Veterinary Training

The Wildlife Center provides opportunities for hands-on training for veterinarians and veterinary students in our state-of-the-art wildlife hospital.

 

The goal of the veterinary department is to advance the mission of the Wildlife Center by [1] providing professional medical care to injured, sick, and orphaned wild animals, with the goal of returning them to their natural environment; [2] training veterinarians, veterinary externs, and veterinary technician students in wildlife and conservation medicine; [3] conducting health studies on the diseases of free-living wildlife; and [4] disseminating information on health issues in wildlife to the public and policymakers.

Our state-of-the-art wildlife hospital contains a diagnostic lab; examination room; digital radiology suite; full surgery suite complete with endoscopy, fluoroscopy, and advanced surgical equipment; and indoor and outdoor housing facilities for the 2500+ native wildlife patients we admit each year. The majority of the animals admitted to the Wildlife Center are injured through human activity, and the veterinary department emphasizes measures to prevent human-related causes of morbidity and mortality.

The Wildlife Center offers a variety of professional training programs, including veterinary internships for graduated veterinarians, veterinary externships for senior veterinary students, a veterinary technician internship for graduated veterinary technician students, and a veterinary technician externship for senior veterinary technicians. In addition, opportunities are available for those interested in volunteering with our veterinary staff.