Dr. Abimbola Oshin’s path to becoming a board-certified veterinary surgeon is characterized by dogged persistence. After earning his veterinary degree in his native Nigeria, he worked in general practice for a few years, then moved into academia, teaching surgery at the University of Ibadan.
With higher aspirations, however, he aimed to become a Diplomate in Veterinary Surgery in the U.S. – the ultimate level of expertise. The next step was to complete an internship, so he moved to England and worked in general practice to establish himself there, then was accepted into a small animal rotating internship at London’s Royal Veterinary College.
Next, he took a leap of faith and applied for another internship in the United States; he was accepted at Long Island Veterinary Specialists where he completed another year-long program in general medicine and surgery.
Following his internships, he applied for the very competitive and limited surgical residency positions but didn’t match with any programs. Undeterred, he began calling U.S. universities to see if they had any last-minute openings. His persistence paid off; he was offered a residency at the University of Illinois. Unfortunately, it was an unpaid position.
To help him achieve his dream, Dr. Oshin’s wife remained in London, working as a pharmacist to support him while he completed the first two years of residency training (during which time he also earned a master of science degree in clinical veterinary medicine). His third year was undertaken at a private practice in Nashville, where his wife finally could join him.
Upon completion of his residency, Dr. Oshin sat for his board exams in veterinary surgery and in 2008 was awarded the distinguished Diplomate status in this specialty – the culmination of his long-held dream.
Now board-certified and recognized as a small animal surgery specialist in both North America and Europe, he remained at the Nashville practice where he met Dr. Keith Curcio. The two men decided to open their own practice in the northern suburbs of Atlanta because it was an area in which they both wanted to live and raise their families – and there was no other veterinary specialty practice in the region. NGVS opened its doors in 2009, and today is one of the most successful and respected practices of its kind.
His wife, Bunmi, a pharmacist, was born and raised in London, England. They have three sons. Dr. Oshin enjoys outdoor activities, especially playing team sports.