Hendrian studies Biomedical Sciences

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – In this Scholar-Athlete Spotlight, we feature Alex Hendrian of the Florida Tech softball team. This summer, the Aurora, Colorado native is gaining valuable experience by interning in his dream field. We caught up with Hendrian to learn more about this incredible opportunity.

Which company are you interning at this summer? What is your title and position in the company?

This summer I had the opportunity to work at Littleton Equine Medical Center in Littleton, Colorado. As a summer intern in the intensive care unit, I worked primarily in the intensive care unit, caring for patients who required a different treatment every three hours.

Through rotations, I was also able to learn about different areas of equine medicine. On site, I assisted with emergencies, operations, examinations and even medicine at horse shows.

What attracted you to this internship?

My goal is to attend veterinary school after I graduate with my bachelor’s degree. A big part of what attracted me to this internship was the experience. I had no previous exposure to the world of equine medicine, so I wanted to expand my knowledge in another area of ​​veterinary medicine.

LEMC is also a renowned equine hospital known for its excellent veterinarians and teaching programs. An environment like LEMC is an example of the type of environment I want to work in in the future.

What steps did you have to take to earn your position in the company?

I found out about this internship a year ago, just after the application deadline. During winter break last year, I went to the hospital with my resume in hand to prove how much I wanted this internship and how hard I worked to get this opportunity. After the interview, I was offered the position as a summer intern in the intensive care unit!

What exciting tasks or projects have you been able to participate in?

In the intensive care unit, our patients are usually seen every three hours. During these treatment times, I supervise my patients’ check-ups, administer various medications, pay attention to their appearance and behavior, their food intake, and perform other tasks as the patients need.

One thing I learned this summer is that horses cannot vomit, so when a horse comes to us with certain tummy issues, the vet has to put a feeding tube through the horse’s nose into the stomach. Then we have to suction/flush the food out of the stomach for them.

I was also fortunate enough to witness various surgeries and was able to expand my learning process by observing autopsies.

What is your major at Florida Tech? Why did you choose this direction of your education and is it something you always wanted to do?

My major is Biomedical Sciences (Pre-med). I chose this major to meet all the necessary prerequisites for veterinary school. I have wanted to be a veterinarian since I was a child. This internship and my volunteer work to date will help me gain the necessary experience and reinforce that this is the career I want to pursue.

How did your time as an athletic scholarship student prepare you for the work you are currently doing in your internship? What skills did you take from your time as an athletic scholarship student that helped you in your internship?

During this internship, I work with veterinarians, veterinary technicians, other interns, and external staff. Working with so many people requires a lot of communication and teamwork. Also, since I didn’t have much medical experience with horses before, it was important for me to be able to learn what I needed while still being safe.

Working with large animals can be extremely dangerous, but I always feel good learning and listening to my colleagues who grew up with horses or even have horses of their own.

I usually take care of 1-2 patients alone and since different patients have different treatment plans, time management is crucial to get everything done correctly and on time.

How does your internship prepare you for the career you want to pursue after graduation?

I am extremely grateful for this internship because it gave me the opportunity to see a whole different side of veterinary medicine that I could potentially relate to. I loved being able to help improve the lives of the horses at the facility, but I also think the science behind what we do is amazing.

You can learn so much about a horse and its ailments just from blood work, and that goes for all animals. Watching board-certified surgeons work on 1,000-pound animals is also an extraordinary experience. I’ve only worked with small animals before, and the experience I gained this summer working with large animals has allowed me to broaden my interests and keep an open mind.

What advice would you give to another athletic scholarship student/prospective athlete who wants to follow a similar path?

If you are interested in veterinary medicine, it is extremely important to build a network of people with whom you can talk about future career opportunities.

This is perhaps my most important learning from internships and volunteer work, because not only are they important for applying to veterinary school, but you also get to meet many different people and veterinarians who can talk to you about their experiences and their training path.

It always makes you feel better to have more people by your side cheering you on during an intense career path like veterinary medicine!

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