One Program, Numerous Experiences
Do you ever surprise what an internship or residency in wildlife well being is like? Or what approaches veterinarians took to get into such a program? If sure, hold studying! If no, effectively, let me attempt to persuade you of how fascinating a subject it’s (I’m most definitely partial). I spoke with three of the Swanson Wildlife Hospital’s latest and present home officers, Drs. Jillian Western, Julia Utting, and Taylor Haefs, about their numerous journeys by way of wildlife medication in and past Cornell’s applications. Someday, they is likely to be performing surgical procedure on a bald eagle with a fractured wing. One other day, they could possibly be within the Adirondacks, trapping and anesthetizing martens, or on the Hudson River, seining for fish, or at a USDA subject station, discussing their oral rabies vaccine program for raccoons. No two days are fairly the identical for the home officers. Whereas trainees spend nearly all of their time specializing in scientific wildlife medication and surgical procedure on the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital, they’re additionally given the chance to dabble in fieldwork and pathology. This system, impressively complete in scope, exposes individuals to many alternative elements of the sector to assist them grow to be well-rounded wildlife veterinarians.
A Multitude of Paths: No Proper or Incorrect Reply
Dr. Jillian Western, Wildlife Inhabitants Well being Intern ‘25
Dr. Western’s journey into wildlife medication was somewhat unpredictable. On a WAVMA subject journey, she was serendipitously pulled right into a stranding response for a stay dolphin and was instantly “bitten by the aquatic wildlife bug.” Whereas attending veterinary faculty at Mississippi State College, she volunteered at a sea turtle hospital and pursued externships with varied aquariums and aquatic services. After commencement, she participated in AQUAVET and briefly labored as a small animal/exotics practitioner earlier than finishing a small animal rotating internship. Following that internship, she labored in emergency medication for six months. By her diversified experiences, Dr. Western strengthened her medical abilities earlier than becoming a member of Cornell for her internship.
Dr. Julia Utting, Wildlife Inhabitants Well being Intern ‘26
Dr. Utting’s calling to wildlife medication got here to her in Botswana, Africa. Throughout an undergraduate examine overseas course, she fell in love with wildlife, conservation medication, and public well being. At Virginia Tech, she pursued a twin DVM/MPH diploma and sought out varied wildlife and zoological externships, together with the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Illness Examine, Fossil Rim Wildlife Heart, and Omaha’s Henry-Doorly Zoo. Following commencement, she accomplished a small animal rotating internship at MSPCA-Angell West Massachusetts the place she additionally acquired to follow unique pet medication. Now, having simply completed her internship at Cornell, Dr. Utting goes again to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Heart as their Veterinary Fellow.
Dr. Taylor Haefs, Cornell Okay. Lisa Yang Heart for Wildlife Well being Residency in Wildlife Inhabitants Well being ‘29
Dr. Haefs knew she wished to be a veterinarian since she was a toddler, however she additionally had robust pursuits in environmental science and well being. She wasn’t positive the way to combine these pursuits till she began volunteering at two wildlife facilities throughout her undergraduate research at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and noticed wildlife veterinarians doing precisely that. Throughout that point, she was additionally enrolled in her first public well being course and was uncovered to the One Well being idea. From that time, she knew that she was dedicated to a profession in wildlife medication aimed toward selling the well being of free-ranging wildlife, safety of their surroundings, and speaking with the general public to have interaction them in these efforts. She attended veterinary faculty at Western College of Well being Sciences and accomplished a small animal rotating internship at VCA ASG Los Angeles following commencement. Following that internship, she accomplished the Companions for Wildlife veterinary internship program, spending six months at WSU and 6 months at PAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation Heart in Washington. By that program, she gained invaluable expertise and important abilities that ready her for her residency right here at Cornell.
From Porcupines to Profession Recommendation
What are your favourite animals to work with?
Western: It’s a tie between porcupines and turtles. I’ve by no means labored with porcupines earlier than, and they’re all such huge characters, very robust, but in addition a problem to deal with since you wish to shield your self and never stress them. The identical goes for turtles: all of them have actually, actually huge personalities and might pull by way of with somewhat assist alongside the best way. I simply can’t imagine the distinction within the personalities of all of the turtles and the way good they’re!
Utting: I actually like ospreys—they’re somewhat quirky and somewhat awkwardly formed however very cool and enjoyable to work with. Opossums are all the time enjoyable. I like snapping turtles rather a lot too as a result of they’ve loads of persona, or not less than, I think about they’ve loads of persona. Additionally, rhinos!
Haefs: The nice horned owl. They’re highly effective, spirited, and really resilient animals. As unhappy as it’s to see these animals once they’re sick or painful, it’s additionally extremely hopeful to see how rapidly they will flip round with the appropriate help.
What have been your most memorable instances/experiences at Cornell?
Western: We had a porcupine with persistent nasal discharge and pneumonia. We did a bronchoalveolar lavage on him to acquire a pattern of the fluid in his lungs and decide an applicable remedy plan. I used to be in a position to do an intubation, and it went actually easily. Porcupines are infamous for being tough to intubate resulting from their distinctive oral anatomy, and I used to be profitable on my first strive. One other case we had was a water snake that offered with a fishing hook and line entanglement. The hook was caught in her neck with a big, related wound. We eliminated the hook and closed the wound. Then, we took x-rays to ensure she was not injured elsewhere, and we really discovered she was very pregnant. She had about 100 infants, and you may see their little skeletons as a result of they’re viviparous, that means they offer beginning to stay younger. She was doing so nice that we launched her again into the wild to go house and have her infants. It was actually cool to see her bounce again from such a traumatic damage.
