Dr Barrie Sands was raised in Brooklyn, New York. She always had a love of animals, but it wasn't until she finished her undergraduate degree that she committed to the idea of becoming a veterinarian. She earned her DVM from Ross University in 1991.
After graduation, she did an Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the Animal Medical Center in New York City, followed by some locum work in the Tri-State area before moving to San Diego to practice emergency medicine. She has been at the same clinic for 30 years.
In 2003, she started her official holistic journey by becoming certified in acupuncture by IVAS. She started seeing patients for holistic care one day a week, and in the beginning of this year she stopped doing emergency medicine and is dedicating all of her clinical time to holistic patients.
In addition to her clinical work, she has lectured extensively, written articles, and has published one book with another close to publication.