Program Information
General Structure: The University of Florida offers a four year clinical residency program in Veterinary Anesthesiology and pain management (primarily perioperative pain management). In addition, there are opportunities to work with specialists in acupuncture to gain an understanding of the role of this modality in pain management in companion animals (including horses). There is a dedicated physical therapy and rehabilitation facility (underwater treadmill, laser therapy, shock wave therapy). There are six ACVAA diplomate faculty members at the College of Veterinary Medicine in support of the program. The resident will spend 75-80% of his/her time performing clinical work under the supervision of board certified veterinary anesthesiologists. The resident will participate in after-hours emergency duty for the anesthesia service. Included in the clinical assignment is time spent on outside rotations such as but not limited to cardiology, critical care, neonatal foal unit, internal medicine, human anesthesiology and traditional Chinese Medicine, including acupuncture. The remaining time will be spent on research, manuscript preparation, seminars, and independent study. Fifteen days will be allocated for vacation each year.
The first year of the program is dedicated to pursuit of the MS degree and is designed to provide the resident with a sound foundation in research as well as anatomy and the fundamentals of anesthesia and pain management prior to the commencement of the clinical training. The resident will be enrolled in graduate courses and will be actively involved in their thesis project research and collaborate in other studies from the anesthesia service. Also during this year, the resident will work as a teaching assistant for the freshman Veterinary Anatomy Course or another course related to anesthesia. Furthermore, he or she will help with the Anesthesia laboratories for the sophomores. Graduate students also participate in daily clinical rounds, anesthesia resident rounds and journal clubs. The resident will begin the clinical portion of the program at the beginning of their second year.
Within the College, resident seminars are given weekly throughout the academic year. The resident will be expected to attend these seminars and to present at least one seminar per year with emphasis on an anesthesia topic.
The resident will participate in the clinical instruction of junior and senior students including case management and informal rounds. The resident will be assigned lectures in the courses presented by the anesthesia faculty members. Minimal participation in clinical instruction will be expected in the first year of the residency. The resident will be given guidance in the development of teaching skills.
Each resident will be required to perform a research project which can either be a basic science or a clinical research project. A manuscript should be prepared and submitted to a refereed journal demonstrating results of the research project. The resident is encouraged to present a research abstract at the annual American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (ACVAA) or European College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (ECVAA) scientific meetings.
The residency program at the University of Florida is designed to meet the requirements of the ACVAA for board certification. It is expected that residents will work toward certification throughout their training program at the University of Florida.
Interviews are advisable.
Qualifications
Rotating internship or equivalent training.
Caseload
The following information represents the average number of cases in direct support of this program
Total No. Annual Cases | Average Daily No. Cases Presented to Hospital | Average No. Cases Treated Daily as Outpatients | Average No. of Inpatients Each Day | Average No. Daily Surgeries Performed | Average No. of Emergency Cases Seen Daily |
4760 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Number of Faculty/Clinicians in Direct Support of Program: 6
Application Requirements
- Standard VIRMP Application Packet
- VIRMP Application
- Veterinary School Official Transcript from University Registrar
- Personal Statement
- Curriculum Vitae
- 3 – 4 Standardized Letters of Reference
- Additional Requirements from the Program
Preferably at least two of the standardized letters of reference should be from Small Animal Clinicians. - Additional information for graduates of universities outside of the United States and Canada
- Visa Sponsorship- If you will require visa sponsoring or are unsure about your work status, please review the Information for Foreign Applicants page and contact this program prior to applying. Please be aware that some programs listed in the VIRMP accept applications ONLY from citizens of the United States (or Canada if a Canadian program) or from applicants who possess permanent residency status at the time of application.