Dr. Melanie Mokos
While growing up on the south side of Chicago, Dr. Melanie Mokos realized that she loved animals, science, and helping people. Veterinary Medicine was an obvious career path and she thought of doing nothing else since the age of 4. After getting her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the Loyola University of Chicago, she entered the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. She graduated in 1984 with her DVM degree.
The first 2 years after graduation, she was employed in private practice in the Chicago area. In 1986, she accepted a position at the Anti-Cruelty Society of Chicago and found a calling in shelter medicine. While employed at the shelter, she performed hundreds of spays and neuters, treated the pets of private owners in the low-income based clinic, and cared for the homeless animals. In 1992, she was promoted to the Chief Veterinarian of the shelter. In 1995, after 9 wonderful and challenging years, she made the difficult decision to pursue other opportunities in veterinary medicine. However, she remains committed to promoting the plight of homeless animals and has a deep respect for those who continue to work daily in a shelter or rescue organization.
For the next 6 years, Dr. Mokos worked as a relief veterinarian in the Chicago area and practiced at over 30 clinics. This allowed her exposure to a variety of practice ideas and styles. From 2001 until April of 2012, she has practiced emergency medicine exclusively. From 2005 until 2008, she was the Medical Director of a high volume, well-established emergency practice in the Chicago suburbs. The last 2 years, she was employed at the Veterinary Specialty Care in Mt. Pleasant, working closely with the specialists in surgery, internal medicine, cardiology, and oncology. In the spring of 2012, she realized her lifelong dream of owning her own clinic. Her varied career path allows her to practice a high-quality medicine coupled with a tremendous respect for the bond between pets and their owners and the impact that animals have in our lives. She considers herself lucky to work with animals on a daily basis and also call it a “job”.
In 2009, Dr. Mokos left the snowy winter wonderland known as Chicago for kinder, gentler weather. Although she misses Chicago pizza and the Cubs, she feels at home in the warmth of South Carolina. She resides in North Charleston with her 6 furry friends – 2 dogs and 4 cats. In her spare time, she enjoys swimming, biking, long walks and reading.
Dr. Meredith Borakove
Dr. Borakove was born on Long Island and had a love of animals and science from a very early age. She knew she wanted to work with animals so she became an assistant at a veterinary clinic during the summers while she majored in Biology at the University of Pennsylvania. She continued on at the University of Pennsylvania’s vet school and graduated in 2001 ready to go into the world of small animal medicine. She worked for 10 years at a small animal hospital in Alexandria, Virginia, where she got a lot of great experience with medicine, surgery, and dentistry.
In 2011, she moved to Charleston, drawn here by the warm weather, beaches, friendly people and delicious food! Dr. Borakove started filling in at various veterinary practices and also was able to fulfill her interest in studying acupuncture, after a positive experience having her cat’s back pain treated with that modality. She began studies at the Chi Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine in Florida, where she became certified in Small Animal Acupuncture in 2014 and then became a certified Veterinary Chinese Herbalist in 2017. Dr. Borakove now splits her time between filling in at a couple of veterinary clinics in the Charleston area and treating dogs and cats in their home with Chinese herbs and acupuncture. She has a 1 yr old pointer mix and 4 cats who keep her very busy. She also enjoys traveling, watching movies, eating out and going to the beach.
Dr. Caroline Conrad, DVM CVA
Dr. Conrad grew up in Georgia and knew from an early age she wanted to work with animals. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia in Biological Sciences and a minor in Genetics in 2008. She attended Louisiana State Veterinary School and graduated in 2013. From there, she went on to complete a primary emergency rotating internship at the Regional Veterinary Referral Center in Springfield Virginia.
After working exclusively in emergency medicine for 4 and ½ years, both as a solo overnight doctor and as a part of a specialty hospital team, Dr. Conrad became a relief doctor (like a substitute teacher but for veterinarians) and works mostly around Charleston in general practice, emergency, and house call practices. She became certified in small animal veterinary acupuncture in 2018 and enjoys practicing integrative medicine. Dr. Conrad and her husband love living in Charleston and near the beach with their 5 cats and 3 dogs. Dr. Conrad also enjoys running, reading, and traveling in her spare time.