CVM Residency and Internship Programs

Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Cardiology Service Page

Program Director Name and Credentials: Allison Masters, DVM, MPH, DACVIM (Cardiology)
Program Director Email: [email protected]
Length of Program: 3 years
Tentative Start Date: Mid-July
Number of Trainees in Program (total number): 3
Number of Spots Available in Upcoming Recruitment Cycle: 1

Program Description: The University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Clinical Sciences Department and Veterinary Medical Center, St. Paul, Minnesota offers a Cardiology Residency program. The program extends over a period of 3 years during which the resident will receive training and experience in all aspects of clinical cardiology, meet the expectations of the training program, and fulfill the residency training requirements for ACVIM (Cardiology) certification. Our residents spend 8 months each year working under the direct supervision of a cardiologist in a clinical practice of 2,000 cardiology cases per year. Regular journal club, book chapter review, board review, ECG and morbidity and mortality rounds are held with the faculty. In addition, we collaborate with pediatric and adult cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, and cardiovascular pathologists at the University of Minnesota Medical School in the diagnosis and treatment of our patients. We also collaborate with local biomedical companies with novel treatment solutions and clinical research projects. 

During off-clinic time, Residents have the opportunity to do rotations in other Veterinary Medical Center services, basic research laboratories, and various pediatric and adult cardiology services at the Medical School, University of Minnesota. Outstanding opportunities exist for research collaborations with the numerous biotechnology companies in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metropolitan area. 

Continuation in the program is determined annually and depends on successful performance of assigned duties during the previous year and availability of funds. Benefits include 15 days of paid vacation per year, professional liability insurance, health care insurance, professional development funds ($2,000 annually), free parking in close proximity to the Veterinary Medical Center, and time to attend one professional meeting per year. 

Service Description: The Veterinary Medical Center is a large primary and emergency care and multi-specialty referral center that attends to over 28,000 cases per year. The Cardiology Service is staffed by 2 ACVIM (Cardiology) Diplomates, 4 technicians (1 certified in cardiology by the AIMVT), and 3 residents. We are fully equipped with excellent facilities for both routine and specialized procedures (including a GE Vivid E95 echocardiography unit with 3D and TEE capability, Philips Digital C-arm, MedRad power injector, and Phillips hemodynamic monitoring system). The service has a well-developed interventional program for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and research. We perform all routine interventional procedures (PDA occlusion with ACDO, balloon valvuloplasty, transvenous pacemaker placement) as well as advanced interventional procedures (PDA occlusion with vascular plugs and coils, cutting balloon valvuloplasty, pulmonic stent placement, intrahepatic shunt coil embolization, equine transvenous electrical cardioversion, equine guttural pouch mycosis coil embolization) and hybrid procedures (TEER V-clamp).

Link to article of transcatheter-edge-to-edge mitral valve repair using the V-clamp device at UMN

List of Program Faculty Members:

Chris Stauthammer, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM
Allison Masters, DVM, MPH, DACVIM

Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Clinical Pathology

Program Director Name and Credentials: Davis Seelig, DVM, PhD, DACVP
Program Director Email: [email protected]
Length of Program: 3 years (optional graduate school)
Tentative Start Date: July 15th
Number of Trainees in Program (total number): 2
Number of Spots Available in Upcoming Recruitment Cycle: 1

Program Description: 

The University of Minnesota Veterinary Clinical Pathology Residency is a 3-year training program that conforms to the recommended training program accreditation guidelines of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) and is designed to fulfill the residency training requirements of the ACVP.  

Its purpose is to provide trainees with a comprehensive, in-depth educational experience in all aspects of Veterinary Clinical Pathology, prepare individuals for the ACVP Certification Examination, build diagnostic, instructional, and research skills, and provide a springboard the next phase of their career. Preference will be given to candidates with clinical and research experience and/or experience related to clinical pathology. An internship (rotating or clinical pathology) or equivalent private practice experience is preferred, but not required. 

Required/Preferred Qualifications:
Qualifications for the Veterinary Clinical Pathology Residency include a DVM (or equivalent) degree from an AVMA accredited college of veterinary medicine or ECFVG training and certification. Qualified applicants should submit: 1) a letter stating their reasons for selecting a residency program including their career goals and interests, 2) current curriculum vitae (containing a synopsis of educational background, employment experience, and class standing with grade point average), 3) a university certified transcript, 4) a diversity statement (see below), and 5) three letters of recommendation from individuals knowledgeable of academic performance, clinical skills, and interest in veterinary clinical pathology.

Duties/Responsibilities:
The successful applicant will join one, 2nd year Clinical Pathology Resident.  The primary duties and responsibilities of the resident cover a broad spectrum of activities related to their clinical training. In addition to their clinical diagnostic responsibilities, which encompass cytology, hematology, flow cytometry, clinical chemistry, and coagulation testing, residents participate in:  
1.    The didactic and laboratory teaching of Clinical Pathology for 2nd and 4th year DVM students.
2.    Weekly journal club, heme/biochemistry rounds, and departmental rounds.
3.    Monthly topic rounds and cyto-histopathology rounds. 
4.    At least one research project resulting in a publication-quality manuscript.
5.    Presentation at one (or more) national meetings.
6.    Participation in the UMN Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences Grand Rounds series. 

Other: 
There are no emergency, on-call, or weekend service responsibilities.  

Residents are expected to design and complete at least one publication-quality research project.  Recent resident studies include: 1) the flow cytometric characterization of the canine spleen and visceral lymph nodes, 2) the cytologic assessment of canine mast cell tumors, and 3) characterization of the cytologic features of canine liver masses. In addition, residents are expected to participate in other scholarly activities, including ASVCP case submissions, book chapter authorship, case report preparation, and collaborative research.  

A diverse faculty consisting of five ACVP board certified clinical pathologists (Drs. Davis Seelig, Daniel Heinrich, Erin Burton, Jill Schappa, and Angela Gwynn) with predominantly clinical to predominantly administrative to predominantly research appointments provide training. There is a high quality clinical caseload with an emphasis on small animal cytology/hematology stemming from internal medicine, primary care, and oncology. Complementary training in diagnostic anatomic pathology is provided by the UMN CVM Diagnostic Surgical Pathology Service.  

Additional graduate student training opportunities are available across the University of Minnesota, including funding through an NIH T32 Training Grant in Comparative Medicine and Pathology.

Service Description: The Clinical Pathology service is centrally-located within the UMN-VMC and is a less than one-minute walk from most major receiving services. As a diagnostic service, we offer an open door policy for real-time consultation and sample review. We enjoy interruptions and relish discussions. As a training service, we offer an open door policy for any House Officer seeking a quiet space for reflection, support, or chocolate.  

Or, in the words of our pathologists: 
"We provide high quality, well-researched and timely clinical diagnostics with an open-door consultation policy while maintaining a laid-back working environment and value honest and open communication, humor, joy and fun." 

"I think we all take our jobs seriously and are focused, but we are a boisterous talkative group who also like to have fun and bring joy and laughter into our space."

FAQ: 

What is your ACVP Certification Examination Pass Rate

Over the past 10 years, our pass rate (across both Phase 1 and Phase 2) is 100%

Do you have on-call or weekend service responsibilities? 

At this point, we do not.  However, we perpetually strive to meet the needs of our submitting clinicians and, should the need arise, we will modify our clinical schedule as needed. 

Does your program require (or offer) additional graduate training? 

While we do not require graduate training, we do require that our residents design and complete a publication-quality research project (on a topic in alignment with their interests and career goals).  Our residents are encouraged to review the graduate offerings at University of Minnesota and are encouraged to consider advanced training, including through departmental and collegiate NIH training grants. 

Is there formalized classwork associated with your training program? 

No. Our residency program trains through an approach of graduated responsibility through real-time (from day 1) applied case analysis and direct feedback from the attending pathologist. In lieu of classwork, our residents participant in a number of journal clubs and instructional activities.  

Is completion of a rotating internship a prerequisite of your program? 

No. We acknowledge the unique training experiences and career goals of our applicants and accept that the practice of clinical medicine is not for everyone. While we prefer that our applicants have some measure of practice experience, it is not a requirement.  

