I had my first experience in the field of veterinary medicine at the age of 8. I found a bird that had fallen out of its nest in our front yard and was unable to fly. My mother, brother, and I gave it warmth, food, and water until we got it to the Howell Nature Center later that day. I did not realize at the time that it was the beginning of what would be a lifetime dedicated to improving the lives of our non-human companions.

I grew up in the city of Brighton, Michigan. Some of my best friends growing up were the family pets. Although more independent, the cats (Patches, Silver, and King Tut II) seemed to be able to tell when you were feeling down and would give extra attention and purrs on those days. In contrast, Carmen, the golden retriever, was always eager to give/receive love and attention no matter the day or time. She frequently took her owners out for a walk or instigated a game of tug with no regard to the weather conditions or her owners’ state of wakefulness. I enjoyed their company and always considered them smaller furrier members of the family. This connection, together with encouragement to consider working in the medical field from my mother (a registered nurse) helped me to develop a strong interest in veterinary medicine.

However, I cannot say that the choice to go into veterinary medicine was always obvious to me. I attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio and had the opportunity to explore many possible career paths. I developed other interests in teaching, scientific research, and human medicine. I ultimately decided I wanted the chance to apply the science and medicine I was learning to improve the lives of the animals I knew and the ones I had yet to meet. Simply put, the life of a veterinarian was the life for me. In 2009, I graduated from BGSU and started my veterinary education at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Veterinary school was certainly not an easy process and I could write a book about the experience, but I will simply say that I wouldn’t have given up the experience for anything. Directly before starting my second year of veterinary school, I married my wife, Tricia, whom I had met at Bowling Green State University. It is largely thanks to her support that I have made it where I am today. I graduated from the MSU CVM in 2013 with special recognition for clinical ability in internal medicine and academic excellence in pharmacology. From there, Tricia and I traveled to Blacksburg, Virginia, where I completed a small animal internship at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. During this time I received additional training and experience in many aspects of small animal medicine, including internal medicine, surgery, cardiology, neurology, anesthesia, emergency medicine, and general medicine.

Tricia and I decided that we would like to move back home before making any human additions to the family. We were delighted when I was hired as a full time veterinary associate at the best veterinary primary care hospital in the region. I started working at Twin Maples in late July, and am looking forward to offering high quality and compassionate care to the pets of the Miami Valley.

In August, just over a month after starting at Twin Maples, Tricia and I welcomed the newest member of our family, Claire Bisoski, to the world, whom I adore. Much of my down time is spent reading to or playing with her, but I also enjoy running, playing with our dog (Erie, whom I consider the best dog in the world), entertaining our cat (Rasputin), biking, and the occasional adventure race when the opportunity presents itself.