Residency Information

Residency Program in Anesthesia and Critical Patient Care
General Information
The residency program is designed to provide advanced clinical, non-degree, post-doctoral training in veterinary anesthesiology and critical patient care.

The knowledge and skills acquired from this three-year residency program will be of value in teaching/research careers in veterinary, medical or other health professional schools, in specialized private veterinary practice and/or in careers in physiological, pharmacological and/or surgical research programs.

The residency program conforms to current guidelines developed by the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists (ACVA) and the European College of Veterinary Anaesthaesia and Analgesia (ECVAA) for admission to examination for Diplomate status.
 
General Concept of Anesthesiology/Critical Patient Care
(Modified from "Standards of Patient Care in Anesthesiology," by the American Society of Anesthesiologists.)
This is the practice of veterinary medicine dealing with, but not limited to:
  1. the management of procedures for rendering a patient insensible to pain and stress during surgical, obstetrical and certain medical procedures
  2. the support of life functions
  3. the clinical management of the patient unconscious from whatever cause
  4. the management of problems in pain relief
  5. the management of problems in cardiac and respiratory resuscitation
  6. the application of specific methods of inhalation therapy
  7. the clinical management of various fluid, electrolyte and metabolic disturbances
Specific Aims
Provide a non-degree, postdoctoral education with major emphasis on clinical veterinary anesthesiology and critical patient care.

Provide experience in teaching clinical veterinary anesthesiology and critical patient care to veterinary and postdoctoral students.

Provide direction in the development and publication in a refereed journal of an experimental or clinical investigation of some aspect of anesthesiology and/or critical patient care.
Residency Training Program
Although the residency program is normally three years in duration, appointments are made on a yearly basis. Reappointment occurs at the end of each year of residency and is based on merit and the desire of the candidate.

Residency appointments are approximately 75% clinical practice and teaching in the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH). About 25% of the residency time is available for self study, participation in rounds and seminars in the veterinary and medical schools, the development, completion and publication of a clinical or laboratory investigation.

Clinical Training and Teaching - In Service Rotation
Each year residents will spend a varying period of time in:
  • Small Animal Anesthesia
  • Large Animal Anesthesia
  • Small Animal Intensive Care

Both small and large animal anesthesia will include experience with exotic species.

Within each rotation, time will be divided between primary patient care, backup patient care, veterinary student clinical supervision/teaching, and student rounds.

Out-of-hours emergency duty is shared on a rotational basis.


Didactic courses
Residents will attend seminars on a weekly basis for three quarters per year. These seminars are designed to prepare residents for the academic aspects of board certification.

Introduction to Investigative Principles
  • The resident is required to become involved in an on-going or original clinical or laboratory investigation.
  • The purpose of this aspect of the program is to provide an introduction to research methodology and to encourage critical evaluation of investigative methods, data collection and interpretation and to encourage the intelligent integration of carefully derived experimental data with clinical medicine.
  • Prior to the end of the program, each resident is required to have at least one manuscript accepted for publication in a refereed biomedical journal demonstrating results of clinical or laboratory investigations pertinent to some aspects of anesthesiology/critical patient care derived during the residency program. It is expected that such a publication will satisfy, in part, requirements for admission to examination for ACVA and/or ECVAA Diplomate status. Participation in the Annual House Officer Seminar Day is mandatory.
FOR APPLICATION PROCEDURES, SALARY AND BENEFITS, AND OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE RESIDENCY PROGRAM, PLEASE SEE GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE VMTH WEB SITE. SELECTION WILL NOT BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GUIDELINES OF THE VETERINARY INTERNSHIP/RESIDENCY MATCHING PROGRAM. THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATION MATERIALS IS DECEMBER 3, 2007.

RESIDENTS MUST BE ABLE TO ARRIVE AT THE HOSPITAL WITHIN 15 MINUTES OF AN EMERGENCY CALL, THEREFORE, RESIDENTS MUST PLAN TO LIVE WITHIN 15 MILES OF THE HOSPITAL.

IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT NEW RESIDENTS BE AVAILABLE TO BEGIN THEIR RESIDENCY PROGRAM ON AUGUST 1st, 2008.

The University of California, Davis and the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital are interested in candidates who are committed to the highest standards of scholarship and professional activities, and to the development of a campus climate that supports equality and diversity.