Dr. Rainer Prepares For What Lies Ahead
by Lindsey Oechsle
In the world of organized veterinary medicine, Dr. Aaron Rainer is ahead of his time. Just two years out of veterinary school, he is already an active leader in TVMA and in his community. He has great foresight and embraces challenges with determination and humility. He is a husband, a father, a mixed animal practitioner, a political activist, and a young leader in the profession of veterinary medicine. Dr. Aaron Rainer is the TVMA 2008 Recent Graduate Practitioner of the Year.
Dr. Rainer was born and raised in Temple, Texas. He and his wife, Laurin, attended a small 2-A school in the town of Little River. They graduated with only 43 people in their class, but a young Dr. Rainer had big dreams in his small town. One of his earliest mentors who helped him achieve those dreams was Rhonda Henson, an extremely challenging physics and pre-calculus teacher. Henson—now one of Rainer’s clients—motivated her students with difficult challenges and praise for those who did well. Rainer rose to the challenge and was the first student to make a perfect score on her exam. This determination to succeed is one of the most central themes in Dr. Rainer’s life and work ethic.
Dr. Rainer went on to receive a degree in Biomedical Science from Texas A&M University and began working as a meat inspector. At this time in his life he was absolutely certain of two things: He had a desire to work in a medical-related field, and a keen interest in leadership activities. He became involved in the American Heart Association, serving on the Board of Directors, and served on the City of Temple Advisory Board. He was accepted to the College of Veterinary Medicine at A&M and carried his desire for leadership with him. Rainer served on the Government Awareness Committee, the Student/ Recent Graduate Committee, and was the third year and fourth year class president.
“I really found myself becoming involved and thinking that I could really make a difference in this,” he recalls. His interest in leadership, volunteering and raising awareness just continued to develop.
Rainer mentions several people that affected his life and encouraged his success throughout veterinary school. Dr. Dan Posey, Dr. Guy Sheppard and Dr. Roland Lenarduzzi were good role models for the young veterinarians that were about to be out in the field. Those three men truly helped solidify why Rainer wanted to become a veterinarian and why he wanted to be involved in veterinary leadership and organized veterinary medicine.
He certainly didn’t waste any time getting started. He graduated from TAMU-CVM in 2006, simultaneously receiving a Masters of Public Health from TAMU’s School of Rural Public Health. He served four years as a student liaison on the TVMA Student/Recent Graduate Committee and is now serving his second year on the recent graduate side. While serving on this committee, he watched Dr. Lori Teller as she led the External Affairs Committee, and her encouragement and example of leadership had a great effect on Rainer. After six years of service, Dr. Anmarie Macfarland appointed him vice-chair of the committee.
“It’s an important committee,” Rainer explains. “What’s really important is getting the word out about TVMA, and by starting early with students, you can establish those students in organized medicine like I did and retain recent graduate membership. Our committee, and truly all the TVMA committees, are the hands and feet of our profession, and there’s got to be someone to use their hands and feet in order to make progress.”
When Rainer speaks of the need for organized veterinary medicine, he refers to the changing climate of the veterinary profession. He reminds me that the days of simply going to your clinic, opening the door, and putting up your sign are no longer. While he warns of the changes on the horizon such as corporate veterinary medicine and veterinary insurance, he sounds like a calm general preparing to lead his troops into combat.
“These are things that we all need to be familiar with and aware of, because these kind of things grow. It’s always good to be armed. Whether you use your bullets or not is up to you, but it’s always good to have a plan. It’s only going to help veterinary medicine for everyone to know what’s going on in each industry, and it’s not just private practice anymore. It’s public health, corporate, government, industry, pharmaceutical companies, and others. We can’t just sit on our heels, because it’s coming.”
I assure you that Dr. Rainer is certainly not sitting on his heels. He was elected to the TVMA Board of directors earlier this year, joined the Legislative Committee, and serves as the Disaster Preparedness Liaison for TVMA’s North Central Texas District. He enjoys the leadership aspect of organized veterinary medicine because he likes the challenge it presents.
“I’ve been challenged my entire life. I like challenges, and I like overcoming them. Now there are things that I can’t do, but I enjoy the challenge and the struggle. I’m always wanting to challenge myself and others around me.”
A current challenge facing Rainer is Board certification in the College of Preventive Medicine. Receiving that certification is something he thinks will be beneficial to the way he practices medicine and beneficial for the future of the Belton Veterinary Clinic.
The future is something that Dr. Rainer references often while we speak. He refers to his master plan as a road map that will take him places. Another destination he hopes to see on this trip is to become solidified at Belton Veterinary Clinic and create an honest, easy-going atmosphere that clients bring their animals to for the best care possible. His sincere adoration for that practice is written all over his face.
“We have a fantastic facility and it’s already successful, but I just want to make it better. I want that practice to be as successful as possible, and I want to be part of it. I hope the things I have are beneficial to the clinic.” He pauses for a moment. When he continues, his voice turns softer. “You know, I grew up here. I want the people of our area to have a place to come and be proud of, and I want them to have the best care possible. I just want everybody to have what they deserve. Everybody that we have at our clinic feels the same way.”
“So you’re not moving anytime soon?” I ask as a joke, but home is a serious subject for Rainer.
“I’m not moving,” he says without question. “This is home. My entire family is here. We live about 3 miles from my mother. We’ve got family land here. I’m staying.”
The most important thing to Rainer is his faith, and his family. He and his wife Laurin, high school sweethearts who grew up in Temple, will be married eight years in July, and they have a 21-month daughter named Adriel. Pictures of these two beauties line the walls of his exam room and office space.
“Anything that I do in veterinary medicine or in the world is for them.”
