Description
Program
Six-week, funded animal care, clinical veterinary, and research fellowship for pre-vet college students to occur between May and August. The successful applicant will earn $750 per week. Please note: Housing will be NOT be provided. The successful applicant will be responsible for identifying their own housing. We suggest the Extended Stay America. A car is highly desirable as public transportation is limited.
Objective
Familiarize an academically qualified, pre-veterinary college student with exotic animal medicine and conservation by:
- Completing a research project jointly identified between the student and Dr. DiVincenti (10 hours per week)
- Assisting and observing the veterinary staff with implementation of the Zoo’s preventive medicine program including clinical rounds, chemical immobilizations, quarantine procedures, necropsies, diagnostic techniques and surgeries (20 hours per week)
- Rotating through all of the Zoo’s animal care areas and learning husbandry practices for and normal behavior of animals including marine mammals, penguins, primates, elephants, carnivores, birds and reptiles (10 hours per week)
The Zoo’s pre-veterinary fellow will:
- Gain first-hand experience with research methodologies employed in a Zoo based conservation institution. The student’s final report will be filed in the Zoo Animal Hospital Library.
- Understand important aspects of a preventive medicine program essential for all fields of veterinary medicine.
- Become proficient with routine laboratory diagnostic tests employed at the Zoo hospital.
- Gain a working knowledge of husbandry practices unique to maintaining healthy exotic animals.
- Learn about animal welfare as it relates to the practice of veterinary medicine and management of Zoo animals