Marissa Rodriguez, DVM

D.V.M. Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Yep! I did that!

But that’s only a small piece of my story.

Sure, it’s helped get me to where I am today and given me some of the knowledge and information that I am hoping to share with you all, but there’s so much more to me and to my story and so much more I want to share about the process to get here and the journey now that I am well into my career.

I want to share stories that are not only useful and beneficial to pet owners and pet lovers, but also fellow colleagues or future colleagues in veterinary medicine.

So I guess I should tell you more about me. Right?

Anyone else struggle with talking about themselves? Yeah that’s me. I’m good at asking questions and listening to others about their lives but when the questions switch over to me I keep it short and sweet – ‘Oh, I’m pretty good.’ Followed by a quick, ‘How are you?’

Anywho, here goes…

I guess I’ll start with my name. Hi, my name is Marissa but I actually prefer to go by my nickname – Mari.

Now let me help some of you out with that nickname. I never realized that Mari is actually not that easy to say unless you have mastered the art of rolling your Rs. To clarify, it is not Mary or Marie. I guess the closest way to say it without a rolled R is ‘Mau-rry’.

If it wasn’t obvious, yes! I am a Latina! Just a Cuban American girl born and raised in Miami, Fl now living in Alberta, Canada – I’m telling you, I have stories!

I’ll try to keep it short for this introduction because I want you all to stick around and join me for this new adventure! So in a really big nutshell, I started my veterinary journey in Miami, went to vet school in Grand Cayman, did my clinical year at North Carolina State University, completed a small animal rotating internship in Calgary, and now I practice veterinary medicine in, Sherwood Park, Alberta.

It’s been quite the ride and anything but average.

So, how did I get here?

Well, it all started with a love for animals and the idea of being a doctor. I quickly realized though that people were not my thing so the obvious career decision was veterinary medicine. My mom was definitely skeptical and would drop subtle hints or questions like, ‘Are you sure you don’t want to be a human doctor?’ But I knew humans were not for me.

I completed a degree in Biology at Florida International University – ‘Go Panthers!’ and it’s true what they say – THE BEST YEARS!

My college years were probably some of my favorite years, where I met the most amazing friends, did things I never thought I would or could do, and lived life with much less stress, responsibility, and full of adventure! College in Miami… need I say more? And yes, I still lived at home.

While I was trying to figure out if I really wanted to do the thing – leave home and become a veterinarian, I decided the best way to figure it out was to actually work at a vet clinic.

So I did just that.

Country Club Animal Hospital. You still have a special place in my heart.
I was hired as a receptionist, but worked my way to being a vet tech. Thinking back, I actually don’t know how I managed to do that, but I did! And everything I learned at that vet clinic off the corner of Bird Road and 72nd Ave helped me through my journey to vet school and beyond.

The one thing I will say and probably one of the driving factors of me continuing the pursuit of vet school after not being accepted the first time around was someone telling me I couldn’t do it!

Say what?

Yep! I’m that kind of person! Doubt my abilities and I will make it my mission to prove you wrong. Is that a bad thing?

Well, clearly it worked because here we are 17 years later and 12 years as a vet, I did it!

I’ve seen a lot, I’ve learned a lot, I know a lot and I want to share it with you.

I want to educate pet owners with reliable information and explanations of why vets recommend and do the things they do. I want to be your Dr. Google, just more reliable and less full of crap.

Raise your hand if you have ever googled a pet question?

There better be a lot of hands in the air right now. I see you! I know you!

And I get it!

Hell, I have done it too! Lol. But, I know what information I can trust and what is just outright ridiculous.

I want to share with colleagues why work life balance is so important. I want to share thoughts and have conversations with others on how to change veterinary medicine for the better.

I also want to share vet life outside the clinic. Why?

Well, because professionals have lives outside the profession too! We also have struggles, dreams, hobbies, families and friends. We travel and go on adventures and have ‘normal’ lives outside the job.

So I hope you stick around and get to know more about me, about pets, and about veterinary medicine. I’m still figuring it all out too so we can be on this journey together and hopefully make something great of it!

XO Much Love XO,

Mari