Our Doctors

Dr. Jane Cho, DVM, DACVO

Dr. Cho is originally from New York and earned her DVM from Cornell University, where she graduated in the top 10% of her class. She completed an internship at the Animal Medical Center in New York and then worked in a general small animal practice in Manhattan before returning to Cornell for a 3-year residency in Comparative Ophthalmology. Specializing in ophthalmology for over 20 years, she has also worked as a clinical ophthalmologist in New Jersey and Alaska, and has lectured on diverse topics in ophthalmology at meetings across the country, including the upcoming 2023 NYS Veterinary Conference.  She has published in both veterinary journals and in veterinary textbooks, including Focused Ultrasound Techniques for the Small Animal Practitioner (second edition published April 2021), the well-loved Veterinary Clinical Advisor textbook (latest edition in press), and the popular textbook series Veterinary Clinics in North America (2022).  She is a collaborative author on the chapter on Ophthalmic Surgery in the last 2 editions of Fossum's Small Animal Surgery textbook, latest edition in press.  In addition to academic writing, she has served as a Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals in Ithaca.  She lectures regularly at Mercy College, where she has been teaching students in the Veterinary Technology program since 2008. 

In 2013, Dr. Cho was honored to be nominated and later elected by her fellow ophthalmology Diplomates to the prestigious Board of Regents of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO), the leadership body of the national ophthalmology specialty college.  She served as an ACVO Regent from 2013-2018, and was President of the ACVO in 2017-8.  She was a longstanding Editorial Board member of the journal Veterinary Ophthalmology, and has served on the ACVO Examination Committee, Nominating Committee, and the national ACVO annual conference Planning Committee.  In 2022 she was elected to serve as a Board Member of the American Board of Veterinary Ophthalmology (ABVO), the accreditation arm of the ACVO, and is serving a 4 year term in that position.  She is also a member of the Executive Board of the Westchester-Rockland Veterinary Medical Association (and is the current Chair of Continuing Education of that group) and the Mercy College Advisory Board.  She is a Diplomate and a Board Certified Member of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists, as well as a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Westchester-Rockland Veterinary Medical Association and the New York State Veterinary Medical Society.

Dr. James Gaarder, DVM, DACVO

Dr. Gaarder received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree with honors from Colorado State University in 1992. After practicing in a mixed animal practice in North Dakota, he began a 3-year residency in Comparative Ophthalmology at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Upon completion of his residency, he practiced as an Associate Ophthalmologist at the Eye Clinic for Animals in California. He has practiced ophthalmology in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Anchorage, Alaska, where he has treated not only pet dogs, cats, and horses, but also racing sled dogs, marine mammals, raptors, and zoo animals.  He is Board Certified by the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and is a Diplomate and Member of the College; he is very experienced and has been practicing in clinical ophthalmology for over 25 years. He has served a tenureship as a member of the important Credentials Committee of the American Board of Veterinary Ophthalmology, and is frequently sought after as a reviewer of manuscripts for the international journal Veterinary Ophthalmology.  He has authored multiple veterinary journal articles and ophthalmology textbook chapters on various ophthalmology topics including infectious corneal diseases in horses, glaucoma in dogs, and ophthalmology in exotic animals.  He is also a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Westchester-Rockland Veterinary Medical Association and the New York State Veterinary Medical Society.

Dr. Corey Schmidt, DVM, DACVO

Dr. Schmidt is originally from Rochester, NY. She received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University in Animal Science. She went on to obtain a dual Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine and Masters in Public Health from the combined degree program at Iowa State University and the University of Iowa in 2009. She completed a rotating small animal multispecialty internship at VCA Veterinary Referral Associates in Gaithersburg, MD. After completion of her internship, Dr. Schmidt went to Colorado State University to complete a 3-year residency in Comparative Ophthalmology as well as a Masters in Clinical Science. During her residency she helped contribute to both human and animal scientific knowledge with her research in the areas of antioxidants to delay glaucoma-induced retinal damage, the prevention of recrudescent feline herpes virus ocular disease, and the progression of different types of radiation-induced cataracts. Dr. Schmidt has been practicing clinical ophthalmology in the NY and CT areas since 2014. She enjoys working with all species of animals, and practices compassionate and detail-oriented medical care. She also enjoys lecturing at continuing education events where she can share her knowledge and experience with other veterinarians. She has lectured on ophthalmic examination techniques, ocular emergencies, updates on ocular medications, subtleties of the geriatric eye exam, differentiation of the red eye, cataracts, and common equine diseases. Dr. Schmidt is Board Certified by the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and is a Diplomate and Member of the College. She is also a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the New York State Veterinary Medical Society, and the Westchester-Rockland Veterinary Medical Association.