Stories of Successful Women Veterinarians Globally
Simran Kaur
Ph.D. Scholar, Animal Genetics and Breeding
Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
Female veterinarians are blazing paths from coast to coast, from the breakroom to the boardroom, from classrooms to the bench, and from the exam room to their living room. Women were legally allowed an equal opportunity to education for the first time in roughly 50 years. It is encouraging to see women in India and throughout the world emerge as champions in all aspects of life, including governance, engagement in politics, and everything beyond that society had never dreamed. I share with you the experiences of remarkable female veterinarians from India and throughout the world to recognize their achievements. Although the amazing women included here practice a variety of veterinary specialties, their mutual drive to innovate, create opportunities, and uplift others around them attracted my notice as deserving of, at the very least, public recognition and appreciation.
India
Dr. Sakkubhai Ramachandran was the first female veterinarian in India. Sakkubai was one of two ladies who enrolled at Madras Veterinary College in 1948. She graduated in 1952 and went on to hold a number of important positions, including virologist and scientist at IVRI, until retiring in 1991.
Dr. Ranaparkhe formed the All-India Association of Lady Veterinarians (AILV) with local branches in all states. There had previously been no national association of female vets, but she spearheaded the movement. Women veterinarians now have virtually endless potential. Previously, there were little chances for women veterinarians in India. Because of their responsibilities to their families, the majority of female veterinarians worked in rural regions, servicing cattle. As a result, no efforts were made to train women as veterinarians. Women might play an important role, interacting with one another and sharing their experiences. However, women were mostly responsible for household and dairy work in rural India.
Dr. Pragati Panda, a former professor at Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology in Bhubaneswar, was Odisha’s first female veterinarian.
Dr. Amrita Patel, a former Chairman of National Dairy Development Board and Bombay Veterinary College graduate, is the first female veterinarian in Gujarat, a progressive state. She received her higher education in Mumbai and earned a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry degree. In 1965, she joined Amul, a dairy cooperative, and received training from Verghese Kurien. She received several accolades for her contributions to the growth and administration of the dairy business. From 1998 until 2014, she chaired the National Dairy Development Board, which oversaw the world’s largest dairy development initiative, Operation Flood. She chaired numerous additional institutes and served on bank boards. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2001. She has served on the boards of the Reserve Bank of India and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
Dr. Prema was the first woman to graduate from Bangalore Veterinary College. She worked for the Animal Husbandry department and retired as Assistant Director in the 1980s.
Dr. P. P. Nilufer assumed leadership as the first female veterinary surgeon in Kavaratti, Lakshadweep, making history as the first female veterinarian from the tropical union territory in 2017.
Dr. Sosamma Iype, a former Professor of Animal Genetics and Breeding at Kerala Agriculture University, often known as “Vechur’s Amma,” received the Padma Shree Award. She received the honor for saving indigenous breeds such as the Vechur cow, Kasargod and Cheruvally cattle, and Attappady goats from extinction.
Abroad
Dr. Patricia O’Connor was the first full-time female zoo veterinarian in the United States, aking history when she joined the Staten Island Zoo’s staff in 1942. This happened at a period when women made up less than 1% of all veterinarian graduates! She was also instrumental in the formation of various organizations, notably the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV). Dr. O’Connor served as the AAZV’s first president from 1946 until 1957, and then again in 1965. Her idea blossomed into an internationally known organization. Among her numerous accomplishments was the publication of a 465-page book, “A Bibliography of References to Diseases of Wild Mammals and Birds” in 1955. Dr. O’Connor passed away at the age of 88, on July 8, 2003.
Dr. Jane Hinton, was the first black woman to earn the title of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in the United States. In addition, she was a highly skilled scientist who created the Mueller-Hinton agar, a method used to determine if bacteria are resistant to antibiotics. After earning her degree from Simmons College in 1939, Hinton joined Harvard University as a research assistant. She created the ground-breaking Mueller-Hinton agar discovery at Harvard. Hinton joined the war effort as soon as the United States entered it, relocating to Arizona to serve as a medical technician for the government and studying the effects of various illnesses on U.S. personnel. She enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania to seek a degree in veterinary medicine after the war. She was one of the first two black women to receive a DVM, having graduated in 1949. After earning her degree, she went back to her birthplace and worked as a small animal veterinarian there until 1955. In the end, she worked as an inspector for the Department of Agriculture in Framingham, Massachusetts, where she assisted in handling cattle disease epidemics. After making major contributions to several professions, Hinton resigned at the age of 41 and devoted her time to taking care of her numerous dogs.
