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Dr. Terri Rinke is a veterinarian who graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 1982. She ran a mixed animal practice at Beldenville Veterinary Service in Pierce County, Wisconsin beginning in 1990. She has recently retired from practicing veterinary medicine. 

In this Interview, Rinke discusses the challenges she faced entering vet school and large animal practice as a woman during a time when women were not as welcome in the veterinary world. She shares the challenges she faced practicing large animal medicine while pregnant, and opening and operating a mixed practice clinic while also being a mother. Lastly, she discusses the changes in large animal practice, and changes in veterinary practice due to the COVID pandemic. 

Interviewed by Mari Kuennen, on February 1, 2025 during the annual Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association conference.

Full Oral History Interview, Transcript Attached.

Terri Rinke Oral History Interview Clips:

First Job as a Large Animal Vet

Working as a Large Animal Vet while Pregnant (attached):

Well, it was challenging, especially the last one [kid], because by then I had my own set
of clients, you know, and I was supposed to go out and do things. And the one dairy client that I had that particular year, he had, he wasn't a real big dairy. He had like 40 or 45 cows, but he had like 5 DAs. And by the time the fifth one came around, I was, let's see, she was born in April, I think I was probably like 8 months, seven or eight months pregnant. And I couldn't bend over to shave the underneath side of the—the cow. And so I handed him the clipper and he didn't even know I was pregnant, and he got, he was a little upset with me. He said, you know, he's paying for this service and why couldn't I, you know, clip the cow down below. And, but it was all fine because later on he figured out I was pregnant, [laughs] he apologized.

Changes in Large Animal Medicine 

Veterinary Practice During the Covid 19 Pandemic 

Contact the Minnesota Veterinary Museum for more information