Staff: Large Animal Surgery Residents at MSU train with some of the most accomplished veterinarians in the country. Approximately 25 veterinarians work and teach at the Large Animal Veterinary Medical Center. The surgery department consists of 5 ACVS diplomates (two of whom are also diplomates of the ACVECC) and 2 ACVS residents. The medicine department consists of 2 ACVIM diplomates, 1 staff medicine veterinarian and 2 ACVIM residents. A sports medicine section is comprised of 2 faculty members. There are 2 anesthesiologists, 2 radiologists, and 2 theriogenologists in support sections all of whom are diplomates of their respective disciplines. Both clinical pathology and gross pathology are fully staffed by board certified pathologists. As such, ACVS requirements for 80-hour rotations in the allied disciplines (internal medicine/critical care, anesthesia, imaging, and pathology) can be obtained on site.

Caseload: The large animal clinic has an annual caseload of 1,800 horses plus approximately 200 food and fiber animals. In addition to lameness, it consists of a wide variety of elective soft tissue and orthopedic cases as well as a diverse array of emergency procedures. Approximately 650 surgical procedures are done each year of which approximately 220 are emergencies. The caseload is sufficiently diverse so that residents typically fulfill the full range of cases required for the ACVS credentialing process within the first 18 months of the program.

Responsibilities: In order to address ACVS requirements, residents are required to complete at least 94 weeks of the 3-year residency on clinical rotations under ACVS diplomate supervision. The remaining weeks are occupied by ancillary rotations and personal development, course work and research.

Applications: All required elements of the application process are described in the corresponding VIRMP informational material. Foreign graduates are considered and have been frequent participants in the program; however fluency in spoken and written English is mandatory. State licensure is not an absolute requirement.