Dr. Mitchell Kornet:

I became a veterinarian because of my love of animals and the challenge of making their lives better. When I was 13 years old, my pet hamster became sick, and my visit to our local veterinarian transformed my life. From that time on, I did everything in my power to become a veterinarian. I went to a high school that had special programs in agriculture and worked on dairy farms during my summer vacations. My college years were marked with intense studying. My hard work paid off as it allowed me to follow a career path that I had long dreamed of.

I earned a Bachelor of Science degree at Cornell University and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at Cornell in 1979. 

I came to Mid Island Animal Hospital in 1981 and became its director in 1983. I have worked throughout the years to expand the services that the hospital provides. 

I enjoy all facets of veterinary medicine from internal medicine, surgery and dentistry. In recent years we have added laparoscopic surgery to the services that we offer. I strive to provide the highest quality of medicine for my patients through persistent hard work. Mid Island Animal Hospital has a comprehensive continuing education program that allows its doctors to stay on the cutting edge of veterinary medicine.

My years at Mid Island Animal Hospital have allowed me to grow and serve the community in many ways. In 1993 I engaged in clinical research and helped field test a new drug for Addison's Disease, and adrenal gland disorder. The results were published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and in Current Veterinary Therapy. 

In 1998 I became a member of the Long Island Veterinary Medical Association's Disaster Preparedness Committee. Little did we know that we would be put to the test on September 11, 2001. Suddenly I found myself part of a team responsible for sending veterinarians and assistants to ground zero at the World Trade Center site on a daily basis to care for the search and rescue dogs. We arranged for 24 hour care for the service dogs. This became my "second job" until November 3, 2001. In December 2001 I received the award of Veterinarian of the Year from the Long Island Veterinary Medical Association for my service during this critical period in history. 

I have served my alma mater, Cornell University, in many leadership positions.  Currently I am honored to be the chairman of the Dean's Advisory Council for the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.  The council serves as an external advisory group for the dean of the College and to support the College through advice, advocacy, access and support. I also have served  Cornell University by leading the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni Association. I was a board member from 2001 and President from 2007 until 2008. Cornell University has afforded me a lifetime of opportunities and I enjoy helping others attain their goals. In November of 2012 I was honored as an Outstanding Alumni Award winner  by the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (http://cals.cornell.edu/get-involved/alumni/leadership-and-recognition/oaa/mitchell-kornet/)

Throughout the years I have invited a variety of community groups to Mid Island Animal Hospital to learn about veterinary medicine and the care of animals. We have opened our doors to nursery school groups, Brownie troops, hearing impaired students, and high school students. We are proud to educate our youth. 

At Mid Island Animal Hospital we have a rapidly growing list of students who come to shadow us and were later accepted to the finest veterinary colleges. Several of the students have come back to us to train, and some have even joined our staff. One of my passions is inspiring and mentoring students interested in veterinary medicine.  My support of students has been recognized in Veterinary Legacy, a blog written by Dean Emeritus Donald Smith of Cornell University.  The blog describes my path to becoming a veterinarian and my involvement with students (http://veterinarylegacy.blogspot.com/2011/10/dr-mitch-kornet-and-tradition-of.html)

After practicing over 30 years, I am as excited and enthusiastic about veterinary medicine as ever. In fact, I am never on time for work, I always get there early. It is my privilege to be a veterinarian.

Dr. Mary Raciti:

They say that the purpose of life is to have a life with purpose.  I knew from a very young age that my purpose was to help animals through a career as a veterinarian.

My love of animals prompted me to attend John Bowne High School as an agriculture major.  During this time I devoted my summers to working on dairy farms and volunteering at animal hospitals.

I received my Associate Degree in Agriculture at Farmingdale University and a Bachelor of Science Degree at Cornell University.  In 1995, I proudly received my Doctorate Degree at the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University.

To further enhance my knowledge and skills as a veterinarian, I also completed a comprehensive one year internship program in small animal medicine and surgery at The Animal Medical Center in New York City.  During this time I worked on specialty services including oncology, dentistry, exotics, gastrointestinal and respiratory medicine.

In July of 1996, I started working at Mid Island Animal Hospital and have been here ever since.  My attraction to this particular hospital is the wonderful and caring staff, and the common goal of striving to achieve the highest quality of medicine, surgery, and dentistry.  We all take pride in our work and it shows through the eyes of the animals we care for.

