Are you interested in specializing?

[Wolphcats]

I have a question for you! Are you interested in specializing? Is it too early for you?

I hope to specialize in either exotics, zoological medicine, or behavior.

Any thoughts?

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[cowgirla]

I have a question for you! Are you interested in specializing? Is it too early for you?

I hope to specialize in either exotics, zoological medicine, or behavior.

Any thoughts?

Does mixed animal emergency medicine count as specialty? If so, then yes, I am interested in specializing.

 

[Kitsgirl]

Wolphcats, that sounds like my plans as well. I would really like to work with zoo and conservation medicine. I'm writing my honors thesis on primate tool using behavior. Which program is your dream program?

 

[Myotis]

Yep. But I'm not entirely sure what in yet. I have it down to wildlife epidemiology, conservation medicine, shelter medicine, and environmental/public health, which would kind of let me integrate all of the above 🙂

 

[OtakuVet]

Well Im interested in becoming a Public Health Veterinarian. But this is pretty new, originally I wanted to be Emergency and then it became behavior which I still love but all throughout the 3 years that I have been exposed to Veterinary Medicine, Ive always loved one thing: Xrays and radiology. Quite frankly I find it so cool that you can zap stuff and thus see a whole range of disease and possible issues just by a picture. So Im also interested in that. So yes I want to specialize and mainly do Public Health but I wouldn't be surprised if given the chance that I would do a residency program in radiology along with my MPH under my belt. 😀

 

[cowgirla]

Well Im interested in becoming a Public Health Veterinarian. But this is pretty new, originally I wanted to be Emergency and then it became behavior which I still love but all throughout the 3 years that I have been exposed to Veterinary Medicine, Ive always loved one thing: Xrays and radiology. Quite frankly I find it so cool that you can zap stuff and thus see a whole range of disease and possible issues just by a picture. So Im also interested in that. So yes I want to specialize and mainly do Public Health but I wouldn't be surprised if given the chance that I would do a residency program in radiology along with my MPH under my belt. 😀

you say xray, I say ultrasonography!
I LOVE playing with the fancy machine my clinic has. it's amazing what you can see on those things!

Digital xrays are pretty awesome too though. Our machine has lots of nifty features on it.

 

[jpeterman13]

I'm presently very interested in specializing in ophthalmology. I did all of my undergraduate work on the cornea and I'm pretty much hooked on the eye. I am also interested in zoological medicine and wildlife medicine. But who knows...I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch 😛

 

[pulseczar]

Pathology and lab animal medicine are current interests of mine. But of course, things can and probably will change while I get to experience more aspects of vet med during vet school.

 

[eventualeventer]

^ What (s)he said about things changing. I really love working with horses, even with their weird medical issues (tummyache? laminitis. fever? laminitis. injury? laminitis. look at them cross-eyed for too long? laminitis. painted their stall bright green? colic, THEN laminitis.). I love the critical cases, the neonates, AND abdominal surgery, so who knows where I'll end up. For all I know, by the time I'm a fourth year I'll decide that I want to go be a vet for pig farmers in Asia, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to be a small animal general practitioner.

 

[cwazy cat lady]

Hmm... I am interested in cats and that is pretty set. I worked a small bit with exotics, avian, dogs, horses, zoo, pocket pets, etc... and nothing gets me juiced up like a cat. I love them. Within feline medicine, I think I gravitate primarily toward geriatrics, nutrition, and behavior. I want to help owners prevent their cats from becoming aggressive house-soiling diabetics!

I am excited to learn about everything, though... 😀

I like the ida of specializing. It just makes sense to me. On the other hand, I have a shelter/rescue background and I love the idea of reaching any and all animals that might otherwise never see the vet.

 

[Wolphcats]

Wolphcats, that sounds like my plans as well. I would really like to work with zoo and conservation medicine. I'm writing my honors thesis on primate tool using behavior. Which program is your dream program?

UF's residency program for Zoological Medicine. The 4th year, you work at Disney's Animal Kingdom. My MS has been dedicated to Zoo and Aquarium Studies, and one of the things they drill into us is that Disney's animal kingdom is one of the best zoo's in the world because Disney with regards to animal care knew they needed to spend millions to build the state of art facility.