Dr. Sophia Yin, Even though Dr. Sophia Yin didn’t invent animal psychology, she did pave the way for others to question the current quo in the field. Following her graduation from UC Davis’s veterinary school in California, Dr. Yin saw that a disproportionate number of animals were being put to death for behavioral issues rather than health issues. She was motivated by this to return to school and get a Master’s degree in Animal Science, specializing in animal behavior. Her life’s work and passion became behavior modification. She was regarded as a leading authority on training and actively promoted the use of positive reinforcement with animals. Dr. Yin produced several YouTube videos for veterinarians and pet owners. She also presented several workshops and made appearances on Animal Planet.
Dr. Elinor McGrath, was the pioneer of female veterinarians. She is widely regarded as America’s first female veterinarian and a great icon. Dr. McGrath’s passion of animals encouraged her to enter the male-dominated field of veterinary medicine. In 1907, she became the first woman admitted to Chicago Veterinary College, breaking down the first of many hurdles on her way to achieving her ambition. Driven by her awareness of the close relationship that exists between people and their pets, Dr. McGrath succeeded and graduated in 1910, ten years before women in the United States were allowed the right to vote. Back then, it was rather uncommon to build a veterinarian practice on pets, and she was one of the finest in the field. For 37 years, she operated a companion animal clinic in Chicago and gained notoriety for her animal-friendly customs, such as decking a Christmas tree with gifts for pets. Motivated by her knowledge of the close relationship that exists between people and their dogs, she also founded the first pet cemetery in the city.
Dr. Kathy Wright, received her doctor of veterinary medicine from Michigan State University and is a board-certified veterinary cardiologist. She is one of the few veterinarians board-certified in both internal medicine and cardiology in the US and Canada. She reviews for the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Journal of Veterinary Cardiology, and the Australian Veterinary Journal in addition to contributing to a number of veterinary textbooks. Her innovation, which is based on a human treatment, is the radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) treatment, which has a 95% success rate in curing dogs with a rare but potentially fatal arrhythmia brought on by atrioventricular accessory pathways, one of the most frequent causes of rapid heartbeats in young dogs, especially Labradors.
Dr. Stacy Lynn Anderson graduated from the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004. She did two equine/large animal internships, one at a private practice near Chicago and the other at the University of Tennessee, after a brief career as a professional horsewoman. She earned a Master’s degree in veterinary science and a large animal surgery residency at the University of Saskatchewan’s in 2012. She stayed at Western to get her dissertation, during which time she studied the longevity of horse neutrophils in inflammatory equine situations. She was appointed director of large animal clinical skills at Lincoln Memorial in 2016. She was appointed temporary assistant dean of academic affairs in August 2019 and dean of the veterinary college a year later.
Dr. Mia Su Cary graduated from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. She did research on marine mammal projects from the Dominican Republic to Barrow, Alaska for six years, worked as an associate veterinarian in a small animal practice. For five years she worked at Novartis Animal Health and nine years at Boehringer Ingelheim. Her strategic partnerships with several associations like American Veterinary Medical Association led her to take the charge as a CEO of the Pride Veterinary Medical Community and is a Today’s Veterinary Business columnist.
Dr. Jill Clark, after earning her degree from Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1996, Dr. Jill Clark worked as a veterinarian at a hospital with six doctors until joining National PetCare Centers, a network of eight facilities that eventually expanded to eighty. Ultimately, she received a promotion to vice president of operations. She then worked for VCA for 12 years, first as a hospital operations manager supervising 22 general and specialty practices, and then as a vice president in charge of the team that recruits doctors, maintained connections with campuses, and placed interns and residents. She assumed leadership of the establishment of VCA’s corporate academy, WOOF University, in 2010. To date, the institution has taught over 24,000 veterinary students and serves as the organization’s main training source. She founded Ignite Veterinary Solutions in 2016 with the intention of training veterinary teams to improve their own well-being as well as the well-being of their patients and clients. Her love of learning played a significant role in this decision.
Dr. Linda Fineman, after learning that her cherished cat had cancer while still in college, she went to the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where she completed her internship and residency training. Her career as an oncology expert, which led to practice ownership with a group of partners, was fulfilling. Her background as a manager and leader prepared her for her current role as medical director of a multispecialty hospital. After that, she joined the hospital network of Ethos Veterinary Health, where she currently serves as vice president of learning and development. As the CEO of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, she currently investigates an alternative facet of the industry.
Dr. Heather N. Fowler graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 2010 and went on to earn a Master’s degree in Public health in applied biostatistics and epidemiology from Yale University and a doctorate in Environmental and occupational hygiene from the University of Washington. She is a board-certified preventive medicine veterinarian with specialization in zoonotic disease, public health, worker safety and health, and One Health. She joined the National Pork Board in 2017, where she handles public health, workplace safety, and health concerns connected to swine agriculture. She is a lifelong learner who received Project Management Institute certification in 2020.
