The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine has recently welcomed many new faculty members to our academic departments, each one bringing a unique set of skills and experience that enriches our college every day. In this Q&A series, you'll get to know their interests, expertise and more.

Dr. Nicole Buote, associate professor of small animal surgery

Q: What drew you to CVM?

A: I was so excited to teach and focus on clinical research. I love collaborating with other specialists and being able to move surgical treatments forward. I want to come up with new minimally invasive techniques to help pets and their families.

Q: What is your clinical area of expertise?

A: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and interventional radiology (IR).

Q: What drew you into this area?

A: I love learning new techniques, and this is an ever-growing field in veterinary medicine. I feel like I can do so much good by decreasing the pain and increasing the efficiency of our surgeries with minimally invasive techniques and IR.

Q: What past professional work are you most proud of?

A: I’m most proud of the fact that I was able to continue to lecture and publish as a private practice clinician. It is very difficult to make the time to write and lecture when you work in private practice, and still be a successful clinician, wife and mom.

Q: What about your clinical work are you most excited about?

A: I’m most excited about continuing my work in IR and MIS. I am focusing on moving our MIS capabilities past cholecystectomy and laparoscopy. I really want to offer every dog and cat a minimally invasive surgery for whatever their problem.

Q: What impacts or applications do you hope to see your work have?

A: I am hoping that my work on robotics will help our students with surgical skills, our patients and clients with less invasive more effective surgeries and human patients by us creating new technologies for different procedures. We have the opportunity to improve pediatric surgery and create new robotic equipment for all procedures.

Q: What clinical questions are you looking to answer next?

A: Surgical robotics: I want to see if we can harness surgical robots for veterinary patients and beyond. Can we come up with new equipment that is more versatile and more cost effective?

Q: What’s something most people don’t know about you?

A: I lived in Japan for three years when I was in elementary school and loved it. Being in a different culture allows you to learn so much!

Q: What’s the best part of being a clinician?

A: Seeing the work that you do actually make a clinical difference. When I see a technique I’ve created or chosen, help a patient and the students and house officers see that difference, I feel great.

Q: What’s the most challenging part?

A: Work-life balance. It is very hard for me to put my work away.

Q: What are the benefits of working at CVM? At Cornell?

A: I love the people here. Everyone really seems to want their colleagues to succeed. I love the access to specialists and to the medical school.

This Q&A also appeared in the Cornell Chronicle.