From growing up a 3-block walk to the San Francisco Zoo and going on “stroller safaris” with her family, to becoming a Board-Certified Specialist in Zoological Medicine™, Dr. Daniela Yuschenkoff’s career has recently come full circle. It was a proud moment for Dr. Yuschenkoff finding out she had passed the rigorous, 2-day exam. After over 3 years of preparation and 6 weeks of serious studying, she claimed that those two days were the “smartest I’ll ever be!”

Daniela credits fond memories of going to the zoo as a youngster as what led to her passion. She began volunteering at just 12-years old and continued to do so all throughout high school, assisting in the San Francisco Zoo’s Animal Ambassador Program and their wildlife theater shows in the summer. Daniela always wanted to work with animals, however, her desire to become a veterinarian originated much later, in college. Since she didn’t grow up with pets at home, a career in veterinary medicine never occurred to her as a child. Though once she became more involved in research, she found she missed working hands-on with animals, and knew that veterinary medicine could combine both of her interests. 

Upon deciding to pursue a veterinary career with a zoological medicine focus, Dr. Yuschenkoff recalls knowing that UC Davis would be the school for her. Not only was it back in California and close to home, UC Davis was known for having one of the best zoo veterinary tracks in the country. The most key moments for Daniela during her 4-year DVM program occurred during her 3^rd year clinical rotation where she was able to take strictly zoo related courses and learn about anatomy, physiology, and unique medicine of non-domestic species. She claims that those 10 weeks were her backbone. “Everything I learned in veterinary school in domestic species is the foundation of what I now do on a daily basis,” she says. "You just apply it a little differently to zoo animals, but ultimately, good medicine is good medicine, regardless of species.” Daniela acknowledged professors Dr. Ray Wack (now retired) and Dr. Jenessa Gjeltema for their mentorship, guidance, and expertise throughout her time at UC Davis.

In her 4^th year at UC Davis, Daniela participated in various externships with the Sacramento Zoo, San Francisco Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park. She specifically remembers having the unique opportunity to perform surgery on a tortoise at the San Francisco Zoo who she had also worked with during her volunteer days back in high school. After graduation, Daniela furthered her training with a rotating internship, a specialty internship at the Phoenix Zoo, and eventually landed at the Oklahoma City Zoo for her residency. It was here that she had the opportunity to work with one of her favorite animals, a Sumatran tiger, Lola, who Daniela worked with throughout her pregnancy, building trust to perform regular abdominal ultrasounds under behavioral restraint. She explained that “watching the Lion King on repeat while growing up was a fundamental influence in my life, and from that experience working with big cats, the Oklahoma City Zoo stole my heart!” After just a few months, she hoped this would be her forever home. That dream came true when an associate veterinarian position came open at the zoo towards the end of her residency, and Daniela was thrilled to take it.

Daniela had one additional dream – becoming board certified. Alongside her clinical responsibilities as a resident, she devoted her time preparing for the prestigious exam. According to Dr. Yuschenkoff, “the three years leading up to the exam are the most important.” She compiled a vast reading list from over a dozen textbooks and numerous academic journals and articles which she then organized and summarized to ensure the material was easier to digest. The six weeks prior to the exam were when “I really got down to business,” claims Daniela. During her study leave, she studied for 6 days a week, 12 hours a day, 600-1200 practice questions in the morning and afternoons spent diving deeper into a specific taxa or topic. “I did give myself a day off each week, but still often studied at a café on those days.” The energy she poured into the exam did pay off in the end as Dr. Yuschenkoff passed the exam and became a Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine, which has fewer than 350 specialists worldwide. 

So, what’s next for Daniela? Achieving her lifelong dream marks the start of a new chapter. While she is excited to continue the clinical case work and research she is doing at the Oklahoma City Zoo, she is even more excited to now be on the training and teaching side. Daniela is currently training a new resident at the Zoo and she claims “she always wanted to teach and enhance the standards of animal care by preparing others for their future in zoo medicine.” This opportunity to mentor moving forward allows her to do just that!

Find more information on Dr. Yuschenkoff’s story via her blog and a press release from @okczoo on her certification.