One could say that Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA) student Jessica Mendez had a ‘pawesome’ summer internship as a Veterinary Technician at Bennett Creek Animal Hospital in Clarksburg, Maryland. There, she assisted the staff by drawing blood, inserting and removing catheters, running lab work and monitoring animals throughout the day. She also gave animals fluids when needed, administered medications intravenously, and assisted in surgeries.
Mendez, a second-year IAA student, has been an animal lover her entire life and has dreamt of becoming a veterinarian since she was 7 years old. So, when she saw the opportunity to take one step toward her dream, she leapt for it. “I chose this internship because I felt like it was perfect for me. I love hands-on learning, and since our practice is relatively small with 2 doctors I got a lot of it,” Mendez explains. “I remember getting to help with an ultrasound one day and discovering that the patient was missing a kidney. Everyone was shocked! I thought it was really incredible and it’s my favorite memory.”
For Mendez, this internship is helping to shape her future. Upon starting her three-month journey, she found that her initial plans to open her own practice may have been a bit far-fetched. However, the experience introduced her to radiology, which she fell in love with. She ended her summer with confidence knowing that she now wants to become a veterinary radiologist. However, she didn’t just return home with more experience and a better idea for a job. She also brought back great customer service skills, and even better friendships with coworkers.
Mendez’s supervisor, Dr. Jeffrey Walcoff, spoke highly of her work as an intern and had nothing but wonderful things to say about her. He touched on the knowledge that she gained from the experience and how he hopes to work with her again in the near future.
As Mendez works throughout her day with a smile, she cares for the animals, while collecting samples to test in the lab.
