Dr. Johnson’s involvement with
animals began early, when, at the age of 4, she was thrown from a
Shetland Pony at the county fair. She was hooked! Despite remaining
involved with all kinds of animals growing up in Texas, her pathway to
veterinary medicine took a circuitous route. After starting as a
scholarship student in Piano Performance at TCU (go Frogs!) and
graduating with a BS in Medical Technology, she worked as a Medical
Technologist in human medicine for two years. Some soul searching led
to her decision to go back to school to pursue a career that combined
her interest in medicine with her love of animals. She graduated from
Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine in 1990.
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I think one of the most influential factors that molds our approach as a veterinarian is our personal experience with our own pets. |
“I
think one of the most influential factors that molds our approach as a
veterinarian is our personal experience with our own pets”,
says Dr. Johnson. “When I was in vet school, my constant
companion, a dachshund mutt named Molly, developed a cancerous tumor.
Although I had numerous specialists available to me, their advice was
mixed, and the decision to amputate her leg with only 10% chance of
success was an excruciating choice that I made alone. Having been
through such crises with my own animals creates a great deal of empathy
for others who are agonizing over similar difficult decisions. By the
way, Molly was cured and lived another eight years as a happy tripod.
Hindsight is always 20/20!”