A Pathway to a Career Goal

***This article first appeared in the Fall 2026 issue of Synergy magazine***

Throughout his academic career, Raffi Miranda was always a non-traditional student, studying part-time while in community college and completing an Animal Science degree at UC Davis. So, it’s not out of the ordinary for him to be on a non-traditional path to veterinary school.

“I worked in small animal patient care at two private practices for three years after college,” said Miranda. “I wanted to work as an animal health technician for a while to see if I really wanted veterinary medicine to be my career.”

Miranda continues his path toward veterinary school by gaining experience in large animal care. Five years ago, he joined the Large Animal Hospital and has proven to be a valuable member of the team. Following technician roles with the Equine Critical Care and Equine Internal Medicine Services, he is now a supervisor in large animal critical care.

“If I am fortunate enough to be accepted to veterinary school, I know what I’ve learned at UC Davis will propel me to be successful,” said Miranda.

In the meantime, he enjoys his career at the hospital and being a go-to person who can be relied on when questions or difficult situations arise.

As a supervisor, some of his responsibilities include guiding students through unfamiliar procedures and training new technicians.

“I like seeing the student’s excitement after successfully placing a catheter for the first time,” Miranda said. “I’m patient as a supervisor and teacher, so I think I have a good temperament for my job.”

Transitioning to a supervisor role was concerning at first because Miranda did not want to be taken away from patient care duties, but he quickly realized there was still plenty of “on the clinic floor” time.

“Raffi is the epitome of a compassionate caregiver and teacher,” said Harmony Lindberg, hospital clinical operations administrator. “His calm, patient demeanor is invaluable to both our patients and students, allowing those in his care to learn and heal to the maximum benefit.”

One of Miranda’s favorite aspects to his job is helping clinicians work up patients and teaching his team how to best support the veterinarians, especially during critical situations in which he thrives.

“Working together with a team to accomplish complex cases is inspiring,” he said. “That only occurs at a place like UC Davis.”

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