Rotating Small Animal Internship

VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital

Intern Survey Results

Positions: 12
Survey Responses: 3
Category: Small Animal Rotating
Program Dates: 6/13/2016 to 6/25/2017

Responses except for Question 11

  1. Strongly Disagree
  2. Disagree
  3. Neither agree or disagree
  4. Agree
  5. Strongly Agree

Questions

  1. The internship met the program description as provided in the VIRMP

    Mean: 3.3

  2. The time spent on emergency duty matched the program description

    Mean: 3.3

  3. I received an orientation to the work environment and job requirements at the start of the internship

    Mean: 5.0

  4. I was provided with supervision and opportunity to consult with other doctors at the institution/practice regarding patient care

    Mean: 4.0

  5. Rounds, journal clubs, or other educational opportunities were regularly available during the internship

    Mean: 4.7

  6. Adequate opportunity to study and prepare for clinical cases was provided

    Mean: 2.3

  7. I was satisfied with the clinical training opportunities provided during the internship

    Mean: 3.3

  8. The internship met my learning objectives

    Mean: 3.7

  9. I was treated in a professional manner by staff and other doctors

    Mean: 4.0

  10. I would recommend this internship program to a friend or colleague

    Mean: 2.7

  11. The average number of hours I worked per week

    Mean: 5.0

    1. Less than 40 hours
    2. 40-49 hours
    3. 50-59 hours
    4. 60-69 hours
    5. 70-79 hours
    6. Greater than 80 hours

Program Being Evaluated Follows

Employment Information

Salary: $30,000 plus benefits

Benefits: VCA provides its interns with a comprehensive benefits package, including: VIN Membership paid for by VCA Continuing Education allowance ($500) Eligibility for Medical, Dental and Vision Coverage Eligibility for Life and Long-Term Disability Insurance Eligibility to participate in 401(k) retirement savings plan Professional Liability Coverage

Vacation: 5 days paid vacation

Is a contract required? Yes

Is a non-compete clause required? No

Is a State license required? Yes    If yes, what is the licensure fee? $270

Is a DEA license required? No

Is USDA accreditation required? No

Caseload

The following information represents the average of cases in direct support of this program

Total No. Annual Cases: 78731
Average Daily No. Cases Presented to Hospital: 215
Average No. Cases Treated Daily as Outpatients: 165
Average No. of Inpatients Each Day: 50
Average No. Daily Surgeries Performed: 15
Average No. of Emergency Cases Seen Daily: 40

Number of Faculty/Clinicians in Direct Support of Program: 32
Number of Residents in Direct Support of Program: 0

Diplomates in Direct Support of Internship

Full Time Part Time/Consultant Full Time Part Time/Consultant
ABVP 2 ACT
ACVAA 1 ACVD 1
ACVCP ACVN
ACVO ACVR 2
ACVS 3 ACZM
AVDC 1 ACVECC 1
ACVIM/CARD ACVIM/INTMED 4
ACVIM/NEUR 3 ACVIM/ONC 1
ACVB ABVT
ACLAM ACPV
ACVM ACVP
ACVPM 1 ACVIM/LA
ACVR/ONC ACVSMR

Registered/Licensed/Certified Veterinary Technicians

In Direct Support of Program: 75
Assigned to the Emergency Service per shift: 4
Assigned to the Intensive Care Unit per shift: 4

Clinical Experience and Responsibilities

  1. Yes No
    Does the intern have primary case care responsibility for first-opinion and emergency/critical care cases?
  2. Yes No
    Is the intern the primary surgeon on a broad range of elective and entry-level procedures?
  3. Yes No
    Does the intern have primary case care responsibility for complex cases with supervision by a boarded specialist?
  4. Yes No
    Are patient rounds held daily with a boarded specialist in attendance?
  5. 75%
    What is the percentage of time the intern will be directly supervised?

Didactic Training

  1. Yes No
    Are teaching rounds held weekly?
  2. Yes No
    Does the intern deliver a professional presentation or seminar to senior clinicians and peers?
  3. Yes No
    Does the intern have an opportunity to attend a professional meeting?
  4. Yes No
    Is financial support provided to attend a professional meeting?
  5. Yes No
    Is the intern required to complete/submit a publication?

Facilities

  1. Yes No
    Does the intern have access to current medical textbooks?
  2. Yes No
    Is a computer with internet access provided?
  3. Yes No
    Does the intern have access to search engines for scientific literature and online journals?
  4. Yes No
    Does the primary hospital have an intensive care unit?

Equipment

  1. Do interns have access to the following equipment/technology, either on-site or outsourced?
    • Ultrasonography
    • Electrocardiography
    • Blood Pressure Monitoring
    • Echocardiography
    • Endoscopy
    • CT Scan
    • Bone Plating Equipment
    • MRI
    • Digital Radiography
    • Laparoscopy
    • Arthroscopy
    • Basic clinical laboratory equipment
    • Nuclear Medicine
    • Blood Gas Analysis
    • Diagnostic Laboratory
    • Physical Therapy

Scheduling

These percentages may not be cumulative

  1. 10%
    Percentage of program intern is assigned to daytime primary emergency
  2. 25%
    Percentage of program intern is assigned to overnight primary emergency
  3. 35%
    Percentage of program intern is assigned to first opinion (primary care) clinics
  4. 10%
    Percentage of program intern is provided elective time
  5. 3%
    Percentage of program intern is required to work at a secondary (satellite) clinic

Orientation/Supervision/Mentoring

  1. Yes No
    Is a formal orientation program required?
  2. Yes No
    Does the intern have a mentor who is a veterinarian in the practice?
  3. Yes No
    Are written performance evaluations provided?
  4. Yes No
    Is an internship orientation manual provided?

