Veterinary Experience
My 1,250 hours of experience in the field of veterinary medicine have taken various forms! I've been fortunate to work at three small animal hospitals and the New Bolton Center's Equine Pharmacology Laboratory, in addition to attending the Penn Vet Summer V.E.T.S program in July 2019.
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To see a list of the specific skills I have learned from these experiences, please visit the Skills page.
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A visual representation of my hours to date:
(35 hours)
Affinity Veterinary Center of Malvern
(350 hours)
New Bolton Center, Equine Pharmacology Lab
(440 hours)
(300 hours)
Boiling Springs Animal Hospital
(125 hours)
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Affinity Veterinary Center of Malvern
(June-August 2019)
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During my time as a student intern, I was able to intimately observe dozens of surgeries, such as OHEs/neuters, mass removals, dentals, and exploratory surgeries. Dr. Christine Meredith and her dedicated staff trained me first-hand on clinical skills (including restraining, obtaining blood samples, and basic laboratory testing). Thanks to the generosity of Dr. Meredith, we extensively discussed cases, anatomy, and even running a business. Affinity also provided numerous resources for my continued education. I also assisted in creating social media posts to educate their clients, such as this post about rabies.
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See their website here.
Glenmoore Veterinary Hospital
(June-August 2019)
A large, mixed-animal practice full of committed individuals, I was trained as a veterinary technician. I learned various clinical skills (including TPR, nail trims, restraining, and filling prescriptions), as well as worked closely with the five on-staff veterinarians in and outside of exam rooms. I also interacted with clients frequently, loading them into exam rooms, recording patient histories, and corresponding about test results.
See their website here.
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Boiling Springs Animal Hospital
(March 2019-present)
A small hospital seated in the heart of Boiling Springs, BSAH has been a fixture during my time in and around Carlisle, PA. As a veterinary assistant, I work primarily on various behind-the-scenes activities in the kennel and lab, such as creating surgical packs, sterilizing instruments, and reading fecal samples. I've also applied hands-on skills such as trimming nails, restraining, and administering subcutaneous fluids, in addition to observing surgeries.
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See their website here.
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Shadowing fourth-year students in the Ryan Veterinary Hospital ICU.
Penn Vet Summer V.E.T.S Program
(July 2019)
As a participant, I attended labs and lectures in a multitude of topics, such as pathology, parasitology, and anatomy. We also shadowed fourth-year students in the intensive care unit and in radiology, used the clinical skills laboratory, and toured the New Bolton Center and Marshak Dairy. The experience provided an unparalleled, extensive exploration into various avenues in veterinary medicine.
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See their website here.
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Equine Pharmacology Laboratory,
New Bolton Center
(June-August 2018)
As a student intern, ​I worked with the the equine exercise herd to take blood samples for various research projects (including a BioBank for sports-related injuries and gene therapy detection) under the direction of Dr. Joanne Haughan. Extensive time was spent in the laboratory, separating samples into specific components (serum, DNA, RNA, and protein) using the TriZOL method. With Dr. Zibin Jiang, I prepared 96-well plates using a pipetting robot, and utilized the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to detect biomarker expression. Outside of the lab, I sat in on the grand rounds of current Penn Vet students; I also had the incredible opportunity to assist in gathering samples in and around stalls for an environmental survey at various PA race tracks.
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See their website here.
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Zilla, our unofficial mascot!
(picture taken by Aimee Ryan)