Dr. Melissa Dudley was born in Dover, NH and attended the University of New Hampshire, graduating with her Bachelor’s degree in zoology in 1988. After UNH she attended the University of Minnesota where she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1992. She completed a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston in 1993. Having developed a passion for surgery she continued her education with a surgical residency from the University of Illinois in 1997 obtaining her board certification in surgery.

During her residency, Dr. Dudley’s research was primarily in the biology and management of complex orthopedic injuries, including fracture management and joint pathology. She also had a special interest in surgical oncology.