Additional Information about Program

VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital is a 22,000 sq. ft. facility located at the base of the Rockies in Denver, Colorado. This internship offers an outstanding opportunity for highly motivated individuals to benefit from our busy, diverse caseload and unparalleled mentorship. VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital is an AAHA accredited general practice, emergency and specialty hospital. Our staff of 40 veterinarians includes board certified specialists in surgery, neurology, radiology, internal medicine, emergency/critical care, anesthesia, dentistry, dermatology and general practice (ABVP - Small Animal), as well as one residency-trained oncologist, and two residency-trained surgeons. We have thriving emergency, general practice and specialty referral services, allowing exposure to a wide variety of cases. Interns have the opportunity for both primary case responsibility and direct supervision by a multitude of specialists in a supportive, collaborative atmosphere. VCA Alameda East is equipped with CT, MRI, fluoroscopy, ultrasound, digital radiography, a dental suite complete with dental radiology, a complete in-house clinical laboratory including blood gas analysis, chemotherapy, I-131, orthopedic and soft tissue surgical suites, rigid and flexible endoscopy, and a growing physical therapy practice including hydrotherapy. Our ICU is equipped with cage-side multifunction monitors capable of measuring SPO2, NIBP, 2-channel IBP and ETCO2 as well as telemetry, biphasic defibrillator, doppler blood pressure units, pulse oximetry, Newport E360 mechanical ventilator, oxygen cages and cage-side lactate and glucose monitors.Our hospital services continue to grow and improve. VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital offers interventional radiology techniques such as ureteral, urethral and tracheal stenting using our high-resolution fluoroscopy unit. We recently upgraded to a new 1.5 tesla MRI unit that will complement our high-speed multi-slice spiral CT to allow state of the art advanced imaging for our patients. In addition to advanced imaging, our neurology department performs electrodiagnostics.VCA Alameda East consistently delivers high-level specialty care. Our internal medicine, neurology, surgery and radiology services operate 7 days a week to seamlessly care for our hospitalized patients. We strive to maintain a teaching environment on every level, from support staff to specialist. Daily patient rounds with specialists provide a forum for case-based learning, and weekly lectures from specialists provide the backbone of our didactic teaching program. Regular radiology rounds allow our interns time to hone their radiographic interpretation skills under the guidance of our board certified radiologists. A rotating weekly schedule of formal intern-led journal club, topic rounds and morbidity and mortality rounds allow interns to investigate a topic of their choice in depth and share with the rest of the hospital. In addition, interns will prepare an hour-long formal CE lecture for our technicians. Our entire hospital staff is strongly supportive of the internship program, resulting in an excellent learning environment that is not limited to formal teaching time.Internship graduates of VCA Alameda East have found success as high-quality general practitioners, emergency clinicians and in pursuing specialty training in surgery, oncology, internal medicine, neurology, zoo medicine/exotics, ophthalmology and emergency and critical care. We have an excellent track record for placing graduates into both academic and private practice residency positions. We have a formal mentorship program. Interns are expected to play an active role in the mentor/mentee relationship including goal-setting and honest self-assessment. Mentors meet monthly with interns and participate in quarterly intern evaluations.Interns will participate in rotations in internal medicine, surgery, neurology, daytime and evening emergency service and critical care. Additional exposure is given to cardiology, dentistry, radiology, oncology and anesthesiology through core elective rotations completed within the hospital. In addition, our interns complete rotations at a local non-profit hospital for a greater diversity of cases and more primary surgical experience. During this rotation, interns will see scheduled and emergency appointments and observe and perform routine and emergency surgeries as well as supervise student externs. Just as we continue to advance our medical practice, we are constantly improving our intern program, so changes to the schedule may occur as the year goes on. Outside of the hospital, Denver offers a thriving music scene, festivals throughout the year and all of the cultural offerings of a major city. The extensive multi-use trail system makes Denver bicycle friendly, and Denver is very dog-friendly, with multiple dog parks throughout the city. Of course, the backdrop to the Denver skyline is the beautiful Rocky Mountains; and it is only a 1-2 hour drive to reach world-class skiing and snowboarding, national parks and jaw-dropping gorgeous scenery for hiking, mountain biking, or even just a leisurely drive. With 300 days of sunshine a year, the possibility for outdoor adventures is limitless.The compensation package includes $30,000 per year salary and 5 paid vacation days. VCA provides its interns with a comprehensive benefits package including: • VIN membership paid by VCA• Continuing education allowance ($500) • Eligibility for Medical, Dental and Vision Coverage • Eligibility for Life and Long-Term Disability Insurance • Eligibility to participate in 401(k) retirement savings plan • Professional Liability Coverage A Colorado State license is required to be able to start the internship.For more information about licensing, please visit: http://cdn.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=Page&;childpagename=DORA%2FDORALayout&cid=1251650074362&pagename=CBONWrapper