House Officers Showcase Research Projects

UC Davis veterinary hospital house officers (interns, fellows, residents) presented their research studies at the 40th Annual Gerald V. Ling House Officer Seminar Day. The day-long event featured short presentations to fellow house officers, faculty, staff, students and guests.

Having the ability to do research is a major advantage of participating in an advanced training program at UC Davis. With the largest and most diverse house officer program in the country, the UC Davis veterinary hospital is able to offer unique research and publishing opportunities not available elsewhere to veterinarians pursuing advanced training at teaching hospitals. With centers like the Center for Companion Animal Health and the Center for Equine Health financially supporting these projects, UC Davis house officers have the ability to pursue a vast array of research subjects.

This year, 27 speakers presented 30 studies covering a huge breadth of topics including:

  • Risk factors for Candida urinary tract infections in dogs and cats
  • A survey of ophthalmic examination findings and ocular imaging in free-living hummingbirds
  • Amdoparvovirus infection in red pandas
  • Pullout properties of monocortical and bicortical pins and screws in canine lumbar vertebral bodies
  • Multi-drug residues and antimicrobial resistance patterns in waste milk from dairy farms in central California
  • Effect of amino acid infusion on body temperature in anesthetized cats
  • Effect of NSAIDs and antihistamines on antibody production in horses when concurrently administered with bacterin-toxoid vaccine
  • Diagnostic yield of dental radiography and cone-beam computed tomography for the identification of anatomic structures in cats
  • Intravenous contrast enhanced computed tomography anatomy in normal adult koi
  • Medical management of deep ulcerative keratitis in cats
  • Torsional mechanical properties of the rabbit femur

Because of the hospital’s high patient caseload (more than 50,000 per year), UC Davis is able to offer one of the most advanced clinical training experiences for house officer veterinarians anywhere in the world. While internships and fellowships generally last a year or less, a residency allows for veterinarians to attend a two- to four-year specialty training program under the tutelage of the world’s leading veterinary specialists. Upon completion of a residency program and passing of examinations, these veterinarians become board-certified specialists in their particular field of interest, thusly opening doors to many new career opportunities.

UC Davis currently trains 115 house officers.

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