Rotating Small Animal Internship in Medicine and Surgery

WestVet Emergency & Specialty Center is Idaho’s only integrated small animal emergency and specialty center. Located in the thriving metropolitan Boise area of 500,000 people, WestVet offers the region’s most progressive veterinary care. Boise is situated where the high desert meets the western edge of the Rocky Mountains, and is the gateway to exceptional recreational opportunities: including whitewater rafting, Nordic and alpine skiing, snowboarding, hunting, backpacking, and camping. Hiking, biking, and fishing are popular activities right in the metro area, accessed by miles of greenbelt along the Boise River. The foothills provide trails for hikers and bikers. WestVet is a centrally located, 24-hour emergency, critical care, and specialty center that employs 32 veterinarians. Our practice is housed in a new, 35,000 square foot state of the art building equipped with two digital radiography units, CT scan, MRI, dental radiography, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, oxygen cages, full monitoring equipment, a comprehensive in-house laboratory, and much more. Additionally, we are associated with the WestVet Diagnostic Laboratory which is a complete diagnostic laboratory offering hematology, cytology, histopathology, and microbiology services. General practitioners, many of which are internship trained, staff our busy emergency service, and are highly trained in all emergencies and routine urgent surgeries. Our specialty practice offers services by full-time board certified specialists in internal medicine, surgery, emergency/critical care, cardiology, dentistry, radiology and ophthalmology. A part-time board certified oncologist and dermatologist are also on staff. We also have a fully equipped and staffed physical therapy/rehabilitation department directed by a licensed DVM with rotating internship and surgical internship training, as well as CCRT and acupuncture certifications. Because of our wide variety of services offered, the intern will be exposed to a diverse caseload. Interns will rotate through each specialty service, the physical therapy service, the diagnostic laboratory and the emergency service. More information can be found on our web site at www.WestVet.net. The internal medicine service sees cases covering all aspects of internal medicine. Endoscopy, bronchoscopy, cystoscopy, rhinoscopy, ultrasonography, laparoscopy, and transfusion medicine are some of the common diagnostic and treatment procedures performed. The clinical oncology service receives a diverse cancer patient case load. The intern will be exposed to staging procedures, biopsy and the administration of a wide variety of chemotherapeutic agents. The cardiology department offers full cardiac diagnostics, including echocardiogram, 12-lead ECG, and Holter monitoring. Interventional procedures, such as balloon valvuloplasty, pacemaker placement, and PDA coiling. The surgery department sees a wide variety of orthopedic, soft tissue, and neurosurgical cases. Orthopedic procedures include fracture fixation, arthroscopy, TPLO, TTA, total hip replacement, correction of angular limb deformities, and other routine procedures. Fluoroscopic-guided, minimally invasive repair is also performed on occasion. Soft tissue surgeries include an array of abdominal and thoracic procedures, as well as surgical oncology. Laparoscopic and thoracoscopic procedures are also routinely performed. Common neurosurgical procedures include hemilaminectomy, ventral slot, cervical stabilization, and lumbosacral stabilization. With the ability to perform force plate gait analysis on-site, WestVet’s surgery department has also partnered with national and international corporations in clinical research. The dentistry service performs a wide variety of dental/oral procedures, including root canal, tumor excision, and mandibular fracture repair. Dental radiography is available. The physical therapy and rehabilitation department works closely with the surgery department, as well as the surrounding referring community to provide state of the art postoperative and management programs. While rotating through this service interns will assist in hydrotherapy sessions in the water treadmill, acupuncture, and other various exercises and activities used in our rehabilitation programs. The radiology department is equipped with digital radiography, 16-slice CT scan, MRI, fluoroscopy, and ultrasonography. The intern will be exposed to many advanced imaging techniques, as well as the indications and interpretation of these studies. The ophthalmology department provides services that include cataract surgery, electroretinograms, tonometry, biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy, gonioscopy, glaucoma treatment, intra and extraocular surgeries, various ulcer treatments, cryotherapy, and a wide variety of medical treatments for common eye conditions. A rotation in Dermatology is also provided. Interns are also allowed the opportunity to have an out-rotation in specialties not available at WestVet.WestVet's emergency department receives walk-in emergency cases and transferred critical care cases from approximately 95 area veterinary hospitals. Additionally, this service cares for our own hospitalized specialty patients. A boarded certified specialist in emergency and critical care manages these services. The emergency and critical care department is equipped with full monitoring, including invasive and noninvasive blood pressure, ECG, telemetry, and CVP. Oxygen cages and a ventilator are available. The in-house laboratory includes the abilities for CBC, full chemistry profile, coagulation profile, cytology, and other routine tests. On the emergency service, interns will be exposed to a variety of outpatient cases, and will gain valuable experience in the management and diagnosis of a wide range of medical and surgical diseases.The intern will also rotate through the WestVet Diagnostic Laboratory where they will be exposed to a variety of diagnostic laboratory services. The rotation will focus on clinical pathology, cytology, and surgical histopatholgy. Interns will participate in daily case rounds, which will include a thorough discussion of each case. Weekly rounds will also be provided, and will include journal club, topic rounds, morbidity/mortality rounds, and case presentations. Pathology rounds are also provided. Publication of a case report or a small prospective or retrospective study is encouraged, but not required.Interns will be salaried ($31,000) with benefits, including health insurance, liability insurance and veterinary licensure. Candidates may schedule a personal or phone interview. Accepted candidates will be required to obtain Idaho licensure before beginning the internship. Interviews may be scheduled with Dr. John Chandler at [email protected].