This article was originally printed in the Nov/Dec 2025 issue of the California Veterinarian magazine.

Dr. Ethan McEnroe serves on the CVMA’s Board of Governors as the at-large Early Career DVM governor. If you are a veterinarian less than seven years removed from veterinary school graduation, Dr. McEnroe is your representative to the Board of Governors! To relay your thoughts to Dr. McEnroe, you may contact him at emcenroe@cvma.net.

Where do you currently work?
I own and practice at PetMed Urgent Care in San Luis Obispo, and I just launched Cerro Alto Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Hospital in San Luis Obispo, which opened in September.

What kind of veterinary medicine do you practice?
Emergency medicine and surgery.

What was your favorite thing about Bakersfield, where you grew up?
The close-knit community and access to outdoor spaces. I’ve always loved being able to spend time outside.

Where did you graduate from?
I received my BS degree in animal science from Chico State in 2013 and my DVM degree from UC Davis in 2018.

What inspired you to become a veterinarian?
A lifelong passion for animals and science, combined with a desire to make a difference in both animal and human lives.

What are your hobbies?
I enjoy golfing, traveling, conformation dog shows, backpacking, and spending time outdoors with family.

Do you have any pets? If so, what are their names?
We have two dogs, Monty (13-year-old Labrador) and Pebbles (14-year-old Border Collie), and three cats, Aspen (10 years old), Olive (seven years old), and Mile (one year old). We also have two Quarter Horses: TJ (29 years old) and Sandman (10 years old).

Do you have a family?
My wife Amanda and our daughter Madeline.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Fortune favors the bold. Be bold!

Why did you get involved in organized veterinary medicine?
To give back to the profession, strengthen the veterinary community, and ensure veterinarians have a strong voice in shaping the future of the field.

What’s your favorite thing about being a veterinarian?
Helping pets and their families during critical times and making a tangible difference in outcomes.

What’s your least favorite part?
Seeing cases where financial or resource limitations prevent optimal care.

What are you proud of achieving this year?
Bringing Cerro Alto Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Hospital from concept to near-opening, hiring a great team, and establishing strong community relationships.

What place do you want to visit most?
Italy’s Amalfi Coast, where I proposed to my wife. We haven’t been back since.

What’s the smallest thing for which you’re grateful?
Quiet mornings on my patio with a coffee.

What do you still want to learn how to do in veterinary medicine?
Emergency critical care/ICU patient care—the reason I’m participating in the Donald G. Low/CVMA Clinical Veterinary Medical Academy at UC Davis in emergency and critical care.

What do you want people to know about the CVMA and organized veterinary medicine?
The CVMA is a community that supports veterinarians at every stage of their careers, advocates for the profession, and helps ensure the future of veterinary medicine is strong and sustainable.

“I got involved in organized veterinary medicine to give back to the profession, strengthen the veterinary community, and ensure veterinarians have a strong voice in shaping the future of the field.”