I think that my second choice would be Illinois, because they work with Shedd Aquarium, Brookfield Zoo, and Lincoln Park Zoo.

But before I even really consider residency programs I need to get through a DVM or BVMS program!!

 

[Morganator]

Right now my main specialty interests would be anesthesia and pain management, or orthopedic surgery. I would love to specialize in wildlife medicine but that sounds like an uphill battle I don't want to fight.

We also know 90% of people going in don't end up doing what they're first interested in and knowing myself, I'm sure I'll end up in that crowd. It's just too difficult to know without being exposed to all the specialties yet - but thats part of the fun of school.

 

[Whyevernot55]

Good heavens, how could I possibly know what I want to specialize in yet, before I've gone to school?! 😀
I'm expecting to change my mind a lot. I started out working in equine, which is my first love and my favorite thing to do. Now I work in SA general practice, which I thought would bore me to tears, but I actually rather enjoy most days. I also love radiology - there's nothing better than x-rays of horses' legs.

 

[NittanyKitty]

While mixed-animal general practice is definitely appealing to me, there are certain areas that also having me thinking of specialization. Pathology, oncology, soft-tissue surgery, and internal medicine are all interests that really get me excited in practice. I figure I'll make the decision to specialize or not once I'm back in school. 🙂

 

[chyactnate]

I am pretty much dead set on horses. I know that it isnt a good idea to have that attitude, but I love the horses and feel the most comfortable around the. I would like to specialize in something in that field. I LOVE the babies, but also interesting in internal med, orthopedic surgery, reproduction. I guess I will be waiting till I get more exposure to that stuff before I make my final decision 🙂

 

[DVMDream]

I am really interested in small animal surgery especially anything that has to deal with bones, but I would like to do all kinds of surgey. I have also thought about dermatology as an option as well.

 

[Willowhand]

Just as a side note, there's a place in my town that specializes in feline and avian medicine. Of all combinations, a cat and bird clinic strikes me as something of a liability... 🙄

 

[variegata]

I'm hoping for wildlife/conservation medicine. Tufts program looks really cool to me, and UC Davis is (1) in-state and (2) has a senior residency at the San Diego Zoo & Wild Animal Park and SeaWorld.

 

[Nexx]

Well Im interested in becoming a Public Health Veterinarian. But this is pretty new, originally I wanted to be Emergency and then it became behavior which I still love but all throughout the 3 years that I have been exposed to Veterinary Medicine, Ive always loved one thing: Xrays and radiology. Quite frankly I find it so cool that you can zap stuff and thus see a whole range of disease and possible issues just by a picture. So Im also interested in that. So yes I want to specialize and mainly do Public Health but I wouldn't be surprised if given the chance that I would do a residency program in radiology along with my MPH under my belt. 😀

Just FYI, Perth has a disproportionate amount of radiologists... my bosses (both radiologists themselves) were discussing it the other day with a visiting radiology resident and I think they counted 6 or 7 in total.

 

[Nechochwen]

I'm planning on specializing in zoo medicine. My career choices growing up went from zoologist in Africa, to zookeeper, and finally to zoo vet. Then again, once I get knee deep into vet school, I might find something I like more. I doubt it though.

I was worried about whether I could even study exotics at my school (LSU), but with all the talk of externships and preceptorships that shouldn't be a problem. I know that some schools have better specialty programs, but will a school choice limit what you can become?

 

[Bill59]

I know that some schools have better specialty programs, but will a school choice limit what you can become?

No. Specialization involves some sort of post-graduate training, usually an internship/residency or PhD. This is usually done somewhere other than where you obtained your DVM. So even if your DVM is from a school that doesn't have a residency in zoo med, you can still get a residency in that area.

 

[sumstorm]

You just might have to work harder to have similar exposure. I am sure the 2-20 hours a week I put into zoo med will improve my oppurtunities later on. The 2 hour portion is required in my focus area of zoo med, but the other variable hours (0-40) a week come from EC activities and pursueing oppurtunities on my own.

