Meredith Lawler’s first role at Valley Veterinary Hospital was as a kennel worker. At the time, she was an ambitious 17-year-old high school student who was interested in learning all she could about medicine.
“It’s been so memorable,” says Meredith, an Owen J. Roberts High School graduate, who worked her way up to scheduling appointments and working directly with the patients. “I have enjoyed my experiences at Valley Veterinary Hospital and learned an immense amount about myself, the medical field, administration, all while giving back to patients and clients. It was so nice to dive in to all this medicine and the staff has been so helpful in the whole educational experience.”
Throughout her high school and undergraduate career Meredith faithfully returned every summer to work at Valley Veterinary. “The staff, who have truly become both my friends and now VVH family, would joke around because ‘I always come back’.”
This April Meredith graduated from University of Pittsburgh with a degree in psychology. Now after almost six years as a steady summer employee, she has worked her last day at Valley Vet ‘graduating’ as a vet tech. The next phase of her academic career is as a graduate student attending Temple University for her Global Master of Business Administration with a focus in Health Sector Management.
“The thing I liked the most about Valley Vet is it was such a comprehensive experience from the administrative side of the hospital and the opportunity to help with X rays and labs,” she says. “Working here has helped me throughout this journey. I started as a young kennel kid and worked my way to a veterinary tech. I feel like I have grown up at Valley Vet and know I always have a place there for me.”
The opportunity to work with and educate area students who have an interest in the field of medicine has been rewarding, says Dr. Shreiber. “I’m proud of Meredith. It’s been great watching her pursue her degree and working with us each summer hopefully gave her insight in the clinical aspects of veterinary hospital medicine. Hopefully her experience her has provided a small, but significant, part of her foundation for continued excellence. We wish her all the best.”