Dr. Jay McDonnell is a board-certified veterinary neurologist with more than 25 years of clinical experience.  During this time, he has been a professor and adjunct professor at University of Georgia, University of Pennsylvania, Tufts University, and University of Missouri. He has been on the forefront of establishing neuroimaging (MRI and CT) in veterinary neurology in academia and private practice. He has published and lectured extensively. He recently toured Japan for 10 days giving more than 30 hours of lectures to veterinarians in private practice.  Since 2004, Jay has made his home and neurology practice in Maryland. He has established Veterinary Neurology and Imaging of the Chesapeake as a pre-eminent private practice for the Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware area.  He has continued his work in the definitive treatment of brain and spinal cord tumors, CNS imaging, Chiari malformation and Wobbler’s disease.  He is passionate about watersports, snow sports, hiking, and traveling. On the bay, you may see him E-foiling, so be careful!

Dr. Rucinsky is a graduate of the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, and has been a board certified feline specialist for over 20 years. She has authored multiple guidelines and book chapters, with a heavy emphasis on feline endocrinology. She is the owner of Mid Atlantic Cat Hospital as well as Mid Atlantic Feline Thyroid Center in Queenstown, Maryland. She is also the current President of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. Despite being a frequent speaker on all things cat, Dr. Rucinsky assures everyone that she loves dogs, and is not a crazy cat lady. When not working, she is usually outside hiking or biking, and generally being the typical introverted veterinarian.

James A. Orsini is an Associate Professor of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Orsini received his DVM from Cornell University and completed his internship and surgery residency training at Penn’s New Bolton Center campus and a two-year fellowship/lectureship before joining the faculty. He is board certified in surgery by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) with a special interest and expertise in orthopedics, reconstructive surgery, and laminitis. Dr. Orsini has published extensively on multiple equine subjects including pediatric surgery, antimicrobials, laminitis, gastric ulcers, pain and anti-inflammatory medications and related fields with more than 400 original research, book chapters, abstracts and proceedings publications. He is co-editor of Equine Emergencies with Dr. Nora Grenager, in its fifth edition and co-editor of Comparative Veterinary Anatomy: A Clinical Approach with Drs. Nora Grenager and Alexander de Lahunta. Dr. Orsini’s current research interests are in pain management, understanding the pathophysiology of laminitis, prevention and treatments and pharmacokinetics of antimicrobials and analgesics.

Dr. Amy Polkes is a board certified Equine Internal Medicine specialist. Dr. Polkes received her Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and her degree in Veterinary Medicine from Purdue University. She continued her training at the University of Florida to become board certified in Large Animal Internal Medicine in 2000. She established an equine internal medicine mobile consulting practice, Equine IMED, in 2002 that services Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut. Dr. Polkes has also been working with Antech Diagnostics for 20 year and currently holds the position of Equine Internal Medicine Diagnostic Specialist advising on diagnostic testing for the equine division. Dr. Polkes resides in Maryland with her husband (also a veterinarian specializing in small animal internal medicine), two children and four dogs. She enjoys hiking, biking and skiing and spending time with her family.

Jeff started as a veterinary assistant in general practice in 1995 and began working in ECC in 2004. He became an RVT in 2009 and VTS(ECC) in 2013. Jeff also taught veterinary technician education for 7 years. He has been on the Board of Directors for the California RVT Association for 8 years, serving as President position from 2020-2022, and is now past President. After 4 years in academia at Tufts University, he relocated back to Southern California with his wife and began working for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. He is also a frequent lecturer and speaker with a focus on toxicology. He co-founded the Vet Tech Café podcast with Dave Cowan in 2019, talking about issues that face the veterinary technician profession with leaders in the field, and all of the amazing opportunities of the veterinary technician profession.