Wildlife medicine

[researchvet]

I'm sure all of you current vets and vet students get inundated with pre-vet questions but I was hoping I could get your opinions on wildlife medicine. I am very interested in wildlife medicine, public health, and conservation biology. I am trying to decide where to go to vet school this fall and have narrowed my choices down to Penn, Cornell, Davis, Tufts, and Colorado. For various reasons, Penn makes the most sense. However, Penn does not seem to have a strong wildlife program. They do not have a wildlife clinic and they only offer one elective related to wildlife medicine. In fact, they seem to offer the least number of electives in any field compared to the other schools listed above. For those of you at the above schools, can you tell me about your wildlife programs? Do you think it's important to go to a school with a strong wildlife program if you think that may be a field of interest post vet school? Thank you for any incite you can provide!

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[sheltervet]

I'm starting at the U of MN vet school this fall, so I can't answer your questions about wildlife programs at the schools you are interested in. I am also interested in wildlife med/conservation biology, and when I was looking into vet schools someone reminded me that during your 4th year you can do some of your externships at other sites...for example, the Wildlife Center in Virginia offers externships in wildlife medicine to 4th year vet students. So no matter which vet school you attend, there are opportunities (both for externships & for summer programs) to pursue your specific interests.

 

[critterfixer]

I think Tufts has an amazing Conservation Medicine program. If I had your choices, that's where I would go. Next in line would be Colorado or Cornell, as both have great programs.

 

[hoodle]

I'm probably heavily biased in this (and you already know my opinion), but if I were in your shoes and making my decision purely based on my exposure to and education in wildlife medicine, I'd go to UCD. Their strengths in ecology and conservation biology OUTSIDE of vetmed are legendary, and their strengths in wildlife medicine in particular are equally impressive. http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/whc/ and http://wfcb.ucdavis.edu/. Additionally, Davis has huge strengths in zoo med (san diego zoo!!) and I think zoo med and wildlife often synergize.

This doesn't answer your questions about electives, etc! Also, while going to vet school is different than specialization after vet school (internship/residency), going to a school where you can make contacts in the field of your interest, take classes, and get exposure can only be helpful and fun.

 

[tealamutt]

also check out WSU's new program on world animal health- sounds very cool to me!

 

[ratbandit]

Just a general thing to keep in mind for anyone who is zoo/wildlife focused; I was considering LSU b/c they had a good exotics program, but when I asked how long the rotation was they said 2 weeks. Now I go to the University of Missouri which has nothing for exotics, but I could always do one of LSU's 14 week externships instead. Just make sure you really dig to ask how much exposure you will be getting to you specialized area of interest, in my case it definitely didn't outweigh the benefits of going to Mizzou.

 

[WildlifeSaver]

I'm sure all of you current vets and vet students get inundated with pre-vet questions but I was hoping I could get your opinions on wildlife medicine. I am very interested in wildlife medicine, public health, and conservation biology. I am trying to decide where to go to vet school this fall and have narrowed my choices down to Penn, Cornell, Davis, Tufts, and Colorado. For various reasons, Penn makes the most sense. However, Penn does not seem to have a strong wildlife program. They do not have a wildlife clinic and they only offer one elective related to wildlife medicine. In fact, they seem to offer the least number of electives in any field compared to the other schools listed above. For those of you at the above schools, can you tell me about your wildlife programs? Do you think it's important to go to a school with a strong wildlife program if you think that may be a field of interest post vet school? Thank you for any incite you can provide!

It is true you can to externships and internships at some time if the school doesn't have to have a strong focus in what you are interested in. I would consider what specialties they offer after the DVM to give you a more clue what they are into especially if they work with a zoo and such that is awesome. Cornell does it. You know what is funny I am very similar to you with interest in conservation, yes public heath of disease that are zoonotic/zoonosis (opportunities to work with the CDC), and wildlife vet (DVM/Phd) is my ideal dream if I take the Vet path and not the MD.

The VGM career book in "opportunities in veterinary medicine careers" is a nice outline of all the specialties one can do, but really doesn't give you the schools that concentrate on them so check out all the web pages and get brochure to the schools curriculum and such or contact the school.
You know what is very interesting this book got stats of only 39 certified specialist in zoological medicine in 1999 that is a very low number. Not to mention the low jobs that are available, but its getting better for the people interested in what you are in and a Phd helps out big time getting the jobs. Just look at http://www.aawv.net/jobs.html#jobs to get yourself ideas and there is much more then this site alone!

I am a now confused always want a be vet from childhood throughout HS and some college to now maybe MD, why listen to me right