Utting: I assisted with a tibiotarsal fracture restore on a Canada goose. I don’t have a lot orthopedic expertise usually, so I actually loved and discovered rather a lot from serving to with the process, observing the development of therapeutic, and being concerned with the post-operative care and bodily remedy. Avian orthopedics is a big rising facet of the sector, and it’s an awesome ability to hold ahead in my profession. An enormous draw of this system is that we do get loads of surgical expertise which I feel is loads of enjoyable. One other frequent process that we carry out is tail amputation on opossums with traumatic accidents or frostbite. We take away the broken portion of their tail, they usually recuperate very effectively and rapidly which provides some extent of prompt gratification.
Haefs: A singular alternative I had lately was being concerned within the honey bee well being and bee conservation course at Cornell. The course included a number of on-line studying modules in addition to an in-person interactive portion the place I discovered the way to safely deal with bees, examine hives, and even use methods to deal with hives when bees are experiencing totally different ailments. In veterinary faculty, I had heard of bee well being in passing however by no means had formal training on the subject. The Cornell course opened my eyes to how distinctive, advanced, and important bees are, and I hope to make use of the data I discovered in my future profession.
What are your aspirations for the long run?
Western: I’d love to mix aquatic wildlife medication with what I’ve carried out throughout my internship as a result of I just like the number of sufferers we see. Additionally, I want to proceed to show and mentor college students as a result of it’s been so fulfilling; they convey nice views and questions, and it’s rewarding to assist individuals who haven’t had a lot expertise with wildlife achieve an appreciation for it. I’d additionally nonetheless wish to work on analysis and proceed fieldwork ultimately.
Utting: Finally, my aim is to do wildlife conservation in a semi-free-ranging zoo facility the place I can contribute to each worldwide and native wildlife conservation of species whereas working in One Well being and educating the general public. I actually love the herd-based medication that comes with a semi-free-ranging zoo facility.
Haefs: I’m past excited for the rest of my four-year residency program and searching ahead to the vary of experiences I’m so grateful to be concerned in. Following residency, I’d be pleased in varied forms of positions resembling working with state and/or federal wildlife businesses, tutorial establishments, and/or wildlife clinics. Whereas my major curiosity, to this point, has been free-ranging wildlife inhabitants well being, I additionally completely get pleasure from working one-on-one with sufferers within the clinic setting. It’s thrilling to consider the totally different and novel forms of alternatives in wildlife medication which will exist as soon as I’ve accomplished my residency!
What recommendation do you’ve got for college kids interested by wildlife medication?
Western: Search for alternatives, and in case you suppose what you wish to do, hunt down these alternatives for your self and don’t be afraid to step out of your consolation zone to simply accept a chance. If there’s someone doing one thing that you simply’re like, “Wow, that sounds cool!” attempt to discover their contact info or attempt to discover somebody who is aware of them and attain out to them. Be politely persistent if folks don’t get again to you. Being open to doing a little legwork for your self will proceed to open doorways for you.
Utting: There may be room for everybody on this subject who actually, really needs to be on this subject. We have to help one another and reduce sources of competitors. There are such a lot of totally different paths which you could take on this subject; there is no such thing as a proper or improper reply for something on this subject. You could not land your best job instantly, however in case you stay open-minded to different alternatives, chances are you’ll find yourself doing one thing totally different that might find yourself figuring out nice. You need to get as many several types of expertise as you’ll be able to as a result of these abilities translate into different areas. Numerous what we do in wildlife isn’t essentially recorded within the species that we’re working with—we are sometimes extrapolating from home animals or unique animals. Say sure to alternatives!
Haefs: Keep persistent and devoted to your targets of acquiring a profession in wildlife medication. It’s straightforward to really feel deterred by varied components all through the coaching concerned to grow to be a wildlife veterinarian, however my hope is that we are able to foster an surroundings as veterinarians the place we encourage and help one another to realize our targets. I encourage college students to achieve out to wildlife professionals to attach with them, ask for his or her recommendation, and study from their experiences. New alternatives come about usually in wildlife medication so staying up to date by way of skilled organizations (e.g., WDA, AAWV, NWRA, IWRC) could be a necessary supply of data. Additionally, I’m all the time pleased to speak with anybody who’s interested by wildlife medication!
Sneha Suresh
Sneha Suresh, Class of 2028, has lived in a number of locations all through her life, together with Minnesota, South India, and Virginia. She earned a B.A. in Human Ecology on the Faculty of the Atlantic, situated on a small island off the coast of Maine. At Cornell’s Faculty of Veterinary Medication, Sneha works as a pupil technician at Equine and Nemo Farm Animal Hospital (ENFAH) the place she builds scientific abilities that she hopes to translate into wildlife medication sooner or later. Her pursuits embrace conservation medication and shelter medication, significantly in a world context. Exterior veterinary medication, Sneha enjoys being outdoor, studying thrillers, and pole dancing.
