exotics!!

[Biologee]

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I want to study exotics, mostly reptiles and birds. But i dont know of any vet schools that will let me specialize in those fields or even teach those fields. How am i supposed to figure that out?

 

[alonepear]

I know Tenessee has a really strong exotics program. I work for an avian & exotic vet, and one of our vets went there and basically tailored her entire experience there for a future in exotic vet medicine.

The best place to find out is defintely this board, visiting schools, asking current students and faculty members, and checking out school websites for class offerings and electives.

 

[JIKJen124]

Exotics are definitely a focus at TN. I have also heard people mention UF as good place for exotics.

 

[Bill59]

As a veterinary student, you won't really be specializing in anything and although you might help a bit with teaching duties you certainly won't be teaching classes to other students.

The AVMA frowns on using terms like 'specializing' unless you've had formal post-graduate training and achieved board certfication in an area, for example http://www.aczm.org/.

However, as mentioned above, certain veterinary schools do provide more exposure than others to exotic and zoo animal medicine. Also, some schools have tracking, where your curriculum is focused in a certain area.

 

[wildfocus]

As a veterinary student, you won't really be specializing in anything and although you might help a bit with teaching duties you certainly won't be teaching classes to other students.

The AVMA frowns on using terms like 'specializing' unless you've had formal post-graduate training and achieved board certfication in an area, for example http://www.aczm.org/.

However, certain veterinary schools do provide more exposure than others to exotic and zoo animal medicine. Also, some schools have tracking, where your curriculum is focused in a certain area.

davis has an exotics/avian track, as well as wildlife and zoo tracks, all with great electives for each!

 

[Biologee]

Thanks for all the info, but i guess i shouldnt have said "specialize in exotics" because i want to do dogs and cats as a majority. I know any vet school will teach me that. But i also want to do exotics. I guess what i need is a school who will focus a lot on those and not so much horses and farm animals. Ive heard of TN, UF, and LSU. Any others?

 

[Max Power]

I'm interested in exotics too...but my only possibilities of schools are tuskegee and georgia...can you do an exotic-type residency at another school?

 

[RazorDoc2010]

I don't know anything specifically about Tuskegee or Georgia, but at LSU they mentioned that if you're into feedlot type stuff, they send you to Kansas State so you can get that exposure. Being ignorant of your specific question, I'd assume it'd be the same way for exotics.

Good luck with Tuskegee and GA!

 

[kate_g]

I'm interested in exotics too...but my only possibilities of schools are tuskegee and georgia...can you do an exotic-type residency at another school?

Probably. But for earlier exposure, most programs also seem to let you spend some of your elective time 4th year in "externships" where you do a rotation at a private practice, another university, a zoo, etc. So you could spend some time with a private practice exotics vet in the area, or maybe (if you can arrange getting away for 2-4 weeks) go do a rotation someplace like TN or Davis or whatever that has a big exotics program. Also, I'd have a hard time believing that neither UGA nor Tuskeegee has any exotics at all. Every school I visited has at least a small "special species" ward and presumably a couple exotics vets on staff. After all, vet schools usually serve as the major tertiary care center in their area, they've got to be able to treat pretty much anything...

 

[Angelo84]

Tufts has a wildlife clinic. I don't know how busy it is though.

 

[texlaevis]

my understanding is that Tufts' wildlife clinic is quite busy-- just that it is difficult to get involved if you are not a 4th year in clinical rotations because there is such high interest in it.

Illinois also has a wildlife clinic, and I hear that their wildlife club is really active and easy to get involved with, if a bit of a time committment.

 

[JumptheMoon]

my understanding is that Tufts' wildlife clinic is quite busy-- just that it is difficult to get involved if you are not a 4th year in clinical rotations because there is such high interest in it.

I spent all of last spring and summer volunteering at the Tufts wildlife clinic once a week, and I'm not even a student - just a technician in one of the research labs (totally unaffiliated with the wildlife clinic). During "baby season," the clinic gets inundated with baby birds, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, possums, etc. that people bring in. I don't know much about other opportunities, but the "baby team" was run by a second-year student and really easy to get involved with. They were actually really glad to have us, because when there are 8 or 10 baby birds that all need to be fed every half hour plus some squirrels and possums and bunnies to tube feed a few times a day, the techs would never be able to do anything else!