Hi! My name is Natalie Brejcha.
As a 4th year DVM student at Purdue University, I am spending the last two weeks in September 2023 completing an externship with Brownsburg Animal Clinic.
In case you’re wondering—an externship is similar to an internship in that it provides students like me with real-world learning experiences. As an extern, while I won’t yet be doing the hands-on work of a veterinarian, I will be shadowing the veterinarians to learn from them and develop a feel for what it will be like to practice my chosen profession when I finish my studies in a few short months.
This is not my first time at Brownsburg Animal Clinic.
I began shadowing the clinic veterinarians when I was 18 years old, which helped me confirm that I wanted to become a veterinarian. I then worked at the clinic as a veterinary assistant during summer months while I attended Purdue University to study Neurobiology and Physiology.
During my undergraduate years at Purdue, I wanted to gain more experience with a wider array of animals, so I completed an internship with the Indianapolis Zoo where I primarily worked with their elephants. I also began volunteering at Purdue’s Large Animal Hospital in addition to working at Brownsburg Animal Clinic during some summers.
After completing my Bachelor’s degree in 2020, I started veterinary school at Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Since starting vet school, I have been involved in various organizations, such as co-manager of the Veterinary Student Resource Center, Head Counselor of Junior Boiler Vet Camp, and member of the Canine Educator Care Team. I even ended up adopting a previous canine educator, Kelpie, this past year, and he has been supporting me through vet school ever since. I am now in my clinical year at Purdue, and I am tracking small animal medicine with the intention of becoming a small animal general practitioner.
I am excited to join Brownsburg Animal Clinic for a few weeks, and I look forward to meeting all of you!