Dr. Mariola Rak
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (SAIM)
Dr. Mariola Rak is a board-certified small animal internal medicine specialist in Louisville, KY and is available to serve general practice and emergency animal hospitals throughout the Lexington-Louisville area.
Biography
Dr. Mariola Rak earned her doctorate of veterinary medicine from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Following graduation, she completed a one-year small animal rotating internship at the University of Minnesota, then a three-year small animal internal medicine residency at the University of Tennessee. Since residency, she has provided both inpatient and outpatient care at an emergency and specialty referral center.
Dr. Rak is passionate for exploring the intricacies of internal medicine, including gastroenterology, nephro-urology, and fungal disease. Her published residency research investigates the gastrointestinal effects of prednisone as determined by endoscopic changes and bloodwork abnormalities, and she has also co-authored publications in cardiology, endocrinology, and pharmacology. Dr. Rak is also trained in animal disaster response and certified in animal ice rescue operations.
A native of Poland, Dr. Rak is a fluent Polish speaker. She grew up in New York City and Chicago before her professional training took her on a tour of the eastern half of the United States. She is currently owned by one kitty and enjoys reading, figure skating, horseback riding, and running. She is excited to settle in and learn all about Louisville!
CV
- 2026
Joined MOVES - 2023-2026
Small Animal Internal Medicine Specialist at Emergency Hospital - 2023
Achieved board certification through ACVIM. - 2023
Completed internal medicine residency at University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center. - 2020
Completed small animal rotating internship at University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center. - 2019
Earned DVM from University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. - 2014
Graduated from Elmhurst University, with a B.S. in Biology.
Benedek, A., Dvorak, L., Rak, M.B., Lo, W. Cervical Swelling in a Young Basset Hound (case report). 2024. Pending review.
Rak, M.B., Gilor, C., Niessen, S.J.M., Furrow, E. (2024). Spontaneous remission and relapse of diabetes mellitus in a male dog. J Vet Intern Med 38(2), 1152–1156. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16991
Rak, M.B., Moyers, T.D., Price, J.M., and Whittemore, J.C. (2023). Clinical, clinicopathologic, and gastrointestinal changes from prednisone, prednisone with omeprazole, or prednisone with probiotic administration in healthy research dogs: A double-blind randomized trial. J Vet Intern Med 37(2) (2023): 465-475. doi:10.1111/jvim.16672
Rak, M.B., Whittemore, J.C. (2022). Feline Acute Gastroenteritis. Clinician’s Brief (online publication). https://www.cliniciansbrief.com/article/feline-acute-gastroenteritis
Stepien, R.L., Rak, M.B., Blume, L.M. (2020). Use of radiographic measurements to diagnose stage B2 preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 256(10), 1129–1136. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.256.10.1129
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What is a board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialist?
A veterinary internal medicine specialist is a veterinarian who has completed advanced training in internal medicine (including a one-year internship and three-year residency) following graduation from their veterinary college. The residency training culminates with a comprehensive examination covering all aspects of veterinary small animal internal medicine. Once these requirements have been fulfilled, the veterinarian is considered to be a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM).
The umbrella of small animal internal medicine includes many sub-disciplines including gastroenterology (esophageal, stomach and intestinal disease), hepatology (liver and pancreatic disease), endocrinology (hormonal disease), infectious diseases, urology (urinary tract disease), nephrology (kidney disease), respiratory medicine (nose, airway and lung disease), and hematology (blood cells) & immunology (immune diseases). In many cases, the signs of a patient may include many of these organ systems. Due to their holistic approach, internal medicine specialists may also manage cases of patients with neurologic, cardiovascular or cancerous diseases, especially when these patients also share diseases within the scope of internal medicine.
Adapted from “What is a Board-Certified Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist?” on vetspecialists.com.