Alison Thomas-Hollands

GPA: 3.79

Class rank: 15/97

Accepted into Phi Zeta - Kappa Chapter

GPA: 3.8, Graduated Summa Cum Laude

Major: Animal Science, Minor: Genetics

University Honors Program, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Honors Program

Awarded highly selective Caldwell Fellows scholarship

• Currently working as a rotating intern at the University of Pennsylvania veterinary hospital
• Performing as a veterinarian treating and managing cases as well as overseeing students
• Attending twice weekly intern seminar rounds for continuing education
• Gaining skills as a clinician as well as in client communication, teaching students, and multi-tasking in a busy teaching hospital

• Worked as a veterinary assistant in a specialty veterinary dermatology practice
• Duties included taking patient history, assisting during appointments, practicing physical examinations, filling prescriptions, answering phone calls, and reviewing discharge instructions with clients
• Gained skills in physical examinations, client communication, and veterinary dermatology

• Accepted into the Summer Scholars Program to work in the canine genetics laboratory
• Project involved researching a genetic cause for hyperlipidemia in Miniature Schnauzer dogs
• Duties included reviewing genome sequencing and identifying candidate genes, developing PCR and RFLP assays to test for mutations, running the assays, and performing data analysis on the results
• Presented a poster at the 2014 Merial-NIH Summer Scholars Symposium
• Continued working on canine genetics research for causes of hyperlipidemia and calcium oxalate stone formation after the conclusion of the veterinary summer scholars program (Jan - Mar 2015)
• Gained knowledge in research project development and execution in addition to technical laboratory skills

• Acted as a student representative for Hill's Pet Nutrition
• Duties included managing the college feeding program, coordinating student educational seminars, distributing educational materials to students, and acting as a liaison between students and Hill's employees
• Gained increased skills in leadership, communication, and program organization

• Worked full time at a small animal and exotics veterinary practice
• Duties included obtaining patient medical history, restraining patients for exams and procedures, taking radiographs, drawing blood, monitoring anesthesia, answering client phone calls, and selling products
• Gained veterinary technical skills in addition to skills in client communication