List of Program Faculty Members:

Erin Burton, DVM, MS, DACVP
Angela Gwynn, DVM, M.Ed, DACVP, MRCVS
Daniel Heinrich, DVM, DACVP
Jill Schappa, DVM, Dipl. ACVP
Davis Seelig, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVP

Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Anesthesia

Program Director Name and Credentials: Caitlin Tearney, DVM, DACVAA, cVMA
Program Director Email: [email protected]
Length of Program: 3 years
Tentative Start Date: July 15th
Number of Trainees in Program (total number): 4
Number of Spots Available in Upcoming Recruitment Cycle: 1

Program Description: The Comparative Anesthesiology Residency at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Medical Center (www.cvm.umn.edu) is a three-year clinical program designed to provide a broad educational experience in veterinary anesthesiology and fulfill the requirements for board certification eligibility of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (www.acvaa.org). The program is structured to provide strong faculty support for didactic and research training, complementing the learning process by solidifying theoretical principles related to daily clinical case management, technical proficiency, teaching and research skills.

The resident will join the Section of Anesthesiology in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences (www.cvm.umn.edu/vcs) which will include 5 board-certified anesthesiologists (as well as 2 adjunct professors 1 ACVAA, 1 DAVBP exotic companion mammal), 12 certified veterinary technicians (4 AVTA specialty certified), 1 veterinary technician assistant (in our Post Anesthesia Care Unit), and 3 anesthesia residents. The anesthesia service is equipped with a plethora of equipment that enables exposure to different levels of monitoring and anesthesia techniques, such as: spirometry, ultrasound guided local block techniques, ventilators and syringe pumps. Clinical training will comprise 75% of the 156 weeks pertaining to the training. The remainder time will be dedicated to research, manuscript writing, personal study and rotations in other services.

Primary duties and responsibilities include clinical training in anesthesiology and pain medicine, critical care, applied veterinary physiology/pharmacology and perioperative care in small, large, and exotic species. With the guidance and collaboration of faculty, the resident will be an active part of the teaching program during daily rounds/case management and will be guided in the development of didactic and clinical teaching skills. The first 1-2 years the resident will focus on being the primary anesthetist for cases and transition to a supervisor role during year 2 and 3 starting with supervision of student cases. Our service collaborates with the Minnesota and Como zoos, The Raptor Center, and the exotics department at the Animal Emergency & Referral Center to provide anesthesia to zoo and exotic species. 

In addition to extensive clinical experience, residents are required to participate in teaching labs for 3rd year veterinary students and prepare 1 - 2 lectures per year in lecture series. Participation in monthly hospital morbidity/mortality series, weekly departmental grand rounds, and section journal clubs are also required. A schedule describing all activities is available in our Anesthesia Resident Handout (please contact [email protected] for a copy).

The resident is expected to read independently in order to further solidify knowledge pertaining to anesthesiology, physiology, pharmacology and related sciences. Participation in the after-hours (night, holiday, weekend) clinic coverage for the anesthesia service is required (approximately 6 days per month). The resident is expected to submit one or more original, first-authored research manuscript(s) publishable in a refereed journal prior to completion of the residency program. This will aid in fulfilling credentials related to board certification. Residents are encouraged to present research abstracts and case reports at annual national and/or international meetings. Scheduled off-clinic time will be offered to permit involvement in research, preparation of lectures/seminars and other scholarly activity. Comparative experience via involvement with other veterinary specialties and/or regional human anesthesia departments is available as a part of this program. A Certificate of Residency is awarded upon successful completion of program requirements.

Service Description: 

Our department has a supportive culture. We aim to maximize learning opportunities for our residents without overburdening them. We encourage them to challenge themselves through research, teaching, and collaboration with clinical case management with other departments. We work together to tackle busy clinical days and follow up with our critical cases the next day in ICU. We get together to socialize outside of clinics. 

Our anesthesia residents annually present their research at the ACVAA conference and have received the award for best abstract presentation in large animal and small animal anesthesia in 2021 and 2022 respectively. They serve as leaders in the hospital as the past 2 years our 3rd year resident has taken on the role of chief house officer. The students frequently recognize our residents as outstanding teachers. 

Our tenured faculty member Dr. Alonso Guedes has a number of active research projects with extensive funding. Residents are encouraged and welcome to be active participants in the studies.

FAQ:

What is the On-Call Schedule like?

The residents share on-call responsibilities with the technicians on the anesthesia service. The commitment is one weeknight a week and one weekend a month (weekends are Saturday-Sunday). Weekday on-call is 5:30pm to 7am the following day, and then weekend on-call is 7am Saturday to 7am Monday morning. If called in during the night and scheduled to work the next day, the resident is allowed 10 hours from leaving the hospital to when they are expected to be back at work the next day. 

How is the residency structured?

The first 1-2 years of the residency are focused on completing the ACVAA-required case logs. During this time, the resident serves as primary anesthetist on clinical cases. In the last year, residents transition into a supervising role; they round and manage 4th year DVM student cases. In the final months of the residency, residents serve as chief-of-service (with faculty backup), to fully prepare them to be competent anesthesiologists at the conclusion of the residency.

What kind of faculty support is provided?

We have 5 DACVAAs and there are usually 2 on clinics at a time. There is always faculty backup by phone and in person (if needed) for on call cases.

Are structured didactics provided?

The first Monday of a new 2-week student rotation is a didactic day where residents can work from home. We have a virtual anesthesia book club and journal club on those days. We also participate in the cardiology service's book club and journal club in addition to emergency and critical care's board review.

The UMN VMC does not have an exotics service, how are those requirements met?

We have relationships with both the Como Zoo and the Minnesota Zoo where we help with their zoo animal immobilizations and procedures. We also have a connection with the Animal Emergency and Referral Center of Oakdale's exotic service, and have the opportunity to join them for their procedures on exotic and companion animal pocket pets. Our residents have not had an issue completing these requirements.

List of Program Faculty Members:

Erin Wendt Hornickle, DVM, Dipl. ACVAA
Alonso Guedes, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl. ACVA
Caitlin Tearney, DVM, DACVAA
Lauren Ienello, DVM, DACVAA
Brian Walters, DVM, DACVAA
Marc Raffe (adjunct professor), DVM, MS
Andrew Bean (adjunct professor), DVM, MPH, CPH, DABVP

Program Director Name and Credentials: Sandra Koch, DVM, MS Diplomate ACVD
Program Director Email: [email protected]

More information coming soon.

Program Director Name and Credentials: Christie Ward, DVM, PhD, MVSc, Dipl. ACVIM
Program Director Email: [email protected]

More information coming soon.

Veterinary Population Medicine
Surgery - Large Animal

Program Director Name and Credentials: Troy Trumble DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVS
Program Director Email: [email protected]
Length of Program: 3 years
Tentative Start Date: July
Number of Trainees in Program (total number): 3
Number of Spots Available in Upcoming Recruitment Cycle: 1

Program Description: Minimum 156-week, three years in duration of supervised training, postgraduate education and clinical experience in the science and practice of veterinary surgery and its supporting disciplines, including scientific publication.          

--Adequate caseload to permit appropriate training and experience. Residents must participate in at least 300 surgical procedures over their three year program.  
--Training must occur under the supervision of at least two ACVS Diplomates who are clinically active and possess appropriate expertise for species germane to the training of the resident.  
--Minimum of 94 weeks engaged in intensive large animal surgical clinical training under the direction of an ACVS Diplomate. The resident will actively participate in patient management, including initial evaluation, diagnostic selection and interpretation, case management and decision-making, client communication, appropriate follow-up, and prompt professional communications with referring veterinarians.  The residents are also responsible for managing and assisting with emergency surgical cases.
--Minimum of 40 hours direct contact with a board-certified specialist in other specialty services, including anesthesiology, radiology, internal medicine/critical care, and pathology.  This training can occur either at the University of Minnesota or at another institution.
--Residents must spend at least 31 weeks of their Program in any or all of the following Special Rotations: research, writing, graduate program, CE, special rotations (non LAS).
--During surgical service rotations, the resident is required to attend surgery residents' conferences and surgery rounds. Our residents are given a variety of seminar experiences including student lectures and resident seminars.
--The resident must complete an investigative project that uses the scientific method. Our residents have traditionally been supported in their graduate program through time off for courses and courses taught by our faculty.
--One publication as first author in a journal on an approved list not to include case reports or review studies.
--The resident must present a minimum of six different seminars during the program.
--The resident must regularly present cases at surgery residents' rounds. 
--Residents must meet with their Resident Advisor at least twice a year for evaluation of performance and progress.   

Service Description: We are a service that sees predominantly equine (~85% of caseload), but also see some goats, llamas, alpacas, and pigs; sheep and cows are sparsely seen. We are an amicable service that looks to train residents for clinical or academic practice. The types of cases are diverse, meaning we see a variety of soft tissue and orthopedic cases. Cases are seen according to the strength of the faculty member, allowing deeper interest and knowledge to then be passed along to the house officer. Weekly, we have radiology rounds (service has standing MRI and CT available), journal club, seminars presented by house officers, boards prep, and student case presentations.

