Dr. Fisher-Cronkhite is a clinical staff pharmacist in the medication dispensary.
Tell us about your background.
I grew up in Minnesota and fell in love with animals at an early age. Somehow, I convinced my parents to drive me 30 minutes out of the city each week so that I could take riding lessons. I attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for my undergraduate degrees in zoology and psychology. Later I returned to earn my pharmacy degree. I have worked as a veterinary pharmacist at UW-Madison, UIUC (I’m back!), and Oregon State University.
How did you become interested in being a pharmacist?
I fell into pharmacy by accident. At the end of college, I was working in medical records at UW Hospital. I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I graduated, but I was bored with what I was doing. I was able to transfer into a pharmacy technician position and found out that I loved it. I was fascinated at how drugs could affect the body, mind, and other drugs.
After working as a technician for several years, I decided I wanted to pursue my career further and applied to pharmacy school. I found out in my first year that veterinary pharmacy was a viable option. I never looked back after that!
What are your special interests inside or outside the clinic?
I love learning about animal behavior. I’ve been lucky enough to work with and learn from an incredible canine behaviorist in Wisconsin. Outside of the clinic, I love to ride my horse, Brandy, and play with my two dogs, Max and Ella.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
While living in Oregon, I ran the Hood to Coast Relay, a 196-mile course spanning from Mount Hood to the Pacific Ocean, with several friends from my gym. My favorite part was the leg I ran at midnight. It was a surreal experience watching the lights from other runners bob up and down in front of me.