Dr. Mary Gardner worked as a software designer for over a decade before her dog died, prompting her to rethink her professional choice. She enrolled in veterinary school at the University of Florida in her 30s and worked at a South Florida clinic following graduation. She partnered UF classmate Dr. Dani McVety in 2010 to provide a tranquil end-of-life experience for dogs and their families after not having the desired impact. She is a sought-after lecturer and speaker who has authored multiple articles on end-of-life care as well as a textbook on geriatric medicine. Her love of animals also inspired the creation of Monarch Pet Services.
Dr. Eleanor M. Green has worked in academic leadership, consulting, practice ownership, and teaching. She received her DVM from Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine and went on to gain certifications in horse practice and big animal internal medicine (equine). She worked for many years as a university professor. She became the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences’ Carl B. King dean of veterinary medicine in 2009, and she remained in that role until 2020. She presided over four major American organizations as president. At three of them, she was the first female president. She was instrumental in the formation of the Veterinary Innovation Summit and the foundation of the Veterinary Entrepreneurship Academy in Texas, with the purpose of engaging veterinary students nationally. She has received various honors and accolades, including the 2020 AAVMC Billy E. Hooper Award for Distinguished Service and the 2020 VMX Icon Award. She currently serves on several boards and consults on important topics in veterinary care, the horse industry, leadership, and diversity.
Dr. Joya Griffin biggest delight is veterinary dermatology. She became interested in it early in veterinary school after witnessing how physicians at Cornell University improved the life of her family dog. She wanted to accomplish that for people not just to make their dogs look beautiful after treatment, but also to rebuild the human-animal link by providing pets with a higher quality of life. Dr. Griffin now works as a veterinary dermatologist and stars in the Nat Geo Wild TV show “Pop Goes the Vet with Dr. Joya.”
Dr. Jennifer Hawkins worked as a small animal practitioner, veterinary technician teacher, and contributing online copywriter for Veterinary Pet Insurance (now Nationwide) after graduating from the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine in 2000. She was the head veterinarian of OC Animal Care, a municipal shelter serving 14 contracted cities and unincorporated portions of California, before becoming the executive director of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association. She has been involved in organized veterinary medicine at both the municipal and state levels. On the board of governors of the California Veterinary Medical Association, she represents District 2 (Los Angeles and Orange counties, as well as Antelope Valley communities).
Dr. Carrie Jurney worked as a board-certified neurologist in San Francisco after graduating from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine and completing a residency at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Jurney’s career began to evolve in 2015, when she worked on the wellbeing of a friend who indicated suicide thoughts and joined Not One More Vet creator Dr. Nicole McArthur as a Facebook moderator for the group. Not One More Vet has developed into the world’s biggest veterinary well-being organization, with programs giving peer support, education, and research. She assumed the presidency in 2020.
Dr. Charlotte Lacroix received her DVM from the University of California, Davis, and worked for several years in an equine medical and surgical referral practice in northern New Jersey after completing a large animal internship at Ontario Veterinary College. She went and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania law school in order to make better contributions to the veterinary profession. In 2014-15, she served as president of the North American Veterinary Community, and she now serves on the boards of the Veterinary Innovation Council and the Veterinary Virtual Care Association. She has spoken at various conferences throughout the world and has been on radio and television. She was also a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, American Animal Hospital Association, and American Association of Equine Practitioners. She teaches at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine as an adjunct professor.
Dr. Nadine Lamberski, after earning her degree in 1990 from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Nadine Lamberski completed a residency at the University of California, Davis, and an internship at the University of Tennessee and the Knoxville Zoo. Before taking a job as a veterinarian at the Riverbanks Zoo in South Carolina, she spent an additional year at UC Davis teaching veterinary students and working at the Sacramento Zoo. She was hired to work as a senior veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park seven years later. She worked as a clinical veterinarian for 26 years before moving into an executive position as chief animal health officer. In this capacity, she was able to strategically consider the zoo’s animal health initiatives and concentrate on ways to improve organizational health results. She currently works with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance as the chief conservation and wildlife health officer.
Dr. Justine Lee is a board-certified veterinary specialist with expertise in toxicology and emergency critical care. She attended Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and finished her internship at the Boston-based Angell Animal Medical Center. The University of Pennsylvania is where the author completed a fellowship and residency in emergency and critical care. She was the head of an animal poisoning center and a faculty member at the University of Minnesota. She started the podcast, webinar, and continuing education service VET girl, which is subscription-based. She is a consultant for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center in addition to being a speaker, writer, and author. She may be seen on Nat Geo Wild’s “Animal ER Live.”
