It is our aim to provide a well-rounded, practical experience for our externs in a pleasant and supportive working environment, as well as informative didactic lectures provided by our doctors and outside doctors of specialties not available in our hospital. Extern duties include evaluation, SOAP and formulation of treatment plans for department of animal services patients. After performing a complete history and physical exam on select emergency patients, externs should be able to generate a list of problems and most likely differentials. Externs will assist the doctors with procedures and surgery.
Our facility includes specialists in internal medicine, surgery, radiology, cardiology, emergency/critical care, and acupuncture. We have a very busy, fully-staffed 24 hour emergency and critical care department. Exotics/wildlife makes up approximately 5% of the emergency caseload. We work closely with an exotics referral hospital and are able to contact them 24 hours a day. Our goal with all cases is to provide a multidisciplinary approach to each case, providing the best overall care possible. Continuing education is emphasized via daily hospital rounds and required attendance at hospital seminars, rounds in each discipline, bimonthly radiology conferences, journal club, morbidity/mortality conferences, and a lecture series.
We are fully equipped with digital radiography, ultrasound (both portable triage and a standing unit), echocardiography, endoscopy, laparoscopy, fluoroscopy (pacemaker placement, balloon valvuloplasty, etc.), ventilators, in-house laboratory (CBC/Chem/manual differential/Criticare Xpress-Nova/Coag Dx/colloid osmometer), blood pressure monitoring (oscillometric, Doppler and invasive), pulse oximetry and capnography. We also have a critical care bank of cages with piped oxygen, floor heating, continuous temperature and ECG (telemetry) monitoring. The UC Davis Veterinary Medical Center in San Diego is 15 minutes north for hemodialysis referrals. We work very closely with VCA Animal Specialty Group, VCA Eye Clinic for Animals and the Avian and Exotics Animal Hospital (all located 5 minutes away) providing neurology (including CT/MRI), ophthalmology and avian/exotics services.
40 hour work weeks including weekends.
Student will be "primary" on all department of animal services cases. We have a contract with the County of San Diego Animal Control, their officers present all injured/ill strays including wildlife to our hospital for care. Will perform any necessary procedures on these cases as approved by the staff ER dvm.
Will shadow/support ER dvm depending on case.
N/A