Amber McElhinney

Amber McElhinney came to the University of New Hampshire (UNH) from Abington, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia. Her work for an equine studies major on a pre-vet track, with a minor in dairy management, has led her—so far—to two countries: first to Ireland for an animal science course, Integration of Culture and Agriculture in Ireland, and immediately after that to Scotland. In Scotland Amber assisted PhD students at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in their field research and also conducted her own research under the mentorship of Dr. John Keen, who specializes in equine cardiology. “I learned everything I now know about aortic regurgitation and three-dimensional echocardiography during my research project,” Amber said. It was an effective learning curve. By the end of the summer, she was explaining to vet students what they were seeing during a 3-D echocardiography scan of a horse. Her research resulted in statistically significant findings related to heart valve thickness and aortic regurgitation in horses. The experience also helped her prepare for veterinary school. Amber has been accepted at four top veterinary schools and knows that wherever she ends up, she will arrive with a solid background knowledge of equine cardiology.