She earned a Ph.D. in the spring, enters as a first-year student in the fall

She is already an author on 15 peer-reviewed, published papers, primarily focused on histotripsy treatment of osteosarcoma in dogs, with another eight papers in submission or preparation.

In four years, members of the Class of 2030 who just entered the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine will hear themselves called “doctor” for the first time.

'26, can already be called “doctor.” Vickers enters the Class of 2030 having earned a Ph.D.

in translational biology, medicine, and health at Virginia Tech, successfully defending her thesis in the spring.

But even with a doctoral degree and so much research success, Vickers’ motivations for seeking a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree are like those of many of her first-year classmates at the veterinary college.

She grew up wanting to be a veterinarian.

“I wanted to be a vet because I love animals,” Vickers said.

I loved animals, and I loved science.” Various factors led Vickers toward a different academic and career path through college and into graduate school, but her life’s journey has led her back to veterinary medicine, starting on the ground floor as a first-year student while also growing an already impressive tower of clinical and research accomplishments.

Vickers is a recipient of three scholarships to help support her veterinary college studies: the Herman and Mildred Corder Scholarship, the Mary Sue Collins Scholarship, and the Maxson Veterinary Medicine Scholarship.

Vickers grew up in Annapolis, Maryland, and studied biology at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania before coming to Virginia Tech expecting to study neuroscience.

Instead, a class connecting incoming students with faculty mentors introduced her to Eli Vlaisavljevich, the Bill and Lavinia Hall Faculty Fellow in biomedical engineering, who was working on a technology that uses focused sound waves to break down tissue inside the body without surgery.

The report adds to ongoing university-led research relevant to veterinary medicine, animal health, and clinical decision-making.

university website: Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine