Today we’d like to introduce you to David Dycus.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
We are launching a new multi-specialty veterinary hospital in the Brewer’s Hill area of Canton called Nexus Veterinary Specialists and the Nexus Veterinary Bone & Joint Center. The best way to think about specialty veterinary medicine is to compare it to human medicine. We have our primary care doctors (this would be the same as the general veterinarian) and in some cases our primary care doctor will send us on to a surgeon or internal medicine specialist (this would be the same as the veterinary specialist).
The idea of Nexus Veterinary Specialists came from both Dr. Brian Beale and Dr. David Dycus, both of whom are industry leading orthopedic surgeons. They saw the need to offer the best veterinary specialized care as possible while continuing to teach general veterinarians, train upcoming specialists, and continue to advance medicine through research. In the veterinary industry much of the specialty space has been taken over by corporate medicine. This has come at a cost of putting numbers over patients and quality of life. Both Dr. Beale and Dr. Dycus saw the need for a privately owned specialty hospital in the Baltimore area to not only serve the needs of the citizens of Baltimore and the surrounding areas, but to also provide specialized care to the entire Northeast part of the United States.
Nexus means a connection between members of a group; the core, or the center. Nexus is a hospital founded by veterinary specialists where we believe in investing in the people, equipment, and time necessary to maximize the quality of care for all patients. Our goal is to lead the evolution of patient-centered specialty and emergency care by collaborating with and empowering the veterinary community with new ideas and techniques, leading cutting-edge industry research, and cherishing the sacred bond between animal-loving families, the veterinary community, and the Nexus family.
At the completion of our project we will be the only non-corporate owned veterinary specialty hospital in the region consisting of 33,000 square feet with 24/365 emergency/critical care, orthopedic surgery, soft tissue surgery, internal medicine, neurology, oncology, dentistry, cardiology, physical rehabilitation and more.
In addition, within the same building we will also have Beales Best CE, which is will be a 25,000 square foot continuing education facility to train both general veterinarians and specialists from all over the world on new techniques as well as how to refine traditional techniques.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not entirely… we started this project just before COVID hit. We were in the process of scoping outbuilding and getting the company up and going. We had to hit the pause button for about 5-6 months to see what was going to happen with the pandemic. We quickly realized that not only was the veterinary market surviving the pandemic but was becoming busy. There was an increase of 25-30% of patients/clients seeking veterinary care.
Our lease with Wells Obrecht at Brewers Hill was finalized in January 2021. Trying to construct a new hospital in the middle of a pandemic has certainly had its ups and down from the delays in getting permits completed to getting supplies for construction.
During the time of getting the hospital off the ground and going, I begin offering mobile orthopedic surgical services to surrounding Baltimore area veterinary hospitals. These hospitals have been instrumental in us developing as a company and building relationships within the community.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I attended veterinary school at Mississippi State University; following graduation I completed a small animal rotating internship at Auburn University then went back to Mississippi State University for a combined surgical residency and master’s degree. In 2014, I achieved Diplomate status with the American College of Veterinary Surgeons as well as completed my rehabilitation training at the University of Tennessee. I have a passion not only for clinical medicine but also for teaching and research.
Once I began my clinical practice I took a focus on joint replacement, arthroscopy, minimally invasive fracture repair, angular limb deformity correction, and 3D printing. I also built my reputation and practice on seeing canine working dogs (police, military, etc.) and canine athletes. Given the niche I created, I started being asked to lecture locally at continuing education conferences.
This quickly blossomed into me providing continuing education and teaching hands-on laboratories nationally at all the major conferences for veterinary medicine. In addition, I became a consultant for several companies and serve on various medical boards for these companies. As a result of my national presence, I picked up international recognition, which has allowed me to travel and lecture in Canada, Mexico, China, Japan, France, the United Kingdom, and Dubai to name a few.
I am heavily involved with training interns and residents as well as conducting research and actively publishing the research. I am also the co-editor of a new textbook titled: Complications in Canine Cranial Cruciate Ligament Surgery. To stay involved within the profession I am a Trustee for the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, associate editor for Veterinary Surgery (a peer-reviewed medical journal), and serve as a council member for the Association for Veterinary Orthopedic Research and Education (AVORE).
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I have taken a major risk. I left a comfortable job with job security to jump into a start-up company. I put everything on the line for this project to be successful.
However, I don’t believe that one can advance in both their professional and personal life unless they are willing to get out of their comfort zone and take a risk.
It is scary, but it is that nauseous feeling that keeps me going to make it successful.
Contact Info:
- Email: ddycus@nexusvet.com
- Website: www.nexusvet.com www.drdaviddycus.com www.bealesbestce.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ortho_vet/ https://www.instagram.com/nexusveterinary/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrDavidDycus https://www.facebook.com/nexusvet
