photo of a landscape with rolling hills and sunset sky

Summer Internships in Belize - Instructor

Large Animal Science in the Caribbean

Lisa Tell

Instructor Profile Image, UC Davis Internships Abroad Costa Rica

School of Veterinary Medicine

Lisa Tell, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), is the Director of the UC Davis Hummingbird Health and the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (Western Region) Programs. She has been a full-time faculty member with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine since 1994. Dr Tell received her BS and DVM degrees from UC Davis. She did her internship and residency at the National Zoological Park in Washington, DC. She is board certified with the American College of Zoological Medicine and the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (Avian Specialty). From 1994-2006, Dr. Tell was the Chief of Service for the Companion Avian and Exotic Pet Medicine Service at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at UC Davis. During Dr. Tell’s academic career her research has focused on diagnosing and treating infectious avian diseases.

A Message to Students and Parents

"Being an avian/zoological/wildlife veterinarian has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my personal and professional life.  I have had the opportunity to work with some of the most amazing animals and meet some of the most interesting people.  Medically working with non-domestic species to diagnose and treat diseases is always a challenge because less is known about these animals and often you have to do special research of what has been published in the literature or extrapolate from domestic animal species.  Working with students who are getting to experience this exciting field in veterinary medicine for the first time is very rewarding as I get to see experiences through their eyes and vantage points.  I look forward to hearing about their viewpoints and reflections while they are studying abroad."