The Northside Team

Dr. Adam James McClure grew up at Northside Veterinary Clinic. His father, Dr. James McClure, owned the practice for more than three decades, and Adam spent much of his childhood watching what it meant to care for a neighborhood's animals — and the families who loved them.

Adam graduated from Fairfax High School in 1993 and headed north to Cornell University, where he completed a degree in Animal Science before remaining at Cornell for veterinary school. He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2000. While at Cornell, he pursued research in equine and bovine reproductive physiology — work that gave him a profound respect for the field while confirming his calling was in small animal private practice, close to home.

He returned to Northern Virginia and joined Northside in April 2001, stepping into the role his father had held for 32 years. The continuity was intentional. Adam believes that long-term relationships — between veterinarian and client, between practice and community — are the foundation of good veterinary medicine. His particular areas of interest are preventative medicine and general surgery, and he approaches both with the same philosophy: open, honest, and friendly communication is the basis of everything.

"An open, honest and friendly relationship with clients is the basis of preventative medicine. Being available to readily answer any questions and taking the time to explain how to prevent problems is an important part of my practice philosophy."

What this means in practice: Adam takes the time. An appointment at Northside is not rushed. Questions are encouraged, not hurried. When a pet needs surgery, Adam walks through the entire procedure, the recovery, and what to watch for — before the appointment, not after. He believes an informed client is a better partner in their pet's care.

Outside the clinic, Adam spends time with his wife Dr. Fiona, their children Catherine and James, and a household that includes dogs Idgie and Yoda and a cat named Remy (after the cyclist, not the rat). He coaches and competes in sports with his children — basketball, swimming, and triathlons among his favorites. He enjoys cooking, long walks in the woods, and the kind of unhurried Saturday mornings that veterinary life occasionally makes possible.

Dr. Mary Elizabeth Hahn has cared for Northside patients since the year she graduated from veterinary school — 1988. In the 37 years since, she has not practiced anywhere else.

Mary is a native of the Washington Metropolitan area. She completed undergraduate studies in music at Longwood College in Farmville, Virginia — a foundation that perhaps explains the care and attentiveness she brings to her work — before deciding to pursue veterinary medicine. She graduated from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, Virginia in May 1988 and joined the Northside family several months later, fresh out of school.

What does 37 years at a single practice look like? It looks like continuity of care that simply cannot be replicated. Dr. Hahn has seen multiple generations of pets in some client families. She has watched cats grow from kittens to matriarchs, and she has been present through the difficult moments that come with loving animals over a lifetime. For clients who see Dr. Hahn, the relationship is not transactional — it is a long-term partnership built on trust and accumulated knowledge.

Feline medicine is a particular strength and passion. Dr. Hahn's decades of experience with cats — both professionally and personally — make her one of the most knowledgeable feline practitioners in the area. She was active in the Cat Fancy for many years as a breeder and exhibitor of American Shorthair cats. Though her cats have now retired from showing, she continues to delight in their company.

When not at Northside, she maintains a busy singing schedule with her church choir, watches birds, walks, and rides horses. Her love of animals extends well beyond the clinic — and it shows in the depth of care her patients receive.