FAQ: The top question is whether we take foreign applicants.  The answer is yes, provided they can get boarded in the state of MN by the hire date.  

List of Program Faculty Members:

Troy Trumble, DVM, PhD, MS
Nicolas Ernst Castro, DVM, Dipl. ACVS
Jenna Young, DVM, Dipl. ACVS
1 more surgeon TBD

Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Medical Oncology and Radiation Therapy

Program Director Name and Credentials: Antonella Borgatti, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology), DECVIM-CA
Program Director Email: [email protected]
Length of Program: 3 years
Tentative Start Date: July 15th
Number of Trainees in Program (total number): 4
Number of Spots Available in Upcoming Recruitment Cycle: 2

Program Description: Residency training in medical oncology at the University of Minnesota emphasizes a multi-disciplinary approach to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, as well as scholarship and discovery in cancer biology. Ours is a three-year program that conforms to the guidelines of the ACVIM (Oncology) Specialty. Residents are exposed to a high-volume, diverse clinical caseload with support from specialists in Oncology and fourteen other clinical disciplines. The resident will work directly with three board certified medical oncologists, one radiation oncologist (also board certified in medical oncology), and three other medical oncology residents. The UMN Oncology Faculty members' research interests include medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, immunotherapy, and basic cancer biology. Residents are also exposed to an outstanding research community at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Masonic Cancer Center, which assists in the development and support of innovative research projects. For those with interest and ability, an advanced degree or fellowship program can be pursued at the conclusion of the clinical Residency Program. Clinical trials are supported by the Clinical Investigation Center infrastructure.

More information about the Medical Oncology residency program is included here.

Service Description: The Veterinary Medical Center is a busy primary and secondary care referral center with nearly 30,000 companion animal accessions per year. Our hospital includes specialists in Anesthesia and Pain Management, Cardiology, Clinical Pathology, Emergency/Critical Care, Dermatology, Primary Care, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Nutrition, Medical Imaging, Medical Oncology, Ophthalmology, Radiation Oncology, Rehabilitation/Sports Medicine, Surgery, and Theriogenology. All services are supported by 24-hour clinical laboratory and other technical support (e.g., multi-modality imaging, blood bank, ventilator support, surgery and anesthesia, endoscopy, etc.). There is a fully stocked dispensary. The Oncology service emphasizes teamwork and the importance of a collaborative spirit and a "can-do" attitude.

List of Program Faculty Members:

Antonella Borgatti, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVIM Oncology, Dipl. ECVIM-CA
Mike Henson, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVIM Oncology
Julia Medland, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVIM Oncology 

Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Neurology Service Page

Program Director Name and Credentials: Susan Arnold, DVM, DACVIM
Program Director Email: [email protected]

More information coming soon.

Veterinary Population Medicine

Program Director Name and Credentials: Victoria Hall, DVM, MS, DACVPM; Dana Franzen-Klein, DVM, MS
Program Director Email: [email protected]; [email protected]    
Length of Program: 3 years
Tentative Start Date: July
Number of Trainees in Program (total number): 1
Number of Spots Available in Upcoming Recruitment Cycle: 0

Program Description: The objectives of this residency program are to provide the resident with hands-on clinical training in raptor rehabilitation, as well as general avian medicine and surgery. The resident will receive training on a broad variety of clinical skills in avian medicine, including but not limited to, hematology, parasitology, radiology, anesthesia, analgesia, orthopedic surgery, soft tissue surgery, wound and fracture management, necropsy, safe handling techniques for raptors, management of wild raptors in a rehabilitation setting, flight conditioning, and determining if a raptor is suitable for release or placement in an education program. In order to broaden the clinical training experience for the resident, the opportunity to do outside rotations at other institutions is available. Based on the interests of the resident, potential partner institutions include companion exotic specialty practices, general wildlife rehabilitation centers, zoological facilities, academic institutions, and state agencies. The resident will also be involved in the One Health and Ecosystem Health research mission of the center and is expected to complete at least one primary author publication by the end of the program. Upon completion of the program, the resident should be eligible to sit for the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine (ACVPM) board examination.

The primary duties and responsibilities of the resident revolve around the care of the wild raptors that present to The Raptor Center (TRC) for rehabilitation. The resident is given primary responsibility for the medical and surgical management of their cases with the supervision and aid of the staff veterinarians. The resident also assists with the medical care of education raptors from TRC, local nature centers and private falconry birds that present for preventive care and treatment of illnesses or injuries. The resident will consult with veterinarians and rehabilitators from across the nation regarding the medical care of captive and wild raptors. The resident will also gain teaching experience by providing clinical training to fourth year veterinary students and graduate veterinarians that complete externships at TRC, helping with training workshops that are held at TRC, and giving an occasional lecture to students at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. The resident will also provide clinical mentorship for the TRC intern and the Partners for Wildlife intern. The resident is expected to share on-call duty and holiday coverage with the interns.

In addition to clinical training, there are also opportunities for academic learning. There are opportunities to attend lectures or join academic learning groups within the University of Minnesota. TRC participates in virtual rounds on a bi-monthly basis with leading wildlife rehabilitation centers throughout the country. Hands-on laboratories are conducted on approximately a quarterly basis with other zoo and wildlife interns in the twin cities metro area. TRC also hosts seasonal academic learning rounds.

Service Description: The Raptor Center was established in 1974 and specializes in the medical care, rehabilitation, conservation, and study of eagles, hawks, owls, falcons, and vultures. In addition to treating approximately 1,000 birds a year in our wildlife rehabilitation hospital, we provide training in raptor medicine and surgery for veterinarians and veterinary students from around the world, provide in person and online training for wildlife rehabilitation and education professionals, reach more than 150,000 people each year through public education programs and events, and identify emerging issues related to raptor health and populations. 

TRC is housed in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota. TRC's veterinary staff have faculty appointments in the Ecosystem Health Division of the Veterinary Population Medicine Department. 

Our staff are actively engaged in One Health and Ecosystem Health research and programmatic work with partners including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

The Raptor Center is a small nonprofit organization staffed by passionate and dedicated individuals. The clinic at TRC strives to create a supportive, collaborative environment where teamwork is highly valued.

FAQ: 
What is the schedule, and are there on-call duties for this position? 
Residents are scheduled to work five days per week. Residents may work a Sunday-Thursday, Monday-Friday, or Tuesday-Saturday schedule to help provide weekend coverage for patient care. The resident shares on-call phone duties after hours with the other house officers, clinic assistants, and support staff. During the busy season, patients will be admitted until 5:00pm and phones will be covered until 8:00pm. During the less busy season, patients will be admitted until 5:00pm and phones will be covered until 5:00pm. Schedules are prone to change based on clinic needs and the season. The intern and/or resident share the responsibility of working in the clinic on holidays.

What does a typical work day look like?  
A typical work day includes a large amount of variety and varies significantly with the season. The general routine within the clinic is as follows: The morning is filled with recheck examinations and treatments on hospitalized wild rehabilitation patients. Midday rounds are composed of an all clinic staff meeting to discuss cases that were examined that day. This is an opportunity to update other staff on the patient's progress, ask questions, and work as a group to generate a treatment plan for the patient. The afternoon is primarily filled with intake examinations on new wild patients during the busy season. In the winter months time may be spent working on research or other projects. Throughout the day, the intern or resident may also be involved with other various clinical and academic tasks. Examples may include: the care of a client-owned bird, providing remote consultation services, answering questions from the front desk about possible injured birds, and teaching hands-on labs or lectures. 

What level of supervision and mentorship is provided?
The resident will be working with a staff veterinarian on all shifts during their initial training period (~1 month). After this training period, they will have the opportunity to become more independent and take on weekend shifts as the lead DVM with support staff on-site. During the resident's first year, a staff veterinarian will always be on-call and available for support and case consultation. After the first year of the program, the resident will take on more of a leadership role with regards to patient care, helping with intern training, taking on more client appointments and consultations, and providing on-call support for the interns. 

