Leading Through Action
Originally Published
For Henry Yoo, DVM, MS ’74, MBA, leadership has never been about titles. It has been about action, mentorship and a deep commitment to connecting ideas with real-world impact.
A graduate of Seoul National University, Yoo earned a Master of Science in Veterinary Preventive Medicine from The Ohio State University, where he also served as a graduate teaching associate.
Over his career, he has served as a practitioner, educator and global consultant, using clinical expertise, health care strategy and business insight to translate knowledge into practical solutions and bridge human and veterinary medicine.
Known for his highly practical teaching style and his “5 Minutes, 5 Steps of Preventive Medicine” approach, known as 550PM, Yoo has dedicated his career to closing the gap between what is taught and what is practiced.
Beginning in 2011, Yoo helped lay the foundation for Seoul National University College of Veterinary Medicine to become the first and currently only AVMA-accredited veterinary school in Asia, a milestone achieved in 2019. The accomplishment expanded opportunities for veterinary education and professional mobility across borders.
Yoo is now working with Zhejiang University in China to pursue what could become Asia's second AVMA-accredited veterinary program, a process expected to take six to eight years.
Recently appointed to the Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education Equivalence Committee of the American Association of Veterinary State Boards, Yoo helps support pathways for graduates of non-AVMA-accredited veterinary schools seeking veterinary licensure.
Beyond advancing veterinary education, Yoo has also helped shape veterinary licensure systems internationally, including establishing China’s national veterinary licensing examination system in 2011.
In this conversation, Dr. Yoo reflects on the experiences that shaped his path and
what leadership truly means.
Q: How did your experience at Ohio State shape your early perspective on veterinary medicine and your role in the profession?
Yoo: I could write chapters about my experience at Ohio State. The professors were very influential for me. They empowered me, mentored me and gave me honest feedback.
They also gave me opportunities to go to the clinic anytime and work with them. Because of that, I developed my work ethic at Ohio State and became a better clinician. My time at Ohio State is what really shaped my approach to my career.
Q: When did you begin to recognize a challenge within the profession?
Yoo: I could see a disconnect between what students were learning and what was actually happening in the field.
When students were not truly learning through experience and making those connections, they could not apply what they had learned when working with patients or clients or within the industry. I had opportunities to visit farms and private practices and work alongside professors, so I could clearly see the
gap that needed to be filled. What we do may not be as important as understanding why and how we do it.
Q: How did expanding your education, particularly through your MBA, strengthen that work?
Yoo: I found that my career could be more beneficial with an MBA. At Case Western Reserve University, working closely with Cleveland Clinic, I learned a lot about health care strategy through the team-based approach that was used throughout the program.
Each team member was responsible for specific aspects of a simulated company, and we experienced the results of our collective decisions through teamwork. Different teams shared their successes and challenges each week, creating a valuable learning environment. We also learned about our professional responsibility to the communities, industries and professions we serve.
It taught me how to maximize my veterinary degree and professional experiences, not just for my own career, but for the community, society and the profession.
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“I devoted myself to teaching, showing students, guiding them and helping them. Not just sharing knowledge, but also how to use it in real situations. I didn’t give them fish. I taught them how to catch them.”
— Dr. Henry Yoo
Q: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned about turning ideas into impact?
Yoo: Ideas are great, but how you apply them is what matters.
You have to connect ideas with patient care, clients and industry. I took preventive and predictive medicine, which to many people was more of an idea or concept, and turned it into something actionable.
Real impact happens when ideas become practical tools for staff training and pet-owner education.
Q: How have your experiences shaped the way you mentor others today?
Yoo: When my son was preparing to enter the veterinary profession after attending Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, I told him this is not an easy job. You need determination, motivation and empowerment. Most importantly, animal advocacy.
Animals are there to receive help from us. Instead of telling him everything, he saw how I lived and worked from the beginning. Watching my actions was more powerful than listening to what I had to say.
Now, after more than a decade as an IBM computer engineer, he has built a successful career as a clinician.
Q: What advice would you offer to students who want to lead in the veterinary medicine profession or beyond?
Yoo: Follow what your heart is telling you.
Don’t just stay with theory; go out, experience real situations and learn how to apply what you know. In the early stages of our profession, we can easily feel complacent about what we have learned and discovered. Learn from what the Dunning-Kruger effect teaches us.
And learn from mentors. Find people who will guide you and challenge you. Respect what they have taught you. Sometimes they teach you what not to do through their mistakes.
