Vet Schools/Programs/Internships for Marine Mammal Interest

[Furoc1291]

Hey all,

I am currently a chemical engineering major with a biochemical concentration, and double minoring in math and natural resources conservation. I am looking to apply to vet school in the Fall of 2014, and with luck, hopefully I will begin in the Fall of 2015. After vet school, I wish to do some sort of marine mammal and wildlife residency, as I am hoping to one day be able to combine veterinary medicine/marine mammals/biomedical engineering...

Keeping these ideas in consideration, I am looking for any information on which vet schools are the best to apply to, as well as any internships/externships people would recommend. I haven't been able to find as much of a wealth of information on marine mammals vets as I would like, and so any information or insight on this career path would be very much appreciated! In addition, if there are any engineer/vets out there, what has your career path been like and have you heard of anyone in the field I am speaking of?

Thank you for your time and advice in advance! I really appreciate it 🙂

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[Bill59]

Here's a few places to start:
AAZV

VIRMP You can search for open intern and residency positions.

For veterinary school, it's not critical that you go to a school with a marine mammal or wildlife program as long as you can arrange some externships. Also realize that many, if not the majority, of vet school applicants change their area of interest by the time they graduate.

 

[Saffine]

I am hoping to one day be able to combine veterinary medicine/marine mammals/biomedical engineering...

I think this would be extremely difficult. You wouldn't necessarily need to do a vet degree. Have you considered doing a PhD and attempting to find employment as a marine mammal researcher.

In addition, if there are any engineer/vets out there, what has your career path been like and have you heard of anyone in the field I am speaking of?

The engineer/vet double degree holders I know are people who have changed professions. There doesn't seem much scope to combine both.

For veterinary school, it's not critical that you go to a school with a marine mammal or wildlife program as long as you can arrange some externships.

Agree completely. For marine mammal it is quite possible you will have to start out where the majority of jobs are with cats/dogs and compete for internships/residencies in wildlife across the United States. Remember also that veterinarians treat individual animals and that this is rarely needed for wildlife as habitat protection is the main form of assistance. Marine mammals isn't a recognised specialty by the veterinary board and is covered under 'Zoological Medicine'. Most vets in this area work in zoos.

Also realize that many, if not the majority, of vet school applicants change their area of interest by the time they graduate.

Agree, this would probably be the case more so for wildlife/zoo wannabe veterinarians. Limited jobs and finance to support vets in this area seems to be a major cause.

 

[jmo1012]

not marine mammal specific, but MARVET was a really fun and awesome 2 week workshop i did this summer

 

[SavVet]

Furoc, I'm wanting to specialize in this as well, let me know if you have found any other good information!

 

[MassDVMMPH]

The only vets I know who work with marine mammals work for a marine mammal rescue organization - mostly seals at the current time. They actually work as small animal vets (dogs/cats) to make a living - the work they do for the marine mammal rescue (their true love) is completely volunteer. It would be difficult to find a job that pays where you are only working with marine mammals. Aquarium work involves working with a lot of fish (not just marine mammals) and is EXTREMELY competitive - you cannot count on getting a job in that field no matter how well you do in vet school.

 

[that redhead]

For veterinary school, it's not critical that you go to a school with a marine mammal or wildlife program as long as you can arrange some externships. Also realize that many, if not the majority, of vet school applicants change their area of interest by the time they graduate.

Agreed on all counts. If you want to be picky, apply to places that are close to aquariums, zoos or other such places that would allow you to maybe pick up some volunteer time. But externships will be the big one, and you can do those anywhere that has a program.

Aquarium work involves working with a lot of fish (not just marine mammals) and is EXTREMELY competitive - you cannot count on getting a job in that field no matter how well you do in vet school.

Definitely. The more experience you have to back up your career goals the better, well before you'd be applying for various rotations.

OP, if you don't have the experience now, I'd find a place to start at sooner rather than later. The suggestion to do marine research is a good one, especially since you don't necessarily need a DVM to be involved and make a difference.

 

[Crystalight33]

A few more resources for you:
http://www.wavma.org - World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association
http://www.iaaam.org - International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine

I'm not really sure I understand how you are wanting to combine marine animal medicine and biomedical engineering. There are veterinary jobs with pharmaceutical companies that might involve biochemistry and biomechanics, but I can't really think of anything that would specifically involve marine mammals. Most of the drugs and diagnostic equipment used on these animals are the same as domestic species. Not sure if this would interest you but there is an internship with the Navy Marine Mammal program (it might combine more biomechanics, maybe?) - http://www.public.navy.mil/SPAWAR/PACIFIC/71500/Pages/default.aspx

As Saffine mentioned, there are degrees other than a DVM that would probably involve more marine mammal science as opposed to just medicine. The Society for Marine Mammalogy has a great page about marine mammal careers - http://www.marinemammalscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70&Itemid=84

As far as which vet school to go to, it doesn't matter much because most of your experience with marine mammals will come from externships and summer programs available to all veterinary students. I would recommend either your in state school (if you have one) or a school where you can gain in state residency (Mizzou, NCSU, Ohio) where tuition will be cheaper because if you do have your heart set on being an aquarium vet or a wildlife vet, you will not be making as much money as your peers in private practice or in industry. Good luck applying and hopefully some of this information was helpful!

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

As far as which vet school to go to, it doesn't matter much because most of your experience with marine mammals will come from externships and summer programs available to all veterinary students. I would recommend either your in state school (if you have one) or a school where you can gain in state residency (Mizzou, NCSU, Ohio) where tuition will be cheaper because if you do have your heart set on being an aquarium vet or a wildlife vet, you will not be making as much money as your peers in private practice or in industry. Good luck applying and hopefully some of this information was helpful!

If you can even find a job at all. 90%+ of the people I know/knew who wanted to do fish or marine mammals ended up in small animals practice because there was nothing there.

Hell, even wildlife residencies are almost nonexistant - the few that DO exist are insanely competitive. I mean insanely. I'm taking top 5% of the class, doing externships every year (usually for no pay), stellar recommendation letters, and most often you have to know a lot of people in the field - they won't hire someone they don't know. it's very insular.

I feel like a PhD would be much more in line with what the OP wants. I know I sound like a downer, but there are just some things that can't be combined in certain ways. If you want to combine engineering and medicine equally, that usually means applied research - which you would most likely need a PhD in addition to your DVM anyway in order to qualify for said positions, if you took the veterinary route. A regular PhD with a good postdoc or two would be more applicable in this situation and would save a lot of debt.

 

[racccjlm]

An extreme long shot...but:
http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=7500&tid=282&cid=28173

Tufts isn't terribly far away from WHOI. You might explore what kind of options are available for shadowing Moore.