List of Program Faculty Members:

Victoria Hall, DVM, MS, DACVPM
Dana Franzen-Klein, DVM, MS
Annette Ahlmann-Garcia, DVM, MS, CWR

Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Nutrition Service Page

Program Director Name and Credentials: Julie Churchill, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVN
Program Director Email: [email protected]
Length of Program: 3 years
Start date: mid-July 2024
Total number of trainees (total number): Up to 2
Number of available spots in upcoming cycle: 1

Program Description: This small animal clinical nutrition residency conforms to the guidelines and is designed to fulfill training requirements of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM-Nutrition).  Its purpose is to provide the resident with a comprehensive, in-depth educational experience in all aspects of veterinary clinical nutrition, with a focus on canine and feline nutrition.  Residency training will include primary receiving (in-person) of patients seen in the Nutrition Service at the Veterinary Medical Center (VMC) as well as providing collaborative care for patients seen in primary care and other specialty services. Other clinical responsibilities in patient care include nutrition assessment and recommendations for VMC hospitalized patients. The University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center has one of the largest caseloads in the nation, providing a wide and diverse range of cases for learning and service. The VMC Nutrition Service provides diagnostic assessments and recommendations on nutritional management of medical conditions, enteral and parenteral nutrition, home prepared diet formulations, a family-centered approach to animal fitness, and commercial diet recommendations for both disease management and wellness.

Clinical training will be under the mentorship of Julie Churchill DVM, PhD, DACVIM (nutrition) with assistance from specialists in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Oncology, Dermatology, Emergency/Critical Care, Anesthesiology, Surgery, Ophthalmology, Neurology, Medical Imaging, Pharmacy, and Clinical Pathology. The nutrition resident will have a variety of learning opportunities including a virtual journal club with other nutrition residents and faculty, on-site graduate coursework metabolism, nutritional biochemistry and vitamins and minerals, as well as board preparation course with other ACVIM residents. The nutrition resident will have the opportunity to take elective rotations with other specialty services to fulfill learning goals.

In addition to training in nutrition, physiology, and medicine, the candidate will also receive training and experience in veterinary medical education. Examples include an education course specifically for residents taught by our Associate Dean of Education, seminars through the UofM Center for Educational Innovation, and hands-on experience teaching nutrition in the clinic, rounds, laboratory sessions, and lecture settings.

Regarding research, residents will be mentored in a nutrition-related research project with the goal of publication before the end of the program. Faculty and residents of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota have the advantage and potential for extensive collaboration with investigators in other colleges in the Health Sciences (Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, and Dentistry) as well as the College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences. The University of Minnesota is a qualifying employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. If you remain employed by a government or not-for-profit organization after residency, you may be able to receive loan forgiveness under this program and your years of residency at the U of M will count toward the total of ten required. For more information about this program, go to  .https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service

Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Emergency and Critical Care

Program Director Name and Credentials: Jeffrey M. Todd, DVM, Dipl. ACVECC
Program Director Email: [email protected]
Length of Program: 3 years​​​​​​​
Tentative Start Date: July​​​​​​​
Number of Trainees in Program (total number): 5​​​​​​​ current, 6 moving forward
Number of Spots Available in Upcoming Recruitment Cycle: 2

Program Description: The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine is offering two residency position in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care (ECC). The Veterinary Medical Center is a busy, primary and secondary care referral center. We provide 24-hour patient care to pet owners in a multi-state region. The VMC is an approved ACVECC Residency Training Center. Our hospital includes specialists in Anesthesia, Clinical Pathology, Cardiology, Dermatology, Emergency/Critical Care, Primary Care, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Nutrition, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Radiology, and Surgery. All services are supported by clinical laboratory and other technical support (after-hours and weekend CT and MRI, blood bank, ventilator support, surgery and anesthesia, endoscopy, etc.). 

The Emergency & Critical Care Division currently employs 5 full time board-certified (ACVECC) Criticalists, 1 part time Criticalist along with 5 ECC residents but moving to 6 ECC Residents in this cycle. The Emergency Service is supported by the ECC faculty, residents, interns and general small animal rotating interns. Fourth-year small animal veterinary students are required to rotate through the Emergency and the Critical Care Services. 

The Emergency and Critical Care residency program is a 3-year program designed to provide advanced training in emergency and critical care management and satisfy requirements for board certification in the discipline through the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC). The Emergency and Critical Care resident will participate in the receiving of emergency clinical cases, general oversight and training of the small animal rotating interns, veterinary student teaching, care of critically ill patients, in-hospital patient care, and inter-service consultation. This residency will include alternating day and evening shifts on both weekdays and weekends and rotation through other specialty services as required by ACVECC. On-call responsibilities include ventilator on-call and back-up for overnight interns on the emergency service. Completion of a first-author manuscript is a requirement of the program. Additional responsibilities include participation in weekly board review, journal club, monthly morbidity and mortality rounds, and weekly hospital-wide grand rounds. Other educational opportunities are available, and include clinical pathology rounds, medicine house officer rounds and journal club with the medicine, surgery, or anesthesia services. Mandatory presentations for residents include hospital-wide grand rounds annually and one presentation for morbidity and mortality rounds during the residency program. Didactic lecture and assistance with laboratory teaching is required. 

Qualifications include a DVM or VMD Degree from an AVMA accredited college of veterinary medicine or comparable foreign institution and successful completion of a 1-year rotating small animal internship or equivalent practice experience. 

We are located in a metropolitan area of approximately two and a half million people; Minneapolis/St. Paul is consistently ranked as one of the best places in the country to live. Individuals in the Department benefit from close proximity to cultural life in the twin cities and the beauty of Minnesota’s rural environment.

Learn more about our program: Frequently Asked Questions

Service Description: The Emergency Service provides emergent and urgent care for referral and non-referral patients from throughout the upper Midwest. The Critical Care Service provides primary care for critically ill small animals and consultations for all complex case management to all specialty services.

List of Program Faculty Members:

Jeff Todd, DVM, Diplomate ACVECC
Kelly Tart, DVM, Dipl. ACVECC
Rosalind Chow, VMD, Dip. ACVECC
Steven Friedenberg, DVM, PhD, Dip. ACVECC
Tasia Ludwik, DVM

Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Internal Medicine - Small Animal

Program Director Name and Credentials: Ned Patterson, DVM, PhD, DACVIM
Program Director Email: [email protected] 
Length of Program: 3 years
Tentative Start Date: July 15th
Number of Trainees in Program (total number): 8
Number of Spots Available in Upcoming Recruitment Cycle: 3

Program Description: 

The Internal Medicine residency program at the University of Minnesota is designed to train individuals in all aspects of small animal internal medicine including clinical practice, research, and teaching. Following successful completion of the program, individuals will meet requirements to take the ACVIM (Small Animal Internal Medicine) general and specialty exams. Because of our high-volume and diverse clinical caseload and faculty commitment to providing the best possible training for our residents, residents have consistently had a high degree of success in achieving Board certification and in having highly marketable skills for entering academic or private practice positions.

The primary duties and responsibilities of the resident include a broad spectrum of activities related to clinical training. In addition to standard required ACVIM rotations, residents will also have the opportunity to be involved with procedures on the Interventional Radiology service, including but not limited to lithotripsy, stent placement, and laser ablation. We hold daily case rounds with faculty and other house officers that are on service which is a collaborative learning environment where all house officers are encouraged to ask questions and assist with colleagues' cases. Residents are expected to participate in student teaching rounds (average of one hour of teaching rounds provided per 2-week block). Residents are responsible for after hours, holiday and weekend patient management in rotation with the other internal medicine residents (average weekend duty is once every two months). Primary emergency duty is not required. Participation in specialty board review, journal club, pathophysiology rounds, morbidity/mortality rounds, cytology rounds, and Department Grand Rounds is expected. 

A master's graduate degree program can be combined with the residency and a clinical research project is expected of all residents whether or not they are enrolled in the graduate program. Acceptance of a manuscript by a peer-reviewed journal is required for successful completion of the residency program.

Service Description: Our Small Animal Internal Medicine service sees a diverse caseload of dogs and cats, ranging from simple to complicated emergency transfers, relatively straightforward primary referrals, and complex secondary or tertiary referrals. With a busy clinical caseload and ample time for research projects and electives, this program is suited to candidates interested in either busy private practice or academia. There is an option to pursue an advanced degree for interested candidates. Our faculty hold expertise in a variety of areas, ensuring that residents are supervised by content experts.

