Residency Program in Small Animal Internal Medicine

Residency Program in Small Animal Internal Medicine

The University of California, Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital offers a 3-year residency program in small animal internal medicine (SAIM) to provide advanced veterinary training to graduate veterinarians. Emphasis is placed on clinical medicine, teaching, and research. The SAIM service  currently has 8 residents and 10 internal medicine faculty. Each resident spends approximately 60% of the time on clinics in small animal internal medicine and 1-2 months each year on related clinical rotations during the program. The remainder of each year is allotted to research endeavors, board preparation, vacation (5 weeks/year), and attending scientific meetings.

Objectives of the program: The primary objective of the 3-year small animal internal medicine residency program is to provide advanced veterinary training to graduate veterinarians, with an emphasis placed on clinical medicine, teaching, and clinical research. The residency prepares candidates to become board certified in small animal internal medicine in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM).

The need for specific training: There is a need for board-certified veterinarians in small animal internal medicine in veterinary academia in particular, as these specialists play a pivotal role in training veterinary students and residents. Many academic veterinary institutions are hiring clinical track specialists with broad expertise in small animal medicine and whose primary objective is to teach and train students, interns, and residents in the clinics. 

Courses of activities: Each resident spends approximately 60% of the residency on clinics in small animal internal medicine and 1-2 months on related clinical rotations (oncology, cardiology, clinical pathology, neurology, radiology, ophthalmology, ICU, etc.). The remainder of each year is allotted to research endeavors, board preparation, vacation, and attending scientific meetings. The hospital has a heavy clinical caseload, and the resident should expect to be involved in activities of the VMTH for approximately 60 to 70 hours per week.

Scope, nature, and amount of clinical caseload, including emergency rotations: The Small Animal Medicine referral service operates 2 teams, each team with 2 faculty members, 2-3 residents, clinical fellows, and 5-8 students. In the beginning of the first year, residents will receive cases with their primary supervising faculty member in order to obtain “one-on-one” supervision in each faculty member’s area of interest. The receiving schedule can vary but each clinician faculty member receives new cases each week with additional time slots allotted for re-evaluations. Furthermore, each team manages approximately 6-12 inpatients per day. Each resident will also be scheduled for medicine transfers from the emergency service on a rotating basis. Over the weekend, one medicine resident and two medicine students are on duty for emergency transfers with supervision by faculty. After-hours emergency duty for patients coming to the VMTH are shared by dedicated emergency clinicians and residents. Small animal residents have a 2 weeks total of scheduled primary emergency duty as required by ACVIM and perform emergency scoping procedures for the ER service but are not on call for emergency receiving.

Amount and nature of clinical education: Residents are provided with a plethora of organized activities to enhance their medical knowledge, skills, and abilities, including organized student rounds with faculty and residents, resident rounds with faculty and residents, seminars, journal club, physiology review sessions, research mentoring and board review sessions. A variety of ad hoc conferences, seminars, and local CE courses are scheduled throughout the academic year. An annual endoscopy-training course is also provided during each year of the residency. The 3-year program allows residents to gain excellent proficiency in a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, including GI endoscopy, bronchoscopy, rhinoscopy, cystoscopy, laser lithotripsy, interventional radiology, feeding tube placement, bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, joint aspirates, etc.

Coursework:  The small animal medicine residency does not offer a combined MS or PhD degree, thus there is no formal coursework requirement.

Development of teaching skills and participation in didactic and clinical instruction: Teaching skills are developed in the clinic, through daily rounds and twice-monthly hospital-wide grand rounds presentations. In addition, residents participate in instruction of second and third-year veterinary students in the medical techniques laboratories throughout the year. 

Participation in seminars, rounds, journal clubs, and other organized activities: Organized rounds and seminars in support of the residency training program include once to twice-daily student rounds with faculty presence and oversight, resident case management rounds with faculty 2 times weekly, weekly small animal medicine journal club, twice-monthly grand rounds, and weekly board review/physiology courses. The weekly board/review physiology review course provides an in-depth review of all organ systems over a 2-year interval. The weekly journal club (1 hour) covers recent advances in the literature and is an environment where residents and faculty critically review the literature. 

