Three Animal Medical Center Employees Accepted to Veterinary School

Animal Medical Center

Three Animal Medical Center Employees Accepted to Veterinary School

Animal Medical Center (AMC) is pleased to announce three employees have been admitted to Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Kim Reid, Jennifer Wallach and Drew Nelson will begin their four-year vet school careers in August.

Animal Medical Center is a teaching hospital, offering prospective and existing veterinary students and veterinary technician students from around the world the opportunity to learn in a real-life hospital environment and to enhance their clinical education at American Animal Hospital Association accredited practices. Veterinary teaching hospitals are essential “classroom” environments where clinical expertise can flourish.

Animal Medical Center has several former employees currently in veterinary school, but this is the first time three have been admitted in the same class. Dr. Donna Angarano, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine, stated it was “amazing to have three students” from one hospital to enter their program, but she did not believe it was a record.

Reid, 27, who earned her bachelor degree in biology and masters in molecular biology from Birmingham Southern College while working for five years as a technician at AMC’s Anniston hospital, credits knowledge gained from working in a teaching hospital for helping her secure her place in veterinary school.

Reid said, “Working here opened up so many different aspects of veterinary medicine because I learned with preceptors (veterinary interns), doctors and technicians. I gained a broader level of knowledge.”

Student employees garner valuable experience in high volume, high quality, small animal, avian and exotic veterinary practices. Per week, Animal Medical Center sees more than 500 cases and regularly performs 50-60 surgeries.

Wallach, 32, states when writing her application essay, she referenced Animal Medical Center, attributing her “growth and depth of knowledge” to her year and a half work experience as a technician. “Working in a hospital of this caliber shaped my opinion of practicing veterinary medicine.”

Nelson, 22, has the most number of years of work experience even though he is the youngest of the three. Nelson majored in zoology at Auburn University, but veterinary medicine is somewhat of a “family business” since both his father and uncle are veterinarians. He has garnered experience from working as a technician assistant starting at the age of 12, advanced to technician and has held the title of Network Administrator for the last six years.

Nelson said, “Growing up around veterinary medicine has provided me insight into the medical and technical sides of the business. I have firsthand experience of how advances in technology have benefitted veterinary medicine.”

Animal Medical Center has four locations in Anniston, Oxford, Lincoln and Jacksonville with ten doctors on staff, and the main hospital in Anniston is a 24 hour hospital and accepts emergencies from a 50-mile radius.