I know Bill says it doesn't matter, but I am not sure if Bill is in zoo med or another competitive field. Getting a residency can be really hard in highly selective fields. So, if you want one, there will be advantages to having things 'under your belt' at the time of application. I think the possibilities are similar, BUT you may have to put more effort in getting the experiences than students at a school with options in that area.

 

[Nechochwen]

Thanks Sun

They have a zoo in Baton Rouge, so I figured even some volunteer work there would help. I have a good relationship with the zoo director in Alexandria and I hope there might be some opportunities there. I'm really excited about an internship at LSU working with Mike the Tiger; I was really disappointed that I'll have to wait till 2012 to have the chance.

I found out that LSU has some post-doctoral specialization in zoo medicine, so that's encouraging, but I'll have to see if I want to do that when I get there. Both for economic reasons and whether I'll still be wanting to be in school. I hope I'll be.

 

[sumstorm]

Thanks Sun

They have a zoo in Baton Rouge, so I figured even some volunteer work there would help. I have a good relationship with the zoo director in Alexandria and I hope there might be some opportunities there. I'm really excited about an internship at LSU working with Mike the Tiger; I was really disappointed that I'll have to wait till 2012 to have the chance.

Lee Ann? I deepy miss Les.

 

[Nechochwen]

Yeah, I was a teen volunteer so I got to know her then. I wish I had gotten to know Les more. He was an amazing individual.

 

[heylodeb]

Small animal surgery for me! I get this freaky weird adrenaline rush every time I walk into a surgical suite. It's my nirvana. I was practically dancing when I got to see an equine surg at UCD - soooooo awesome!!!!!!

I went back and forth on small vs. large, but I decided that I want to keep horses as my "hobby" and that I really wasn't comfortable with the idea that LA vets see the ER on average of 2x per year. blegh.

This is all subject to change, of course. 🙂

 

[sumstorm]

Yeah, I was a teen volunteer so I got to know her then. I wish I had gotten to know Les more. He was an amazing individual.

I was a curator at Lousiana Purchase. Les and Lee Ann are some of the most amazing folks in the zoo world. they could have had their choice of zoos. I may be down that way this summer, maybe we can meet up!

 

[Nechochwen]

I may be down that way this summer, maybe we can meet up!

Definitely, let me know if you're heading this way, I'll be here all summer.

 

[jos05]

Ophthalmology 😎

 

[VeganSoprano]

Emergency/critical care. I'm an ICU dork.

 

[BlacKAT33]

lab animal medicine, however, we'll see how much i like surgery. i LOVE surgery on mice, i get a huge sense of accomplishment afterwards


about the zoo med, isn't LSU known for their wildlife program? this may be really noobish of me but couldnt some areas of wildlife overlap with zoo med? i mean, i'm sure some of the exotic animals probably overlap and then w/e you learn about those animals, how to treat them etc would be the same, right? Ok, no one make fun of me for thinking this lol

 

[nohika]

I know I'm a bit early (not much experience yet), but the areas that interest me most so far are Oncology, small-animal surgery (soft-tissue, not orthopedics), annddd emergency/critical care.

 

[Bill59]

I know Bill says it doesn't matter, but I am not sure if Bill is in zoo med or another competitive field. Getting a residency can be really hard in highly selective fields. So, if you want one, there will be advantages to having things 'under your belt' at the time of application.

I'm in a competitive specialty, but not zoo. When I'm picking a resident I really don't care where they got their DVM, as long as it's an accredited school. More important is where they did their internship. But even there, I mostly want to make sure they have a good background in fundamental medicine and surgery. They need to know how to do a H&P, interpret a CBC, read a chest x-ray, tie knots, search and interpret the literature. We're going to teach them everything we want them to know in the specialty.

If you want to be competitive for a residency focus on getting the best grades possible in vet. school and do well in a good internship.

 

[sumstorm]

I'm in a competitive specialty, but not zoo. When I'm picking a resident I really don't care where they got their DVM, as long as it's an accredited school. More important is where they did their internship. But even there, I mostly want to make sure they have a good background in fundamental medicine and surgery. They need to know how to do a H&P, interpret a CBC, read a chest x-ray, tie knots, search and interpret the literature. We're going to teach them everything we want them to know in the specialty.

If you want to be competitive for a residency focus on getting the best grades possible in vet. school and do well in a good internship.

