This summer we sat down with 2021 grad, Dr. Sean Gadson, this year’s White Coat Ceremony Alumni Speaker, to chat about his experience attending UC Davis and what he’s been up to post-graduation.

Tell us about your journey to Vet School and what led you to choose UC Davis?

I grew up in California’s Bay Area, so UC Davis was always my top choice when it came to vet school. I started cleaning kennels when I was fourteen and the veterinarians I met were all Davis graduates. I remember seeing them and thinking they were so confident and knowledgeable. Veterinarians from UC Davis really stood out to me as leaders in the field and I knew if I wanted to follow in their footsteps and be like them, it would make sense to study where they trained.

Do you have any core memories or moments that stood out to you from your time in Vet School here at UC Davis?

I was very involved with leadership as a student. I was Vice President for VBMA (Veterinary Business Management Association) and President for SAVMA (Student American Veterinary Medical Association). One of my core memories was being elected president of our SAVMA chapter. My friends all rallied behind me and were so supportive while I was running for the position. After being elected, I got to do so much traveling and meet students from other schools. I particularly enjoyed going to National Conference and the SAVMA Chapter Summits, especially the last time being able to go at the end of my presidency. I made a bunch of friends and connections and loved getting to see all the other vet school representation. It was neat how in some ways we were all different, but at the same time no matter where you went to school we all had the same passion. As a black man in veterinary school, I used to struggle with a sense of belonging, but travelling and seeing students from diverse backgrounds rally towards the same career gave me a strong sense of being part of something bigger. Like, I belong in this industry.

What path did you take after graduation?

After graduating in 2021, I completed a small animal rotating internship at a specialty hospital up in Loomis. When that was complete my fiancé and I moved to Colorado. She is a doctor (for humans) and we moved out here for her surgical residency. We have since gotten married and I now work as the lead emergency veterinarian for a local clinic. You can imagine how crazy some of the dinner time stories we both get to tell might be!

How would you say your education and involvement with student leadership here shaped your career and led you to the work you are doing now?

Doing ER work can be intimidating because it is very high stakes. At times I felt like, am I smart enough or capable of doing this? My education at UC Davis really helped me build the confidence and knowledgebase to develop who I am as a veterinarian.

I’ll never forget the first time I had a colleague, someone I really looked up to and had mentored me, ask for my thoughts on a case. It was a complex surgical case with other underlying issues that made the patient high risk for surgery and it took me a while to realize the other doctor wasn’t trying to quiz me but actually wanted my opinion on how to make the patient more stable. I started rambling things off to try. It felt like my mouth was moving but I didn’t even process what I was saying. It was so fulfilling to be asked for that kind of advice. I finally felt like a colleague, not a student, and realized that people valued and trusted my knowledge. UC Davis set me up with that foundation. I would never have been able to pursue an internship, practice emergency medicine, or help mentor others without it! Davis made me into the practitioner that I always wanted to be when I was a kid. It’s a great feeling to think your younger self would be proud of you.

That leads well into our last question, which is what are you most proud of in your career?

The thing I am most proud of in my career is the mentorship I get to provide to vet students and new graduates. Transitioning into emergency medicine can be intimidating so I like to find levity and humor where I can. The medical knowledge is great, but the ability to be okay with making mistakes and learning from them is better. Learning this stuff in vet school was much scarier but now I want to make it fun. I love this field and I want others to also start on a good foot so they feel the same way and it isn’t so scary for them. When a new grad is excited and comfortable as we manage a difficult patient or are getting ready to go to surgery, it brings me a lot of personal satisfaction. Like I said, I love this field, and I also want other people to love it!

We are very excited to have Dr. Gadson speak at the White Coat Ceremony coming up on August 15, 2025 and give his words of advice to the incoming Class of 2029. We’d love other alumni to offer their own wisdom to students! Take a moment to write a “White Coat Note” which will go in an incoming student’s pocket to encourage and welcome them. 

Submit a note here.