Nick Bern ’23

BetterVet, LLC, Hingham, MA

This summer at BetterVet provided me with an invaluable professional experience at the intersection of medicine and entrepreneurship. As hospitals began tightening their protocols and restrictions in the spring, my planned internship in radiology and diagnostic imaging at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, Massachusetts, was cancelled. I had been exploring alternative options in case my internship fell through, and reached out to the founder of BetterVet, informing him about my unfortunate situation as well as my enthusiasm and commitment to the concept and mission of this start-up. I asked if BetterVet might have a role for me; and after a formal interview, I began working for them in Boston within a week.

BetterVet aims to reshape the field of veterinary medicine by providing more convenient, frequent, and focused care to pets by utilizing telemedicine consultations and home visits as the new primary settings for pet care. This empowers pet parents with full schedules to give their pets the continual preventive care they deserve without having to delay visits to the veterinarian because of the time commitment and alleviates stress for both the owner and the pet.

My internship was centered on operations and research and my main projects included selecting veterinary equipment for mobile and telemedicine, designing our menu of annual pet wellness services and fees, and partnering with an online pharmacy provider. Working for a small start-up, I was able to learn and be involved in almost every facet of the company’s development. I was able to attend and contribute to meetings that included formulating 
our core values and mission, designing our business plan and financial 
model, acquiring assets, speaking with lawyers about patent filing and 
infringement, drafting medical policies and procedures, creating branding 
and marketing strategies, and developing an app and website.

My internship experience with BetterVet has driven my personal and professional growth in countless ways. I honed my skills in communicating professionally with superiors as well as our business partners. I developed a deeper knowledge of telehealth and veterinary medicine, and continued to master the skills of synthesizing, analyzing, and presenting to an audience. This experience also taught me critical business skills in strategy and negotiation through conversations with my supervisor and our consultants, and gave me firsthand insight into the process of founding and developing a business.

I am currently organizing my academic schedule to allow time to continue working for BetterVet, as I enjoyed such a valuable experience with them this summer. Although it is not what I had planned for throughout the school year, I am incredibly grateful for this unforeseen opportunity that has been both professionally and personally transformative; and I would like to thank the Class of 1974 for their generosity in supporting me in this experience.