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.
Amanda earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Hood College in 2006. With a love for science and the desire to want to work with animals every day, being a veterinary technician allows her to merge the two interests into a rewarding career so she can be along for the journey as clients bring in new pets, watching them grow from puppies and kittens and eventually to seniors, providing wonderful care along the way.
Amanda lives in Thurmont, Maryland with her husband, David, and their son, Braden. They share their home with many animals including 2 rescue dogs- Nymeria and Maverick, 5 cats- Storm, Rogue, Channing, Chantilly, and Chandler, and a red-footed tortoise- Spidey.
When not at the clinic, she enjoys spending time with her family and pets, riding her horse, Saltwater Taffy, an off the track thoroughbred, reading, taking photographs, and watching Capitals hockey.
Ron grew up in Rockville, Maryland and earned his Associate’s degree in animal science immediately after high school. After working in private practice for two years, he started at a research laboratory—where he would meet his future wife, Dr. Crystal Brobst-Wormell—and remained there for 18 years while still serving part-time in private practice. After taking time off of work to help raise his and Dr. Wormell’s three children, Ron jumped at the opportunity to help his wife start a new chapter in her career and purchase their neighborhood veterinary practice, Helping Hands Veterinary Clinic, where he took his pets when he first moved to Mount Airy in 1996. When he isn’t tending to his duties around the clinic, Ron enjoys raising his kids—Megan, Jared, and Caitlyn—and seeing their love for animals flourish. The family shares their home with four dogs, three cats, a pair of corn snakes, a hermit crab and a poison dart frog.
Olivia earned her veterinary assistant certification at Frederick Community College, where she is currently working towards earning a degree in biology.
In her free time, Olivia enjoys hiking, drawing, and spending time with her many pets; 3 dogs, Stella, Duck, and Keeper, her cat Oberon, 3 birds named Gomez, Cassie, and Ollie, a chinchilla, Punk, and a turtle named Tim Tam.
The everyday stress of Veterinary medicine caused a temporary retirement and she became a school bus driver, which is her current full-time job. She came back to veterinary medicine in February of 2023 to work at P.A.W Veterinary Clinic in the role of Receptionist. However, you can still catch her drawing blood and helping out in other parts of the clinic! She enjoys interacting with the clients and their pets!
She lives on a 10-acre cattle farm where her family, including her daughter and boyfriend, raise quality beef. Danette and her daughter are very active in showing cattle and she has been known to talk way too much about her “dog’s”! The farm is also home to many cats, all of which are spoiled rotten felines that prefer to hang out on the porch rather than catch any mice. In her free time she enjoys reading and line dancing.
