This position is posted on the Veterinary Internship & Residency Matching Program at: http://www.virmp.org.

The University of Missouri is offering a unique four-year training program in Small Animal Surgery. The program has been structured so that the resident can complete all of the requirements of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) residency training program in the first three years. A fourth year has been added so that the resident can refine his/her decision-making and surgical skills in an environment that fosters preparation for the certifying examination. Enrollment in the graduate school and completion of an advanced degree program, typically the Master of Science degree, is mandatory. The Veterinary Health Center is a well-equipped state-of-the-art facility. In addition to a full complement of standard surgical instruments, sophisticated instrumentation for arthroscopy and minimally invasive surgery, CO2 and YAG lasers, and a C-Arm for intraoperative radiography are also available. Ancillary diagnostic and therapeutic modalities include a full range of standard radiographic equipment, ultrasonography, computed tomography, MRI, nuclear medicine and linear accelerator. The surgery faculty consists of five ACVS board-certified surgeons, one of whom is also board-certified in emergency/critical care medicine. Support is also provided by board-certified faculty in internal medicine, neurology, oncology, cardiology, ophthalmology, radiology, and anesthesiology. Collaboration / interaction with the faculty of the University of Missouri School of Medicine and specialists at Columbia’s other two human hospitals is encouraged.

The first three years of the training program (156 weeks) consists of 100 weeks of clinical duty on the surgery service and 56 weeks off service to allow for other activities described below. Duty on the surgery service is equally divided between orthopedic and soft tissue surgery. The resident is expected to complete ACVS requirements for anesthesiology, radiology, internal medicine and pathology during the 56 weeks off of the surgery service. The remainder of the time will be devoted to research and/or clinical investigations, preparation of manuscripts, graduate degree studies, attendance at approved scientific meetings or short-courses, special rotations at human medical hospitals or veterinary medical facilities, and other endeavors approved by the program director and the resident’s advisor. The resident will be expected to complete all of the requirements for submission of his/her credentials packet to the ACVS at the end of the third year. The resident is expected to schedule vacations during the off-service time. A fourth year has been added to the training program to allow the resident to refine his/her decision-making and surgical skills by running a Chief Resident’s Service. Diplomate supervision will be provided, but the resident is expected to assume a leadership role. In addition, ample time off clinics (12 weeks excluding vacation) will be provided to prepare for the certifying examination. While on service, residents are expected to participate in daily ward rounds and weekly grand rounds. Attendance at surgery journal club, surgery resident rounds, and intern/resident seminars is mandatory. Attendance at other house officer rounds, conferences, and journal clubs is encouraged. All residents present two seminars per year to the College faculty. In addition, presentation of the results of research and clinical investigations at scientific meetings is expected. Interns provide primary emergency duty. However, all residents participate in emergency duty on a rotating basis by providing consultation and/or guidance for interns that are involved in primary emergency care. Beginning with the start of the second year, the resident will rotate with faculty and other residents to provide emergency service to those patients that require surgery or surgical consultation. In order to minimize emergency response time, the resident is expected to obtain housing within a 20-minute radius of the Veterinary Health Center.

Further information can be obtained by contacting mucvmvmsadmin@missouri.edu.