After graduation from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Mellema completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Following a year in small animal private practice, she did a four-year residency in radiology at UC Davis and became board certified in veterinary radiology in 2000. She spent seven years as a staff radiologist at Angell AMC in Boston. She currently lives in Davis with her husband and two sons.