Development of research skills: All residents are expected to complete one to two clinical research projects in the form of a retrospective case series or a prospective examination of diagnostics or therapeutics and then present the information in a formal scientific setting. Residents are also encouraged to procure research funding via a variety of intramural or extramural funding agencies. Faculty play an integral role in mentoring the residents throughout this grant writing process. Studies are completed during off-clinic time. Research nights are organized every 3-4 months for residents and faculty to meet in an informal setting to review research projects by residents and to gauge progress. Residents should plan to present their projects with results and conclusions at the annual UC Davis Veterinary Intern and Resident Research Symposium , and submission of an abstract to the ACVIM Forum is encouraged. At least one peer-reviewed manuscript is expected during the residency, which fulfills the ACVIM requirement for board certification. The faculty provides supervision and mentoring for each resident to complete their manuscript in a timely fashion.

Development of special academic interests, including activities off-campus: Residents are given ample opportunity throughout the 3-year training period to rotate through services such as cardiology, oncology, radiology, and neurology. In addition, residents have the opportunity to rotate through other elective rotations, such as ICU.  First-year residents participate in a 2-week Introduction to Clinical Epidemiology and Design course offered at the UC Davis Medical Center. Second and third-year residents are given time off to attend the ACVIM Forum. Additional off-clinics time is spent on professional development by writing grants, working on research projects, and reading or writing manuscripts. The UC Davis Medical Center is only a 20-minute drive from the VMTH, and opportunities exist to attend rounds, seminars, etc. when time permits.

Outside rotations and interaction with other services or programs: First-year and 2nd-year residents are assigned to rotate through ancillary services during their off-clinics time. Specifically, residents are assigned to one week with the clinical pathology service, and 2 weeks with cardiology, oncology, radiology (including ultrasound) and neurology. Third year residents are given additional time to rotate through other specialty services as well.

Structure and organization: The table below provides a template for the 3-year training program:

All small animal medicine residents share a large office, and each resident has access to a computer and phone at their desk.

Internal Medicine faculty participating in the program: Dr. Larry Cowgill, Dr. Jonathan Dear, Dr. Sean Hulsebosch, Dr. Lynelle Johnson, Dr. Sina Marsillio, Dr. Stanley Marks, Dr. Carrie Palm, Dr. Krystle Reagan, Dr. Jane Sykes, and Dr. Jodi Westropp.

Process of evaluation: Residents are provided with verbal feedback following each clinic rotation by the faculty person assigned to that rotation, and with formal written and verbal feedback that is a culmination of the opinions of all faculty in small animal medicine at least twice yearly. Residents who are performing sub-optimally will be given constructive feedback to improve their performance, and additional review sessions will be provided as needed. Appointments to the residency program will be made for 12 months with the opportunity of 12-month renewal upon successful completion of each term. Residents are also requested to provide comments on the training program during the evaluation process.

Certification: The resident must have performed satisfactorily throughout the program and have submitted at least one peer-reviewed manuscript prior to completion of the program. Furthermore, a first-author publication is a requirement of the College of ACVIM for board certification. The faculty provides supervision and mentoring for each resident to help complete their manuscript in a timely fashion.

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

Advanced degree during residency: Small animal internal medicine residents are usually not permitted to work toward an advanced degree during their residency-training program.

California Driver's License: Not required

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Graduated from a college or school of veterinary medicine accredited by the AVMA; or possess a certificate issued by the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG); or are legally qualified to practice veterinary medicine in some state, province, territory, or possession of the United States, Canada, or other country.

Have demonstrated unquestionable moral character and professional behavior.

Have completed at least one year of rotating internship or equivalent clinical experience.

Requirements for foreign applicants: In addition to the minimum qualifications above, foreign graduates must also meet the following requirement. 

Candidates should be US citizens, US permanent residents, or foreign nationals eligible for a J1 scholar visa (and at the time of application not be subject to holds, bars or in-country rules) or Canadian/ Mexican citizens eligible for a TN visa. We will NOT pursue other visa categories. The offer of a residency may be withdrawn if written evidence of a visa is not provided by July 1, 2024.