Six Questions with a Specialty Leader: Surgery

Why did you choose to become a veterinarian?

I don’t recall making a choice per se. As boring as it sounds, it was logical career progression for me. I volunteered for years at a local wildlife rehabilitation center in junior and early high school. When I was old enough to work, my first (and only) jobs were at veterinary hospitals doing everything from kennel and reception to veterinary aide work. For me it was more “of course this is what I am going to do!”

Why did you choose your specialty?

I am a simple person; I derive tremendous satisfaction from “fixing” vs. “managing” things. There is no better specialty for that than surgery.

What’s one of your best memories of a patient along the way?

I have many but the standouts are the neglected, homeless puppies and dogs who, once fixed, have made wonderful family pets.

What accomplishment in your career are you most proud of?

I am most proud of having a part in the training of 20+ surgery residents who have gone on to become excellent veterinary surgeons. I am also very proud to have contributed to our profession through publications.

What advice would you have for someone considering veterinary medicine and your specialty in particular?

For vet school, get very good grades and lots of diverse veterinary experience. For a residency, be strong and affable team players and do research and publish.

What are you most proud of for the surgery specialty at MedVet?

I am excited that we will continue work hard at keeping our exceptionally trained residents (surgeons) within MedVet. We train the best, so we need to keep them for ourselves!

Get to know more about Dr. Matthew Barnhart.