Veterinarians, nominated and selected by their peers, exemplify leadership and achievement in improving patient outcomes.
dvm360®, the No. 1 multimedia platform in the veterinary industry, announced the 8 winners of their first Veterinary Heroes ™ recognition program on November 16, 2021, including Caeley J. Melmed, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM). The newcomers were honored at a festive gala at Fetch, a dvm360® conference, on December 1, 2021 at the San Diego Convention Center in California.
The Veterinary Heroes ™ program honors those who have made breakthroughs in veterinary medicine. Veterinary leaders are nominated by their peers for their remarkable achievements in improving patient outcomes. A top-class jury from the dvm360® Advisory Board selected a winner in each category who made a measurable difference.
The Veterinary HeroesTM program is sponsored by Nationwide, Merck, Zoetis, Clevor®, Blue Buffalo, NorthStar VETS, and MedVet.
The 2021 Veterinary Heroes ™ program winners will be presented in an 8-part series. Part 6 focuses on internal medicine winner, Caeley J. Melmed, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM).
Melmed is the mobile counseling and referral partner connection for MedVet Dallas, providing mobile counseling and ultrasound services for veterinarians in their area. She both attended veterinary school and completed her residency at Texas A&M University and internship at Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Melmed later worked as an Associate Internist and helped set up the Veterinary Medicine Specialists practice, which merged with MedVet Specialty and Emergency in 2017.
Melmed said she came from a long line of doctors in her family and some of her earliest memories were of being with her father handling emergencies at the hospital after hours. “When my first (and only) treatment lasted 3 hours, it was immediately apparent that my family line of surgical skills had stopped with me,” she said. “Fortunately, my other skills … pave the way to becoming an internist.”
According to her nominees for the award, in addition to being a talented veterinarian, Melmed is a kind and compassionate caregiver. As a referral internist, Melmed performs mobile ultrasound examinations for a community of veterinarians. Their approach to assisting veterinarians with diagnostic and treatment plans in their private practices is well thought out, according to the nominees.
“We tend to see veterinary medicine as an intellectual and educational activity and that is certainly the foundation. But a lot of what we do is based on subtle observation and good instinct, ”says Melmed.
Melmed lives with her husband and children on a farm with 40 animals. In addition to looking after animals, she likes to travel around the world with her backpack, including through the rainforests of Nicaragua and camping in Jordan. “My mission is to lower the bar during our travels so that we can all be thankful for once again [modern conveniences],” She said.