At Stone Ridge Veterinary Medical Center of Conroe, we consider ourselves one big family, and our patients and clients are part of that group. We love welcoming new additions into the fold, and we’re delighted to introduce Dr. Mary Stocks to our community. One of the newest veterinarians at our hospital, Dr. Stocks is originally from Mobile, Alabama, but her heart resides in the rolling Tennessee hills. Fortunately, a move from Nashville, Tennessee, last year brought her to College Station. Let’s learn a little more about Dr. Stocks and her background, so we can welcome her and make her feel at home.

The road to veterinary medicine

Dr. Stocks has always loved animals—as shown by her Beanie Babies collection—but committing to a career before college was too difficult. During her undergrad years, Dr. Stocks majored in microbiology because she loved science, and considered going to medical school or working in a hospital laboratory. However, after completing job-shadow requirements in those interests, she realized she was incredibly bored, and again was not sure what she wanted to do. 

After completing her freshman year, Dr. Stocks spent the summer working as a kennel/veterinary assistant at a local veterinary clinic to fulfill her need to be around animals. At the clinic, Dr. Stocks saw action-packed veterinary medicine, and found herself wanting to figure out why their patients were sick and how to help them feel better. What she found most appealing were the wide case variety, and the adrenaline rush as she juggled all the necessary tasks to reach a diagnosis, while catering to the unique, specific needs of patients and clients. By the end of the summer, Dr. Stocks was hooked, and she set her sights on the new goal of becoming a veterinarian. 

Arrival at Stone Ridge

Although Dr. Stocks loves the Great Smoky Mountains, her husband’s job required them to relocate to Texas. In July 2020, she began looking for a job that fit all her needs, including great mentorship, a collaborative team environment, diagnostic tools, high caseload, and work-life balance. Our hospital was the only one to check all the boxes.

Despite being new to our community, Dr. Stocks knows she made the right career choice. Her favorite part of her job is the people she gets to work with. “The veterinary field attracts some of the most selfless, hardworking, intelligent, and hilarious people—you have to have a sense of humor in this line of work. I find so much inspiration in working with team members who often have a lot on their plate, and I see them be such humble and compassionate servants to clients and their pets,” she says. She is grateful that the veterinary field forces her to practice communication, empathy, and critical thinking, making her a better person.   

Human and pet home life

At home, Dr. Stocks and her husband care for two dachshunds, Max and Gilligan. Max is a lovable, clingy, food-obsessed, red dachshund who was a senior foster failure. Gilligan is a temperamental, selective, squeaker-destroyer, piebald dachshund who helped Dr. Stokes get through veterinary school. 

Dr. Stocks met her husband, Christian, in veterinary school, and says he is one of the most patient and selfless people she knows. Christian is also a veterinarian, and a resident at Texas A&M, where he is pursuing his board-certification in radiation oncology.

Personality revealed

A huge Taylor Swift fan, Dr. Stocks will long debate the talents of T-Swift, whom she considers one of the best lyricists of all time. She also enjoys a wide variety of other artists, with early 2000s music her favorite. And, she can play a mean bassoon, so maybe she’ll get to jam with Taylor Swift someday.

In her free time, Dr. Stocks delights in traveling to cities not far from a national park or natural land area. She gets the best of both worlds by exploring a fun city for a day, and then enjoying a nice hike and finding a place to hang her hammock the next day. She recently explored the San Antonio missions with her husband, and then they headed to Enchanted Rock near Fredericksburg.

Dr. Stocks has an extensive list of goals she’d like to achieve, which include:

  • Growing, learning, and maturing as a person, wife, friend, and veterinarian
  • Traveling to Waco, Texas, to visit the Silos
  • Seeing her first and only Taylor Swift concert on her farewell tour
  • Being a Survivor contestant and winning $1 million
  • Becoming proficient at making sushi

When you bring your pet to Stone Ridge Veterinary Medical Center of Conroe, we treat you like family. And, now that Dr. Stocks is part of our team, our family has grown. We hope you enjoyed “meeting” her—at your pet’s next visit, you can sneak in a debate about Taylor Swift. Give us a call to schedule your furry pal’s appointment.