Residency Program in Zoological Medicine

Residency Program in Zoological Medicine

The Zoological Medicine Residency Program offered through UC Davis and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is a 3-year ACZM (American College of Zoological Medicine) compliant post-doctoral specialty training program for veterinarians. This program is a highly mentored and rigorous three-year post-doctoral clinical residency designed to prepare trainees for future employment and ACZM specialty board certification. The program emphasizes clinical approaches for non-domesticated zoological species and wildlife under human care, such as those in zoological collections, conservation programs, or wildlife rehabilitation settings.

This program is a collaborative effort made possible through long-term partnerships between the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the Sacramento Zoo, and SeaWorld San Diego. These partnered institutions in conjunction with additional affiliated organizations provide a rich learning environment for trainees to gain clinical skills, knowledge, and robust experience in Zoological Medicine. The program emphasizes high-quality clinical training while providing didactic educational opportunities, mentored self-directed study, research experience, and guidance in scientific publication and presentation. Successful completion of this program by a trainee requires completion of a research project and publication of a minimum total of three first-author publications that fulfill requirements for credentialing to take the ACZM board certification examination.

PROGRAM ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE

GENERAL ORGANIZATION

The program is 3 years in length with the resident spending each year of the program at a different primary training site.  The first year of the program is based in Northern California. Transition to Southern California occurs at the end of the first year, for completion of the second and third years of the program. Typical work weeks are 5 days per week (approximately 40-60 hours total per week) with at least 4 hours per week allocated for office/study/research time and may vary depending on clinical caseload and availability of learning/training opportunities. On-call duty is required for weekends and holidays on a rotating/assigned basis. Schedules, rotations, and leave allowance are subject to change.

 

FIRST YEAR OF TRAINING

The first year of the program, which is based in Northern California (Primarily Sacramento/Davis area) is designed to provide trainees with a strong foundation of hands-on clinical experience, primary case management, opportunities to develop technical skills, veterinary knowledge pertinent to zoological species, and exposure to research design/methods that are important to advancing the field of Zoological Medicine. Throughout the year, residents participate in clinical rotations at the Sacramento Zoo, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and The Marine Mammal Center while also having the opportunity to gain experiences at a number of additional zoological and wildlife facilities/organizations/agencies affiliated with the program. In addition, this year also provides networking opportunities and collegial discourse with a large number of prominent veterinary specialists outside the field of Zoological Medicine. It offers experience working with complex referral cases in a tertiary care environment and provides opportunities to develop didactic teaching skills in an academic setting. This first year prepares the resident for the rigors of clinical training that occur during the second and third years of the program. It also helps broaden, complement, and augment the overall repertoire of experiences provided by the program as a whole while simultaneously setting up the trainee for success towards meeting requirements for becoming board certified by the American College of Zoological Medicine.

SECOND “JOHN R PETERSON” YEAR OF TRAINING

The second “John R. Peterson Zoological Veterinary Medicine Residency” year of the program is based in Southern California (Primarily San Diego area) and is designed to build upon the trainee’s foundational first year by providing additional rigorous high-quality clinical experience with primary case management spanning a broad taxonomic representation under the mentorship of numerous Board-Certified Specialists in Zoological MedicineTM and highly experienced zoological veterinarians. Residents spend the majority of the year working as a member of the veterinary teams at the San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld San Diego with supplementary rotations in pathology provided for a well-rounded experience. This year expands the trainee’s taxonomic exposure and clinical repertoire with additional opportunities for participation in clinical research endeavors, professional networking, and further preparation for board certification.

THIRD "DR. GREG AND KARLA OGILVIE FAMILY" YEAR OF TRAINING

The third “Dr. Greg and Karla Ogilvie Family Zoological Veterinary Medicine Residency” year of the program, which is also based in Southern California (Primarily Escondido/San Diego area) is designed to expand upon the trainee’s first two years of experience by providing additional primary case management opportunities and exposure to species not as frequently encountered during the first two years of the program. Residents spend the majority of this year working as a member of the veterinary team at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. This year emphasizes further development of the trainee’s clinical case management skills and also broadens experience in the areas of population/herd health, remote immobilization, non-domestic ruminant medicine/reproduction, and megavertebrate medicine/anesthesia. The resident is mentored by a team of knowledgeable zoo veterinarians and Board-Certified Specialists in Zoological Medicine-TM throughout their third year.

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PROGRAM GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS

EXPECTATIONS OF TRAINEES

Upon completion of the residency program, successful trainees will have achieved the following and each receives a certificate signifying successful completion of these requirements.

