Dr. Theodore Chang
Radiation Oncology Resident
I was born in Florida while my father was completing his Ph.D., and my family returned to South Korea when I was two years old. As a child in South Korea, I enjoyed spending time on my grandfather’s chicken farm, hanging out with a variety of animals. I think that’s where I learned to love animals. I returned to the United States to attend high school in New York on Long Island.
Following undergrad at Boston University, I realized that working with animals made me happy, and I applied to and was accepted into the D.V.M. program at Michigan State University.
During the first week of my rotating internship in Westbury, NY, my family’s 16-year-old Yorkie, Willy, died from prostate cancer. That personal loss fueled my interest in helping pets with cancer and terminal diseases.
Two years later, I’m excited to join the radiation oncology residency program at the Flint Animal Cancer Center. I will be joining FACC as a second-year resident because my program at Purdue University was discontinued. My mentor at Purdue, Dr. Plantenga, who completed her D.V.M. and residency training at CSU, believes FACC will provide the best education and training experience for me, and I agree with her.
I look forward to working alongside the Flint Animal Cancer Center’s experienced faculty and gaining clinical experience to become an expert in the field. After I complete my residency and board certification, I will be the first Korean radiation oncologist in veterinary medicine!
I love spending my free time with my wife and our young daughter. And when I can, I love watching movies at IMAX theater with lots of popcorn. I’ve really missed that since COVID-19.
Right now, I’m not sure if my career will lead to a position in academia or private practice, but I do know that I am committed to fighting cancer until we find a cure!