Unlike other veterinarians who had their careers planned out by age five, Dr. Monica Lee's earliest aspiration were to be an astronaut. Growing up, she found happiness and fulfillment while volunteering at an animal shelter and working with people that enjoy animal companionship.

After completing her bachelor's degree at Seoul National University in South Korea, Dr. Lee had an opportunity to work alongside several veterinarians, both in a shelter and general clinical setting. She enjoyed the hands-on approach that veterinary medicine offers.

In 2016, she received her veterinarian degree from Royal Veterinary College, University of London in England, and moved back to Orange County shortly thereafter. Dr. Lee felt very fortunate to have such amazing mentors in both England and California. They instilled in her that veterinary medicine is about listening and having genuine empathy as much as it is about perfecting clinical skills. Dr. Lee finds that being able to ease the pain of an animal during their owner's most trying times is the most rewarding part of being a veterinarian.