Dr. Michael Zarzosa came to veterinary medicine as a third career. After a lifetime of dreaming about being a rancher and wanting to raise horses, life took him in a different direction. He spent ten years working in telecommunications, and during that time he noticed there was something special about the bond between humans and animals that intrigued him. When, one day, he knew he needed to give, and get, more from life he knew medicine was the only thing that could satisfy both his curiosity and his need for a challenge. And what better challenge than performing medicine on a patient that cannot speak to him at all. A career change late in life is never an easy thing, but fortunately there was plenty of support along the way. He left his job, moved halfway across the country, and started school once again, nearly 20 years after graduating from high school. He eventually moved to southeast Texas for the first part of his education. From there he was off to New York. He finished veterinary school at Cornell University, in Ithaca New York with an interest in equine medicine and surgery. During his time there he also pursued many research interests and finished the course work required for a Masters in Public Health in conjunction with the University of Minnesota. After veterinary school he completed a 1 year internship in large animal medicine and surgery at the University of Tennessee. This internship would eventually be a turning point in his life. During his time at UT, he met Doctors Bailey and McQuiddy and they have a friendship that still stands. Following his internship he spent a brief amount of time in Missouri doing mixed animal medicine during which he realized that there was more good he could do on a regular basis with companion animals. After visiting North Carolina several times, Dr. Zarzosa realized that there was something to be said about the land and the people here and he took a job in Beaufort. After almost 4 years of working there, the opportunity to join his friends in their new endeavor presented itself. He has a special interest in surgery, wound management, and pain management. Dr. Zarzosa lives in Newport with his very animated 3-year-old mixed breed dog Fitzwilliam. If they have spare time, Fitz loves nothing more than chasing a ball, an endeavor he will relentlessly encourage while hanging out with his dad. Consequently, Dr. Z often throws the ball for Fitz, whether he wants to or not. Dr. Zarzosa also enjoys spending his idle time doing woodworking projects, relaxing with friends and enjoying the fruits of North Carolina like fishing, boating, and the beach. In the future he would love to travel and continue to expand his surgical skills and offerings.