About

Dr. Denise Pham was born and raised in Southern California to Vietnamese immigrant parents. She always wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as she remembers and jokes that she came out of the womb with this goal. Surprisingly, she never grew up with any animals because she was not allowed to, so she adopted her very first dog, Tyberius (for her fellow Star Trek fans, he was named after the great James Kirk), while in college. After finishing her degree at UC Davis in the midst of the pandemic (and with an online graduation ceremony), she started her internship with the hopes of becoming a surgeon. However, she soon realized her passion and skill for emergency medicine. Dr. Pham is ecstatic to be working along the incredible team at VSH North County.

Dr. Pham lives with her sister, her cat Barnaby, and their husky Kira in beautiful Del Mar. Her passions include traveling (most recent destinations were Sardegna and Croatia), working out, hiking, trying new things (surfing, kite surfing, anything out of her comfort zone!), eating but not necessarily cooking, and sitting down with a great novel. The most important things to her in life are her family (she has a huge family with over 40 cousins that she’s very close to), laughter and optimism, her animals, and making the most out of her time in this world.

Education

UC San Diego - B.S. Physiology and Neuroscience

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine - Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine

California Veterinary Specialists, Carlsbad - 1 Year Rotating Internship

Barnaby the Cat

My cat Barnaby is the cutest and craziest little blue short hair I've ever met. His 4AM routine includes knocking multiple pictures over, hardcore parkour around the house, and pouncing onto my head while I'm sleeping. He always prefers to chirp and "brrrrp" instead of meow, he inhales food rather than eats it, and his best friend/sister Kira, the husky, can hardly tolerate his antics most days. He is a huge light in my life and my favorite snuggle buddy. My favorite thing about Barnaby are his toe beans.