Ever since she was a little girl, Dr. Crystal Brobst-Wormell has enjoyed the challenge of a puzzle. For her, veterinary medicine is quite like a puzzle—it’s her job to ask the right questions, use her senses, and piece everything together to make the final picture. As the owner and chief veterinarian here at P.A.W. Veterinary Clinic, Dr. Wormell gets to use her skills to better the lives of pets and people every day!
Dr. Wormell graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor’s degree in biology, then began working at a feline clinic in Alexandria, Virginia. As a Veterinary Assistant she gained invaluable experience—and plenty of scars!—working with cats. From there, Dr. Wormell began working in a 24-hour multi-doctor facility before taking a position at a laboratory in Rockville, Maryland. Shortly afterward, Dr. Wormell decided to apply to veterinary school and was thrilled to gain acceptance into the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine to earn her veterinary degree.
In 2008, Dr. Wormell accepted a position as the facility veterinarian for the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, and Skin Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. Although she adored her work there, she couldn’t shake the itch to return to full-time private practice, where she got to interact directly with families’ beloved animal companions.
As a veterinarian, Dr. Wormell particularly enjoys working closely with families to develop viable solutions that fit their needs. She’s also been fascinated by acupuncture ever since she graduated from veterinary school—to this day, she’s amazed that a few well-placed needles can so significantly improve healing time and quality of life! Dr. Wormell is a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, having completed her acupuncture training in 2001 at the Chi Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine in Reddick, Florida.
Dr. Wormell and her husband—P.A.W. Veterinary Clinic’s very own Ron Brobst—have three wonderful children named Megan, Jared, and Caitlyn. The family shares their lives with four dogs: Cheddar, a rescued Australian shepherd mix; Jackson, a calm and loving Golden retriever/spaniel mix who was rescued from a hoarding situation;Finnegan, a rescued Cavalier King Charles spaniel who tends to forget that the other dogs have at least 20 pounds on him; and King, a rescued Cocker Spaniel who has the happiest body wag. Dr. Wormell and her family also have three cats, Atreyu, Lickorice, and the newest addition, Moira Pickles, as well as a pair of corn snakes named Mussamia and Rosie.