FAQ: See FAQ

List of Program Faculty Members:

Ned Patterson, DVM, PhD, DACVIM
Lindsay Merkel, DVM, DACVIM
Laura Motschenbacher, DVM, DACVIM
Jennifer Granick, DVM, MS, PhD, Diplomate ACVIM (SAIM)
Eva Furrow, VMD, PhD, Diplomate ACVIM
Emily Coffey, PhD, MSc, BSc
Kelly Makielski, DVM, MS, DACVIM (SAIM)

Program Director Name: Wanda Gordon-Evans, DVM, PhD, DACVS, DACVSMR
Program Director Email: [email protected]

List of Program Faculty Members:

Wanda Gordon-Evans, DVM, PhD, DACVS, DACVSMR
Adrien Aertsens, DVM, MRCVS, Diplomate ECVS

Veterinary Population Medicine

Program Director Name and Credentials: Dr. Arno Wuenschmann, Diplomat ACVP
Program Director Email: [email protected]
Length of Program: 3 years
Tentative Start Date: July
Number of Trainees in Program (total number): 4
Number of Spots Available in Upcoming Recruitment Cycle: 1

Program Description: The residency training program is designed to provide broad exposure to basic and applied aspects of veterinary pathology and to prepare the trainee for a career in veterinary pathology. Residents successfully completing the program are qualified to take the ACVP Board examination. Pathology residents develop skills in gross pathology and histopathology by participating in a busy diagnostic laboratory service. These basic pathology skills are supplemented by training in clinical and comparative pathology. Residents also participate in pathology teaching for the veterinary student pathology laboratories and instruct senior veterinary students on necropsy rotations. Residents are expected to actively participate in weekly seminars in gross, microscopic and clinical pathology and other specialty pathology rounds. A diverse faculty, including 13 pathologists who are ACVP certified in anatomic or clinical pathology and 4 production animal diagnosticians support this program. The caseload includes a wide variety of domestic, wild and exotic animals, birds, and laboratory rodents submitted to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and the Masonic Cancer Center Comparative Pathology Shared Resource. After completion of the residency program, qualified individuals may pursue focused research training leading to the PhD degree through the institutionally NIH-funded T32 post-doctoral training program in Comparative Medicine and Pathology.

List of Program Faculty Members:

Alexandra Armstrong, DVM, DACVP, PhD
Jaclyn Dykstra, DVM, PhD
Timothy D. O'Brien, DVM, PhD 
Erik Olson, DVM, PhD
Rob Porter, DVM, PhD
Matthew Sturos, DVM, Diplomate ACVP
Arno Wuenschmann, Dr. med. vet., DACVP 

Program Director Name and Credentials: Maria Sol Pérez Aguirreburualde, DVM, PhD
Program Director Email: [email protected]

Please find more information on the Veterinary Public Health website.

Program Director Name and Credentials: Christie Ward, DVM, PhD, MVSc, Dipl. ACVIM
Program Director Email: [email protected]

More information coming soon.

Veterinary Population Medicine

Program Director Name and Credentials: Troy Trumble, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVS
Program Director Email: [email protected]
Length of Program: 1 year
Tentative Start Date: June
Number of Trainees in Program (total number): 3
Number of Spots Available in Upcoming Recruitment Cycle: 0

Program Description: Applicants will be chosen via the Veterinary Intern/Resident Matching Program of the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians. Applicants must apply through the AAVC Matching Program website http://www.virmp.org. The position will be in the Large Animal Surgery section and will have a surgery and lameness emphasis. The position will be particularly suitable for individuals wishing to prepare for admission to a surgery, sports medicine or ABVP residency. The intern will have the opportunity to gain experience in lameness, surgery, and imaging. The intern will rotate through specialty rotations such as internal medicine and may also choose elective rotation(s) based upon personal goals, clinical coverage needs and advisor approval. Hospital service will be based in two locations: the Veterinary Medical Center Large Animal Hospital and the Leatherdale Equine Center, both on the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota. The clinical caseload is composed primarily of horses, but there is also a moderate caseload of camelids and ruminants. A wide range of cases are seen, but most cases are oriented toward equine sports medicine/orthopedics followed by emergency/critical care. The successful intern will work under the supervision of board-certified faculty members and will be responsible for:
1)     Participating in the daily activities of the Large Animal Surgery service of the hospital. Clinical responsibilities include case admission, evaluation, therapy and management; participation in and/or organization of clinical rounds.
2)     Assisting in the instruction and supervision of senior veterinary students on clinical service.
3)     Assisting in the instruction and supervision of veterinary students in didactic/laboratory courses.
4)     Interns and residents share after-hours emergency care for the large animal hospital. The intern will have approximately 50% on-call duty and will always have a resident and/or senior clinician backup. Staff members are available for consultations and assistance. Large Animal interns are expected to be available by phone and to live close to the Veterinary Medical Center.

Service Description: We are a service that sees predominantly equine (~85% of caseload), but also see some goats, llamas, alpacas, and pigs; sheep and cows are sparsely seen. We are an amicable service that looks to treat interns like residents so they are prepared for the next level (residency or practice). The types of cases are diverse, meaning we see a variety of soft tissue and orthopedic cases. Cases are seen according to the strength of the faculty member, allowing deeper interest and knowledge to then be passed along to the house officer. Weekly, we have radiology rounds (service has standing MRI and CT available), journal club, seminars presented by house officers, boards prep, and student case presentations.

FAQ: The top question is whether we take foreign applicants. The answer is yes, provided they can get boarded in the state of MN by the hire date. This internship is available only through the Matching, and is only available once every other year. The next offering will be in 2025-26.

List of Program Faculty Members:

Troy Trumble, DVM, PhD, MS
Nicolas Ernst Castro, DVM, Dipl. ACVS
Jenna Young, DVM, Dipl. ACVS
1 more surgeon TBD

Veterinary Population Medicine

Program Director Name and Credentials: Troy Trumble DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVS
Program Director Email: [email protected]
Length of Program: 1 year​​​​​​​
Tentative Start Date: June
Number of Trainees in Program (total number): 3
Number of Spots Available in Upcoming Recruitment Cycle: 1

Program Description: The position will have an equine lameness emphasis, and will be particularly suitable for individuals wishing to prepare for admission to a surgery, sports medicine or ABVP residency. The intern will have the opportunity to gain experience in lameness, imaging, and surgery. The intern will rotate through specialty rotations related to sports medicine and may also choose elective rotation(s) based upon personal goals, clinical coverage needs and advisor approval. The successful intern will work under the supervision of board-certified faculty members and will be responsible for:
1)    Participating in the daily activities of the Large Animal Surgery service with equine lameness emphasis, but will also include emergency services of the hospital which also includes surgical cases on food and fiber species (particularly camelids, dairy cattle and small ruminants).
2)    Assisting in the instruction and supervision of senior veterinary students on clinical service.
3)    Assisting in the instruction and supervision of veterinary students in laboratory courses.
4)    Interns and residents share after-hours emergency care for the large animal hospital. The intern will have approximately 50% on-call duty and will always have resident and senior clinician backup. Staff members are available for consultations and assistance. Large Animal interns are expected to be available by phone and to live close to the Veterinary Medical Center.

Service Description: We are a service that sees predominantly equine (~85% of caseload), but also see some goats, llamas, alpacas, and pigs; sheep and cows are sparsely seen. This position will be mostly focused on equine lameness, but the intern will need to see other species. We are an amicable service that looks to treat interns like residents so they are prepared for the next level (residency or practice). The types of cases are diverse, meaning we see a variety of soft tissue and orthopedic cases. Cases are seen according to the strength of the faculty member, allowing deeper interest and knowledge to then be passed along to the house officer.  Weekly, we have radiology rounds (service has standing MRI and CT available), journal club, seminars presented by house officers, boards prep, and student case presentations.

FAQ: The top question is whether we take foreign applicants. The answer is yes, provided they can get boarded in the state of MN by the hire date.

Also, the Equine Sports Medicine internship is NOT offered via the Matching program. Applicants apply directly to the University job portal.

List of Program Faculty Members:

Troy Trumble, DVM, PhD, MS
Nicolas Ernst Castro, DVM, Dipl. ACVS
Jenna Young, DVM, Dipl. ACVS
1 more surgeon TBD

Veterinary Population Medicine

Program Director Name and Credentials: Annette Ahlmann-Garcia, DVM, MS, CWR
Program Director Email: [email protected]​​​​​​​
Length of Program: 1 year​​​​​​​
Tentative Start Date: July
Number of Trainees in Program (total number): 1​​​​​​​
Number of Spots Available in Upcoming Recruitment Cycle: 1

Program Description: 

The Raptor Center (TRC) is pleased to offer one, one-year clinical internship position in raptor and avian medicine and surgery. The objectives of this program are to provide the intern with hands-on clinical training in raptor rehabilitation, as well as general avian medicine and surgery. The intern will receive training on a broad variety of clinical skills in avian medicine, including but not limited to hematology, parasitology, radiology, anesthesia, analgesia, orthopedic surgery, soft tissue surgery, wound and fracture management, necropsy, safe handling techniques for raptors, management of wild raptors in a rehabilitation setting, flight conditioning, and determining if a raptor is suitable for release or placement in an education program. The primary duties and responsibilities of the intern revolve around the care of the wild raptors that present to TRC for rehabilitation. The intern is given primary responsibility for the medical and surgical management of their cases with the supervision and aid of the staff veterinarians. The intern also assists with the medical care of education raptors from local nature centers and private falconry birds that present to TRC for preventative care and treatment of illnesses or injuries. The intern consults with veterinarians and rehabilitators from across the nation regarding the medical care of captive and wild raptors. The intern will also gain teaching experience by providing clinical training to fourth year veterinary students and graduate veterinarians that complete externships at TRC, helping with training workshops that are held at TRC, and giving an occasional lecture to students at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. In addition to clinical training, there are also opportunities for academic learning. The Raptor Center participates in virtual rounds on a bi-monthly basis with leading wildlife rehabilitation centers throughout the country. Hands-on laboratories are conducted on approximately a quarterly basis with other zoo and wildlife interns in the twin cities metro area. TRC also hosts seasonal academic learning rounds. The intern may have the opportunity to become involved with multiple ongoing research projects.

