We would like to introduce our new student manager- Riley Dunwoody! Riley will transition full time into her new role as a student manager in March when Brianna Huff, our current senior student manager, moves onto clinics. Here are some questions we asked Riley to get to know her better!
Where are you from? Where did you get your undergraduate degree? Specific
degree and graduation year?
I am from Wilmington, North Carolina. I just graduated with my BS in Zoology from
North Carolina State University in May of 2023.
Tell us about your veterinary career journey so far.
With my veterinary career so far, I was very lucky to be offered a job as a vet assistant at the vet office where we took our family cat. I worked there from the age of 16 up until
my first year of undergrad. From there I took a step back from working in veterinary clinics and did a summer internship at a local reptile rescue. The following year, I did a
summer internship with a production turkey farm. While neither of these were specifically veterinary medicine related, I still gained valuable experience working with animals. Then the summer before my last year of undergrad, I returned to veterinary medicine and completed a summer internship at a small animal and exotics veterinary clinic.
What field of veterinary medicine are you interested in?
I am currently very interested in zoo, wildlife, and exotic veterinary medicine, but haven’t quite decided where I want to go specifically with that.
What made you want to join the Wildlife Medical Clinic (WMC)?
I wanted to join the WMC because I thought it would be a great hands on opportunity to get to use veterinary techniques and I thought it would be a great way to learn about new species that I haven’t been able to work with previously.
Why did you want to become a manager at the WMC?
I wanted to become a manager at the WMC because I felt like it would be an amazing
opportunity to learn and continue to develop important leadership and communication
skills. I was also really interested in all the opportunities to learn more about the clinic
and the various wildlife patients we receive.
What has been a favorite memory/patient of yours in the WMC?
I think so far one of my favorite patients has been the Rock Dove that came in covered in red lithium oil. I wasn’t assigned to the case, but other students on my team were and
I helped them with the bathing procedures. I found it interesting to problem solve how to get the oil off, while managing other aspects of the bird’s care. It also led me to research
more on oil spills in general. It was interesting to be able to connect how they have an effect both inland and in coastal areas. It was surprising how their treatment and rehabilitation processes differ but also how some are similar and can be used among many different species.
