Most of you know Dr. Melissa White as one of the caring, detailed doctors at our Main Street location. In her first year, she has cemented herself as the acupuncture pro and one of the best pet dentists on our staff.
As she celebrates her inaugural year at NAH, Dr. White took some time to sit down with our Marketing Coordinator, Olivia, to reflect on life as a veterinarian, what it took to get here, and what it means to truly help the world around you:
Olivia: Dr. White, you care for every patient as if they are your own. What is your earliest memory of a pet in your life?
Dr. White: The earliest memory of a pet that I have is of a black lab named Duchess that my parents had when I was very young. One time, my older sister (who was still a young child at the time), tried to follow Duchess when she got loose from the yard and got lost and gave my parents a good scare!
O: Is there something about you that most people do not know, but would be surprised to hear?
MW: On a couple of occasions, I have endured 100-mile bike rides that took about 7-8 hours each. They were each a little miserable but also very rewarding.
O: If you could go back and have five minutes with your ‘younger self’, how would you use that time, or what would you say?
MW: I think I would tell myself not to be so hard on myself. I have always been my own worst critic and although that may have helped motivate me to get here, I probably could have been a little easier on myself at times!
O: How do you want the world to be different because YOU lived in it?
MW: I just want people to see that being nice to others is not that hard. Sometimes there is a lot of unnecessary hostility in the world and I think that it does not take much to just be a nice person.
O: When you find yourself with a sudden amount of free time unexpectedly, how do
you spend it?
MW: I try to spend my free time doing outdoor activities like boating and swimming. Lately I also have been trying to cherish my time with my chihuahua Jade who has developed some health issues. She is the light of my life.
O: Thank you so much for your interview! We always end it with a favorite quote. What is yours?
MW: “It makes a big difference in your life when you stay positive.” – Ellen DeGeneres