Dr. Barbara Crosio:

I have always loved animals, and my heart has always gone out to animals that are sick or injured. While becoming a veterinarian had always been on my mind, my interest in the arts took over at a young age, and my dream of helping animals as a veterinarian was put aside for many years. Later in life, while earning a Bachelor of Science degree at Marymount Manhattan College, I began thinking again about becoming a veterinarian, and hoped that the opportunity had not passed me by. I majored in biology, volunteered at a local animal hospital and at the Prospect Park Zoo, and was accepted into the College of Veterinary Medicine at the Ohio State University in 2004.

Living in the Midwest, I was impressed with the variety of relationships between animals and people. Growing up on Long Island, I only really knew about companion animals. In Ohio, many of our clients were farmers who depended on the health of their animals to survive. Owners of horses, donkeys, llamas and alpacas proved to be people devoted to the health and well being of these animals. My own interests tend toward smaller species. I have a particular love of cats, and am a member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners. 

A native of Hicksville, I was glad to return after veterinary school, and felt very fortunate to be offered a position at Mid Island. My family have been clients for 30 years, and Dr. Kornet was an early supporter of my decision to become a veterinarian, offering me a job as an assistant before I started school and during breaks.

Helping animals is a rewarding and challenging job - our patients stretch my knowledge and teach me new things each day. I feel privileged to be working with such a great group of doctors and the wonderful support staff at Mid Island and to be part of the lives of our clients and patients.

Dr. Sandra Wu

Growing up allergic to anything with fur, I knew from a young age that I wanted to become a veterinarian. I guess I have always liked a challenge. Despite my parents’ urging to follow a different path, I followed that desire to Cornell University for my undergraduate studies and ultimately earned my veterinary degree in 1998. Finally learning how animals lived and how to help them when they were ill was a dream come true during veterinary school.

Although I grew up in a suburb in South Jersey, I truly enjoyed my time in upstate New York. Upon graduating from veterinary school, I took a position in a small rural animal hospital in western New York with an outstanding mentor who excelled in medicine and surgery. By sharing emergency calls with my boss, we provided 24 hour service to our clients. Although it was an exhausting few years, the experience set the foundation upon which I developed my veterinary skills. I learned to truly enjoy surgery and the artistry often required to perform it.

Leaving Western New York, I came to Long Island with my husband and practiced at a veterinary hospital in Nassau County for several years. We made a short move to Connecticut, where I worked in an extensive network of veterinary clinics and emergency hospital. I thoroughly enjoyed being part of a large collaboration of veterinarians and helped to revive the local New Haven Veterinary Medical Association while I was there.

Soon we returned to the Long Island area, as I had been converted into a New Yorker and missed the variety of food, entertainment and culture that only New York can offer. I rejoined my original hospital to practice several more years. Always eager to learn new facets of veterinary medicine, I enjoyed collaborating on cases with other veterinarians and expanded my knowledge base on stress free handling of pets.

I recently joined Mid Island Animal Hospital as I have known Dr. Kornet since the first time I moved to Long Island and have always highly respected his hospital. I am excited and proud to be joining a highly collaborative group of doctors and staff.

Dr. Kathleen Wieman

As far back as I can remember, I have always loved animals and enjoyed learning about them. Early on, I considered becoming a biologist, but my subconscious must have been repeating “become a veterinarian”, because when I was 14 years old, I told my parents that I wanted to be a veterinarian.

I volunteered at a local small animal hospital for as many hours as I was allowed during the summer and holidays, and I attended a local college in the summer, taking courses that I hoped would help my chances of becoming a veterinarian. I continued working in animal hospitals throughout my college career, attending Wellesley College in Massachusetts, where I graduated in 1988 with degrees in both Biology and English.

I then attended the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University, and after four hard years of studying, I was very proud to receive my Doctorate degree in 1992.
I interviewed at several hospitals in the Northeast, eventually deciding to start my career on Long Island, where I was born and my family still lived. I was very fortunate to spend my first ten years with two mentors who gave me valuable experience in both medicine and surgery. I was even more fortunate to meet my future husband (who has nothing to do with veterinary medicine, but loves animals) during this time.

Eventually, I decided to “expand my horizons”, joining Mid Island Animal Hospital in 2002, and I have been here ever since. In the past 18 years, my husband and I had a wonderful son and multiple pets, currently being owned by one cat, Shadow, who has enough personality for 5 cats.
As I read this bio, amazed that it has been 18 years, I realize how fortunate I am to be part of Mid Island, where the caring and knowledgeable staff and doctors have made it such a great place to work and help animals and their owners.