Dr. Beckford has only known to have animals as a part of her life. She grew up with many family dogs, and her Grandfather was a farmer in her home country of Jamaica. As a girl, she looked forward to summers spent caring for the farm’s goats, cows, and chickens. She also volunteered at local shelters and Animal Clinics on the island. She started her Veterinary career in animal husbandry, interning at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. She cared for a variety of exotic animals including lions, tigers and yes, bears. There, she had the opportunity shadow Veterinarians at work and discovered her passion for medicine. It is no surprise, as her father is a Physician and her mother, a Dentist.
Dr. Beckford earned her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology in 2012 from the College of Wooster in Ohio. Then, earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from St. George’s University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, Grenada, in 2017. She completed her General Practice and Emergency Medicine Internship here at Columbia Pike Animal Hospital and Emergency Center.
Among Dr. Beckford’s honors and awards is the Zoetis Special Certificate of Appreciation in Research Award, the Bayer Excellence in Veterinary Parasitology Award and she earned the prestigious St. George’s Veterinary Mentor Scholarship Award. She is a member of the International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS / IVECCS), the AVMA and the Phi Zeta Honor Society.