Service Description: 

The Raptor Center was established in 1974 and specializes in the medical care, rehabilitation, conservation, and study of eagles, hawks, owls, falcons, and vultures. In addition to treating approximately 1,000 birds a year in our wildlife rehabilitation hospital, we provide training in raptor medicine and surgery for veterinarians and veterinary students from around the world, provide in person and online training for wildlife rehabilitation and education professionals, reach more than 150,000 people each year through public education programs and events, and identify emerging issues related to raptor health and populations. TRC is housed in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota. TRC’s veterinary staff have faculty appointments in the Ecosystem Health Division of the Veterinary Population Medicine Department. Our staff are actively engaged in One Health and Ecosystem Health research and programmatic work with partners including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

The Raptor Center is a small nonprofit organization staffed by passionate and dedicated individuals. The clinic at TRC strives to create a supportive, collaborative environment where teamwork is highly valued.

FAQ:

What is the schedule, and are there on-call duties for this position?

Interns are scheduled to work five days per week, typically on a Sunday-Thursday or Tuesday-Saturday schedule to help provide weekend coverage for patient care. The intern shares on-call phone duties after hours with the other house officers, clinic assistants, and support staff. During the busy season, patients will be admitted until 5:00pm and phones will be covered until 8:00pm. During the less busy season, patients will be admitted until 5:00pm and phones will be covered until 5:00pm. These times are prone to change based on clinic needs and the season. The intern and/or resident share the responsibility of working in the clinic on holidays.

What does a typical work day look like?

A typical work day includes a large amount of variety and varies significantly with the season. The general routine within the clinic is as follows: 

The morning is filled with recheck examinations and treatments on hospitalized wild rehabilitation patients. 

Midday rounds are composed of an all clinic staff meeting to discuss cases that were examined that day. This is an opportunity to update other staff on the patient’s progress, ask questions, and work as a group to generate a treatment plan for the patient. 

The afternoon is primarily filled with intake examinations on new wild patients during the busy season. In the winter months time may be spent working on research or other projects. 

Throughout the day, the intern or resident may also be involved with other various clinical and academic tasks. Examples may include: the care of a client-owned bird, providing remote consultation services, answering questions from the front desk about possible injured birds, and teaching hands-on labs or lectures.

What level of supervision and mentorship is provided?

The intern will be working with a staff veterinarian or the veterinary resident on all shifts during their initial training period (~1 month). After this training period, they will have the opportunity to become more independent and take on weekend shifts as the lead DVM with support staff on-site. A staff veterinarian or the veterinary resident will always be on-call and available for after-hours or weekend support and case consultations. Daily mid-day case presentation rounds are an opportunity for interns to ask for guidance and feedback on case management from other DVMs and the rehabilitation staff.

Are interns encouraged to complete research projects?

The intern may have the opportunity to become involved with multiple ongoing research projects. Although not required, the intern is encouraged to pursue a case report or retrospective study for publication in the peer reviewed scientific literature.

What types of positions do your interns typically move on to after their internship?

Over the past 7 years our interns have pursued many different career paths in veterinary medicine, including, but not limited to: completing ACZM companion exotic residencies, becoming staff wildlife veterinarians at wildlife rehabilitation centers, wildlife conservation research, shelter medicine, applying for zoo residencies, and private practice.

List of Program Faculty Members:

Annette Ahlmann-Garcia, DVM, MS, CWR
Dana Franzen-Klein, DVM, MS
Victoria Hall, DVM, MS, DACVPM

Veterinary Clinical Sciences

Program Director Name and Credentials: Kelly Tart DVM, DACVECC
Program Director Email: [email protected]
Length of Program: 1 year
Tentative Start Date: June 10th
Number of Trainees in Program (total number): 9
Number of Spots Available in Upcoming Recruitment Cycle: 9

Program Description: 

The University of Minnesota rotating internship position is a clinically driven learning experience that immerses the new clinician into many training opportunities. The Veterinary Medical Center (VMC) is one of the largest and busiest veterinary teaching hospitals in the nation, serving close to 45,000 cases a year. The VMC team of dedicated clinicians include 60 specialists in 15 different disciplines, renowned clinical researchers, and some of the most advanced veterinary diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities in the world. After one year, this new clinician will be comfortable in all aspects of clinical veterinary medicine. The University of Minnesota Small Animal Rotating Internship Program has a 100% success of having the interns complete their internship program and 90% go on to pursue a residency program. The match success is >95% in the VIRMP system.  

Each intern rotates 12 to 18 weeks through the VMC's core services (i.e. internal medicine, surgery and emergency service) while receiving invaluable assistance and mentoring on all clinical cases. Additionally, the intern has 10 weeks for further elective training through many other services including cardiology, neurology, ophthalmology, oncology, critical care, nutrition, dermatology, clinical pathology, anesthesia and primary care. The selected intern has that ability to choose which electives they would like to spend time on during their internship year. Therefore, an intern can take one elective multiple times (if desired). Lastly, each intern has a clinical mentor, many opportunities to engage in research projects (along with a research week),  weekly dedicated didactic rounds, monthly morbidity and mortality rounds, participates in clinical teaching with 4th year veterinary students and assists 2nd, and 3rd veterinary students in their lab sessions. 

The University of Minnesota VMC is situated just adjacent to the Minneapolis/St. Paul (the Twin Cities) metropolitan area. The Twin Cities has a population of over 3.2 million and is a dynamic, friendly, and safe place to live with all of the amenities, cultural resources, and recreational opportunities that a big city has to offer. In 2019, Minnesota was ranked the #3 state in the country by U.S. News & World Report based on health care, education, economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, crime and corrections, and natural environment.  Minnesota consistently is rated one of the healthiest places to live in the United States, with abundant urban green space and an extensive network of trails for walking, running, and cycling.

Service Description: 

The VMC is proud of the collaborative environment that is exhibited in our hospital on a daily basis. We are apart of the same team and strive for the best patient care and pivotal learning opportunities that all cases can provide. All the VMC clinicians and staff are trained in Team STEPPS which is an evidence-based set of teamwork tools, aimed at optimizing patient outcomes by improving communication and teamwork skills among health care in human medicine. One of the tools from this system that is used  frequently in the VMC is the "huddle". The huddle is an arranged meeting between multiple clinicians to discuss a complicated patient that is being handled by more than one service. This type of meeting happens in real time and provides an important element of optimum patient care which is stellar communication. 

Besides the obvious desire for the VMC to provide exceptional patient care,  the primary academic goal of our University hospital is to train the house officers so that they are equipped with the necessary clinical skills to be successful clinicians for their future careers. To that end, the interns always have on on-call residents and faculty in all services that can provide direction and advise on all clinical patients 24/7. We are proud that the faculty that work at the University of MN VMC all possess the same philosophy (i.e. clinical case collaboration and a desire to teach) which makes the hospital culture a positive environment. 

FAQ: 

Are there any opportunities for interns to participate in research at UMN? 

Yes! Getting a research project is pretty easy to start if the interns are motivated to make this happen (i.e. ask the faculty in the area of their interest). Most faculty at the UMN have some portion of research as part of their job. Therefore, if an intern is interested in a project, that is usually not a problem to get done. Each intern has a research week plus all of the elective weeks that have weekends and evenings off to work on projects, writing manuscripts, etc. 

Does the intern have a clinical mentor during their internship year?

Yes, every intern gets assigned a clinical mentor. A mentor is assigned after you have spent about a month in the hospital as this gives the intern some time to meet some of the faculty, join current projects or discuss with faculty about a new potential project. If an intern does find someone to work with on a project before I have assign a mentor, I will then ask that clinician to also be the mentor. 

