Rotating Internship in Small Animal Clinical Sciences

Texas A&M University

Intern Survey Results

Positions: 8
Survey Responses: 4
Category: Small Animal Rotating
Program Dates: 6/19/2017 to 6/21/2018

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: 4.3

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

    Mean: 4.3

  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: 4.8

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

    Mean: 4.5

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

    Mean: 3.8

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

    Mean: 4.5

  8. The internship met my learning objectives

    Mean: 4.8

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

    Mean: 4.3

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

    Mean: 4.5

  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: $26,147

Opportunity to earn additional cash compensation: A monetary incentive is offered to all interns admitting cases outside regular business hours (nights and weekends) at $15/case up to a maximum of $5,000 per year. Traditionally all interns have accrued the maximum compensation possible.

Benefits: The Texas A&M System provides a full package of benefits to protect employees and their families during their working years and as a University retiree. Further information can be found at: http://employees.tamu.edu/benefits/general/.

Vacation: As an Intern, you are entitled to annual vacation leave and sick leave benefits similar to other faculty and staff at the University. In addition, you will earn compensatory time for the emergency duties that you perform after-hours in the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Interns are not allowed to take annual vacation leave or compensatory time during the last 30 days of their program.

Is a contract required? No

Is a non-compete clause required? No

Is a State license required? Yes    If yes, what is the licensure fee? $515; reimbursed by TAMU

Is a DEA license required? Yes

Is USDA accreditation required? No

Caseload

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

Total No. Annual Cases: 20,494
Average Daily No. Cases Presented to Hospital: 82
Average No. Cases Treated Daily as Outpatients: 65
Average No. of Inpatients Each Day: 16
Average No. Daily Surgeries Performed: 7
Average No. of Emergency Cases Seen Daily: 20

Number of Faculty/Clinicians in Direct Support of Program: 47
Number of Residents in Direct Support of Program: 22

Diplomates in Direct Support of Internship

Full Time Part Time/Consultant Full Time Part Time/Consultant
ABVP 4 ACT
ACVAA 5 ACVD 2
ACVCP ACVN
ACVO 2 ACVR 5 1
ACVS 7 1 ACZM 1
AVDC 1 ACVECC 3
ACVIM/CARD 3 1 ACVIM/INTMED 7 3
ACVIM/NEUR 4 ACVIM/ONC 2 1
ACVB 1 ABVT
ACLAM ACPV
ACVM 1 ACVP
ACVPM ACVIM/LA
ACVR/ONC 1 ACVSMR 2

Registered/Licensed/Certified Veterinary Technicians

In Direct Support of Program: 36
Assigned to the Emergency Service per shift: 2
Assigned to the Intensive Care Unit per shift: 3

Other Personnel of Note

ACAW - 2

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. 85%
    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. 18%
    Percentage of program intern is assigned to daytime primary emergency
  2. 18%
    Percentage of program intern is assigned to overnight primary emergency
  3. 0%
    Percentage of program intern is assigned to first opinion (primary care) clinics
  4. 12%
    Percentage of program intern is provided elective time
  5. 0%
    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

This 12-month rotation internship is designed to provide an organized, practical, and comprehensive clinical experience in small animal medicine and surgery under the guidance of senior faculty. Successful completion will prepare individuals for residency programs, private practice, or advanced graduate degrees. Interns have ample primary case responsibility and participate in patient receiving, diagnostics, treatment, and client communication. Core rotations include internal medicine, soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, neurology, oncology, anesthesia, day emergency and overnight emergency. Interns can also select to take 3 additional elective specialty rotations such as dentistry, ophthalmology, cardiology, zoo medicine, clinical pathology, radiology, and dermatology. The intern program supports a strong didactic education with weekly house officer topic rounds presented by faculty or residents as well as monthly imaging rounds to hone radiographic interpretation skills. In addition, interns are invited to participate in journal clubs, EC rounds, and various service rounds. Our program emphasizes the problem-based approach and helps interns to learn to identify patient problems, make rational lists of differential diagnoses, project logical diagnostic plans and base treatment upon pathophysiologic mechanisms. Every case seen by the overnight ER intern is rounded with a group of clinicians in the morning and direct feedback is provided. Interns are able to be assigned or choose a mentor for both research support as well as general program mentorship. Throughout the year, interns are encouraged to participate in research (such as a retrospective study) and to prepare on manuscript (case report, review article, or clinical study) for publication. Interns are also expected to present a seminar detailing their research or case report at the end of the internship year. Interns that are successful in being selected for an oral abstract presentation at a national conference may receive $500 of departmental support for attendance. APPLICATION PACKAGE: Receipt of a complete application (VIRMP application, letter of intent, curriculum vitae, transcript, and 3 standardized letters of reference) by December 5, 2016 is required. Applicants are requested to list telephone number(s) that would enable them to be contacted during the months of December 2016 through February 2017. Note that the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences will not sponsor applicants for H-1B or E-3 non-immigrant employee categories.COMMUNITY INFORMATION: Texas A&M University is in Bryan-College Station, TX; a community of ~200,000, located between Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. Further information: State of Texas – http://www.texas.gov/; Bryan-College Station – www.visitaggieland.com or http://www.bcschamber.org/ Texas A&M University – http://www.tamu.edu/ Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences – http://vetmed.tamu.edu/ Further information about the surgical intern position is available at the following website: http://vetmed.tamu.edu/residencyBENEFIT PACKAGE: This position is eligible for a benefits package and participation in a retirement program is required. Upon employment, you may choose to immediately enroll in a Texas A&M University System sponsored health insurance plan, provided you pay the full cost of premiums. You may also defer enrollment in a health plan until the first of the month following a 60-day waiting period from your date of hire. The costs of benefit programs are shared by the employee and Texas A&M University. The employee's cost for benefits vary with the number and types of benefit programs selected. Employees of Texas A&M University participate in the federal Social Security program and either the Texas Teacher's Retirement program (TRS) or the Optional Retirement Program (ORP). Since you will be making your benefit selections on or before your first day of work, you may want to familiarize yourself with the Employee Benefits Guide with can be found at http://employees.tamu.edu/benefits/general/ Interns accrue vacation, sick leave, and compensation time.Texas A&M University is a smoke-free workplace. TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER/EDUCATOR