Veterinarian Overview
Michael Rickwald, DVM, attended the University of CaliforniaDavis for his undergraduate bachelor of science in animal science with a minor in statistics and graduated with high honors. He attended the same university for his doctorate degree in veterinary medicine and graduated as a member of the Phi Zeta honor society. From an early age, he was always eager to help his mother when she cared for the family's animals. As he matured, he remained very interested in animal health and welfare so the field of veterinary medicine seemed like a good fit for a career. While no one experience was the major influence on his decision to become a veterinarian (its just something he always wanted to do), his volunteer experiences shaped his future, as well as an internship at a large referral and emergency hospital in New York City. Dr. Rickwald also credits many amazing and knowledgeable teachers that he had along the way for bringing him to where he is now. Dr. Rickwald comes from a small family in California. He enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, camping, and biking and the indoor hobby of playing video games. Dr. Rickwald has volunteered for Rural Area Veterinary Services (a branch of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association) both as a veterinary student and a veterinarian. He has also worked for the SPCA and volunteered in the past for World Spay Day. Dr. Rickwald and Dr. Dralle met at OPVMC and married in 2015. They have two cats (Walle and Cinderella), two ball python snakes (Mumbles and Tonga), and a Russian tortoise (Cooper).