What is the support (both resident/faculty and technical staff) like on overnight ER?   

During an overnight ER shift, the interns receive patients with ECC residents. These other clinicians receive patients until 12am and are often in the hospital until at least 2am working on paperwork and their patients. The next day ER intern comes in at 6am. Therefore, usually, the overnight intern is only receiving alone for 4 to 6 hours. There is always an ECC resident and faculty on call (24/7/365). The ECC residents will come in at any time to help with a patient or a procedure on the overnight shifts. Additionally, many of the other services (surgery, medicine, cardiology, oncology) have on-call residents and can be called for any clinical case advise. We have a sufficient amount of 24/7 technicians working on the overnight as they are located in 3 areas: ER, ICU and the wards. Therefore, if one area gets busier then what the technicians can handle, we immobilize technicians from a slower area to the busy area. The overnight technicians are quite experienced and understand the stress associated with new clinicians working in ER. They are very comfortable advising interns.
  
Are the interns' fields of interest taken into account when determining scheduling, specifically prior to residency match time?

Yes, interns are on elective rotations right from the beginning of their clinical year. There are 10 elective weeks (5 rotations) that the interns are on throughout the year. The intern director will ask for elective preferences before the schedule is made so that the intern can get the most requested elective as soon as possible. Usually the interns are able to be on 3 electives before they need to ask for references etc.  

Are there formal teaching rounds for the interns? 

Yes! The interns have weekly didactic rounds that happen once a week for the entire year and are given by both faculty and residents from all the services. During the first 2 months of the internship these rounds are twice a week. This allows for many types of emergency topics to be covered right at the start of the internship. Topics covered include respiratory/cardiology/neurology/toxicological/urinary/surgical emergency topics, navigating the ER, AFAST/TFAST session, advanced fluid therapy/acid-base sessions, client communications and many more. Additionally, there are many other learning opportunities throughout the hospital as every service has their own teaching rounds and journal clubs that interns are welcome to join. Finally, there is hospital wide Morbidity & Mortality rounds and Grand Rounds sessions that are also great learning opportunities.

What diagnostics are available during the after-hours?  

During  the after-hours, the VMC has a full diagnostic laboratory that has blood work availability until 10pm at night and after that time frame a laboratory student can be called in on STAT basis if full bloodwork is indicated. However, often the iSTAT and other point of care bloodwork in ER is suffice for overnight. For imaging, we have the capability for radiographs that are readout on a STAT basis by an outside teleradiology company. The ER and ICU both have ultrasounds that are available for point-of-care-ultrasound techniques, however, there are no formal abdominal ultrasound exams done during the after-hours.  Lastly, we have the availability for after-hours MRI, fluoroscopy and emergency endoscopy if indicated. 

Is there the ability for primary case responsibility during the internship year?

Yes! While on the medicine service, the interns will see their own cases and have full primary case responsibility with oversight from the internal medicine residents and faculty. While on surgery, the interns will often see rechecks and assist the surgical residents with their primary cases. While interns are on ER, they will take primary cases and be responsible for the patients until they are transferred to another service the next day. Additionally, all interns are required to have 1 rotation (2 weeks) on the anesthesia service and the interns will have primary case responsibility on the patients they are anesthetizing (drug/anesthesia plans with oversight from the anesthesia faculty and residents). Finally, during the 1 week while on Primary Care, the intern will have their own cases while on that service.

List of Program Faculty Members: Rotating interns are exposed to all services in the VMC and have many learning opportunities with all the faculty members that are on duty.

Veterinary Clinical Sciences

Program Director Name and Credentials: Kendra Dauenhauer, DVM
Program Director Email: [email protected]
Length of Program: 1 year
Tentative Start Date: July​​​​​​​
Number of Trainees in Program (total number): 1
Number of Spots Available in Upcoming Recruitment Cycle: 1

Program Description: 

Clinical Training:
The intern will gain clinical experience in Urgent Care and Primary Care by having primary case responsibility with supervision provided by the preceptors/faculty. Time will be split between both services with the focus of the intern on urgent cases. Varied procedures will be performed by the intern along with one of the preceptors until the level of comfort is achieved (e.g., wound care, orthopedic and neurologic examination, cytology review, etc.). The intern, whenever possible, will also have exposure to any interesting and challenging cases seen by the preceptors.
 
It is anticipated that the Urgent Care intern will spend about 85% time, excluding vacation, medical leave and professional development time, assigned to the Urgent Care/Primary Care service, with the balance of the time available for elective work in other services within the teaching hospital and/or at the Animal Humane Society University Clinic facility participating in community care medicine. Shifts will often bridge the hours of the Primary and Urgent Care services and will be primarily afternoons, evenings, and weekends. The intern will not receive cases on University holidays, will not hospitalize inpatients, and will not have overnight shifts.

Basic Science Training:

1. Primary Care Journal Club: Journal club is held for approximately one hour every other month. Current and relevant articles from personal, library, and online sources will be reviewed and summarized. Each article is discussed by the group.
2. Advanced Courses: Every 2 weeks the Urgent Care intern will be given reading assignments on a basic or clinical topic.

Requisites/Expectations:
1. During training the Urgent Care intern is expected to:
a. Participate in the receiving of urgent cases spanning a wide range of ailments in dogs and cats and develop proficiency in triaging cases for service appropriateness. 
b. Develop skills necessary for clinical competency through all aspects of primary case responsibility: history, physical examination, create problem lists and differential diagnoses, perform diagnostic testing, interpret results, formulate treatment plans, perform basic surgeries including wound care and spay/neuter/dental, provide client and referring veterinarian communication and follow-up.
c. Participate in the teaching of senior students during their clinical rotation including occasionally developing topics for senior student rounds.
d. Initiate review of cases and case management with supervisors. The preceptors are available to consult with the intern on a daily basis.
e. The intern is responsible for telephone/e-mail follow-up with clients and referring veterinarians. Follow-up is critical development of clinical competency; the intern is responsible for maintaining involvement and continuity of case management as needed.
f. Maintain medical records in accordance with the standards of the University of Minnesota Veterinary Teaching Hospital, including writing discharge statements and referral letters to doctors.
g. Develop or review client education materials for common conditions, procedures, and treatments.

Additional Training/Continuing Education
1. Interns are expected to attend internal lectures (Grand Rounds) weekly and Morbidity and Mortality rounds on a regular basis.
2. The intern will be expected to join the rotating interns in specialty rounds about monthly or as applicable. 
3. Other educational opportunities are available, and include cardiology ECG rounds, clinical pathology rounds, medicine house officer rounds, and journal club with the medicine, surgery, or anesthesia services.

Service Description: 

Urgent Care is a rapidly growing facet of veterinary practice across the country. At the University of Minnesota, we were one of the first to offer a faculty-led Urgent Care Service to treat client-owned animals and teach students. Within the service, our clinicians, supporting staff and students are able to triage patients upon presentation and then provide proper medical care in an efficient manner. Clinicians and students obtain patient histories, perform physical exams, create and communicate the patient's assessment and plan to the client. As this is an outpatient service, the clinicians and students create discharges to further provide proper communications with the client and the referring/local veterinarian. Common cases seen include, but are not limited to: gastrointestinal disease such as acute vomiting and diarrhea, mild respiratory cases such as acute sneezing and coughing, urinary tract issues, mild lacerations, and lameness.

The Primary Care service is a full-service veterinary clinic within the Veterinary Medical Center that offers routine veterinary care for dogs and cats and the opportunity for our fourth-year veterinary students to gain experience typically found in a Primary Care private practice setting. We take a team approach to each case with our clinicians, senior veterinary students, and staff all working together to offer pets the best care possible.

Primary Care Services include:
Annual examinations and preventative care including vaccinations, parasite control, proper nutrition, oral health, and behavioral recommendations
New puppy and kitten evaluations
Treatment for outpatient illnesses and injury
Weight management and diet consultations
Outpatient surgeries such as spays, neuters, and small mass removals
Dental prophylaxis and extractions
Basic behavior consultations and training

FAQ: 

Are there overnights/on call?

No! There are some evenings and weekends, but UC/PC interns do not work overnight, take call, or have patients in the hospital.

Are there opportunities to work with specialists?

Yes, your internship can be tailored to your interests (ie spending more time in ophthalmology, dermatology, or neurology as examples)

What is the faculty support like?

Interns will work side by side with faculty in seeing cases, with faculty present on the clinic floor.

Is the schedule flexible?

