The University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center (VHC) recently welcomed several new faculty members:
Wendy Karnia
Wendy Karnia, DVM, joins the Veterinary Health Center as a clinical instructor in small animal emergency and critical care. She received a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a doctor of veterinary medicine from the University of Illinois. She completed a small animal rotating medicine and surgery internship at VCA Aurora Animal Hospital in Aurora, Illinois. Karnia was born and raised in Chicago, and would like to add, “Go, Cubs!”
What she will do
“I will be working in the Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care Department. I enjoy the fast pace and diversity of cases.”
On becoming a veterinarian
“While growing up I wanted to be a physician like my parents, grandparents and brother. At the same time, I was animal crazy — I had dogs, reptiles, birds, rodents, all sorts of animals. Part way through my undergraduate studies, it clicked that veterinary medicine was my niche.”
When she is not at work
“I love spending time with my family. My husband, a first-year resident in the radiology department, and I have a 4-month-old son, Luke, who takes up all our spare time. We love spending time outdoors exploring Columbia with our Jack Russell terriers, Stella and Milo.”
In her own words
“It is an incredible opportunity to work at the University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center. The field is constantly evolving and changing, and I am so excited to be surrounded by — and learning from — the very best specialists, researchers and students.
“I look forward to working with the students. Their drive to learn and their excitement for cases is contagious. My biggest challenge is a product of what I most look forward to — learning what teaching methods are most effective for the students.”
Katie O’Brien
Katie O’Brien, DVM, returns to MU’s VHC as a clinical instructor in small animal emergency and critical care. O’Brien received a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a doctor of veterinary medicine from Mizzou.
What she will do
“My primary focus is emergency medicine. I will still manage critically ill patients in the hospital, but our residents in emergency and critical care tend to do that, so I will focus more on the emergency cases that come in. That’s my passion; it’s my favorite part of veterinary medicine. You never know what is going to walk in the door, and that is what keeps it exciting. I have been doing solely emergency medicine for six-and-a-half years now, and I love it! Giving up all the nights and holidays and weekends is never fun, but it is absolutely worth it. I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.”
On becoming a veterinarian
“When I was growing up, we always had a house full of animals — mostly dogs and occasionally a cat. I was always exposed to animals, and was raised with love and respect for them. I am sure it is typical to say, but this is absolutely where my love for animals began. I guess I figured out during my junior and senior years of high school that being a veterinarian was what I wanted to do; that guided me toward what path to take in college — I received my bachelor’s degree in animal sciences. I always liked science, specifically biology; that’s where I always excelled — that, combined with my love for animals, led me to veterinary medicine.”
She is definitely a dog person
“Dogs are my passion. I think they are amazing companions. My own dog has been a constant in my life, and has gotten me through some very difficult times. I do like cats, but they can be a challenge when it comes to veterinary medicine. They do weird things, especially when they are sick, and figuring them out can be like attempting to piece together a challenging puzzle.
“I’m a crazy German shepherd lover. I think they are a special breed. I have two of them, Harley and Skylar, who are both older ladies — 8 and 12 years, respectively. They really are sweet, loyal, well-behaved girls and I cannot imagine my life without them. I will most definitely always have at least one German shepherd in the family.”
When she is not at work
“I have a 9-month-old son, Jackson, who currently consumes all of my free time. Other than that, I love to go to wineries with friends and family, I love going to the zoo with Jackson, watching Mizzou football games, and I love grilling at home — more like watching my husband grill. My husband and I are homebodies. We both love hanging out with family and just relaxing. We also love trying new restaurants, going to the movies, and if we had it our way, we would go somewhere on vacation —probably Mexico — every few months!”
In her own words
“This is my dream job. I moved across the country for it. I’ve told my husband for years now, that if I could have my dream job it would be to teach veterinary students. I have never been at a job where, after six weeks or so, I can already tell I love it and it’s where I want to be forever. This is exactly what I wanted to do and I am already happier than I have ever been.
“I’m having so much fun, and the kicker is that I’m learning so much. With so many colleagues in a variety of specialties, I already feel that I have learned so much in the short time that I have been here. It is a wonderful support system and an amazing environment. I am proud to call this home.”
Brian Shoemake
Brian Shoemake, DVM, MS, joins the CVM as a clinical instructor in food animal medicine. He will primarily work with third-year and fourth-year students during their clinical training, along with some didactic lecture time. Shoemake earned his doctor of veterinary medicine from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine at Knoxville. At Mizzou, he completed a residency in Food Animal Internal and Production Medicine and a master’s degree focusing on bovine respiratory disease.
