Veterinary medicine can be a confusing profession. Depending on who you talk to about practice, you may come away with differing impressions of the profession. I know of practices that are owned by talented veterinarians who are very intelligent and skilled and yet they can barely make a living. These veterinarians complain about the sorry state of the profession and are pessimistic about the future of veterinary medicine. I also know of other veterinarians with only average skills and talent who are making a very respectable living. These veterinarians feel good about their profession and are optimistic about the opportunities of the future. How can veterinarians have such divergent viewpoints of where the profession is headed? What is lacking in some veterinary practices? I suggest that one should look at the "bottom line" of a veterinary practice to be able to have a better understanding of the differences.