Duties:
The purpose of this internship to provide a comprehensive clinical experience with the many aspects of equine ambulatory practice. This internship is appropriate either for a new graduate or a veterinarian who has already completed a general equine internship wishing to prepare for an ABVP residency. The equine population in the area we service is diverse, consisting of both pleasure and performance horses of all breeds. The equine ambulatory service sees a wide range of appointment types including preventive medicine (vaccinations and internal parasite management), lameness/sports medicine, dentistry, reproduction, regulatory (Coggins and Health Certificates), pre-purchase exams, acupuncture, infectious disease, nutrition consultation and emergencies (colic, laceration, choke, etc.). The intern will also have the opportunity to rotate through the large animal hospital services (Large Animal Surgery, Large Animal Medicine and Theriogenology) and possibly additional elective rotations such as Equine Sports Medicine and/or Equine Dentistry and Nutrition. The intern will be expected to attend and participate in Large Animal House Officer rounds and be encouraged to attend other pertinent weekly rounds as their interest and availability dictates.
The primary duties of the intern will be to assist WMEP faculty with the evaluation, therapy, and management of equine patients. Direct and indirect supervision will be provided daily by the WMEP faculty throughout the course of the year. Primary case responsibility will be expected once the intern and faculty are comfortable. Additional responsibilities include supervision of senior veterinary students on clinical services, participation in and organization of topic rounds, and assistance with student teaching and clinical laboratories. The intern will have no more than 50% after-hours and weekend/holiday emergency duty and will always have a senior clinician attending or available for backup or consultation.
The intern will be based out of the West Metro Equine Practice (WMEP) office located in Long Lake which is less than 25 miles West of the Piper Equine Hospital at the Leatherdale Equine Center on the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota. WMEP provides service within a 35-mile radius and beyond for special circumstances. The intern will utilize one of the two WMEP vehicles or another University owned vehicle for appointments and emergencies. WMEP is equipped with two digital radiography setups, two ultrasound machines, an extracorporeal shockwave unit, an upper airway endoscope, two motorized dentistry setups and access to other equipment at the Piper Equine Hospital.