Hi, I'm Dr. Andrew Nguyen with Columbia Pike Animal Hospital and Emergency Center, and I am a general practitioner here. I also dabble a bit in the urgent care emergency sector. I grew up in the Northern Virginia area. I went to Hayfield for high school and George Mason University for undergrad. I did a little stint away in New York, but then I went to The Ohio State University for veterinary medicine.
I decided to come right back here to set up shop and practice where I came from. I've always had a keen interest in biology, especially in animals. That probably originated from the fact that I didn't have any pets growing up.
My parents immigrated to the States, and they were just busy keeping their head above water and not feeding another mouth. We went outside and found bugs to play with and things like that. I had friends with cats and dogs, and I was just enamored by it because it's an amazing thing to have pets around you.
What do you enjoy about your work as a veterinarian?
I love surgeries. I have good hand-eye coordination, I should say, with it. I love the subtleties of surgery, and I like explaining the surgeries to people, clients, and other doctors about how things work. I really enjoy that aspect. I also like the problem-solving aspect of it, to look at the clues, talk with the owners, and really figure out what we can do to make the patient feel better.
Do you have any personal hobbies?
A major personal hobby of mine, if anybody knows me even remotely, is rock climbing. It's an amazing sport. I feel that it's challenging in a way that keeps me healthy and strong, but also mentally stimulating, and it's a sport that you can do forever.
What is your experience working at Columbia Pike Animal Hospital and Emergency Center?
I really thoroughly enjoy it here. Our owners are really focused on quality of life and family, as well as professional development. The fact that we have a larger practice allows us to explore those professional interests. For me, it's been soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, and I don't think I could get that anywhere else at a general practice level.
Why do you do what you do?
That's a really great question. The "why" behind what I do is that I know my patients cannot express through words what they're feeling and what they are ill from. I do it because they don't have a voice. They can't be there to be an advocate. I can be that advocate. That's why I do what I do every day when I come in. I keep that in mind, and that's what keeps me going.