COURSE DESCRIPTION: The SCWDS Veterinary Extern Program is intended to expose third- and fourth-year veterinary students to numerous aspects of wildlife population health. A significant amount of time is spent investigating the causes of wildlife mortality events from much of the eastern United States. This includes gross necropsy, histopathology, ancillary diagnostic testing, interpretation of results, and reporting. These investigations present abundant opportunities for discussion concerning the epidemiology, pathology, and management of numerous wildlife diseases; some of which also have implications for domestic animal and human health. The cooperative structure of SCWDS provides students with insight into the various roles veterinarians play in wildlife disease research, diagnostics, and management.
COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES: The veterinary students will: (1) acquire an understanding of the role of veterinarians in the maintenance of healthy wildlife populations, (2) gain insights into the relationships and interactions of wildlife management and wildlife health, and (3) recognize and understand the importance of select major diseases of free-ranging wildlife.
We have a Wildlife Health buildling on UGA campus; externs are provided cubicle space and work with various faculty and staff in the buildling. We do postmortem exams in our wildlife necropsy room/lab and students are invited to participate in seminars and rounds in the adjacent College of Vet Med Pathology Department. We provide students (in the syllabus) with a list of the staff they will likely work with while here and that can be provided if needed. We have a faculty wildlife pathologist (that oversees the externship program), and additional facutly involved in wildlife disease ecology, virology and parasitology. We have a staff veterinarian, and several DVM graduate students and pathology residents, as well as several wildlife technicians with which the externs will also interact.
Students generally work 40 hrs/week (Mon-Friday) and most externships are for 3 weeks but some spend up to 6 weeks (pre-arranged based on availability). However, in some cases, field opportunities required adapted hours (such as earlier start on a given day).
Students have the opportuntiy to support diagnostics and field work through participation (e.g., performing wildlife necropsies and sampling).
The extern’s activities will greatly depend upon work in progress at SCWDS during the time period of the externship, and diagnostic caseload can vary significantly. Veterinary externs will be expected to work independently on assignments related to wildlife disease or health topics that culminate in a writing project and oral presentation. Externs also participate in weekly wildlife diagnostic rounds.
Available housing varies based on student rentals, etc. There is no on-site housing available. Students are provided information on housing opportunties and/or strategies to secure temporary housing in Athens but are required to secure housing for their externship on their own.