Large Animal Rotating In-House Clinical Internship

The University of Georgia’s Large Animal Medicine Department is responsible for training our students how to provide top-notch veterinary care to horses, cattle and other farm animals while conducting important research projects, serving as thought leaders in their field, and providing services to animal owners as part of our Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Our faculty and staff in this department are passionate about what they do and they work hard to provide a great learning environment while advancing the standard of care.

The Large Animal In-house Clinical Internship is designed to teach and prepare graduate veterinarians advanced clinical medicine, which incorporates three central aspects:
-The recognition of clinical signs, medical problems, differentials, diagnostics, and treatments of a variety of disease processes.
-The role of logic and of the scientific method in the acquisition of clinical knowledge.
-The link between teaching veterinary students, patient well-being, and client expectations in a teaching hospital setting.

Interns rotate every three weeks between different clinical services. While on the service, the intern is assigned cases with students and/or residents to assess. The faculty member assigned to that service completes an evaluation of the intern’s clinical skills, clinical performance, and communication skills.

Depending on the intern’s career interests, the program has some flexibility to provide limited training opportunities in other disciplines. The annual total “in house” large animal caseload ranges from 3500 to 3600 animals/year, and is comprised of approximately 75 to 80% horses with the remaining patients including cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, and camelids.

Additionally, interns participate in formal journal clubs, in which they learn to critical assess the scientific literature in a variety of veterinary fields and present articles to peers and faculty.

Program Specifics

For the 2024-2025 year, the department is seeking to fill 4 positions. The approximated start date is June 13th, 2025.

This is a non-degree graduate program leading to an official University Certificate of Clinical Internship. Our interns are considered a graduate teaching assistant and a part of the UGA Graduate School.

Selected candidates must apply and be accepted to the Graduate School. The application fee is $75 for domestic students, $100 for international students.

For more information about the Graduate School admissions, please visit their website:

https://grad.uga.edu/admissions/

Interns are required to register every semester and will receive a tuition waiver. Student fees (approximately $3400/year) are the responsibility of the individual intern selected for the program. These fees include health insurance (required for international applicants), technology use fees, on-campus parking (including at the VTH), and others. You are responsible for paying these fees through your student account each semester.

There is a pre-employment background check required.

Proof of immunization for measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, chicken pox, hepatitis, and rabies is required.

Selected candidates will also need to obtain a Georgia State Board Veterinary Faculty License to practice in our Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Please visit their site for more information:

https://sos.ga.gov/how-to-guide/how-guide-dvm-faculty#How%20To%20Apply

Subject to budgetary constraints, interns will have access to funds which can be used to help subsidize payment for certifications, credentials, and exam fees.

Interns receive 10 days of vacation leave for every 12 months of training and approximately 12 days of sick leave.

Clothing will be provided, in the form of 5 polos and 2 pullovers, with name embroidered.

HOW TO APPLY TO THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM:

First, you may either request an Internship Application from lamvisit@uga.edu or fill out an online application by using the link below:

https://forms.gle/zRs1UxopqD2QsFuB7

We also require that you send your CV, letter of intent, and two letters of recommendation to lamvisit@uga.edu.

If you’d like to contact a current intern or resident, please email lamvisit@uga.edu.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, founded in 1946, is dedicated to training future veterinarians, providing services to animal owners and veterinarians, and conducting investigations to improve the health of animals as well as people. The college benefits pets and their owners, food- producing animals, and wildlife by offering the highest quality hospital and diagnostic laboratory
services. Equipped with the most technologically advanced facilities located on a university campus, the college is dedicated to safeguarding public health by studying emerging infectious diseases that affect both animal and human health.

The College of Veterinary Medicine values all members of the university community, recognizing that differences in experience and culture can only lead to a more well-rounded, accepting academic environment as embodied in our Principles of Community.

The successful candidate will be licensed to practice by a faculty license. This license, obtained without examination, permits veterinarians from non-AVMA-accredited veterinary schools to practice within UGA programs only. Whereas the regular Georgia state veterinary license requires graduation from an AVMA- accredited veterinary school or successful completion of the ECVFG program, this is not a requirement for the faculty license. Professional liability insurance is provided only for work performed as a UGA resident. If the resident desires to work outside of UGA and the residency program, it is the resident’s responsibility to acquire professional liability insurance.

Proof of medical insurance coverage and proof of immunization for measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, tetanus, hepatitis B, and rabies are required. Health insurance is required and is the financial responsibility of the individual. Medical insurance is available through the Graduate School at a reasonable rate but may be waived if the resident provides proof of alternative acceptable medical insurance. Medical insurance through the Graduate School will be available beginning August 1, 2025. Be advised that the UGA policy will not take effect until August 1, 2025, so you will need to independently obtain health insurance from June 14, 2025, until August 1, 2025.

If accepted, applicants are required to provide two official/certified copies of their academic records from each institution of higher education that the applicant has attended. These records must include all course work. Photocopies are not acceptable. Separate proof of degrees is also required.

The University of Georgia classifies residents as graduate students; thus, for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, residents are not considered to be full-time employees. This makes the residency years at the University of Georgia ineligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Please consider this information if you desire to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness or other loan repayment programs.

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

International applicants must provide two official/certified copies of their academic records from each institution of higher education that the applicant has attended. These records must include all coursework. Photocopies are not acceptable. Separate proof of degrees is also required. If the original language of the academic record is not English, a certified English translation must be attached to the original. Applicants who graduated from a non-English language veterinary school must submit official TOEFL scores (see TOEFL.org
for details). These scores must not be more than two years old. Foreign applicants who have completed a year of academic study in the US can provide a university transcript instead of TOEFL scores. A valid US driving license is required. International applicants must arrive three weeks before the residency start date to obtain a social security number, veterinary licensure, and driving license.

International students matching to our program must participate in a mandatory health insurance program provided by the University of Georgia.

Find information at:

https://hr.uga.edu/students/Mandatory_Plan/student_mandatory_plan_home/

International candidates must consider application processing times well ahead of the program start date. Please note that it may take up to 10 days to obtain a social security number.

A social security number is required to apply for a Georgia veterinary faculty license, and it may take up to 30 additional days to receive this license.

More detailed information for international candidates is available through the Office of Global Engagement:

https://globalengagement.uga.edu/

**Offers to international applicants are contingent upon successful application for the appropriate visa.

ATHENS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status in its programs or activities.

Athens, Georgia captures the true essence of a college town, with its focus being the university’s approximately 40,118 students. It is a friendly place that blends the small town feel with many of the amenities offered by Atlanta, which is only 65 miles away. Athens has a vibrant cultural and music scene, being home to R.E.M. & Wide Spread Panic among others. The weather is relatively mild most of the year, although during July & August, the heat and humidity are very apparent.

For more information on Athens, GA, visit:

VisitAthensGA.com

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Tour our Veterinary Teaching Hospital:

FAQS about our Intern and Residency Programs:

https://vet.uga.edu/education/intern-residency-programs/large-animal-intern-residency-programs/

UGA Large Animal Medicine Department website:

https://vet.uga.edu/education/academic-departments/large-animal-medicine/