Veterinary college names Dr. Melinda McCall its 2014 Outstanding Recent Alumna
Dr. Melinda McCall, associate veterinarian at Louisa Veterinary Service in Louisa, Virginia, has been named the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine’s Outstanding Recent Alumna of 2014.
McCall, who grew up on a Glade Spring, Virginia, dairy farm, received her veterinary degree from the college in 2004 after following the food animal medicine track. While in veterinary school, she was the president of the Food Animal Club. Four years prior to that, she graduated from Queens College in Charlotte, North Carolina, now known as Queens University, with a bachelor’s degree in biology.
Currently McCall works as an associate veterinarian at Louisa Veterinary Service in Louisa, Virginia. The practice covers a large area and provides veterinary care for many types of production animals, including beef and dairy cattle, goats, sheep, llamas, alpacas, and pigs.
“Since 2004, Dr. McCall has provided strong leadership among our alumni in mentoring not only our veterinary students, but also youth with an interest in the field,” said Dr. Cyril R. Clarke, dean of the veterinary college. “She also hosts senior students in clerkship rotations in her practice, giving them experience in a high-quality private practice. I congratulate Dr. McCall on her success and thank her for being an outstanding ambassador of our college.”
A staunch supporter of the veterinary college and its programs, McCall is active in the student mentor program, and the students that she mentors consistently praise her interest and inputs into their professional aspirations. She is active in mentoring youth with an interest in the veterinary profession, actively engaging them in her work and instilling excitement about the opportunities available to them. She hosts students in clerkships and speaks with members of the Food Animal Practitioners Club.
“Melinda McCall has a proven track record in excellence in the veterinary profession as evidenced by owning a successful large animal practice in Central Virginia. She is highly regarded by her clients for the quality of her work,” noted Dr. Kevin Pelzer, a professor of production management medicine and epidemiology in the veterinary college’s Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. “All of her activities are done with a combination of warmth, humor, and professionalism that contribute greatly to her success, and have earned her the respect of colleagues and clients alike.”
McCall has been a member of the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association’s Board for four years, is vice president of the Louisa County Agricultural Fair, and is active in promoting agriculture in her community. She also sits on the Extension Leadership Council and talks to many 4-H and young farmer groups in the area. In her spare time, she says she enjoys coaching youth basketball, scuba diving, and anything to do with border collies.
The veterinary college’s Outstanding Recent Alumna Award recognizes recent graduates who have distinguished themselves professionally in their careers since graduation. McCall received her award from Clarke at the Class of 2014 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine graduation ceremony in Blacksburg on May 16.
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