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Story contact: Nicholas Childress, CVMMarCom@missouri.edu
Photos by Karen Clifford
As a college volleyball player, Brooke Lee, DVM, became interested in the mechanics of movement and how orthopedic injuries can affect the body. That interest followed her into veterinary school in Wisconsin, where research with an orthopedic clinician helped cement her decision to pursue the field.
After earning her DVM in 2022, Lee came to the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine for a small animal rotating internship, followed by an orthopedic surgery specialty internship. She ultimately chose to continue her training at Mizzou, where she is now pursuing a small animal surgery residency.
“I knew I wanted to do surgery and quickly realized that I fit in well with the team here,” Lee said. “The hospital culture is a really positive environment, so I took the opportunity to stay at Mizzou.”
Learning and leading
Working across the Veterinary Health Center has given Lee opportunities to learn from clinicians and staff throughout the hospital.
“Everyone in the community has been friendly and willing to educate and help,” she said. “Seeing that throughout my training has translated into how I interact with others and how I try to support the people around me.”
Her approach has not gone unnoticed. Lee Talbott, DVM, DACVIM, an assistant teaching professor who has worked with Lee during her training, has witnessed that growth.
“Dr. Lee supports this hospital tremendously through her discipline, but also through her support of house officers, especially rotating interns,” Talbott said. “She consistently goes above and beyond and does so with a smile.”
Following the example of her mentors
During her time at Mizzou, Lee has become increasingly drawn to a career in academia, influenced in part by mentors who have shown her how teaching, research and clinical practice can come together.
She credits Derek Fox, DVM, PhD, DACVS, orthopedic surgery section head and a professor of small animal orthopedic surgery, as an important influence on her approach to teaching and mentorship.
“He’s been an incredible teacher and has pushed me to be a better surgeon and a better person,” Lee said. “The way he teaches and interacts with those around him has inspired me. He’s a big reason why I want to stay in academia after residency, to continue teaching and help develop the field through research.”
As Lee looks ahead to life after residency, she says the breadth of her training has prepared her well for what comes next.
“The program does a really good job of introducing us to different aspects of surgery,” she said. “The quality of the clinicians and well-established programs have given me confidence as I take the next steps in my career.”