Objectives:
Career:
> Gain exposure to the diverse career opportunities in aquatic animal medicine.
> Learn about job requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities for fish veterinarians working for natural resource agencies.
Clinical:
> Introduction to approaching hatchery site visits--general assessment, evaluation of fish rearing practices (incubation, ponding, juvenile rearing, adult broodstock holding), client rapport/education/communication, and preventative medicine opportunities.
> Be able to perform a comprehensive fish necropsy as well as commonly used diagnostic tests (bacterial culture, tissue samples for virology, cytology, FAT, ELISA, etc.).
Staffing:
> 1 veterinarian
> 4 AFS-certified fish pathologists
> 1 microbiologist
Equipment:
> Laboratory with cell culture capabilities, bacterial culture/identification/susceptibility testing, ELISA testing, FAT testing.
Student will accompany veterinarian on hatchery visits and disease investigations. Student will establish a general assessment of the sites visited, be responsible for getting a clinical history and relevant information from hatchery staff, and then perform physical examinations/diagnostic tests/necropsies as needed, taking the lead but under the supervision of the veterinarian.
Student will spend any time not in the field assisting laboratory staff with running diagnostic tests and/or working on educational projects assigned by the veterinarian.