Dr. Regina Hayburn, D.V.M.
Medical Oncology Intern
I grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and spent nearly every weekend volunteering at the local cat shelter. I instantly fell in love with all the older cats that no one wanted to adopt. Unfortunately, very few of them actually liked me.
I graduated from Boston College with a B.S. in Biochemistry in 2013. By my junior year of college, I knew I wanted to pursue a career where I could work with animals full-time. I applied to veterinary schools and was accepted to the University of Florida. I graduated from the DVM program in 2018. After vet school, I completed a rotating internship at the Premier Veterinary Group in Chicago.
It was during veterinary school that I got my first real taste of veterinary oncology. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I’m fascinated by the study of cancer and I thrive on coming up with creative treatment options to prolong and improve pets’ lives.
I didn’t have to work in oncology long to also realize it’s a good fit for my personality as well. I am a very positive and upbeat person, which is how I approach all of my clients. I think pet owners appreciate this because it helps them get through stressful diagnoses a bit easier.
After this internship, I was ready to learn as much as I could about veterinary oncology. I completed an oncology internship at Michigan State University and then spent one year in the Texas A&M University oncology internship program.
The Flint Animal Cancer Center has such a strong reputation for teaching such strong oncologists, so when an opportunity arose to study here, I took it. I’m a Medical Oncology Resident and I spend my day seeing new cases in the clinic and rechecking existing patients.
The best part of my job is that I am truly able to make a difference in my patients and their owners’ lives. It is so rewarding to give people viable options when others have told them there are no other options left.
My husband and I enjoy living in Colorado. We love to hike and find new trails. I’m a big Philadelphia sports fan and watch as often as my schedule allows. As avid pet lovers, it’s no surprise that we have a whole zoo at home. Percy is our toy poodle; Oliver is an English bulldog that we do agility training with. Millie is a Newfoundland and Kreacher is our domestic medium-haired cat.
After my residency at The Flint Animal Cancer Center, I would love to work in an integrated oncology service at a university.