• Completion of a minimum of 100 ACZM mentored clinical/research training weeks
• Completion of a minimum of 3 peer-reviewed publications as required for ACZM credentialing (may complete prior to or during residency)
• Completion of a research project including grant proposal, plan, IACUC/animal use approval, and manuscript (during the program)
• Presentation of research at UC Davis House Officer Day Seminar and at a professional conference (such as AAZV, WDA, IAAAM, etc.)
• Participation in the UC Davis 10-week Zoological Medicine Course with delivery of didactic instruction (minimum of 2 lectures) to veterinary students
• Active participation in resident journal seminars including Zoo Journal Seminar, Companion Exotic Animal Medicine Journal Club, and Zoo, Exotic, and Wildlife Pathology Rounds
• Development of and progress on a personal study plan for the ACZM board-certification examination
• Attendance at AAZV conferences and ACZM exam preparation courses (as schedule and resources allow)
• Demonstrated satisfactory performance in clinical proficiency, communication, and professionalism based on formal mentor evaluations

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ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERS AND PROGRAM MENTORS

UC DAVIS SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

Companion Exotic Animal Medicine and Surgery Service

• Dr. David Guzman, Dipl ACZM 
• Dr. Michelle Hawkins, Dipl ABVP (Avian)
• Dr. Hugues Beaufrère, Dipl ACZM, ECZM, ABVP (Avian)
• Dr. Esteban Soto, PhD, Dipl ACVM, CertAqV

Other Services/Centers

• Dr. Kirsten Gilardi, Dipl ACZM
• Dr. Michael Ziccardi, Dipl ACZM
• Dr. Linda Lowenstine, DACVP
• Dr. Kevin Keel, DACVP
• Dr. Lisa Tell, Dipl ACZM

SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE

• Dr. Nadine Lamberski, Dipl ACZM
• Dr. Hendrik Nollens, DVM, MSc, PhD

San Diego Zoo

• Dr. Meg Sutherland-Smith, Dipl ACZM (Program Coordinator)
• Dr. Beth Bicknese, MPVM
• Dr. Deena Brenner, Dipl ACZM
• Dr. Matt Marinkovich, Dipl ACZM
• Dr. Ben Nevitt, Dipl ACZM
• Dr. Cora Singleton, Dipl ACZM

San Diego Zoo Safari Park

• Dr. Meredith Clancy, MPH, Dipl ACZM
• Dr. Matt Kinney, Dipl ACZM
• Dr. Kristen Phair, Dipl ACZM
• Dr. Kathryn Perrin, PhD, Dipl ACZM, Dipl ECZM
• Dr. Rob Browning, MS, Dipl ACZM

SEAWORLD SAN DIEGO

• Dr. Todd Schmitt 
• Dr. Kelsey Seitz-Herrick
• Dr. Jennifer Russell

THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER

• Dr. Cara Field, PhD, Dipl. ACZM

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RESIDENT SELECTION AND APPLICATION PROCESS

APPLICATION PROCESS

Selection of residents for this program follows UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine policies and occurs annually through the VIRMP (Veterinary Internship and Residency Matching Program). The VIRMP typically requires completion of an application, official veterinary school transcripts, a personal statement, a curriculum vitae, and 3-4 standardized letters of reference. Please visit the VIRMP website for more details about the application process and schedule. The Residency Application and General Information page provides additional details about basic minimum requirements for UC Davis trainees. 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Graduation from an approved/accredited School of Veterinary Medicine
• One year of high-quality clinical practice (such as an internship or private practice)
• Ability to obtain an active California Veterinary License (or equivalent University Veterinary License) and USDA (Category II) Veterinary Accreditation
• Ability to obtain a valid California driver’s license (with participation in Department of Motor Vehicles Pull Notice System/provision of DMV records) and reliable transportation
• Successful completion of background investigation including criminal history and identity checks
• Information for Foreign Applicants

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Two or more years of high-quality clinical practice (such as an internship or private practice)
• Clinical experience working with zoological species
• Proven academic excellence and clinical proficiency in veterinary medicine
• Excellent verbal and written communication, interpersonal skills, work ethic, and professionalism
• Demonstrated research interest and aptitude as evidenced by research engagement, collaboration, project design, professional presentation, and/or publication
• Demonstrated sustained interest in the Zoological Medicine field and specialty board certification through the American College of Zoological Medicine

CANDIDATE SELECTION

Qualifying applications from candidates are provided through the VIRMP process, and application materials are reviewed and ranked by participating residency mentors from partner organizations. Formal interviews may be required and references of top applicants may be contacted for input on the candidate’s qualifications. To facilitate a fair selection process, applicants are restricted from visitation during the VIRMP ranking period (typically October to February each year).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS

Please contact the Residency Director (Jenessa Gjeltema, DVM, Dipl. ACZM at jgjeltema@ucdavis.edu) or the UC Davis House Officer Affairs Coordinator (Audra Johnson at alpjohnson@ucdavis.edu) for more information or any questions related to this program.