What are Residencys exactly?

[LaRue]

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Are they just programs where you gain experience in the particular area you want to work in? Do I do this right after vet school?


Also, how intense are residencies? Are they basically like being on-call nearly 24/7 with little to no possibility of sleep? Just wanted to know what I'm in for....

I'm interested in Zoological medicine if that helps.....thanks!

 

[cuitlamiztli]

Residencies are post-doctoral education geared toward board certification.

Whether or not you can go straight into a residency after veterinary school depends the specialty. Some don't require an internship (like pathology), while some require one or more internships prior to the residency (like surgery). Some will allow you to substitute 1+ years of private practice for an internship. It all depends on what the specialty's overseeing organization requires. As far as the intensity.. I'm sure it varies, but I would anticipate it to be intense. Many require research and publication in addition to clinical practice. So, if you just want to gain experience without becoming a specialist, I'd say an internship +/- extensive CE in your area of interest may be a better choice.

A list of the AVMA recognized specialty organizations can be found here: http://www.avma.org/education/abvs/specialty_orgs/.

As far as zoo medicine goes... you should probably plan on becoming boarded. I've been told by several zoo veterinarians that the field is moving in that direction (wildlife medicine, on the other hand, is not). People typically complete a 1-year rotating small animal internship and a 1-year zoo internship prior to completing a 3-4 year zoo residency. Some programs let you substitute time in private practice for the rotating internship, but from my understanding zoo residency programs rarely accept people without a zoo internship. So you're looking at a minimum of 5-6 years of post-veterinary school education (provided you complete these successively). You can find more information on programs and requirements here: http://www.aczm.org/.

Hopefully that helps!

 

[PetPony]

I talked to the Atlanta zoo head vet and she said she was lucky to get her job and it was only because of her extensive experience. They usually won't take people anymore that aren't boarded. And that the board exam is extremely difficult and many people fail it.

 

[kakurubird]

I talked to the Atlanta zoo head vet and she said she was lucky to get her job and it was only because of her extensive experience. They usually won't take people anymore that aren't boarded. And that the board exam is extremely difficult and many people fail it.

We have an interim vet where I volunteer because one of the vets on on maternity leave. She has (based on what I've heard) 20 years zoo experience, boarded for 18 years, and is able to come fill in because she doesn't have a full position anywhere.
Scary.

 

[PetPony]

We have an interim vet where I volunteer because one of the vets on on maternity leave. She has 20 years zoo experience, boarded for 18 years, and is able to come fill in because she doesn't have a full position anywhere.
Scary.

Yup. That's why I don't even let myself think about going that way..

 

[cuitlamiztli]

Yeah... a few things to be aware of with zoo medicine are that there are currently only 224 accredited zoos and aquariums in the US. Many of these don't have full-time veterinarians, and will often work with local veterinarians vs. hiring a specialist part-time.

 

[adams30]

This isn't really about zoo med vets but is kinda related.

The large animal vet I worked with who usually did bovine would sometimes take care of tigers and other large cats that came in for local fairs and whatnot. Thought it was interesting.

 

[LaRue]

So am I better off working at a small animal hospital post vet school while working on trying to get certified to work with zoo animals?

Also, when would I take the board exam for zoo animals? Is this prior to completing a residency or post?

I'm also interested in wildlife (I'm just really into conservation biology).....so I could go the small animal and exotics (pocket pet) route.....but I feel like that's just settling....I'm interested in wildlife rehabilitation as well but I heard that's extremely hard to get into as well. Also, that it's not really a permanent job, it's only temporary...... Is this true?


Thanks everyone

 

[hai1983]

So am I better off working at a small animal hospital post vet school while working on trying to get certified to work with zoo animals?

Also, when would I take the board exam for zoo animals? Is this prior to completing a residency or post?

It's my understanding that you're better off doing both a zoo internship and a rotating internship right out of vet school, not working in a SA practice. If I didn't want to practice SA medicine, and I was going to be involved in SA for one year in order to get to a zoo residency, I think I'd rather stay in the internship track, have other people around who can help, etc. even though it means crazy hours and low pay.

One takes board exams after residency. The idea is that you prepare for the boards by doing the residency.

 

[LaRue]

It's my understanding that you're better off doing both a zoo internship and a rotating internship right out of vet school, not working in a SA practice. If I didn't want to practice SA medicine, and I was going to be involved in SA for one year in order to get to a zoo residency, I think I'd rather stay in the internship track, have other people around who can help, etc. even though it means crazy hours and low pay.

One takes board exams after residency. The idea is that you prepare for the boards by doing the residency.

Alright, are the rotating internships during the vet school program? I think I heard something like this being during the third/fourth year....but I'm not sure....also, this may be a stupid question and I apologize, but what does "rotating" mean in this case? Does it mean interns get swapped out periodically?

Lastly.....thanks I feel rather dense over that board exam question....

 

[cuitlamiztli]

So am I better off working at a small animal hospital post vet school while working on trying to get certified to work with zoo animals?

Also, when would I take the board exam for zoo animals? Is this prior to completing a residency or post?

