Each year, Thrive Pet Healthcare extends World Veterinary Day, celebrated annually on April 29, into a full week, befitting the extraordinary impact veterinary caregivers bring to people and pets.
We had a chance to visit with Dr. Adriana Odachowski, a Colombia native who received her veterinary education in Bogota before immigrating to the United States and earning her Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates certification.
Today, Dr. Odachowski is a Thriver and Medical Director at St. Francis Pet Care Center – Tarpon Springs, a Thrive Partner in Florida. She resides in Lutz, FL with her husband and two rescue dogs, and hosts her own podcast, Creature Covenant with Dr. Adriana. She also frequently co-hosts the biggest pet radio show in the country, Talkin’ Pets with Jon Patch, makes guest appearances on Ultrasound WMNF 88.5 FM Tampa, and maintains an active blog at creaturecovenant.com.
“When I was born, my grandfather gave me a horse and a heifer,” laughs Dr. Adriana Odachowski. “One of my earliest, earliest memories is horseback riding with my grandfather, who was a cattleman.”
From that early start, Dr. Adriana says that becoming a veterinarian was in her DNA.
“I’m not the first vet in my family – there’s one that I have knowledge of who practiced in the 1800s, and my dad is also a veterinarian.”
A native Colombian, she began pursuing her passion for vet med early on, without a second thought, ultimately navigating the challenging process of becoming certified to practice veterinary medicine in the U.S. and fulfilling her dream.
In the mid-90’s, Dr. Adriana enrolled in the veterinary program at Universidad Nacional de Colombia, a large, traditional public university established in the 1800s.
“It’s very competitive to get into because it’s public and everybody wants to go there. In Colombia, you pay your tuition based on where you live and your family income, and everybody pays differently. It’s essentially based on merit so that everybody has the same opportunity, and you have to pass a very difficult test to get in.”
Once admitted, the veterinary program is a five-year program, with students going from high school straight into veterinary school. “That can be a little bit intimidating – you need to have really good bases in your science, chemistry, math, biology, and all that, because you go straight from high school to seeing biochemistry and biophysics.”
The grueling nature of the program meant that students could easily get burned out, but it also ensured those who stayed in the program were 100% committed to the veterinary profession.
“There is a lot of support in the states for veterinary students; everything is designed to help you be successful and there’s a lot more concern for your wellbeing and mental health. I didn’t have that when I was in vet school in Colombia, but if I look back at that experience, I see it with a great deal of respect and love. I appreciate the good, the bad, and the ugly, because it really shaped me into what I am today. It gave me some tough skin, too.”
Moving to the United States was always in the back of Dr. Adriana’s mind – “I feel like if there’s any country in the world that gives you opportunity, it’s the U.S.”
At the same time, there was a lot of turmoil and political unrest in the early 2000s in Colombia, something that also factored into her decision to relocate. “Especially for those of us who started in large animal, we had to go visit farms and it was very dangerous to go to certain places.”
Once her decision was made, Dr. Adriana took action. First, she attended the English program at Mercer University in Georgia, seeking the full U.S. college experience. Then, she moved to Tampa, where she began the process of sorting out her immigration status.
To be able to practice in the U.S., she then had to complete an Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) certification program, which includes proof of graduation from an AVMA ECFVG-listed veterinary school, an English language assessment, and evaluations of clinical veterinary science knowledge and hands-on medical skills.
She enrolled in the University of Florida’s ECFVG program, enjoying the opportunity to rotate through different specialties, before her time in the program was ultimately cut short due to family responsibilities. Instead, she pursued the Clinical Proficiency Exam (CPE).
“It was very nerve wracking because they ask you all about all the aspects of veterinary medicine – all the disciplines, all the species.”
Dr. Adriana was thrilled to earn her ECFVG certification in 2005. Today, she leads a team as Medical Director at Saint Francis Pet Care Center - Tarpon Springs and stays active in her spare time serving as president of the Hillsborough County Veterinary Medical Association, among other industry organizations, as well as being an active podcaster, blogger, and radio personality.
Dr. Adriana’s deep connection to the human-animal bond also inspired her to create
Creature Covenant, a movement to “elevate humankind through the sacred bond we share with animals.”
“As a veterinarian, I can see the connection that people have with their pets and how unique it is. They’re pure love, and they accept us just the way we are. It makes me more human, more compassionate, and more in tune with the client because I deeply, deeply understand that connection that they have. I feel like the more we’re connected with animals, the better humans we are.”
She cites the strength of the human-animal bond as rooted in American culture — “The opportunities that I’ve had here in the United States compared to Colombia are exponential. I’ve been able to fulfill my goal of becoming a veterinarian to beyond what I ever dreamt it could be.”
Now a seasoned veterinary leader, Dr. Adriana's words of advice for new graduates and young veterinarians are to always stay connected with their “why” and, when overwhelmed, to embrace the present moment and take a minute to stop, breathe, and reach out to somebody – to act before it’s too late and they experience burnout, or worse.
“I’m very happy to be a part of Thrive, because we take that very seriously here,” she says.
For our part, we’re incredibly happy to have Dr. Adriana within our team member community and to celebrate her story as we honor all the dedicated veterinarians across our network, this World Veterinary Week and beyond.