Dr. Linda B. Lehmkuhl stayed in Columbus after graduating from the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine to complete a rotating internship and cardiology residency. She was a faculty member for six years, where she enjoyed clinical and classroom teaching, clinical research, and clinical practice. In January 2000, she accepted a position as a cardiologist at MedVet in Worthington, Ohio. Dr. Lehmkuhl began as a hospital medical director before moving on to become a MedVet regional medical director, chief medical officer, and, finally, CEO. MedVet now boasts over 600 doctors and 3,000 team members working in 31 specialty/ER hospitals, three urgent care clinics, and five Veterinary Eye Institutes. MedVet’s VetRad team also offers teleradiology services across the country.
Dr. Ellen I. Lowery worked with Hill’s Pet Nutrition for 23 years, holding progressively significant leadership roles such as director of North America professional and veterinary affairs, prior to taking on her several academic appointments and her present post as head of the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital. She was a member of the Hill’s Women Empowered Network and the Hill’s Veterinary Leadership Task Force. She has also served on the boards of the Kansas Veterinary Medical Association, Partners for Healthy Pets, the Veterinary Innovation Council, and PRIDE Veterinary Medical Community.
Dr. Valerie C. Marcano Gomez is a poultry veterinarian in the Carolinas and the co-founder and CEO of Pawsibilities Vet Med, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups in the veterinary profession. She heads the American Association of Avian Pathologists’ first-ever Diversity and Inclusion Committee and is a member of the AVMA/AAVMC Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission. Dr. Marcano graduated with honors from Cornell University and the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2017 and 2020, respectively. She worked on the executive board of the national Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment (VOICE) and its college branch while at Georgia. In addition, she established the Swine, Aquaculture, and Poultry Food Animal Club. She was on the American Association of Avian Pathologists’ education and membership committees and served as a student member of the board of directors.
Dr. Melinda D. Merck worked in a small animal clinic following her graduation from the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She then started the Cat Clinic of Roswell in Roswell, Georgia. She helped at animal shelters and rescue groups during that period, and she developed a strong love for exposing animal abuse before the laws fully stood up for those animals. As her reputation increased, she was invited to become a member of Georgia Legal Professionals for Animals, an organization that trains law enforcement, prosecutors, and veterinarians on how to respond to, look into, and prosecute instances involving animal abuse at no cost to them. She served as the inaugural head of the board of directors of the International Veterinary Forensic Sciences Association and as president of the North American Veterinary Community in the past. She created optional courses at the Universities of Georgia and Florida and wrote a textbook on veterinary forensics. She keeps giving lectures on the application of veterinary forensics in the examination and prosecution of animal abuse to doctors, lawyers, and law enforcement officials.
Dr. Whitney Miller is Petco’s leading veterinarian expert on animal care and welfare standards. She offers strategic leadership and medical management for Petco’s expansion into veterinarian services, as well as help in pet services. She also oversees the Petco medical team, which supports full-service hospitals and mobile immunization clinics in more than 1,000 Pet Care Centers worldwide. Throughout her veterinary career, she lobbied for animal welfare problems while working in federal government relations for the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Dr. Jennifer Ogeer expanded her clinical and research expertise through a residency/degree program in emergency medicine and critical care, as well as graduate courses in business management, organizational behavior, and leadership. She enjoyed teaching, research, and clinical practice as a professor in academic institutions, and she valued all of her opportunities to gain experience in the corporate management sector of animal health. She has participated with the Diversity Veterinary Medicine Coalition and now serves on the board of directors for Veterinarians Without Borders.
Dr. Ruby L. Perry’s career in animal health began when she worked as a kennel assistant at a veterinary clinic to help pay for college while studying mathematics. She was the first African American female board-certified veterinary radiologist. She returned to Alabama in 2007 as Tuskegee’s assistant dean of academic affairs, following years of academic experience at Tuskegee and Michigan State University. In 2015, she became the veterinary college’s first female dean. Dr. Perry frequently states that she is a veterinary radiologist by profession and an educator by passion.
Dr. Jennifer Welser earned her DVM from Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, then completed a rotating internship at Auburn University and an ophthalmology residency at Animal Eye Associates in Illinois before becoming board certified as a veterinary ophthalmologist. Throughout her career, she has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston, operating a veterinarian practice in California, and acting as a staff ophthalmologist and medical director in a corporate context. She became BluePearl’s chief medical officer in 2014, where he oversaw the company’s residency and internship programs. She now manages medical affairs for Mars Veterinary Health and collaborates with the chief medical officers of each practice to provide access to high-quality, innovative veterinary care.
The saying “Triumph always begins with you” is exemplified by these ladies.
