Off Cycle Ideas

[justdoingmybesttogetin]

Hello! My school graduates off cycle in August, and most rotating internships start in June. We have a few options and I was hoping to get some thoughts on them:

1. I can miss my last three rotations of school and start on time in June with limited practicing until graduating in August
2. I can start late in August and then end my rotation late so that I am still off cylce for specialty internships/residencies
3. I can wait to apply the following cycle on cycle after graduating and start on time (this also allows me to puruse academic internships, something i am really inetretsed in)

The first two options are really only available for private practices, not that there is anythin wrong with that, I am just interetsed in zoo/wildlife and would like to go to an academic program that has those connections. If I were to wait, I woult try to do some clinical work as well as maybe some research project or shadowing any wildlife/zoo vets during that time, or maybe even pursue soem extra qualiactions like getting Aqua Cert or the Purdue Widllife Medicine course, etc.. There is also 6 month programs abroad in wildlfie med (liek the Belize Wildlife clinic).

I am really leaning towards the last one, and these are the pros and cons I can think of:

Pros: don't have one more thing to work on while in clinics and studying for NAVLE, get a bit of big girl money before internship, take a freaking break from straight three years of schooling and maybe do a bik backpackinh hike I've always wanted to do also, figure out where SO might also be able to go for internships, might help me stand out esp for academia w/out a rank and grades, get soem more networking experience (go to AAZV!), be able to do all of my rotations (i have some fun ones)

Cons: Pay cut, might be far out from letters of rec from clinical year, will a clinic take me?, mmm thats all I can think about

Ayone have any thoughts?

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[battie]

@WildZoo

 

[WildZoo]

Overall my answer is...it depends.

If I'm understanding correctly, for option 1 you would be looking at doing a private practice rotating internship? And you've confirmed that starting before you've graduated would be allowed?

I think either option 1 or 3 would work depending on your specific circumstances. I do know people currently in zoo/wildlife residency positions who did private practice rotating internships, so that doesn't necessarily hurt your chances. In some ways option 1 would be ideal so that you're not delaying starting the training process by a year (which at this point for most people will include 2-3 internships prior to getting a residency spot, if they get one). If you've already got zoo/wildlife people in your corner for specialty internship letters, and evidence that this is what you've been working towards, I don't think it hurts you to do a private practice rotating internship. Bonus points if you can get in somewhere that sees exotics of course.

However, option 3 may be better if your connections and experience in the field are not already somewhat strong. There are certainly more academic specialty zoo/wildlife internships and residencies, and the academia to academia pipeline is still there to some extent. While I have seen the occasional person go from rotating internship to specialty internship without strong zoo connections prior to their rotating, it's pretty rare unless their rotating happens to be somewhere that has heavy exotics/zoo involvement - which it sounds like might not be the case for you depending on were you end up for option 1. So the opportunity to spend some time developing those connections through some extracurriculars and showing your dedication to the field might be beneficial if you're lacking those things. If you decide to go that route, I would still try to maintain connections with people from your clinical year that you know would write you strong rec letters. Absolutely essential to maintain your clinical skills during that timeframe as well.

Of course this is all from the framework of trying to set yourself up as best as you can for eventual residency application success - there are certainly other routes to a career in zoo/wildlife med.

 

[pp9]

As brutal as it is to say it, chances of getting a zoo internship/residency are low regardless of what you choose to do here. If it were me, I'd go with an starting an off-cycle internship at a private practice to get it over with, and work ER/relief until you line up with the next cycle. My internship in particular had off-cycle island students every year, and it wasn't a big deal. They would usually work ER after their intern year and between cycles/until they matched. If you can't find an off-cycle internship (or one you'd be happy with, at least), then I would graduate as normal and do relief or something until the next match.

I know people from both private practice and academic rotatings that got into zoo, and people from both that didn't. Certainly no perfect option. There are absolutely benefits to academic rotating/specialty internships and doing a residency, but there are also benefits to private practice internships and not doing a residency as well (coming from someone who did the latter). You can DM me if you have more questions about this. You'll hear different opinions depending on who you ask and what their background was. Academic programs vs. nonacademic (and even VIRMP vs non-VIRMP nonacademic internships) also tend to look for different types of candidates...knowing which way you think you want to go would be helpful when making these decisions.

Purdue Widllife Medicine course

I took this and didn't feel it was worth the time/money. Very little/no medical information in the talks. UF aquatics cert is significantly better, although it's even more of a money/time investment. There's also the Columbus course, which was very good. I do want to say that as someone who's in the field via a non-residency route, I took just about every relevant certificate/course out there and got my CertAqV while trying to break into the field. I don't know that it actually helped me. My ER experience is what got me my particular (non-academic) zoo internship at the end of the day. Some of the courses have great info that I still refer to now and then, but I don't think they made me more competitive than anyone else. In my current position, seeing these on your app wouldn't sway me as much as you having clinical experience.