Residency in Small Animal Surgery

Interested Candidates should apply through the Veterinary Internship & Residency Matching Program at www.virmp.org.

Description of Program:

Veterinary Specialists of Rochester (VSR) invites applicants for a surgical internship under the guidance of three board-certified surgeons. Training will be assisted by another surgical resident, a surgical intern, and general rotating interns. The program is directed towards individuals who have had at least one year of post-graduate clinical experience in a rotating internship. As such, this program is designed to serve the successful applicant by providing a well rounded surgical training with intense didactics in order to maximize chances of passing the surgery board exam, and enhance their qualifications and competitiveness for subsequent application to private practice or academic positions. In addition, the Surgery Service places a strong emphasis on support for clinical research.

Veterinary Specialists of Rochester is located in Rochester, New York, and serves as a referral center for a large portion of upstate New York , and parts of Pennsylvania and Canada. The practice has been in existence since 1988 and now occupies a 14,000 square foot hospital that includes three OR suites, intensive care unit, an ultrasonography room, an I131-radiation facility, an in-house, full service laboratory, and a chemotherapy center. Diagnostic imaging includes radiography, computed tomography (off-site), and magnetic resonance imaging. In addition to the board-certified staff surgeons, there are currently board-certified specialists in internal medicine, critical care, ophthalmology, oncology, radiology, cardiology(consultant) and neurology (consultant)on staff, who will participate in the education of the surgery resident. VSR encourages a close, collegial inter-relationship between the specialists, bringing an interdisciplinary approach to many of the patients it sees. The surgical staff routinely performs a wide variety of procedures in general soft tissue surgery, reconstructive surgery, orthopedics, and neurosurgery, including minimally invasive surgery.

VSR participates with an affiliated group of general practices in the training of seven rotating interns on an annual basis. This general internship program has been in existence since 1987 (see description under Animal Hospital of Pittsford elsewhere in this directory). The surgical resident, in deference to his or her greater experience, will have the opportunity to provide guidance and backup to the surgery and general interns, thus increasing the surgical resident's confidence and experience with teaching. This will include working with the emergency service, performing appropriate emergency surgical procedures as the primary surgeon, providing back up to the surgical/general interns, and also include conducting rounds in conjunction with the emergency clinicians.

Resident compensation includes a salary (paid weekly), single policy health care coverage, liability (malpractice) insurance, AVMA dues, and dues to the NYSVMS/ GVVMA. Additional compensation will be paid per emergency case when the resident is required to come in after hours to perform a procedure.

Attendance at Continuing Education meetings is encouraged and will be supported by sending the intern to the annual ACVS symposium with paid registration and a stipend of $600 to help defray travel, lodging, and meal costs. The surgical resident will have 8 days off for paid vacation during the year with scheduling approved by the director.