I agree having core skills is essential, but at least the individuals I have discussed zoo residency with all emphasize the need for more. Why? Because zoo med is a very different beast, literally and figuratively. How do you interpret a chem. panel for a kangaroo rat? What does the CBC for a horseshoe crab look like? What will a thoracic radiograph look like for a sloth? I do understand what you are saying, and I think for most specialties, you are absolutely 100% right, the extra classes and experiences aren’t important in differentiating the candidates compared to grades. The thing with zoo med is to have the skills to do the stuff you are saying is important will require more knowledge than students generally receive in the classroom/clinical. I think there are a few where other things will be incredibly important. Of course, the DACZM’s I have discussed this with could be misleading me. In other words, what I was told was that you need the grades, the core skills, the LORs, the EC’s, just to even be considered…but that all wasn’t enough to be selected, partially because a lot of what we learn in vet school will only apply to a bare handful of our patients, there are more stakeholders involved in treatment, and there must be a delicate balance between the health of the population, public health, performance, and individual health. I was even told the more experience I could get in sub-fields like horse racing, bovine therio, and working dog behavior would provide me with invaluable knowledge of the challenges in the field, helping to improve my chances for residency. Though I may not go a formal residency route anyways.

 

[sumstorm]

about the zoo med, isn't LSU known for their wildlife program? this may be really noobish of me but couldnt some areas of wildlife overlap with zoo med? i mean, i'm sure some of the exotic animals probably overlap and then w/e you learn about those animals, how to treat them etc would be the same, right? Ok, no one make fun of me for thinking this lol

I don't think you are inaccurate. At least not from what I have been told.

 

[nohika]

What are good schools for zoomed, anyways? In particular I'm interested in marine mammals, but I'd love zoomed. Haven't considered it much because I don't know too much about it...but I think it'd be something for me to look in to.

 

[dyachei]

I agree having core skills is essential, but at least the individuals I have discussed zoo residency with all emphasize the need for more. Why? Because zoo med is a very different beast, literally and figuratively. How do you interpret a chem. panel for a kangaroo rat? What does the CBC for a horseshoe crab look like? What will a thoracic radiograph look like for a sloth? I do understand what you are saying, and I think for most specialties, you are absolutely 100% right, the extra classes and experiences aren’t important in differentiating the candidates compared to grades. The thing with zoo med is to have the skills to do the stuff you are saying is important will require more knowledge than students generally receive in the classroom/clinical. I think there are a few where other things will be incredibly important. Of course, the DACZM’s I have discussed this with could be misleading me. In other words, what I was told was that you need the grades, the core skills, the LORs, the EC’s, just to even be considered…but that all wasn’t enough to be selected, partially because a lot of what we learn in vet school will only apply to a bare handful of our patients, there are more stakeholders involved in treatment, and there must be a delicate balance between the health of the population, public health, performance, and individual health. I was even told the more experience I could get in sub-fields like horse racing, bovine therio, and working dog behavior would provide me with invaluable knowledge of the challenges in the field, helping to improve my chances for residency. Though I may not go a formal residency route anyways.

I think you're gonna get way more from an externship in zoo medicine, which is why they are so competitive. Classes are so variable from school to school, too. Just as a heads up to anyone interested in zoo externships, make sure to apply for these more than a year in advance, they fill up quickly.

 

[Nechochwen]

Loose talk that I've heard is that UF is known for their zoo medicine. I have also heard (recently and at their open house) that LSU has a good wildlife program. This is just hearsay, if anyone else knows, please say so. I'd like to know too.😀

 

[lei325]

I'm hoping to specialize in equine sports med/orthopedics. I love working with sport horses!

 

[nohika]

Loose talk that I've heard is that UF is known for their zoo medicine. I have also heard (recently and at their open house) that LSU has a good wildlife program. This is just hearsay, if anyone else knows, please say so. I'd like to know too.😀

Would this be something listed in the VMSAR? I ordered the new one a couple days ago and it should be here by the end of the week...I can't remember if it listed the programs, though.

