I've always wanted to be a veterinarian. I used to do everything from raising frogs and monitoring them very scientifically -- or so I thought -- to catching snakes in my backyard and making my mom scream. I had a dog, cat, and a pony when I was growing up and was very lucky to be near so many animals.

I grew up on the San Francisco Bay area and had an opportunity to spend a part of my summer in Seattle helping my aunt who was a veterinary technician. I watched surgeries and looked after the patients there all summer, and it only deepened my love of veterinary medicine.

The interesting part of the story is that, through a series of circumstances, I didn't go into veterinary medicine right away. I graduated from college and ended up in the advertising field. After ten years in advertising, I felt I needed to do something else. When we had an advertising crisis, we ran out like we were in the emergency room. If I was going to be this stressed out, I thought that I might as well be in an actual emergency room!

I started volunteering at some of the local animal shelters and the marine mammal center, taking care of seals and sea lions. I applied to the University of California –Davis and four years later I graduated as a veterinarian in my mid-thirties.

I was fortunate to have many mentors who got me started on the AVMA path. As I was heading into my senior year, my state representatives were really involved in the AVMA and asked me to join. From legislative activities to following bills, and helping in disaster preparedness, the AVMA had so much to offer. I felt like I could help by utilizing the advertising skills I had developed. I feel very proud to be a member of the AVMA because of everything they do for the profession.

While volunteering on my first council at the AVMA, I received AVMA NewsBytes, a daily summary of animal health related news stories. It was a great resource for all veterinarians who wanted to stay abreast of the latest news in veterinary and human medicine. Since then, I've opted in for: SmartBriefs, JAVMA NewsBulletin, AVMA@Work, AVMA Advocate, Access PAC, Health Newsbytes, and CEO Standard. All of these newsletters have been very helpful to me.

E-NEWSLETTERS
The AVMA offers eleven e-newsletters to help you stay informed on topics important to you. For Dr. Bransford, these e-newsletters are an important way for her to stay current on animal health news and developments in organized veterinary medicine.