Logistics of Specializing

[dogtorschmogtor]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hi everyone! I’m a second year veterinary student and am curious about the logistics of specializing. I understand that you have to do a small animal rotating internship followed by a residency but notice that pretty much every intern/resident at my school is from another state. Do you pretty much always have to move away for these opportunities? It’s pretty much impossible to do everything through your own veterinary school, right?

I’m married and my husband has a great job that would be less than ideal for him to leave, especially considering the teenie intern/residency salary I would be bringing in. Who knows what will happen in two years, but just brainstorming.

 

[WildZoo]

It's not impossible but many schools don't take their own students as rotating interns for various reasons. Plenty are happy to take them back as residents. But there are also no guarantees that you'll match at your top choice. It is not uncommon to apply to 10+ programs all around the country. And once you're applying to specialty internships and residencies, probably even more. It's very competitive.

 

[JaynaAli]

I agree with WZ. Residents and interns are usually very nomadic. It’s not impossible to stay, but people I know who have done it have taken a very firm “it’s this program or nothing, and I’m okay with not specializing if this place doesn’t work out” stance. I have known several married couples who live apart for one to three years of specialty training because their spouse couldn’t or wouldn’t leave a job. Usually it’s just a year for internships but you have to decide how important specializing is and what that would mean for a relationship.

I personally think that it’s very important to go somewhere else for at least a portion of your training. You can do fine staying at one place, but it’s good to broaden your horizons and see how other specialists do their jobs. You will also be exposed to different things at different places. I know great specialists that were at the same place for vet school, residency, and are now faculty. But I think a risk that these people fall into is doing things the same way because it’s always been done that way. As someone who has been multiple places I have experienced things that worked well and things that didn’t. I think it makes me more well rounded and a better employment candidate. And half (or more!) of getting a job is who you know, and by going to several others places I know people all across the country.

 

[allygator13]

You could try to do a rotating internship at a private practice specialty hospital nearby if there is one around that has interns. Agree with everything already stated though.

I'm married and my husband is military, essentially the entirety of our relationship has been long distance aside from the year of my internship when we shockingly managed to be in the same city. We're now 4 hours apart in location, which is the closest we've been other than my internship year. We make it work, and it'll be worth it in 2.5 years.

 

[PippyPony]

My school is a little weird with things like internships and residencies, in that we always take some of our own people (and there are even a few who go straight through from undergrad --> vet school --> internship --> residency), but my understanding is that it's not the norm. It's also not always a good idea for the reasons Jayna stated.

For what it's worth, you also don't always have to do an internship. Some fields take people into residency programs out of vet school, and some accept years of GP as a substitute. It's much more rare, but I know multiple faculty (some recently boarded) who never did an internship.

 

[VIN-Foundation]

While some schools do take their own students as rotating interns, there are several disadvantages:

1. As mentioned above, getting training at different places gives you a broader perspective.

2. The transition from student to doctor can be difficult. It's sometimes hard for people to see you as a student on Friday and then a doctor on Monday.

3. Some applicants apply to the place they are already at because they don't want to move. This can sometimes be perceived as being less enthusiastic compared to someone who is moving to a program because they are specifically interested in that particular program.

As mentioned, a rotating internship is not always necessary in order to get a residency. It really depends on the speciality and to a lesser degree, the specific program. Also, this has changed over time. For example, I got a residency in neurology years ago with several years of experience in a mixed animal general practice and no internship. But these days it would be much more difficult to get a neurology residency without a rotating internship. And many applicants also have completed a specialty internship. That's the same for most of the other really competitive clinical residencies.

 

[PippyPony]

3. Some applicants apply to the place they are already at because they don't want to move. This can sometimes be perceived as being less enthusiastic compared to someone who is moving to a program because they are specifically interested in that particular program.

This is a shame, in my opinion. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to move for a year.

(I'm not saying you're wrong, just saying the sentiment is unfortunate.)

 

[stealthoscope]

Hi everyone! I’m a second year veterinary student and am curious about the logistics of specializing. I understand that you have to do a small animal rotating internship followed by a residency but notice that pretty much every intern/resident at my school is from another state. Do you pretty much always have to move away for these opportunities? It’s pretty much impossible to do everything through your own veterinary school, right?

I’m married and my husband has a great job that would be less than ideal for him to leave, especially considering the teenie intern/residency salary I would be bringing in. Who knows what will happen in two years, but just brainstorming.

Professionally, I think there is a huge benefit to going elsewhere for your rotating internship, including but not limited to diversifying your experience, getting outside of your comfort zone and learning from people who may think about things from a different perspective than you were taught, and also stepping away from faculty who remember you as a student and around whom you are used to acting like a student. Lots of programs like to take their previous students back as residents, so you could go back for residency; if that is a goal, make connections with those faculty during vet school and keep in touch while you’re away for internship.

That being said, I know some excellent clinicians who did all their training at one institution. So it’s not out of the question, as long as you also love the program, faculty, and resources at your school. It is okay for your life situation to restrict the places you apply to. It’s okay to say during your interviews that you’re really trying to stay in X state or X region because of family, your husband’s job, your kid’s school district, etc etc.

 

[dogtorschmogtor]

Thanks everyone! Totally all makes sense.