Fellow Specialists Help with Virtual Pinning to Honor Veterinary Technician Specialist Brittany Laflen

July 17, 2020

Screen shot from video — Fellow PVM veterinary technician specialists (left-right) Julie Commons, RVT, VTS (SAIM), small animal nephrology/urology technologist; Kimberly Sederquist, RVT, VTS (Cardiology), cardiology technologist; and Danielle Buchanan, RVT, VTS (SAIM), Clinical Skills Laboratory manager, welcome Brittany Laflen, RVT, VTS (Neurology) as a new member to the Academy of Internal Medicine for Veterinary Technicians as part of a video celebration for all new academy members.

A portrait of a person wearing a medical scrub and smiling at the camera.

The Academy of Internal Medicine for Veterinary Technicians (AIMVT) welcomed its newest members this summer, including Brittany Laflen, RVT, VTS (Neurology), small animal surgery/neurology technician in the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital. Brittany is one of only 15 members inducted into the AIMVT in 2019, of which only three received a specialty designation in neurology.

Historically, new members receive recognition of this accomplishment at the following American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Forum, which takes place in the summer. This year’s event was slated to take place in Baltimore, Md.; however, as the forum transitioned to an online platform, the celebration switched to a digital format. As part of this effort, the AIMVT turned to fellow members to help in welcoming their colleagues with video messages and pin presentations along with slides of new members and their specialty designations, which were then compiled into a video and posted on the AIMVT’s website.

The celebration arrives at Purdue about five minutes into the video, as Brittany is joined by fellow PVM veterinary technician specialists Danielle Buchanan, RVT, VTS (Small Animal Internal Medicine), Clinical Skills Laboratory manager; Kimberly Sederquist, RVT, VTS (Cardiology), cardiology technologist; and Julie Commons, RVT, VTS (Small Animal Internal Medicine), small animal nephrology/urology technologist. They congratulate Brittany on successful completion of her application packet and examination and officially “pin” her as a new member. Brittany is one of a number of veterinary nurses in the college working toward their specialist designations.

The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) developed the Committee on Veterinary Technician Specialties in 1994, which led to formation of academies for 16 specialties. Each academy sets requirements for a registered veterinary technician to earn its specialist designation. The AIMVT specialist designations include small animal internal medicine, large animal internal medicine, cardiology, oncology, and neurology.

Congratulations, Brittany, on this achievement!

Click here to view the video.

Writer(s): Allison Carey | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Recent Stories

“Paws Up” for Jennifer Danaher – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

This week we express our gratitude to Jennifer Danaher, who is department secretary for Veterinary Clinical Sciences.

‘Purdue Pursuits’: A PVM angle on Purdue’s teaching and learning reading groups

Crafting meaningful and engaging course experiences has been at the top of Dielson Vieira’s mind ever since he joined the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s faculty in 2024. As a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Vieira is already adept at applying innovative teaching practices to classroom environments, but that doesn’t stop him from seeking out new ideas, approaches and perspectives — insights he gains through outlets like Purdue’s teaching and learning reading groups.

Top tier biology journal publishes PVM study that unlocks secrets of a drug-resistant fungal pathogen, which causes serious infections in humans

Though the name “Candida auris” is far from a household term, public health experts know it well because the multi-drug-resistant fungal pathogen, which causes serious human infections, has been classified as an urgent threat by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Antibiotic Threats Report (2019). Dr. Shankar Thangamani, Associate Professor of Microbiology and University Faculty Scholar in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology, is researching C. auris, aided by a 2.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). New research findings, just published in Nature Microbiology, show how C. auris adapts and evades the immune system.

In Print: ‘Translational Research Methods for Tauopathies’

A just-published 300-page volume edited by Jessica Fortin, Purdue assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Basic Medical Sciences, provides a significant new resource for researchers studying a group of neurodegenerative diseases known as tauopathies. “Translational Research Methods for Tauopathies” provides detailed protocols intentionally selected to serve as a basis for research laboratories seeking to further treatments for such debilitating neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer’s and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

It’s Almost Here!

Though the annual Purdue Veterinary Conference is almost upon us, there’s still time to register and take advantage of this time-honored College of Veterinary Medicine fall tradition that combines excellent continuing education with fun opportunities for reconnecting with colleagues and classmates, networking, and learning about the latest veterinary trends and products. The 2026 Purdue Veterinary Conference takes place September 23–26 on the Purdue University campus. The annual event has something for everyone, from veterinarians to veterinary technicians, faculty, staff and students.