Residency Information

• To provide advanced training of the broadest scope in avian (companion and wildlife species), small exotic mammal, and reptilian medicine.
• To provide clinical teaching experience.
• To provide limited experience in the design and implementation of an investigative project in a clinically related area.
• To work with board certified faculty and to prepare residents for board certification in Avian Practice (ABVP).

First Year Program

• The resident is allocated one month of paid vacation that is scheduled by the chief of service. The remaining 11 months are designated as follows: 8 months in the clinical portion of the service, 1 month for initial development of a research proposal and grant, 1 month for research, and 1 month for professional development time out of clinics. This allocation of time is subject to change depending on the needs of the service. Professional development time is provided to allow the resident time to complete projects and prepare for specialty board examinations. Residents shall have primary patient care responsibilities, under the supervision of a senior clinician and will develop an understanding of the general concepts of disease processes and case management in birds (pet and free ranging), reptiles, small exotic mamals including guinea pigs, rabbits, rats, mice, chinchillas and ferrets and, to a lesser degree, fish and amphibians. This will include management of routine cases as well as referred cases. The resident will work closely with surgery residents and faculty when surgery is required for clinical cases. Close working associations with radiology, anesthesia, and anatomical pathology residents/faculty are also a component of the program. Since the caseload will involve several species of non-domestic animals and problems involving all body systems, this exposure should allow the resident to develop broad clinical competency. Another primary training objective will be to promote clinical judgement and maturity. Formal evaluations will be done every 6 months by the chief of service in the first year.
  
  
• Full and complete competency in all routine and special diagnostic procedures will be cultivated. As the resident gains proficiency, routine procedures may be performed autonomously. The resident will learn how to induce and maintain anesthesia in a wide variety of animal species for the purposes of diagnostics or treatment modalities. The resident will be encouraged to critically evaluate laboratory results from various laboratories within the United States that specialize in analyzing bird and exotic animal samples. The resident will also receive exposure to avian and exotic animal gross pathology and histopathology via bi-monthly rounds. Initial training with the use of endoscopy will commence and be continued on in the later training years.
  
  
• Residents will have the opportunity to enhance their teaching skills and will be expected to have significant responsibilities in clinical instruction. This duty will be performed, in part, by assisting in the tutorial teaching of junior and senior veterinary students and conducting rounds. Experience lecturing to a large audience will be provided in a seminar/rounds format. Residents will receive assistance and guidance in the preparation and delivery of manuscripts and lectures. The CAPE residents are heavily involved in clinical teaching. In addition, they are encouraged and mentored in developing skills in didactic teaching. Each resident is required to give at least one lecture in the VME417: Companion Avian Medicine Course. They are provided with materials to give the lectures and are counseled ahead of time regarding lecturing style, syllabus preparation, etc.
  
  
• Residents will develop the ability to critically evaluate veterinary literature and will obtain the broad scientific knowledge base that is critical for understanding medical problems. The resident is encouraged to use the medical library and computer-assisted learning programs and to attend as many campus seminars as possible. Attendance at a major professional conference such as the Annual Association of Avian Veterinarians or American Association of Zoological Veterinarians meeting is encouraged, and funding may be provided from resident training funds to help defray expenses. When scheduling trips, priority is given to second and third year residents when conflicts arise.
  
  
• Residents share out-of-hours emergency duty on a rotational basis. Each resident will be on call for 7 days out of every 2-3 weeks, dependent upon vacation months. Residents are responsible for weekend and holiday duty during the weeks that they are on call and will be required to be present for morning and evening treatments.

Second and Third Year Programs

• Duties will be similar to those of the first year, but with increasing responsibility for patient management. Residents will have some supervisory responsibility for training and supervision of first-year residents. One month of paid vacation is allowed each year. The second and third year residents will have the same allotment of clinical, research, writing, and professional time as described for the first year resident. Residents will be evaluated by the chief of service once a year after the first year.
  
  
• Over the next two years, the resident should become more familiar with the comparative anatomy and physiology of various avian species. Skills with coelomic endoscopy should be solidified, and the residents will be able to perform these procedures with little guidance. Exposure to advanced imaging via CT and MRI will acquaint the resident with the clinical indications, interpretation, and limitations for these modalities in avian/exotic animal species.
  
  
• In the second year, the resident will be required to undertake an investigational project focused on an aspect of avian medicine. The project should have approval from the Chief of Service. Publication of a paper manuscript in a refereed journal is required for successful completion of the residency program. During the second or third year of the training program, residents must deliver a research presentation at the VMTH House Officer Seminar Day program. They are encouraged to also present at the annual Association of Avian Veterinarians Meeting. The resident is expected to produce two case reports and submit required ABVP case documentation that will allow the resident to be considered for credentialing.
  
  
• Residents share out-of-hours emergency duty on a rotational basis. Each resident will be on call for 1 week out of every 2-3 weeks, dependent upon vacation months. Residents are responsible for weekend and holiday duty during the weeks that they are on call and will be required to be present for morning and evening treatments.

The VMTH is committed to building strong relationships with its constituents. A major part of the residents' duties, therefore, includes timely communication with referring veterinarians and clients.

Selection will be in accordance with the guidelines of the Veterinary Internship/Residency Matching Program. For application procedures, salary and benefits, and other information about the residency program, please see General Information on the VMTH web site.

The University of California, Davis, and the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital are interested in candidates who are committed to the highest standards of scholarship and professional activities, and to the development of a campus climate that supports equality and diversity.

ALL RESIDENTS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO OBTAIN A CALIFORNIA LICENSE WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE RESIDENCY IN ORDER TO WRITE PRESCRIPTIONS.

RESIDENTS IN THIS SPECIALTY MUST BE ABLE TO ARRIVE AT THE HOSPITAL WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF AN EMERGENCY CALL, THEREFORE, RESIDENTS MUST PLAN TO LIVE WITHIN 8 MILES OF THE HOSPITAL.