Residency in Small Animal Surgery (Combined Masters of Veterinary Sciences 4 Year Program)

Description of Program The University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine offers a four-year Small Animal Surgery Residency Program, which is specifically designed to fulfill all requirements established by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. The initial year of the program is devoted to pursuing a Master of Veterinary Science degree, before matriculating into clinics for the subsequent 3 years. Clinical training and experience are provided via case management and critical care of companion animals with surgical diseases. Clinical services are divided into soft tissue and minimally invasive surgical services as well as orthopedic services. Experience in oncologic, neurologic, and exotic animal surgery is also provided. The surgery services are technologically current and operate at the forefront of veterinary surgery. The soft tissue surgery services perform video laparoscopy and thoracoscopy as well as interventional fluoroscopic assisted procedures. The orthopedic service performs video arthroscopy, total joint arthroplasty, deformity correction, minimally invasive fluoroscopic assisted fracture repair, and fracture fixation by means of linear, circular, and hybrid external skeletal fixation, interlocking nails, as well as traditional AO techniques. The utilization of virtual surgical planning and 3D printing has become an integral part of our clinical program. The oncology group has established a collaborative relationship with the University of Florida Brain Institute and the Department of Neurosurgery. Residents have access to eight board-certified small animal surgical faculty members. The College of Veterinary Medicine is affiliated with the Health Science Center at the University of Florida. This affiliation fosters collaborative interaction with the College of Medicine and Engineering and other health-related divisions. The residents have full access to the University’s Collaborative Orthopedics and Biomechanics Laboratory which is housed in the Veterinary College. A multitude of rounds, discussion groups, and out-of-service rotations in other clinical or research areas is available to residents. Residents also participate in didactic and laboratory teaching of veterinary students in the surgical curriculum. Residents are required to complete and submit two clinical or research investigative projects for publication during the program. During the last three years of the program, approximately 75% of the resident’s time is devoted to clinical service with the remaining 25% of time reserved for research and self-improvement. The Small Animal Surgery Residency Program at the University of Florida has been in existence since June 1977 and all of our residents have completed the program. Our program prides itself in preparing applications for the American College of Veterinary Surgeons certifying examination by providing structured, quarterly reading assignments and mock board examinations throughout the program. All but one of the residents that have completed the program between 1987 and 2021 have successfully passed the American College of Veterinary Surgeons certification examination, the lion’s share on their first attempt. Finishing residents will be competitive for careers in academic veterinary medicine or will have received the technical expertise to be successful in private specialty practice. Approximately half of our former residents currently hold or have previously held positions in research, industry, or academics with the remainder being employed in private referral practices. Interviews will be done online but will limit these interviews to candidates that we genuinely feel will be competitive for these positions. Interviews will be scheduled with advanced notice and will be granted based on a review of the candidate’s entire application packet. Interviews will be scheduled after we have received candidates’ application packets from the AAVC. We hope to begin scheduling interviews early in January and this process could continue up until candidates have to rank programs. Inquiries regarding scheduling an interview are highly encouraged. Please contact Dr. Penny Regier, the program coordinator, by e-mail ([email protected]) preferably before January 1, 2024, if you would like to request an interview. We would request that you include an e-copy of your CV and matching program application (including the e-mail addresses of those providing references) as we try to evaluate candidates. This will allow us to identify candidates who are truly interested in our program and allow us to screen each candidate’s packet in a timely manner prior to granting an interview. The University of Florida is an equal-opportunity employer with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. Applications by members of all underrepresented groups are encouraged.