Biography
California
M.S. in Infectious Diseases and Global Health’24
Health and Human Sciences
University of Southern California, 2023
Why did you choose to pursue this degree, and why did you choose Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine to pursue this degree?
Hello everyone! My name is Dina Gallacher, and I was born and raised in Northern California. I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Southern California in 2023 and I am thrilled to start the next chapter of my academic career at Tufts University! During my time at USC, I discovered my passion for veterinary medicine and began working with both large and small animals. I spent ample time volunteering on the medical team at a shelter in Los Angeles, where I treated sick cats and kittens so that they could be adopted out to their forever homes. I also managed the equine athletes and competed with the USC Equestrian Team during my undergraduate career. I was immediately drawn to the MS-IDGH program at Tufts because I wanted to become more knowledgeable in the field of zoonotic infectious disease, which is a prevalent topic in veterinary medicine. While my experience with infectious disease is somewhat limited, I am excited to learn more through this program and hope to be able to share my newfound knowledge with others throughout my future career. Outside of academics, I am an avid equestrian and absolutely love competing and spending time with horses. I am also owned by two cats: a Sphynx named Kona and a Devon Rex named Ronin. I am looking forward to an exciting year at Tufts!
What are your career goals after completing the program?
Following my completion of the MS-IDGH program, I plan on applying to veterinary school so that I can fulfill my lifelong dream of working with animals and educating people.