Public Health vs Shelter Medicine

[morgimiester]

Hi everyone,

So I was hoping someone with more knowledge could chime in on this dilemma, because I've been hunting around everywhere and haven't seen anyone with a similar question. I'm very interested in public health and will apply to the Saul T. Wilson scholarship program (I'm a first year veterinary student), but I am also interested in shelter medicine. The Saul T. Wilson scholarship would require me to work exclusively in public health for APHIS for 3 years post-grad. However, I have heard a lot about how, if you ever want to go into clinical practice, it's crucial to build clinical skills right after graduation (so the things you learned in veterinary school don't fall out of your brain). I was wondering what you all think - how hard would it be to get back into clinical practice (this is the worst case scenario in which I decide I no longer want to continue in the public health field) three years out from graduation? I'd consider doing a shelter med/small animal clinical internship to build clinical skills, but also don't know if I would be competitive for these types of internships after working in public health. Any advice is welcome!

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[MassDVMMPH]

Just because you are working at APHIS doesn't mean you can't work in clinical practice as well. You could get a part-time job on the weekends at a vet practice or even pick up a shift or two at a local ER until you decide exactly what you want your career to be.

 

[morgimiester]

Just because you are working at APHIS doesn't mean you can't work in clinical practice as well. You could get a part-time job on the weekends at a vet practice or even pick up a shift or two at a local ER until you decide exactly what you want your career to be.

That's a great point and one I should've considered - thank you!

 

[vetmedhead]

I know this is a weird question, but has the deadline for this scholarship passed already? I assume it has (since it usually opens for ~2 weeks in early March), but I legitimately cannot find any information about the 2016-2017 application and the APHIS website is more unhelpful than I was expecting. I found the postings for the 2014-2015 and the 2015-2016 apps, but again, nothing on 16-17. If you know anything and can help me out, I would appreciate it!

 

[WildZoo]

I know this is a weird question, but has the deadline for this scholarship passed already? I assume it has (since it usually opens for ~2 weeks in early March), but I legitimately cannot find any information about the 2016-2017 application and the APHIS website is more unhelpful than I was expecting. I found the postings for the 2014-2015 and the 2015-2016 apps, but again, nothing on 16-17. If you know anything and can help me out, I would appreciate it!

I have a saved search on the USA jobs site for it and I haven't seen it pop up this year.

 

[vetmedhead]

I have a saved search on the USA jobs site for it and I haven't seen it pop up this year.

Thank you!

 

[ilovemyaqh]

So, just now seeing this in my search for more info on the Saul T Wilson Scholarship. Deadline has passed for this year ( it opened and closed early May). Has anybody heard from someone who participated in the program? I have applied and would love to know more about how the program works.

 

[Shepherd Lover]

So, just now seeing this in my search for more info on the Saul T Wilson Scholarship. Deadline has passed for this year ( it opened and closed early May). Has anybody heard from someone who participated in the program? I have applied and would love to know more about how the program works.

One of my classmates is in the program. She receives $10,000/year and in return she works for the USDA over the summer and after she graduated she'll work for the USDA one year for each year she received the scholarship


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[battie]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/delaying-surgical-internship-residency.1202804/

There's a discussion here about this in a similar context. The general consensus is to not do the scholarship unless you're committed to public health long term