Externs on the Hill

The Other River

Submitted by Paige Rudin Kinzie, Purdue University 

Sunrise in the District frequently found me along the banks of the Anacostia River, running on the Anacostia River Trail through July air so humid, it often felt like I was drinking my inhalations. Before beginning my veterinary degree at Purdue University, I lived in Washington D.C.’s Adams Morgan neighborhood in the northwestern quadrant. I was close to innumerable restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops, and I paid the price by requiring ear plugs to sleep soundly on Friday and Saturday nights. My most-frequented running trails through Rock Creek Park took me to overlooks of the Potomac River; I rarely saw the mighty Anacostia. This summer, I stayed in an English basement on a quiet residential street with a view of crumbling RFK Stadium out my front door, offering a different perspective of our capital city as I spent my mornings racing the waters of DC’s lesser-known river to the east. 

As my physical homebase in the city has given me another perspective of its operations, so has my time with the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Government Relations Division (AVMA GRD). During my four-week externship, I visited my Indiana representatives’ Capitol Hill offices to educate staff about legislative action preserving veterinary use of xylazine and modernizing the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP); participated in committee hearings and meetings regarding key components of the One Big Beautiful Bill and upcoming Farm Bill provisions; attended the AVMA Convention and observed the business of the House of Delegates and AVMA’s Political Action Committee; and met countless veterinarians who shared their stories and advice with me. Days passed quickly as I traversed the city by metro, bus, foot, and, occasionally, scooter to learn about the AVMA’s role in advocating for the veterinary profession and the work of veterinarians in a variety of federal, academic, non-profit, industry, and association roles around the District. I am thankful for the people who took the time to share their perspectives and answer my many questions about the intersection of veterinary medicine and public health, and I am heartened to know how many dedicated veterinarians are working to advance our profession in the halls of Congress.

Though my externship experience has been action-packed and eye-opening, my pathway as a veterinarian to a role in public practice remains unclear. As I look beyond the balance of my fourth-year clinical rotations to my graduation next May, my plans remain as murky as the Anacostia, but I look forward to clearer waters ahead. This work— studying, understanding, and managing the intersection of animal, human, and environmental health—is too important to abandon. It requires veterinary voices to be intimately involved in our decision-making processes, and I hope to one day add mine to the mix.