I'm also interested in wildlife (I'm just really into conservation biology).....so I could go the small animal and exotics (pocket pet) route.....but I feel like that's just settling....I'm interested in wildlife rehabilitation as well but I heard that's extremely hard to get into as well. Also, that it's not really a permanent job, it's only temporary...... Is this true?

If you are truly committed to zoo medicine then I would recommend trying to go the vet school > rotating internship > zoo internship > zoo residency route. And I'm not sure what experiences you've had, but I'd strongly recommend getting experience in the field before plotting out your career (same goes for all aspects of vet med). A lot of people think it sounds really cool but it's not for everyone.

Anyway, like hai1983 said the certification examination is taken after completing a residency (or after 6 years of full-time professional training/experience in zoo medicine). I'd take a look at the ACZM's website; all of the eligibility requirements for certification, programs, etc. can be found there.

With wildlife medicine (rehabilitation) you have basically the same limitations as you do with zoo medicine -- number of facilities. In my experience most wildlife rehabilitation centers don't have full-time veterinarians; they have a working relationship with an area veterinarian (or veterinarians) and consult as needed. Offhand, other wildlife medicine careers include becoming a state wildlife veterinarian (you'd have a lot more involvement in conservation, population management, disease surveillance, etc.) and working at the federal level. If you're into conservation biology then you could also consider international work vs. zoo medicine.

Also, you need to have a demonstrated interest in the field for either zoo or wildlife medicine. So undergraduate internships, shadowing, joining AAZV and AAWV once you're in veterinary school, becoming involved in your school's zoo/wildlife club, attending association meetings, wetlabs, multiple clinical rotations at zoos +/- wildlife facilities, etc.

 

[cuitlamiztli]

Alright, are the rotating internships during the vet school program? I think I heard something like this being during the third/fourth year....but I'm not sure....also, this may be a stupid question and I apologize, but what does "rotating" mean in this case? Does it mean interns get swapped out periodically?

Internships are completed after graduation. A rotating internship just means that you 'rotate through' different specialties... so instead of spending all of your time in, say, opthalmalogy, you spend some time in emergency medicine, then cardiology, then dermatology, etc.

 

[hai1983]

Alright, are the rotating internships during the vet school program? I think I heard something like this being during the third/fourth year.

In the third/fourth year, depending on the vet school, one does clinical rotations. Those are part of veterinary school, not part of an internship. They are similar to a rotating internship in that one spends some time in one area, then moves to another, and so on and so on.

 

[LaRue]

If you are truly committed to zoo medicine then I would recommend trying to go the vet school > rotating internship > zoo internship > zoo residency route. And I'm not sure what experiences you've had, but I'd strongly recommend getting experience in the field before plotting out your career (same goes for all aspects of vet med). A lot of people think it sounds really cool but it's not for everyone.

Anyway, like hai1983 said the certification examination is taken after completing a residency (or after 6 years of full-time professional training/experience in zoo medicine). I'd take a look at the ACZM's website; all of the eligibility requirements for certification, programs, etc. can be found there.

With wildlife medicine (rehabilitation) you have basically the same limitations as you do with zoo medicine -- number of facilities. In my experience most wildlife rehabilitation centers don't have full-time veterinarians; they have a working relationship with an area veterinarian (or veterinarians) and consult as needed. Offhand, other wildlife medicine careers include becoming a state wildlife veterinarian (you'd have a lot more involvement in conservation, population management, disease surveillance, etc.) and working at the federal level. If you're into conservation biology then you could also consider international work vs. zoo medicine.

Also, you need to have a demonstrated interest in the field for either zoo or wildlife medicine. So undergraduate internships, shadowing, joining AAZV and AAWV once you're in veterinary school, becoming involved in your school's zoo/wildlife club, attending association meetings, wetlabs, multiple clinical rotations at zoos +/- wildlife facilities, etc.

Internships are completed after graduation. A rotating internship just means that you 'rotate through' different specialties... so instead of spending all of your time in, say, opthalmalogy, you spend some time in emergency medicine, then cardiology, then dermatology, etc.

In the third/fourth year, depending on the vet school, one does clinical rotations. Those are part of veterinary school, not part of an internship. They are similar to a rotating internship in that one spends some time in one area, then moves to another, and so on and so on.

Thank you 🙂

Definitely a lot to digest.....I started shadowing at a few hospitals and during the spring hopefully I'm going to work at a zoo and do an animal keeper internship. I'm applying for vet school next fall.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Just a word of advice for zoo med in general - it is VERY small and exceedingly competitive field, with few jobs (especially for new vets) and networking is of the utmost importance. I would even say that knowing the right people is even more important than the grades you get. Don't focus solely on your resume and school - get out there and meet as many people as humanly possible in the field.

 

[cuitlamiztli]

Just a word of advice for zoo med in general - it is VERY small and exceedingly competitive field, with few jobs (especially for new vets) and networking is of the utmost importance. I would even say that knowing the right people is even more important than the grades you get. Don't focus solely on your resume and school - get out there and meet as many people as humanly possible in the field.

👍 Definitely. That's one reason why you should go to the association meetings as many times as you can (another reason is that they are pretty awesome).