Meet Dr. Courtney Campbell, the Surgeon Taking the Mic at WVC Nashville

Every great show needs someone who can hold the room, and for WVC Nashville, that job belongs to Dr. Courtney Campbell, DVM, DACVS-SA. As the conference's official emcee, Dr. Courtney will be the voice guiding attendees through general sessions, big moments on stage, and everything in between at the brand new Music City Center. If you have spent any time on veterinary social media or watched him on national television, you already know he is exactly the right person for the job.

From Connecticut Backyards to the Operating Room

Dr. Courtney grew up in Burlington, Connecticut, where acres of countryside gave him an early education in the natural world long before he ever picked up a scalpel. That curiosity carried him through the University of Delaware and eventually to Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, where he served as vice president of his class and graduated in 2005. Tuskegee alumni tend to show up in the best places in this profession, and Dr. Courtney is no exception.

From there, he built the kind of resume that veterinary surgery residents dream about. Three one year specialty internships across the country, followed by a three year surgical residency in small animal surgery in Los Angeles, forged the skill set that would eventually make him a board certified veterinary surgeon.

The Founder of Stitches Veterinary Surgery

Today, Dr. Courtney owns and leads Stitches Veterinary Surgery, the first veterinary specialty hospital of its kind in Long Beach, California. Stitches focuses on advanced minimally invasive, orthopedic, and oncologic surgery, and it was built around a simple but increasingly rare idea in this industry: an independent, locally owned practice that answers to its patients and its community rather than a corporate parent.

As veterinary medicine continues its shift toward consolidation, Dr. Courtney has been vocal about recommitting to independence, and Stitches stands as a working example of what that looks like in practice.

The Voice Behind the Vet Coat

What sets Dr. Courtney apart from many of his surgical colleagues is his second career as a media personality. He is a national television veterinary correspondent known for translating complicated medical science into something the average pet owner can actually understand and enjoy, a skill that earned him the Excellence in Journalism award from the Global Pet Expo. He also teaches with the Colorado State University Translational Medicine Institute and partners with blendVET and the Diversify Veterinary Medicine Coalition to open doors for students who do not always see themselves reflected in this profession.

As surgeons, we are trained for precision, control, and expertise, but the most meaningful outcomes come from more than technique alone.

That balance of technical mastery and genuine warmth is exactly why WVC handed him the microphone. An emcee has to keep a room of thousands engaged for four straight days, translate complex science on the fly, and make every attendee feel like they are part of something big. Dr. Courtney has been doing versions of that job on national television for years.

What to Expect in Nashville

Look for Dr. Courtney opening general sessions, introducing keynote speakers, and setting the tone for everything from the NASH BASH to the Tuesday Night Concert. Between his surgical credentials and his ease in front of a camera, he brings a rare combination of credibility and charisma to the stage, and the inaugural WVC Nashville could not have picked a better host to launch its first chapter in Music City.

Dr. Courtney is also no stranger to the Vet Candy family. He hosts Vet Candy Mysteries, where he brings his surgeon's eye for detail and his on camera charisma to unraveling strange and puzzling cases from the world of veterinary medicine. It is the same mix of expertise and entertainment that makes him such a natural fit for the WVC Nashville stage. He was also the lead reporter for Catching Up with Vet Candy and helped cover the COVID-19 story for Vet Candy as it emerged.

Vet Candy will be there covering it all. If you catch Dr. Courtney on stage or around the Music City Center, do not be surprised if our team is right there capturing the moment.

WVC Nashville runs August 15 through 18 at the Music City Center. Find our team on site and let us know if you want to share your own WVC Nashville story.