Dr. Sorokurs aka "Dr. Yana" was born in Moscow, Russia and immigrated to California in 1993. She grew up in Palo Alto riding hunters and received her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science with an equine emphasis. She rode on the hunter/jumper and dressage equestrian teams at Davis. After receiving her DVM degree from Cornell University she completed an internship at Tufts Cumming School of Veterinary Medicine Large Animal Medicine Department and Massachusetts Equine Clinic. During veterinary school she participated in Rural Area Veterinary Services (RAVS), which provides crucial veterinary services to equids on Native American reservations, where she developed an interest in soft tissue surgery and dentistry.