Brianna Bronson Internship Spotlight

Bronson working with one of her favorite patients, Charlie, who came in for dental cleaning.

Image Credit: Brianna Bronson

November 22, 2021 Kate Farmer

There are so many appealing options available when you graduate from high school that it's almost impossible to choose when thinking about the next four years. When Brianna Bronson, a resident of Los Angeles, CA, found the Institute of Applied Agriculture, she decided it stood out. 

Her interest in agriculture and animal science led her to trek across the country to attend the University of Maryland. As of September 2021, Bronson is a sophomore studying agriculture business management at the IAA, and she intends to work in the veterinary science area, possibly specializing in the dental field. Over the summer of 2021, Bronson worked at Advanced Veterinary Dentistry in Pasadena, CA. At the vet dentistry clinic, where she gained experience in the field would be perfect practice. 

Bronson participated in a little bit of everything, from calming stressed clients to taking care of canine patients post-op.  Bronson gained valuable skills from her work at the dentistry; she became more responsible and independent in working with injured animals and preparing supplies to ensure their readiness when needed. She worked with show dogs, cared for puppies, and worked with her coworkers alongside her boss to ensure everything ran smoothly during the day. This experience and practice are essential in her career path. Bronson wants to be a vet herself, so learning how to take x-rays and participate in surgeries is a massive step towards that.

Bronson’s IAA advisor, Heather McHale agrees, “Although the range of services is narrow, I think interning at this practice gave her a fairly broad exposure to a lot of skills since the basic setup and animal care is similar to what would be used for other kinds of veterinary procedures.” 

Skills like client communication, faxing medical records, helping to train other interns, creating patient charts, and more were all part of her experience. Through her time at the dentistry, Bronson became more comfortable handling cats and witnessed an independent business survive the Covid-19 pandemic. Her unique and specialized work over the summer has only deepened her passion for working with animals. Bronson said she “loves animals and looks forward to helping them recover and make their owners feel comfort in knowing we are there for them.” 

Bronson now has helpful background knowledge and practice doing what she loves; this internship provided her with skills that will last a lifetime in her field. Back at school, she’s applying what she learned at the dentistry in her animal sciences classes as she’s working on her degree. Bronson hopes to continue in specialized veterinary medicine helping animals in need once she graduates.