Dr. Simmons is a Mississippi native, born and raised around Gulfport, MS. He graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a BS in both Biology and English. After finishing there, he went to Mississippi State University and earned his DVM degree in 2000. Following graduation, Dr. Simmons moved to Northern Alabama and worked in a mixed animal practice. During these years, he found that his favorite cases were the critical and emergent cases that got his adrenaline going.

Shortly after Dr. Simmons decided to further his training in emergency and critical care and was accepted into Auburn University’s residency program for small animal emergency and critical care. During his residency at Auburn he also obtained a Master’s degree in Biomedical Science. After completing his residency at Auburn, he remained as a clinical instructor for a year. He then accepted a position at Purdue University as a clinical instructor. He enjoyed teaching but disliked the bureaucracy of university life, so he moved to a private specialty practice in Denver, CO, hoping to get closer to the mountains. That of course turned out to be false advertising, as the mountains in CO are quite far from Denver.

Fortunately, a friend reached out to him to join a new ER and specialty practice opening in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2008, and he spent just under a decade there. Around 2016, as this practice was being sold to a corporate entity, he joined forces with some of his coworkers to start Mountain West Veterinary Specialists in Layton in 2018, adding a second hospital in Bluffdale in 2024.

When Dr Simmons is not working, he spends time with his wife, son, stepson, and stepdaughter. His family has many pets, including a dog, a few cats, and a couple of tortoises. He is passionate about golf, and tries to get on the course anytime he can find the time and patience. He loves building furniture in his garage, and he is an avid reader. He also enjoys snowboarding, attending sports games, live music, and watching movies.