Equine Clinicians

Our Clinicians

The University of Minnesota Equine Center (UMEC) boasts the largest group of board–certified specialists in the region: all staff and faculty members are required to be board certified, and all residents are working toward that professional certification.

Along with their doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) and Masters or doctor of philosophy (PhD) degrees, board-certified staff are recognizable by additional initials such as Diplomate American College Veterinary Internal Medicine (DACVIM), Diplomate American College Veterinary Surgery (DACVS) or Diplomate American College of Theriogenology DACVT). UMEC has board certified specialists in the fields of internal medicine, surgery, reproduction radiology, clinical pathology, pathology, ophthalmology and more.

Board-certified veterinary staff means better care for your horse because our clinicians have greater depth of study in specialized areas. To become board certified requires a residency training program, experience with a specific number of and type of cases and grueling exams with failure rates as high as 40 to 50 percent. Of a veterinary graduating class of 100, one or two might achieve board certification. Thus the only place there are people with this level of training is a university hospital or exclusive specialty hospital.

Board-certified veterinarians keep current on all the latest scientific and clinical literature, must demonstrate the ability to research and publish scientific papers and they maintain an international network of board-certified highly specialized contacts who can be consulted on difficult issues.

For example, the University had a foal in the clinic for five weeks suffering from severe respiratory distress. The case was highly unusual and the foal was only partially responsive to conventional treatment. UMEC staff contacted a board-certified faculty member at Kansas State University who does research on respiratory disease. She mentioned yet-to-be-published results on a bacteria that could cause these symptoms. She gave them ideas on how to diagnose and treat this respiratory infection. They followed her advice and found the answer. Then UMEC staff then contacted another DACVIM who does research in pharmacology. He supplied other ideas about how to select an antibiotic and best deliver it to treat this highly resistant infection. The foal was treated using an inhaler to introduce antibiotics directly into her lungs.

That is what UMEC clients and their horses cannot get anywhere else: the most up to date information from the best in the world. If UMEC staff can’t solve the problem, they know those who can. Together, they will figure it out.

Equine Medicine Internists
DR. STEPHANIE VALBERG , DIRECTOR Specialist in equine muscle diseases, especially PSSM and RER, equine neurology, genetics in horses and exercise physiology of horses. (More...)
	Dr. Valberg with Brooke
DR. MARY DURANDO Specialis in ultrasound, cardiology and internal medicine (More...)
	Dr. Mary Durando
DR. MOLLY MCCUE Dr. Molly Mc Cue is board certified in large animal medicine by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine . (More...)
	Dr. Molly McCue
DR. CHRISTIE WARD Specialist in respiratory and immune mediated diseases found in horses. Specialist in equine ultrasound and cardiology as related to horses. (More...)
	Dr Ward with Teddy
DR. JULIE WILSON Specialist in diseases of foals, infectious disease of horses, and gastrointestinal disease of horses. (More...)
	Dr. Wilson
Equine Reproduction Specialists
DR. SCOTT MADILL Specialist in all aspects of equine reproduction. (More...)
	Dr. Madill with Rooster
Equine Surgeons
DR. NICOLAS ERNST Specialist in equine surgery and lameness, joint diseases and orthopedics. (More )
	Dr. Ernst
DR. ERIN MALONE Specialist in equine emergency care, arthritis in horses, equine colic, and urogenital surgery for horses. (More...)
	Dr. Malone with Dixie
DR. MICKY TRENT Specialist in soft tissue surgery for horses with an emphasis on equine wound management, and minimally invasive surgery for horses. (More ...)
	Dr. Trent with Hercules
DR. TROY TRUMBLE Specialist in lameness evaluation and treatment and arthritis in horses. (More ...)
	Dr. Trumble