Veterinarian Overview
Some career paths are planned and followed from an early age. Others, like Dr. Pettigrews, are fortunate discoveries that occur during the pursuit of another goal. Dr. Pettigrew studied political science at UC-Berkeley, and as an undergraduate did not consider going to veterinary school. A few years after earning his undergraduate degree he enrolled at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, intending to use this experience as a stepping-stone for a graduate school program in animal behavior. Instead, he realized his love and aptitude for clinical work outweighed his research ambitions, and his career course changed. After earning his DVM in 2000, Dr. Pettigrew completed small animal, surgery and neurology/neurosurgery internships from 2001 to 2004. He then participated in a one-year research program at UC-San Diegos Comparative Neuromuscular Laboratory before moving to the University of Wisconsin for a residency in neurology/neurosurgery and a teaching position at the universitys veterinary medical teaching hospital.