 

[Magical Realist]

It's way too early for me to be thinking about this--but I've never let that stop me before.🙄

I volunteer at a zoo right now. I love every minute I'm there, and don't want to leave when my shifts end. I'm waiting for a position on an animal unit to open up, but in the meantime I'm learning more about each animal on exhibit, learning to appreciate animals I hadn't been into before (especially birds), and paying attention to the day-to-day aspects of running a zoo. It's all interesting, and better yet, "zoo people" are really amazing. They don't get paid very well--not even the vets--but I've never seen so many people so happy to work for a particular organization in my entire life. I don't care if I have to live in a van down by the river and eat ramen while I pay off my student loans! I want to join them!

So yeah, I'm considering zoo med.

I've also considered Emergency/Critical Care--I'm great in a crisis, love variety, and don't mind not knowing what will come in the door next. And since I'm a nocturnal critter, doing overnight shifts at a 24-hour hospital would be fine by me.

Being a cat person (I have nine of them!), I've naturally thought about feline med. And it's not out of the question. But I have such a strong affinity for cats, I don't know if I could handle the day-to-day emotional demands of a cats-only practice. Or maybe I can--I just don't know it yet. It's too early for me to say, but when the time comes, I'll know.

I do know this--I have no interest in Equine (I'm horribly allergic) or LA/Food Animal med. I'm such a die-hard city person anyway (the "country" is all that stuff you drive through/fly over on the way to another city), so I guess the point is moot. 😀

about the zoo med...couldnt some areas of wildlife overlap with zoo med? i mean, i'm sure some of the exotic animals probably overlap and then w/e you learn about those animals, how to treat them etc would be the same, right? Ok, no one make fun of me for thinking this lol

I won't make fun of you, because this makes perfect sense to me (which is why I'm going to try to fit in some wildlife experience).

 

[lei325]

Being a cat person (I have nine of them!), I've naturally thought about feline med. And it's not out of the question. But I have such a strong affinity for cats, I don't know if I could handle the day-to-day emotional demands of a cats-only practice. Or maybe I can--I just don't know it yet. It's too early for me to say, but when the time comes, I'll know.

This is OT, but you have nine cats??! 😱 That must be a handful sometimes...

 

[Magical Realist]

This is OT, but you have nine cats??! 😱 That must be a handful sometimes...

It is! But when I'm having a Bad Cat Day I think about my mom, who had to be a single parent to three kids (and two of us were utterly horrid, unruly, troublemaking teenagers).

If my mom could get my brother and I through our teen years without murdering us in our beds, then having so many cats (most of whom are well-behaved) is nothing.

See? It's all about perspective!

 

[NStarz]

Haha, lots of zoo vet hopefuls on here! That's awesome!

I'm not exactly sure yet, but I think I do want to specialize eventually. Some nuances about general practice don't appeal to me (but most do!!).

Emergency/critical care (love that adrenaline rush!), animal behavior, shelter med, zoo/wildlife/conservation med are just a few options at this point, but those are definitely subject to change.

 

[SocialStigma]

I'm kind of all over the place right now..but I definitely have an interest in internal med, SA surgery and emergency/critical care. Solving puzzles and getting that adrenaline rush are what I'm attracted to!

 

[sumstorm]

I think you're gonna get way more from an externship in zoo medicine, which is why they are so competitive. Classes are so variable from school to school, too. Just as a heads up to anyone interested in zoo externships, make sure to apply for these more than a year in advance, they fill up quickly.

Again, point is the same, at that level of competition, the experience counts. Either experiences in other areas that are relevant (I named a couple) or actual zoo experience (and I mean that in terms of getting externships, internships, and residencies along with courses). Yes, classes vary. Our zoo med class is also attended by our residents and includes prep for boards. This isn't like undergrad to vet school where applicants are coming from hundreds of schools; it isn't difficult to check on what the classes are like at the school. At max, isn't it still less than 35 calls if you had to check at every school. And it is a very small world; most of the DACZMs know each other. I am NOT saying it isn't possible to do this at every single vet school; I believe it is and have encouraged students to make the choice of what school to attend on other factors, but I do think that it may take extra work. I know I stand out in my class for zoo med, along with another student, because we are both actively involved in zoo med research already (bear vision, sea turtle neuro.) That isn’t part of the requirements for zoo med focus, but it is strongly suggested. I am also NOT saying that grades don’t matter; they do. But realistically, if you have two students with 3.8 GPA, top ranked, excellent LOR’s, what will be used to select externs, interns, and residents? EC’s in the field will count (whether those are classes, clubs, volunteer opportunities, etc.)

