Ray Ramirez graduated from the University of Illinois in 1986 and jumped right into an emergency practice in Suburban Chicago. After one year, he moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and practiced at an AHAA small animal hospital for 2 1/2 years. Ray then started to do locum tenens (relief) work in 1989 until "I find that right practice to buy". After moving the relief practice to Central Illinois in 1994, he is still doing relief work full time.

I really enjoy helping the best people I know- fellow veterinarians. The ability to use different anesthetics and different drugs are the things I really enjoy about working for so many terrific veterinarians. I stumbled into this, and really enjoy what I do.

When I started doing relief work, I remember setting up my first spreadsheet statement on my blazing fast 8088 computer with a whopping 640K RAM, and 'more hard drive than you'll ever need' of 20 megabytes! My first notebook computer in 91 had two floppy drives so one did not have to swap program and data disks!

Wow have times have changed. I remember buying my first ebay notebook from a seller that had over 10 feedback comments and that was considered a lot!

Besides computers, I also enjoy woodworking, and working on our 100+ year old Queen Anne Style Victorian home. My wife, Kelly, and our children also have enjoyed learning some new techniques about homes.

I truly enjoy VIN for the knowledge that I obtain just by following different discussions, and for the camaraderie from participating in the discussions. Even though I have never met most of the participants from VIN, I truly believe I know these folks like the good colleagues I have met through my locum work.