Residency Program in Anesthesiology

Residency Program in Anesthesiology

General Information

The residency program is designed to provide advanced clinical, non-degree, post-doctoral training in veterinary anesthesiology and pain management.


Objectives of the program: To provide clinical training in anesthetic and perioperative pain management in a cross range of animal species. To prepare the resident for board certification by the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (https://acvaa.org).

Courses of activities:

This training program adheres to the residency training standards established by ACVAA. Residency Guidelines 2023 2024.pdf

The resident will spend a minimum of 94 weeks on primary anesthesia clinical duty under the supervision of board-certified anesthesiologists. After hours duties are shared by 5 residents and 2 after hours anesthesiologists. Supplemental clinical rotations include; small animal critical care medicine, radiology, cardiology, companion avian pet exotics medicine, zoo medicine, laboratory animal medicine, California National Primate Research Center, human anesthesia, and human pain medicine.

The clinical caseload of the UC Davis Veterinary Anesthesiology Service is large and varied, easily satisfying ACVAA case requirements. Our caseload covers all core species plus a number of non-core species (per ACVAA standards). The case variety and complexity, coupled with excellent facilities and resources, provide ample opportunities to develop advanced knowledge and skill sets essential to the practice of veterinary anesthesiology. The environment at UC Davis is committed to post-graduate education and our training program has structured learning opportunities for residents to learn in depth the fundamentals of basic science as it applies to the practice of anesthesiology.

These structured learning opportunities include; a didactic course on physiology, pharmacology, and applied anesthesiology (20-40 hours/semester) including abbreviated mock board examinations, discussion of anesthesia-related of morbidity and mortality in the clinical cases presented to our service (10-20 hours/semester) and a journal club where the emphasis is on critical review of the scientific literature (8-16 hours/semester).

During their training programs, residents are expected to conduct a prospective laboratory or clinical study under the supervision of one or more of the anesthesiology faculty. Depending on their background, the goals may include training in grant writing, experimental design, experimental methodology, manuscript writing, and presentation of experimental results at a conference. It is the expectation that this will lead to a publication suitable to submit for credential purposes to the ACVAA.

Faculty participating in the program:

  • Dr. Linda S Barter BVSc, MVSc, BSc(vet), PGCert(VetEd), PhD, DACVAA
  • Dr. Daniel Ben-Aderet, DVM, DACVAA
  • Dr. Robert Brosnan, DVM, PhD, DACVAA
  • Dr. Alessia Cenani DrMedVet, MS, CVA, DACVAA
  • Dr. Amandeep Chohan, BVSc & AH, MVSc, MS, DACVAA
  • Dr. Harriet Flynn MVB DACVAA
  • Dr. Bernice Kuo DVM, MS, CVA
  • Dr. Marcela Machado, MV, MS, DACVAA
  • Dr. Bruno Pypendop, DrMedVet, DrVetSci, DACVAA
  • Dr. Joao Soares, MV, MSc, DSc, DACVAA

Process of evaluation: Residents will be evaluated twice a year, based on clinical performance and performance on the examinations. Residents with academic difficulty may receive additional evaluations and will be given specific goals for remediation. Failure to achieve these goals may result in dismissal.

Certification: Residents who complete the 3-year program with satisfactory evaluations will be awarded a residency certificate.

State Licensure: A valid license to practice veterinary medicine in California is required before employment (California Business and Professions Code Section 4846- 4857). Individuals not eligible for a full California license must obtain a University License (California Business and Professions Code Section 4848.1)  (see below).

SPECIAL NOTE:  All veterinarians practicing in our state, including those employed by the University of California, must hold a current California veterinary license. If a selected applicant does not already hold a current California veterinary license, they must apply with the California Veterinary Medical Board to obtain their California State Veterinarian License or University license as soon as possible after acceptance to a program. Our House Officer Coordinator will provide licensing information to selected candidates. Licensing fees are not paid by the program and are the responsibility of the candidate.

Advanced degree during residency: Advanced degrees are not offered as part of the residency program, nor can they be pursued.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

  • Applicants must have a degree in veterinary medicine and current legal qualification to practice medicine in any country
  • One-year rotating internship experience or 1-year equivalent private practice experience.
  • Have demonstrated unquestionable moral character and professional behavior.

Requirements for foreign applicants:

In addition to the minimum qualifications above, foreign graduates must also meet the following requirements.

  • Candidates should be US citizens, US permanent residents, or foreign nationals eligible for a J1 scholar visa (and at the time of application not be subject to holds, bars or in-country rules) or Canadian/ Mexican citizens eligible for a TN visa. We will NOT pursue other visa categories. Candidates will be expected to pay for their visa fees. The offer of a residency may be withdrawn if written evidence of a visa is not provided by July 1, 2024.
    https://siss.ucdavis.edu/scholars_depts/j_visa/index.html
  • Applicants where English is not the primary spoken language will be required to submit TOEFL scores. Minimum requirements on the TOEFL iBT are 25 in listening, 22 in writing, 22 in speaking, and 23 in reading; no minimum overall score is required.
  • Additional information for foreign applicants can be found here: https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/education/internships-residencies/foreign-applicants

RESIDENTS MUST BE ABLE TO ARRIVE AT THE HOSPITAL WITHIN 15 MINUTES OF AN EMERGENCY CALL, THEREFORE, SHOULD PLAN TO LIVE WITHIN 15 MILES OF THE HOSPITAL.

IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT NEW RESIDENTS BE AVAILABLE TO BEGIN THEIR RESIDENCY PROGRAM ON AUGUST 1st, 2024.

How to Apply

Applications for the 2024-27 UC Davis Residency in Anesthesiology will apply directly to UC Davis. To do so please follow the instructions on the following page and provide the requested material by the application deadline: https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/education/internships-residencies/howtoapply

Email application materials to vmthhouseofficerapplication@ucdavis.edu and use Anesthesia applicant in the subject line.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 8, 2024

Offers will be made in early February (in time for successful candidates to withdraw from VIRMP if necessary)

Note: In-person interviews are encouraged but not required. To make arrangements for an in-person interview, please contact Dr. Joao Soares at jhsoares@ucdavis.edu. Candidates who cannot come for an in-person interview may be invited to a Zoom interview at a date to be determined.

For additional information on this program please contact:

Dr Joao Soares jhsoares@ucdavis.edu

The University of California, Davis and the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital are interested in candidates who are committed to the highest standards of scholarship and professional activities, and to the development of a campus climate that supports equality and diversity.

The University of California, Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus.