contests, to weekly get-togethers like the Monday Night Dog-Walking Club, the Mt. Airy Veterinary Associates team strives to be a vibrant part of the community and a place where every team member feels valued.

“We believe it makes a big difference,” Dr. Cormier said. “We place a lot of value on people who gel with the group, maybe even more than an individual’s skill set.”

Dr. Cormier and Mt. Airy put the same effort into relationships and development opportunities with part-time doctors, relief veterinarians, technicians, and students. By establishing structured guides and practice flows, they can partner with new team members to help them successfully onboard.

An example of this is Dr. Anne Hicks, who has been spending one day a week at Mt. Airy Veterinary Associates in a flex arrangement with VetEvolve. She was nervous about joining another practice regularly after being with Essex Middle River Veterinary Center for over 25 years but loved the inviting culture of Mt. Airy. She immediately felt supported and included as part of the team.

“I was nervous at first after working at one place for a long time, but the Mt. Airy team is so nice and supportive and includes me in ways I appreciate, including asking for my opinions about client care,” Dr. Hicks said.

Dr. Cormier has continued to prioritize mentoring opportunities for veterinary students, establishing mutually beneficial externships that have clear expectations for both the student and the mentor, leading to better results for everyone involved.

“It’s our responsibility to help students dip their toes in the water, so to speak, and see what practicing is really about. We have a lot of potential to support aspiring veterinarians and technicians and can’t wait to see that develop.”

Hear from Dr. Brianna Cormier herself in this short video.

Ongoing Support With VetEvolve

As the Medical Director, Dr. Cormier doesn’t feel alone. The ongoing support that the VetEvolve team provides to her—including regular updates with her regional manager—helps keep her aware of opportunities to connect with others in the VetEvolve community. If there is a procedure Dr. Cormier has an interest in, she can reach out to VetEvolve to see if another practice can offer guidance or support, and there is always the opportunity to collaborate with another doctor or practice that can improve patient outcomes.

“Collaboration across practices is encouraged, which is good,” Brianna said. “It’s my job to make sure our doctors and support staff never feel stagnant here. VetEvolve helps with that in so many ways.”