Dr. Melissa Esser received her doctorate from Oregon State University and subsequently completed a private practice internship at Littleton Equine Medical Center in Colorado and an internal medicine fellowship Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington Kentucky. She returned to Oregon State University to complete an internal medicine residency and became board certified in 2015.

Prior to joining the faculty at Michigan State, Dr. Esser spent a short time at the University of Minnesota, and came to MSU in 2016 where she primarily occupies a role educating residents and veterinary students.