Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, DE

Description of Elective Experience: 

Tristate Bird Rescue (TSBR) is accepting applications from 4th year veterinary students attending veterinary school in the United States for a 3-6 week externship.  TSBR has two main programs: 1.  a wild avian rehabilitation clinic that admits approximately 3,000 cases per year as well as 2. an oiled wildlife response team. TSBR employs 1 full time veterinarian.  Externs will work closely with the veterinarian to perform the care, treatments, procedures, and husbandry of approximately 5 assigned cases.  In addition, the extern will be involved in admission of new patients; diagnostics such as radiography, fecal examination and basic bloodwork; surgeries; recheck examinations; avian ophthalmology; and medical record keeping. Applicants must be in their 4th year of veterinary school (or the equivalent) in the United States. Applicants must have completed at least 1 clinical rotation within their school’s hospital prior to the TSBR externship. Interested applicants should email Dr. Cristin Kelley at ckelley@tristatebird.org.

Institutional and Educational Resources - staffing, equipment, etc.: 

Staff extern will work closely with:

1 full-time staff veterinarian

4 full time staff supervisors (perform admits, treatments, and husbandry and oversee voluteers to perform treatments and husbandry)

 

Equipment: digital radiography, surgical suit with isoflurane anesthesia, capnograph, esophageal ecg, autoclave, centrifuge, microscope, direct ophthalmoscope, panoptic ophthalmoscope, indoor and outdoor caging for a variety of bird species including pools and flight cages, purpose built facility for oil spill response (student may or may not work in this facility)

Student Responsibilities - what is expected of students in terms of hours, days of the week, shadowing or actual support?: 

Students arrive at 8am and leave when work is completed (approximately 6pm) 5d/week. Students will be assigned ~5 cases for which they will have primary responsibility (treatments, husbandry, procedures, and treatment plans) which they will provide with oversight from the veterinarian. In addition to those 5 cases, they will participate in the care and treatment of all other birds in the hospital including: treatments, husbandry, admit exams, diagnostics (fecals, bloodwork, radigraphy, cytology, etc), ophthalmic exams, recheck exams, necropsies, etc. Students that demonstate competency will be given more independence. Students may be asked to complete a special project if time allows.

Supervisor: 
Dr. Cristin Kelley
Website: 
https://tristatebird.org/careers/
Contact email: 
Address: 
170 Possum Hollow Road
Newark, DE 19711
United States
Animal Type: 
Is student housing available?: 
No
Hours of supervision by a licensed veterinarian per week: 
all hours