This 3-year Residency in Zoological Medicine is a collaborative effort between the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine (UW-SVM), the Milwaukee County Zoo (MCZ), the International Crane Foundation (ICF) and the Henry Vilas Zoo (HVZ), with participation of the USGS-National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC), the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center, and the University of Wisconsin Research Animal Resource Center. This Residency is approved by the American College of Zoological Medicine (ACZM), and 2 faculty at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine are Diplomates of the ACZM. Please see the following website for more information: (http://vmthpub.vetmed.wisc.edu/sa_services/special_species/residency.htm). The resident is selected through the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians Veterinary Internship and Residency Matching Program (VIRMP).

The resident is primary clinician on all assigned Special Species Health Service (SSHS) clinical cases presented to the Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital (VMTH) during his/her period of rotation. The SSHS case load ranges across a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, as well as amphibians and fish species, and averages 90 cases per month. The VMTH is responsible for the health care program at the International Crane Foundation where 15 species of cranes are maintained. The resident is intended to spend a minimum of 6 weeks per year at the ICF. The MCZ has a large animal collection of over 360 species including primates, elephants, rhinos, giraffe, hippos, other hoofstock, carnivores, small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. The MCZ's newly constructed Animal Health Center is staffed by 2 full-time veterinarians, Roberta Wallace, DVM and Vickie Clyde, DVM, 3 animal health technicians, a hospital keeper and a medical secretary. The Milwaukee County Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the veterinarians serve as advisors to the Species Survival Plans for Humboldt penguins, ring-tailed lemurs, and bonobos. The resident is responsible (under supervision by one of the staff veterinarians) for the daily primary care of clinical cases at the MCZ for a minimum period of 3.5 months per year. The zoo averages over 3,000 medical entries annually, which provides the resident with a minimum of 100 cases per month. In addition to the MCZ, the resident will spend approximately 8 weeks annually at the Henry Vilas Zoo, located in Madison, Wisconsin. The HVZ is also accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The resident with share responsibility for general health care of the animal collection with Dr. Michael Petersen, DVM. The Henry Vilas Zoo maintains approximately 700 animals, and averages 300 medical entries per year. The UW-SVM is also responsible for the health care program at the International Crane Foundation, which maintains 15 species of cranes. Barry Hartup, DVM, PhD, the Director of Veterinary Services at ICF, is a faculty member at the UW-SVM and supervises the resident while at ICF. The resident will also be involved in various aspects of the Whooping Crane Reintroduction Program.

This residency is primarily focused on captive species in zoological collections, but training in free-ranging wildlife is emphasized through collaborative projects between the DNR and the VMTH and MCZ, such as the ongoing massassauga and timber rattlesnake telemetry studies, and sloth studies in Costa Rica. At the NWHC, the trainee may gain experience with wildlife disease outbreak investigations.

Comparative pathology is an important aspect of the resident's training at the UW-SVM and the MCZ. Zoo pathology rounds are held twice monthly with faculty and residents involved in the pathology and clinical training programs to review histological specimens provided by necropsies and surgical biopsies from the MCZ, SSHS and RARC.

Beyond clinical duties, the UW Residency in Zoological Medicine expects and encourages scholarly activities, including manuscript preparation and a variety of teaching opportunities. Residents participate in bi-monthly topical rounds in Zoological Medicine, during which time the residents immerse themselves in current and past literature. Teaching veterinary students during clinical fourth-year rotations is critical, as is helping to teach core and didactic courses. The resident will be responsible for submitting manuscripts for publication in order to fulfill ACZM credential requirements. The resident will be encouraged to present cases and original research at professional meetings during years two and three.

Funding is available for a variety of continuing education opportunities, including meetings as well as the ACZM examination short course. The position will begin in mid July of each year with annual re-appointment for a maximum of three years based on annual performance. Residents will be employed by UW-SVM and compensated on a scale of standard residency programs, which includes benefits.

Qualified applicants must hold a DVM degree from an accredited College of Veterinary Medicine or an equivalent degree and a score greater than 70 on the National Board Examination and the Clinical Competency Test. Most of our applicants have completed at least one post-graduate internship or equivalent proactive experience. Application should be made through the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians Veterinary Intern/Resident Matching Program (VIRMP). Applicants can submit a resume, University transcripts, Veterinary School GPA and class rank, letter of career goals, and three letters of reference to: Dr. Dale Bjorling, Department of Surgical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, 2015 Linden Drive West, University of Wisconsin, Madison Wisconsin, 53706.