Dr Valerie Fournier is a 2007 graduate of Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. While there, she started a dual degree in public health, graduating in 2009 with a masters in public health (disaster preparedness/emergency response) from the University of Minnesota.
Immediately after graduating Dr Val began working in small animal emergency medicine and she has practiced small animal emergency medicine nearly exclusively since graduating. Dr Val worked all over Southeast and Northern Michigan at various 24 hour hospitals, learning new things at each. In 2017, she packed up her 2 Pittie mixes, Saaz and Cascade, and headed west to California. After a short stint in non clinical work, she found she missed the pace of the ER too much, and began doing relief at area hospitals. She is an active member of CAVMRC, having deployed to several wildfires in the past few years.
Professionally, her areas of interest include infectious/zoonotic disease, pain/anxiety management, and teaching. One of her favorite things is to mentor veterinary students and new graduates, and recently she got to have a very proud moment when a mentee she'd known since high school graduated with her doctorate.
Dr Val and her husband, also a veterinarian, have 3 dogs between them now. The oldest is a 15+ (yes, really) Bassett mix named Cali who keeps the Pitties in line! They spend as much time outdoors as possible, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and enjoying all that Northern California has to offer.