Mirror, mirror on the wall, I want to be a veterinarian when I grow tall.? As a second-grader, Dr. Liesl Wheeler wrote those exact words in a simple poem, proving correct in foreshadowing her future career. Growing up near Cincinnati, OH, she possessed an innate fascination and love for all animals, contributing to her desire from the early age of five to pursue a career helping animals.
And with that lifelong goal in mind, Dr. Wheeler attended Ohio State University for both her undergraduate studies in natural resources and later received her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. Upon graduation, the poem reappeared in a frame from her mother accompanying a sketch, also created early in childhood of her as a veterinarian.
Since 1992, Dr. Wheeler has been practicing veterinary medicine at animal hospitals throughout Maryland and Virginia. She started at College Park Animal Hospital and has spent 10 years in emergency care facilities, including Anne Arundel Veterinary Emergency Clinic.