2022 Fall Conference - Speakers

Dr. Kristin MacDonald earned her doctorate of veterinary medicine in 1998 from Auburn University, and then completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Michigan State University in 1999. She finished a residency in veterinary cardiology at University of California, Davis in 2001 and became a board-certified veterinary cardiologist in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2002. She continued her education by earning a PhD at UC Davis Comparative Pathology graduate group in September 2005 on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Maine Coon cats, and the effects of ACE inhibitors. Dr. MacDonald taught on faculty at UC Davis for a year, and then became the clinical cardiologist at the VCA Animal Care Center of Sonoma County in Rohnert Park, CA, where she continues to have a busy cardiology practice. Living in Northern California, she enjoys the perks of good food, wine, skiing and being mom of two daughters and two cats.

Dr. Courtney Smith is a veterinary cardiologist working in Los Angeles, CA. She graduated from Oregon State University Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, where she developed a love of cardiology and alpacas. After training at a large specialty hospital in San Diego, she traveled north back to Oregon State University where she obtained a Master of Science degree and completed a comprehensive cardiology residency. Dr. Smith moved to Los Angeles shortly after her residency and has enjoyed working with a large well-educated referral community. In addition to her two-legged family members, she shares her home with two sphynx cat sisters and a great Pyrenees puppy.