What he will do
“I will work at the Veterinary Health Center (VHC) Food Animal Ambulatory Service. A big part of what the food animal section does is interact with our Missouri cattlemen.”
Shoemake is experienced in working with producers, having spent three years in mixed-animal private practice in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama before coming to the CVM for a residency.
On becoming a veterinarian
“I grew up on a farm near Franklin, Tennessee. I was originally terrified of cattle, but being around them and taking care of them, it became second nature. Eventually, I realized I wanted to become a veterinarian. I’m interested in all ruminants, but especially beef cattle. Small ruminants are becoming more interesting every day.”
In his own words
“I knew I wanted to work on animals and teach students. I work to make animal lives better, human lives better, and try to make sure that the students learn something new every time I have contact with them. Collaborating with other researchers, helping to get their projects done, is part of that ‘helping animals, helping clients, teaching students.’ I appreciate the opportunity to work with the primary investigators that need help getting samples collected or maybe need a different way of working with or handling animals.“
Owen Skinner
Owen Skinner comes to MU from Great Britain and Florida. A clinical instructor of small animal surgery, Skinner specializes in surgical oncology with a particular interest in assessment and management of lymph node metastasis.
Skinner, holds a BVSc — the British version of a DVM — with internships at Northwest Surgeons in Cheshire, United Kingdom, and the University of Florida. He completed a residency at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom, and is a diplomate, ECVS. He received the Mark S. Bloomberg Memorial Resident Research Award at the 2014 World Veterinary Orthopedic Congress.
Coming to America
“Home is the United Kingdom, specifically Sherborne, Dorset, these days.”
What he will do
“In addition to teaching and research, I’ll be building a new clinical section within the hospital. The oncology group already has a great reputation for research and the links with the medical school provide fantastic opportunities for collaboration. The biggest challenge is probably going to be keeping clinics and research running smoothly together.”
On becoming a veterinarian
“I decided I wanted to be a vet when I was 13. I had finished my exams for my next school but most of my peers still had a few weeks to go. I was interested in medicine but as I was too young to visit a hospital, I visited the village vet and on the first day decided that was a much better course.”
When he is not at work
“When not working, I play the guitar, exercise and read.”
In his own words
“I’m honestly very excited to be working with a fantastic group of colleagues from both oncology and small animal surgery.”
Leon Tu
Leon Tu, DVM, joins the CVM as a clinical instructor in community practice and shelter medicine. Tu grew up in Torrance, California. He earned a bachelor of arts in English from Amherst College in western Massachusetts, a doctor of veterinary medicine from the University of California at Davis, and he completed an internship in San Diego before moving to Columbia in 2016.
On becoming a veterinarian
“I did not know I wanted to be a veterinarian until relatively late. I always enjoyed writing, but ultimately decided I did not want to make it a career.
“I always wanted a dog as a kid, but was not permitted to have one. When I was 16, one of my friends’ dog had a litter and I decided to see what would happen if I just brought a puppy home. My mom screamed and slammed the door. It turns out she had a legitimate phobia of dogs. When I left for college, she found the courage to become the dog’s caretaker. Over time, they became inseparable. Seeing the joy that animal companionship brought to my mom helped guide me to a career with animals when I was figuring out what to do with my life.”
When he is not at work
“I ran a marathon a few years ago as a personal challenge, and I haven’t stopped. I have completed 15 now, and am aiming to run one in each state. I actually do not enjoy the running so much as using it as an excuse to visit new places. I’m also a big baseball fan and root for my hometown Dodgers, so it’s tough being alone in Cardinals territory. I really like Busch Stadium, however.”
In his own words
“I am excited and honored to be able to impact the education of new veterinarians. I worked hard to obtain skills that I will do my best to pass on, while looking forward to learning new skills from colleagues at Mizzou who are leaders in their fields.
“It is immensely humbling to share a department with Dr. Amie Burling, who inspires me every day with her dedication to student learning and improving the state of animal welfare here in Missouri.
“I am thrilled to be a part of the CVM. I was fortunate to have the guidance of skilled, patient and compassionate instructors along my journey. I aim to serve in that role as best as I can for our students. The challenge is finding enough hours in the day to match the many things I’d like to do. Between developing new course material, staying current on new research, and considering ways to grow and refine our program, I will never be lacking for a next step.”
