Guided by compassion, collaboration, and connection, Dr. Michelle (Sanborn) Schack's passion for large animal health and well-being has been at the forefront of her inspirational career as a dairy cattle veterinarian, DairyKind educator, and food safety advocate.

As the esteemed alumni guest speaker during UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s recent White Coat Ceremony, Dr. Schack explained to incoming students that compassion is at the heart of veterinary medicine, collaboration is the foundation of a strong professional network, and fostering connections is essential to building lasting relationships in the veterinary profession.

Dr. Schack grew up in the east bay of California where, led by compassion, she raised guide dogs for the blind. This early passion for animals solidified her interest and desire to attend UC Davis to pursue veterinary medicine. However, during her time in the Animal Science undergraduate program (2007-2011), she developed a love for food animals and production animal medicine which fueled her decision to become a large animal veterinarian. 

While in vet school at UC Davis (2011-2015), Dr. Schack continued her involvement in the large animal space as she participated in the Food Animal Reproduction and Medicine (FARM) club, enjoyed her rotation through the California Animal Health & Food Safety (CAHFS) lab, and spent time at the Tulare Extension Center gaining valuable experience on dairy farms in the local area.

One fond memory she recalls is winning a national contest for a large animal ultrasound machine with her fellow FARM club officers by collaborating to rewrite the lyrics to Katy Perry’s “California Girls” to COWlifornia Girls, where they sang about preg checking cows. They made an impressive music video and the song received major support from the school and community – “we even made it on Good Morning Sacramento!” says Schack. Check out the winning video here.

Upon graduating, Dr. Schack moved to Arizona to join a large dairy practice and work directly with a number of dairy farmers as their herd veterinarian. In this role, she developed a newfound passion for education and a desire to empower people to make informed decisions regarding animal health and well-being. In 2019, she co-found a dairy education company, DairyKind, focused on improving on-farm animal well-being and animal health by providing high quality, veterinarian created, practical training and resources to dairy employees. The company’s program is now being used on dairy farms across the country to aid in employee training and standardization of animal wellness practices. 

Dr. Schack also continues to use her creativity through her online social media platform, DairyDoc, which began in 2021 and now boasts over 380,000 followers on TikTok (@DairyDoc) and 40,000 on Instagram (@Dairy.Doc). Her presence online is aimed at “connecting the disconnect” by educating people about how dairy cows are compassionately cared for on farms and answer the public’s questions around food safety and dairy farming. She has now expanded to public speaking on the topic, sharing her experience at conferences and events. She didn’t grow up in agriculture, so she is “really passionate about helping people understand what goes on on farms and educating people so they can make informed food choices.” 

Dr. Schack credits UC Davis for creating a solid foundation and a network of experts for her, which has allowed her career post-graduation to flourish. She says she still calls old professors and mentors to discuss cases, knowing that UC Davis has a team with great connections and resources to aid her in providing the best care for the animals. She also gives thanks to her husband, two amazing kids and their giant dogs for reminding her of the importance of work-life balance while supporting her multiple endeavors. She says, “in agriculture, it can be intimidating for some women to get started but I've had great mentors and a really strong support system and I'm proud of what I've accomplished.” 

For more information about DairyKind, to have Dr. Schack as a speaker for your organization, or just to get some questioned answered, visit: 

www.michelleschack.com
www.dairykind.com
@DairyDoc on TikTok
@Dairy.Doc on Instagram
Dairy Doc on Facebook