Meet Kristina, the newest extern at Lone Mountain Animal Hospital!
Kristina is a fourth-year student at the University of Illinois and will graduate in May this year! Originally from Riverside, California, she attended schools throughout Texas before graduating from Texas A & M University for her Bachelor’s and Graduate degrees. Kristina said ever since she was in kindergarten she’s wanted to be a veterinarian.
“That’s the typical answer,” Kristina said. “But, I kind of solidified the actual [Doctor of Veterinary Medicine] idea when I got to my undergrad.”
Kristina describes her volunteer experience as being “all over the place.” She got her start with rescues, animal shelters, and fosters when she was in middle school and she also volunteered with equine programs for special needs. Since then, Kristina said she’s also volunteered with dog shows, autism awareness places, and bottle baby fostering.
“I’ve probably fostered more than 200 bottle babies in the past five or six years,” she said. “So, that’s my claim to fame in college — everyone knows me as ‘The Bottle Baby Lady!'”
Since finishing her Graduate studies, Kristina said she’s interested in epidemiology and public health. She’s also interested in exotics and zoo medicine, but most of her experience thus far has been in domestic animals. She learned of the externship program at Lone Mountain Animal Hospital from her friend, Dr. Emilee Larkin! After discussing the program with Larkin, Kristina decided to apply and is looking forward to seeing the different aspects of private practice in a different part of the country. She’s also excited to learn more about the niches of exotic animal medicine.
In her spare time, Kristina enjoys continuing her volunteer work with animals and fostering. Kristina has adopted some of the animals she’s fostered. She currently has four cats, a dog, and two African dwarf frogs.
Welcome aboard, Kristina!