Again, I could easily be wrong. I just don’t see why residents and DACZM’s would mislead individuals in the zoo med focus area. Also, I don’t assume that all the fields are the same when it comes to how residents are selected…nor that all resident selection committees operate the same. This is just what was shared with our zoo focus students. I know our anesthesiologist has talked about how they select residents for very different qualities than emergency care and surgery. I even know one committee here will not take a resident that graduates with a 4.0 (not saying it is right or wrong, but what members of the selection committee shared with me; they feel it is a reflection on priorities and error recovery….and was told they rejected an exceptional candidate for that reason alone.) my opinion is worth the $ paid.

 

[sumstorm]

Cornell, NCSU, UI, OKSU, Ontario, UCD, UG, UF, Montreal, UT, UW, Zurich all have programs for residents, which may increase access for students.

 

[dyachei]

Again, point is the same, at that level of competition, the experience counts. Either experiences in other areas that are relevant (I named a couple) or actual zoo experience (and I mean that in terms of getting externships, internships, and residencies along with courses). Yes, classes vary. Our zoo med class is also attended by our residents and includes prep for boards. This isn't like undergrad to vet school where applicants are coming from hundreds of schools; it isn't difficult to check on what the classes are like at the school. At max, isn't it still less than 35 calls if you had to check at every school. And it is a very small world; most of the DACZMs know each other. I am NOT saying it isn't possible to do this at every single vet school; I believe it is and have encouraged students to make the choice of what school to attend on other factors, but I do think that it may take extra work. I know I stand out in my class for zoo med, along with another student, because we are both actively involved in zoo med research already (bear vision, sea turtle neuro.) That isn’t part of the requirements for zoo med focus, but it is strongly suggested. I am also NOT saying that grades don’t matter; they do. But realistically, if you have two students with 3.8 GPA, top ranked, excellent LOR’s, what will be used to select externs, interns, and residents? EC’s in the field will count (whether those are classes, clubs, volunteer opportunities, etc.)

Again, I could easily be wrong. I just don’t see why residents and DACZM’s would mislead individuals in the zoo med focus area. Also, I don’t assume that all the fields are the same when it comes to how residents are selected…nor that all resident selection committees operate the same. This is just what was shared with our zoo focus students. I know our anesthesiologist has talked about how they select residents for very different qualities than emergency care and surgery. I even know one committee here will not take a resident that graduates with a 4.0 (not saying it is right or wrong, but what members of the selection committee shared with me; they feel it is a reflection on priorities and error recovery….and was told they rejected an exceptional candidate for that reason alone.) my opinion is worth the $ paid.

Right. I'm not saying don't take as many of the zoo courses as you can - I figure that's pretty much a given being that you're interested in the material anyway.

I'm also sharing personal experiences. I'm very interested in zoo medicine, though will probably work in a small animal/exotics practice after graduation to gain work experience and pay off loans before going back to school. I do know that we had some issues getting our externships since they do fill up fast and I don't want others getting into the same situation. And yes, everyone knows everyone. Networking is probably most important, unfortunately (I say that because while I do think its nice that after a prof gets to know you, it can help you get into the field, I wish it were a little less like this and a little more merit based).

 

[sunshinevet]

Haha, lots of zoo vet hopefuls on here! That's awesome!

Not really... because in 4 years time you'll be all wanting to kill each other for those internship/residency positions... And then kill each other for employment opportunities... have fun chickies!

I'm super interested in doing a small animal surgery residency! I already do some research in the field, and having worked for specialists, its something that I love! The biggest problem for me is that I also really love production animal medicine, and the country lifestyle... and those two dont mix very well... 🙁

Oh, and there's only 3 uni's in Australia that offer SA surgery residencies. And they don't get offered every year. So going to the US or europe to do it is probably the most viable option...

 

[twelvetigers]

I can't be the only path nerd on here!