Paws and profits: Veterinary appointments in the profession

Strong leadership in the veterinary profession plays a key role in improving pet care standards and supporting the development of veterinary professionals. By promoting a culture of innovation and growth, leaders in this sector can influence the direction of pet healthcare.

The Schwarzman Animal Medical Center (AMC) in New York, New York announced the addition of 13 new senior veterinarians earlier this season. The following individuals are among those accomplished 13:

Whitney Phipps, DVM, DACVS-SA

Whitney Phipps, DVM, DACVS-SA. (Photos courtesy of Schwarzman Animal Medical Center)

Board certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Phipps’ specialty consists of soft tissue, orthopedic, and minimally invasive surgery. Following her undergraduate degree from Washington University in St Louis and her veterinary degree from the University of Missouri, College of Veterinary Medicine, Phipps went on to complete a small animal and surgery rotating internship at the Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Thereafter, she completed a specialty surgical internship at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists as well as a small animal surgery residency at Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in Worcester County, Massachusetts.

Ria Watko, BVMS, DACVR

Watko has a passion for various aspects of radiology, particularly neuroimaging and oncologic imaging, and is developing a growing interest in musculoskeletal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). She is board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Radiology (ACVR).

Watko earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont and her DVM from the University of Glasglow in Glasglow, Scotland. She completed her rotating internship at VCA South Shore-Weymouth, in Weymouth, Massachusetts, and a specialty diagnostic imaging internship at MedVet Indianapolis. Watko also completed diagnostic imaging residency training at the University of Florida.

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Jessica Wild, DVM, DACVR

A graduate of Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine, Wild is interested in special species/exotics and abdominal ultrasonography. She completed internships at Georgia Veterinary Specialists and Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists before undertaking an academic diagnostic imaging residency at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Wild is board-certified by ACVR.

Frank Tsai, DVM

Frank Tsai, DVM.

Specializing in integrative and rehabilitative medicine, Tsai obtained his veterinary degree from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. He completed a rotating small animal internship at Animal Specialty Group in Los Angeles.

Tsai spent many years working in general medicine. Later on, he found his interest in integrative medicine and physical rehabilitation for all pets and completed a specialty internship and residency in rehabilitation and sports medicine at AMC. Tsai was raised in Taiwan and serves in the United States Army Reserve as a Veterinary Corps Officer.

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Andrea Winkel, DVM, MPH

Winkel earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Michigan State University in 2009 and completed a Master’s in Public Health at the University of Minnesota in 2010. From 2009 to 2014, she served as an active-duty captain in the US Army Veterinary Corps.

Following her military service, Andrea completed her residency at Texas A&M University. With experience in caring for exotic pet species, like big cats and hummingbirds, Winkel’s specialty is avian and exotic pets.