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Internship Program in Livestock Medicine and Surgery

Internship Program in Livestock Medicine and Surgery

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM IN LIVESTOCK MEDICINE AND SURGERY

  • Provide advanced training in livestock medicine with an emphasis on internal medicine and surgery with opportunities to experience herd health concepts, pathology, or dairy practice
  • Provide clinical teaching experience
  • Prepare for a residency in any livestock-related specialty (medicine, surgery, theriogenology, ABVP, preventative medicine) or a career in private practice or industry working with livestock patients and clients

Qualifications
Applicants for an internship in Livestock Medicine and Surgery must have a DVM or equivalent degree and must have demonstrated experience and interest in livestock medicine. Demonstrated interest in teaching is preferred. Must possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills and a demonstrated ability to work with others in a collegial team atmosphere. 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 can obtain a University License (California Business and Professions Code Section 4848.1).

Duration
The duration of the internship program is 1 year.

General Scope and Nature of Training

  • The intern will spend 5 months with the Livestock Medicine and Surgery service, 2 months with the Livestock Reproduction and Herd Health service, 2 weeks with the California Animal Health and Food Safety Lab System (CAHFS), 2 weeks with the Large Animal Ultrasound/Radiology service, and will have two months of scheduled paid vacation and/or elective rotations
  • Elective rotations could include VMTH specialty services, Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center (VMTRC), FARAD laboratory, and California Department of Food and Agriculture (Milk Quality, Animal Health, Antimicrobial Stewardship)
  • Interns shall have primary patient care responsibilities, under the supervision of a senior clinician, and will develop an understanding of the general concepts of disease processes and case management in cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs. This will include management of routine cases as well as referred cases. Since the case load will involve several species of large animals and problems involving all body systems, the clinical exposure should develop the broadest possible competency. Skill with the use of ultrasound will be developed both for pregnancy diagnosis and to aid with medical diagnoses. Ancillary facilities such as radiology are frequently used. Management of livestock surgical cases by the intern will develop surgical proficiency. Initially, surgical procedures will be performed with a senior clinician. As proficiency is gained by the intern, the routine procedures may be performed autonomously. Competency in routine and special diagnostic procedures will be developed. Another primary objective will be the development of clinical maturity and judgment
  • Interns will gain experience in evaluating reproductive problems and in the management of reproduction programs on large dairy farms, sheep flocks, and goat herds. Interns will acquire palpation skills, ultrasound skills, and gain experience in the surgical treatment of reproductive problems. Interns will become familiar with and have limited responsibility for computerized data storage and retrieval, calf health monitoring and milk quality
  • Interns will have the opportunity to develop their teaching skills and will have a major role as clinical instructors. This duty will be performed, in part, by assisting in the tutorial teaching of first, second, third and senior veterinary students and conducting clinic rounds. Experience lecturing to large groups may be provided in the seminar/rounds format
  • Interns will develop the ability to critically evaluate veterinary literature and will obtain the broad scientific base which is critical to an understanding of medical problems
  • Interns will share out-of-hours emergency duty on a rotational basis with the Livestock Medicine residents, the Equine Internal Medicine residents, and the Herd Health residents
  • 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

The VMTH is committed to building strong relationships with its constituents. A major part of the intern’s duties, therefore, includes timely communication with referring veterinarians and clients.

FOR APPLICATION PROCEDURES AND OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, PLEASE SEE GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE VMTH WEB SITE. 

SELECTION WILL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GUIDELINES OF THE VETERINARY INTERNSHIP/RESIDENCY MATCHING PROGRAM.

 

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.

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

SPECIAL NOTE: The California Veterinary Medical Board requires all veterinarians working at the University of California, Davis with primary patient care duties to hold a special University license. To obtain this University license, veterinarians that are not licensed in the state of California will be required to take a 3-day course on regionally-important diseases and a short open-book jurisprudence test, in addition to being background checked. The course will be given on-site at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine early in the course of your training program (dates and potential virtual setting to be determined). The cost of licensure will be the responsibility of the trainee (currently $950). This limited license only permits individuals to work in California as veterinarians for University-related practice. Although veterinarians that do not have hands-on patient care duty (e.g., anatomic pathologists, clinical pathologists) are not required to hold this license, obtaining the license is encouraged whenever your activities may have an impact on animal-owning members of the public. If in doubt, please contact the Office of the CVMO for clarification.

This position is a critical position and subject to a background check. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of background investigation including criminal history and identity checks.