Dr. Cortina grew up in Miami, Florida. She received her undergraduate degree from Florida State University and after graduation she pursued her veterinary education at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine where she earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.  Following graduation, she completed a small animal medicine and surgery rotating internship at the Oklahoma State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital.  She then moved to Akron to complete a one-year specialized surgical internship here at Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital. She was later selected to continue her training at Metropolitan in a rigorous 3-year surgical residency program and has since become a board-certified surgeon. 

Dr. Cortina is skilled in both soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, however, her specific surgical interests include oncologic surgery, emergency surgery, and minimally invasive surgery. She is an active member of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, the Society for Veterinary Soft Tissue Surgery, Veterinary Orthopedic Society, Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology, and AO Vet North America, among others. She has also been published in Veterinary Surgery, a prestigious veterinary medical journal.

 Outside of work, Dr. Cortina loves spending time outdoors, on the water, trying new foods, fitness, the performing arts, and traveling the world.