Zoological Medicine Internship

Program Information

The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine is offering a new 1-year joint Internship in Zoological, Small, and Large Animal Medicine and Surgery. This program is designed to prepare first-year interns for residency training in Zoological Medicine or practice in a zoological institution or private practice. It is supervised by both a Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine (ACZM) and a Diplomate of both the American and European Colleges of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. The intern will receive broad based training in Small and Large Animal Medicine and Surgery as well as Zoological Medicine. The schedule may be adapted to help meet the specific goals of individuals.

Approximately 50% of the program primarily involves participation in the Zoological Medicine Clinical Service within the UF Veterinary Hospitals (UFVH) and in field activities at a variety of Florida zoological collections including Lubee Bat Conservancy, St. Augustine Alligator Farm, and Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo. Clinical cases within the UFVH include client-owned exotic pets, native Florida wildlife, and animals from zoological institutions. Approximately 1700 cases are seen within the UFVH and another 1000 cases are evaluated/treated in the field at zoological facilities. The intern will share primary case responsibility and emergency duty with two Zoological Medicine Residents that rotate every two weeks. The three faculty members involved in this part of the program are Diplomates of the ACZM and one is also a Diplomate of the ACVM (Virology, Bacteriology/Mycology). There will also be opportunity to attend an annual conference and elective time that can be spent as an out-rotation.

The other 50% of the program will be coordinated similarly to the Medicine and Surgery Rotating Interns. The intern will rotate through Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care, Small Animal Surgery, Neurology, Cardiology, Radiology, Anesthesia, and Large Animal Medicine.

Submission of a peer-reviewed publication applicable to the ACZM exam requirement is expected. Examples include a retrospective or prospective study or a case report or series. Presentation and participation in journal club and teaching rounds of the service, along with presentation in the hospital Resident and Intern Seminar Series is required.

We are very proud of our program and believe the broad exposure to a wide variety of veterinary disciplines along with the support of well respected, enthusiastic faculty members make our program very competitive. The facilities at the UF Small Animal Hospital are state of the art with our 100,000 sq ft purpose built small animal hospital. In addition to direct supervision and mentorship on the clinical floor, we also offer a structured weekly didactic seminar series to consolidate the academic nurturing of interns.

The UF College of Veterinary Medicine is located in the city of Gainesville in North Central Florida. This area enjoys a warm climate and there are abundant opportunities for a variety of outdoor recreational activities nearby. Although the work schedule for the internship is demanding, there is time available to explore the area and enjoy the benefits of being in Florida.

More information about the UF College of Veterinary Medicine and the Small Animal Hospital can be found on our website at www.vetmed.ufl.edu.

Caseload

The following information represents the average 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
35,650 100 67 38 20 37

Number of Faculty/Clinicians in Direct Support of Program: 50
Number of Residents in Direct Support of Program: 40

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.