VMCVM Staff Spotlight: Alex Ambelang

Alex Ambelang

Clinical Veterinary Assistant, Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center

When did you join the veterinary college?
I joined the Equine Medical Center in 2021.

The best part of being at VMCVM...
I enjoy the wide variety of cases and working with the super house officers and staff at the EMC.

Best advice I've gotten...
Never make assumptions.

How would you capture the essence of your work in a newspaper headline?
Saving equine lives is organized chaos.

My hidden talent...
Organizing spaces and information.

A person who has inspired me...
All women who push cultural boundaries to make better lives for themselves, their families and others.

Can you share a memorable experience or story from your time working with animals?
In my second year at the EMC, I was able to help in a trans-arterial coil embolization to treat a horse with guttural pouch mycosis. It was incredibly rewarding to watch the team work together and use all of our resources to save the patient. The patient went on to recover well and return to a normal life.

What do you find most inspiring or fulfilling about working with students and helping them pursue their careers?
I enjoy working with the wide range of students we have from different backgrounds and experiences. I enjoy seeing students come back to the EMC year after year for rotations and seeing them grow and then following them in their careers.

One misconception that all students seem to have is?
I think many students arrive at the EMC intimidated by horses. While it is a lot of animal, most of our patients are kind and gentle and usually understand much more than we know.

If I had a superpower, it would be...
Animal communication.

If you could magically grant an animal the ability to talk, which one would you choose and what do you think it would say?
Obviously horses. I would ask them if they like their jobs and if we get any of their diagnosis remotely correct.

A cause I'm most passionate about...
I'm passionate about the United States Pony Club and especially their Visiting Instructor Program and the International Exchange programs. I have been lucky enough to be a part of both of these programs and count these experiences that have shaped me as a horse person.

Favorite way to end the day...
Sunset walk/hike with my dog.

Top of my bucket list...
Hiking in Chilean Patagonia and Machu Picchu in Peru.

If you could communicate with animals for a day, what would you ask them?
I would ask horses if they enjoy their jobs.

How many pets/animals live at home? Can you tell us about them?
I have one dog, named Mona. She's a 4-year-old beagle/lab mix that was rescued from a ditch in South Carolina. She was found with a broken leg and had a femoral head ostectomy before I adopted her. You would never know it the way she chases after squirrels and bunnies!

Anything else to add?
I grew up in Montana and started Pony Club at the age of 8. I competed in eventing, jumpers and dressage through university, earning my B and HA certifications in Pony Club and graduating with a cultural anthropology degree from the University of Montana (Missoula). After graduation, I chose to pursue a career as a professional groom and worked for 5* eventing programs for 8 years, traveling domestically and internationally with Olympic-caliber horses. When I transitioned to working at the EMC, I also began my journey as a FEI Eventing steward. This position allows me to continue my involvement in the sport of eventing and to travel domestically and internationally.