Dr. Kat Doerr and her two dogs.
Native Floridian and UF alumna Katherine Doerr, D.V.M., (’10), has gone pretty far in following her career and life goals — all the way to Santa Cruz, California. But her heart is still in Florida as a proud member of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine’s Dean’s Circle of Excellence.
Growing up near Cocoa Beach, Florida, Doerr loved surfing and water sports and had always wanted to become a veterinarian. Even before high school, she volunteered at local veterinary hospitals.
“I was that girl,” laughed Doerr. “I loved animals and wanted to become a veterinarian since elementary school.”
At Florida Southern College, while earning a bachelor’s degree in biology, in addition to volunteering with big cat rescue and an animal hospital, she also took an interest in environmental remediation. Doerr worked summers with environmental engineers at NASA, assisting with research on PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, industrial chemicals that were banned in 1979 in the United States. The researchers were investigating ways to convert the toxic chemical residues into harmless compounds.
Graduating magna cum Laude from Florida Southern with a minor in chemistry, Doerr was excited to receive her UF College of Veterinary Medicine acceptance letter in 2006 and looked forward to becoming an official Vet Med Gator and attending football games.
Doerr credits the mentorship of two UF professors who helped shape her future path in leadership and in dermatology. Jim Thompson, D.V.M., Ph.D. (’81), an executive associate dean, guided her through the admission process as a prospective student, and later joined her and another classmate attending the Veterinary Leadership Experience.. Thompson now serves as dean of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. Rosanna Marsella, D..VM., Ph.D., a professor of small animal clinical sciences who specializes in veterinary dermatology, trained and inspired Doerr’s passion in the field.
Doerr was her class valedictorian and received her doctor of veterinary medicine degree from UF in 2010. Marking her graduation, she joined the Dean’s Circle with a $5,000 pledge. Today, she is on her way to doubling that commitment, and at age 32, she is the youngest Dean’s Circle Leadership member.
Following her graduation from UF, Doerr accepted an internship at the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania where she developed her skills in internal medicine, surgery and emergency care. Her interest remained drawn to any dermatological conditions encountered, as animals suffering from skin conditions may have hair loss and sores that can affect the human-animal bond, in some cases, leading to abandonment. This compelling reason fueled Doerr’s interest in caring for cat, dog and horse dermatological diseases.
“It’s so rewarding when we are successful with treatments and the owner-pet bond is fully restored,” said Doerr. “When the patients return for a follow-up visit, I am so happy to see owners holding and petting their dog or cat again.”
Following her internship, Doerr was eager to begin a two-year dermatology residency at UC Davis’ William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. As she gained more training, becoming board-certified to specialize in veterinary dermatology, she found herself building a new life in California.
While in Davis, she met her husband, Lucas Siegfried, who was a graduate student in environmental engineering. In addition to her love of beaches and surfing, he introduced her to backpacking and mountain biking to persuade her to stay in California. The couple moved to Santa Cruz, almost four years ago, to start their new careers and lives together, visiting family and friends in Florida when possible.
Doerr, enjoying her California work-life balance, joined Dermatology for Animals, a veterinary practice specializing in companion animal dermatology and allergy. Each week, she sees patients in nearby Aptos, California and travels almost an hour north to their Campbell clinic outside of San Jose. Doerr believes it was the education, training and early mentoring she received at UF that set her course for a career doing what she loves most.
“I feel blessed to have had the experience and high-quality training while at UF, along with having such great classmates and colleagues,” said Doerr. “Being able to give back, even a little bit, to support future veterinary students is how I try to say ‘thank you’ to all who gave so much time and guidance to me.”
