How difficult is it to get into a residency program?

[grichi]

Specifically in wildlife. (I must also specify that I’m a foreigner that will take the ECFVG and NAVLE)
- I know most residencies require at least a 1yr internship. Is it also difficult to get into an internship?
- Do you have any knowledge about requirements?
- Any advice for building a fit applicant profile?

Thank you in advance!

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[JaynaAli]

Are you a US citizen who did vet training abroad or are you from another country? Unfortunately, many US programs have stopped offering positions to non-US citizens because of issues obtaining visas and prevailing wage requirements. That’s not to say it’s impossible to find a place willing to jump through the immigration hoops, but you will have a much easier time if you are a US citizen. It sucks and I think the programs lose out on great applicants, but that is unfortunately the way things are shaking out right now. I personally am not as familiar about requirements in Canada and Europe, so hopefully those countries are a little more apt to take international applicants.

Someone more interested in wildlife will hopefully come along, but exotic animal training positions are very competitive. You will need at internship (sometimes multiple) or several years of applicable practice experience. You need to have great letters of recommendation from people in the field. Research is a plus, excellent grades in vet school probably ideal too. It can be a very long hard road to get a training position because of high demand and few programs. I think I remember hearing the boards pass rate at the end is also fairly low for zoo/exotics (though that wouldn’t stop you from being able to see patients as residency trained). Best of luck.

 

[battie]

Obligatory @WildZoo tag

 

[WildZoo]

Most if not all exotics/zoo/wildlife residencies require at minimum a 1 year internship or equivalent practice (what exactly that means depends on the program). That is a minimum requirement though, many people do multiple internships. Basically agree with what jayna said about training, networking, research, etc. It is very competitive because there are very few programs and a decent number of people interested in them. Somewhere around 15 total zoo residency programs in the US and Canada, and only about half of those take a resident every year, the others only take one every 3 years.

Internships are slightly less competitive. A lot of people will do a small animal rotating or large animal rotating, and then an exotics or zoo-specific internship. Some end up doing multiple. I know someone who has done 3 different zoo internships while trying to get a residency (a lot of people will apply for specialty internships and residencies at the same time). There are a couple of programs now that combine small animal ER/rotating and zoo internship. Again those are very competitive because they are attractive to students who want to start getting the specialty exotics training without having to do a whole year of 90% small animal. I don't know of anyone who has gotten one of those positions without significant research experience, publication(s), and excellent grades.

Match rate for the last few years (aka matched applicants/total number applicants):

2020 - Exotics/Wildlife/Zoo internship: 17% Residencies (zoo specific and exotics/zoo/wildlife combined): 7%
2019 - Internship: 13% Residency: 7%
2018 - Internship: 13% Residency (there were only 7 total programs in these categories that year): 5%

There are some zoos now that do their own 1-2 year internships separate from any academic institution, those are outside of the match so not sure on stats.