Yes, schedules can be rearranged fairly easily since the UC service is open 7 days a week.

What are the hours/week, will I be working holidays?

We aim for 40 hours/week for our intern, with no shifts on University holidays. 

What's the vibe in Urgent Care and Primary Care at the UMN?

We are a pretty laid back bunch of clinicians, certified vet techs, and veterinary tech assistants who are eager to learn, teach, and help our patients, clients and students. We believe in a fun, comfortable, safe learning environment for all!

List of Program Faculty Members:

Kendra Dauenhauer, DVM
Jamie Senthirajah, DVM
Katy Baker, DVM
Kara Carmody, DVM
Kristi Flynn, DVM
Amy O'Brien, DVM
Matthew Nelson, DVM

Veterinary Population Medicine

Program Director Name and Credentials: Michelle Willette, DVM
Program Director Email: [email protected]​​​​​​​
Length of Program: 1 year​​​​​​​
Tentative Start Date: July
Number of Trainees in Program (total number): 1​​​​​​​
Number of Spots Available in Upcoming Recruitment Cycle: 1

Program Description: 

The Partners for Wildlife program is pleased to offer a one-year clinical internship position in wildlife rehabilitation, medicine and surgery. The intern will spend half of their time at The Raptor Center (TRC) in St. Paul, MN, and half of their time at The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota (WRC) in Roseville, MN. 

The objectives of this internship program are to provide the intern with hands-on training in clinical wildlife medicine and surgery, as well as wildlife rehabilitation. The intern will receive training on a broad variety of clinical skills, including but not limited to hematology, parasitology, radiology, anesthesia, analgesia, orthopedic surgery, soft tissue surgery, wound and fracture management, necropsy, safe handling techniques for wildlife, management of wildlife in a rehabilitation setting, physical reconditioning, and determining if an animal is suitable for release or placement in an education program.

The primary duties and responsibilities of the intern revolve around the care of the wild animals that present to TRC and WRC for rehabilitation. The intern will provide primary patient care for a variety of avian, mammalian and reptile species that are native to the upper Midwest. The intern is given primary responsibility for the medical and surgical management of their cases with the supervision and aid of the staff veterinarians. The intern also assists with the medical care of education raptors from local nature centers and private falconry birds that present to TRC for preventative care and treatment of illnesses or injuries. The intern will consult with veterinarians and rehabilitators from across the nation regarding the medical care of native wildlife. The intern will also gain teaching experience by providing clinical training to fourth year veterinary students and international veterinarians that complete externships at TRC and WRC, helping with training workshops, and giving an occasional lecture to students at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. 

The Partners for Wildlife intern will also have additional responsibilities for the Partners for Wildlife Program. The intern is expected to contribute to research projects related to clinical wildlife medicine and/or welfare of wildlife in captivity, study and sit for the Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator (CWR) exam, and present at a professional conference such as NWRA. Although not required, the intern is encouraged to pursue a case report or retrospective study for publication in the peer reviewed scientific literature. 

In addition to clinical training, there are also opportunities for academic learning. TRC and WRC participate in virtual rounds on a bi-monthly basis with leading wildlife rehabilitation centers throughout the country. Hands-on laboratories are conducted on approximately a quarterly basis with other zoo and wildlife interns in the twin cities metro area. TRC also hosts seasonal academic learning rounds. The intern may have the opportunity to become involved with multiple ongoing research projects.

Applicants must have flexibility in their work hours and work location, have excellent verbal communication skills, and the ability to function effectively in a clinical team environment. Previous wildlife rehabilitation experience, at least one year of clinical experience practicing as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, and a professional or personal connection to the 7-state program focus area is preferred (Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Alaska).

Service Description: 

The Partners for Wildlife program was established in 2018 and is affiliated with The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. The program aims to improve, strengthen and expand the capacity of wildlife rehabilitators and veterinarians to treat and rehabilitate injured wildlife in order to achieve the best and most humane outcomes. The program focus area encompasses Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Idaho, Montana, Washington and Alaska. Partners for Wildlife also offers a second internship program in conjunction with Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

P4W's broader mission centers on improving animal welfare, an ethos that permeates all of our projects and initiatives including the internship program. Beyond supporting interns, P4W also manages a broad granting portfolio, an annual fellowship for licensed rehabilitators and veterinarians, a virtual platform for practicing wildlife caretakers from across the world, and a host of other support and field development strategies. Many of these initiatives intersect with one another and provide interns in particular a wide variety of opportunities to learn, engage, and grow as animal welfare advocates and professionals. 

The P4W team is composed of a diversity of professionals, including veterinarians, wildlife rehabilitators, educators, administrators, and communication specialists. With a broad network across the P4W focus area and beyond, we have built a culture of collaboration, open communication, and perspective sharing.

FAQ:

What is the schedule, and are there on-call duties for this position?

While at TRC, interns are scheduled to work five days per week. Interns may work a Sunday-Thursday, Monday-Friday, or Tuesday-Saturday schedule, pending clinic needs to help provide weekend coverage for patient care. The intern shares on-call phone duties after hours with the other house officers, clinic assistants, and support staff. During the busy season, patients will be admitted until 5:00pm and phones will be covered until 8:00pm. During the less busy season, patients will be admitted until 5:00pm and phones will be covered until 5:00pm. These times are prone to change based on clinic needs and the season. At WRC, the intern will be scheduled for 40-50 hours per week at WRC with more hours being worked in the busy season and less in the off season. Hours range from 8:00 am to close (9:00 - 10:00 pm) during the busy season and 9:00 am to 7:00/8:00 pm in the off season. The intern will help share the responsibility of working in the clinic on holidays at both TRC and WRC.

What does a typical work day look like? 

At TRC a typical work day will vary significantly with the season. The general routine within the clinic is as follows: 
The morning is filled with recheck examinations and treatments on hospitalized wild rehabilitation patients. 
Midday rounds are composed of all clinic staff meeting together to discuss cases that were examined that day. This is an opportunity to update other staff on the patient's progress, ask questions, and work as a group to generate a treatment plan for the patient. The afternoon is primarily filled with intake examinations on new wild patients during the busy season. In the winter months, time may be spent working on research or other projects. 
Throughout the day, the intern may also be involved with other various clinical and academic tasks. Examples may include: the care of a client-owned bird, providing remote consultation services, answering questions from the front desk about possible injured birds, and teaching hands-on labs or lectures. At WRC, a typical work day also varies by season; overall, WRC is the busiest wildlife rehabilitation center in the world, having admitted almost 17K patients last year comprising almost 200 species. Daily duties of the intern include admitting new patients; this can range from over 200/day during the summer to approximately 5/day during the winter. Admissions include triaging, coming up with initial treatment and diagnostic plans, and making euthanasia decisions. Interns will also recheck in-patients to update treatment and diagnostic plans, perform procedures, and interpret diagnostics. The numbers and types of diagnostics and procedures can vary throughout the year.

What level of supervision and mentorship is provided?

At TRC, the intern will be working with a staff veterinarian or the veterinary resident on all shifts during their initial training period (~1 month). After this training period, they will have the opportunity to become more independent and take on weekend shifts with support staff on-site. A staff veterinarian or the veterinary resident will always be on-call and available for after-hours or weekend support and case consultations. Daily mid-day case presentation rounds are an opportunity for interns to ask for guidance and feedback on case management.
While at WRC, the intern will be working with a staff veterinarian for the first two months. After this initial period, they may be scheduled on more independent shifts, but will always have access to a staff veterinarian.

P4W's Internship Program Supervisor will also meet separately with the intern on a quarterly basis to assess progress, manage P4W expectations and activities, and coordinate particular aspects of the intern experience.

Are interns encouraged to complete research projects?

As part of their responsibilities for the Partners for Wildlife program, the intern is expected to contribute to research projects related to clinical wildlife medicine and/or welfare of wildlife in captivity and present this research at a professional conference such as NWRA. Although not required, the intern is encouraged to pursue a case report or retrospective study for publication in the peer reviewed scientific literature.

What types of positions do your interns typically move on to after their internship?

Over the past 7 years our interns have pursued many different career paths in veterinary medicine, including, but not limited to: completing ACZM companion exotic residencies, becoming staff wildlife veterinarians at wildlife rehabilitation centers, wildlife conservation research, shelter medicine, applying for zoo residencies, and private practice.

List of Program Faculty Members:

Michelle Willette, DVM, MPH, DACVPM
Annette Ahlmann-Garcia, DVM, MS, CWR
Dana Franzen-Klein, DVM, MS
Victoria Hall, DVM, MS, DACVPM
Julia Ponder, DVM, MPH