Spotlight Series: Dr. Megan Hays

Over the first 18 weeks of the new year, we will be conducting one on one interviews with each of our veterinarians in an effort to help you get to know all of them better! In addition to the interview, they will be posting pictures on our facebook account during their week to share some behind the scenes images of their day to day. We hope you enjoy following along!

Up this week is Megan Hays, VMD. Dr. Hays completed her internship with our practice in 2014. After finishing her internship, Dr. Hays was offered a position as an associate. Since then she has taken an emergency call or two and has started specializing in dentistry.

Q: Tell me about your first meaningful memory with an animal.
A: I grew up in an animal loving family, it’s in my genes! We had dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, a horse, and even a pet squirrel for a period of time! I enjoyed caring for them and tagging along to their vet appointments. My first meaningful memory with an animal in a medical sense would have to be when my third grade teacher brought her three-legged German Shepherd named Tripod into school for show-and-tell. I just thought it was so cool that a dog could live a normal, happy life with three legs!

Q: Do you remember a specific moment when you decided you wanted to be an equine vet?
A: I can be a pretty stubborn person. For a very long time, I was mentally committed to going to medical school. I’d completed summer internships at human hospitals in college, shadowed human physicians, and aligned my educational courses with sights set on med school. I also had a lot of experience with equine veterinarians just by growing up horse crazy, owning my own horse, and working at several barns. To help pay for my horse’s life of luxury while I was in college, I worked weekends at a small animal veterinary hospital in my hometown. For as long as I can remember, my parents told me I’d be a great veterinarian. They even bought me books about how to work in the equine industry when I was in middle school. I always said, “Nope, I’m going to med school.” Even the owner of the small animal hospital encouraged me to go to veterinary school. “No, no, no.” Midway through college, when it came time to sign up for the MCAT (med school admissions test), I had my own light bulb moment. Medicine is medicine, I can practice that on any species. The real question was, who did I want to be practicing medicine on in the middle of the night when I’m tired and the emergency services calls? Horses – duh. So, I applied to vet school instead and the rest is history! (Side note: Like this post if I’ve come out to see your horse in the middle of the night!)

Q: What colleges/universities did you attend? When someone asks “where did you go to school?” what do you tell them?
A: I majored in biochemistry and molecular biology at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA and went on to study veterinary medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA.

Q: Tell me about the animals you own now.
A: I have two Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, Maddie (11, pictured) and Laide (6), who live with my Dad in Pennsylvania. They’re the best dogs you could ever ask for! 

Q: If you weren’t a vet, what would you do for a living?
A: I just purchased my first home last year and have absolutely loved decorating my condo (with the help of lots of HGTV), so I think if I had to choose something it would be an interior designer.

Q: Favorite place you’ve ever traveled to?
A: My family has a timeshare on 7 Mile Beach in Grand Cayman, so that is hands down my favorite vacation spot. I have so many great memories from my time spent there, but swimming in the bioluminescent bay and taking horses swimming in the Caribbean are probably at the top of the list!

Q: Dream vacation?
A: I’m always adding to my travel list, but my top three would have to be an African safari, Switzerland, and Iceland. I just came back from Disney World with my nieces and nephew!