Meet the Team: Emily Waggoner, DVM

Emily Waggoner serves as the Veterinarian for the CVM ambulatory service, which is the college’s mobile large animal vet service treating farm animals in the area. Her focus will be serving Clemson’s cattle and sheep herds while growing the ambulatory practice for future teaching purposes.

“The Clemson College of Veterinary Medicine’s ambulatory service’s goal is to provide high quality veterinary services and support to the Clemson farms while simultaneously providing hands-on, real world learning experiences to students,” said Waggoner. “Our goal is to not only care for the animals on the farms, but to also help train the next generation of large animal veterinarians to serve South Carolina and beyond.”

Waggoner developed her love for animals while growing up on her family’s dairy farm in Tennessee.  She moved to South Carolina and graduated from Clemson University’s Animal and Veterinary Science Department.  She then received her DVM from the University of Georgia.  After graduation, she returned to the Clemson area to start her own large animal ambulatory practice.  In 2018, she became the food animal veterinarian for Clemson University, caring for the animals on Clemson’s farms.

“To many people, a veterinarian is much more than simply a doctor for their animals.  As members of this profession, we wear many hats such as forming connections with our clients to not only care for the animals but also to help the owners be more successful, efficient, and profitable in their farming operations.  Veterinarians are an important part of the community.  Seeing your clients’ success is often one of the more rewarding aspects of veterinary medicine.”

Waggoner hopes to make a meaningful impact on the students that come through the CVM by imparting real-world knowledge applied in clinical situations, and she hopes to give them the support and tools they need to be successful in their careers.

“I am looking forward to seeing the new college of veterinary medicine built from the ground up.  I am also excited to share the knowledge I have gained so far in my career with future DVMs. Growing up on a dairy farm, I saw firsthand the importance of the relationship between farmers and veterinarians.  There was a shortage of vets in our area, and I wanted to help bridge that gap for the benefit of my own animals and other producers in the area.”