Veterinary interns and residents are early-career veterinarians who have completed their doctor of veterinary medicine degrees, and are now gaining further experience and mentorship in a clinical setting, often in the pursuit of a specialty certification. We talked to a current intern and resident at MSU about what they've learned and why they chose to follow this path.
Caylen Erger, DVM. Dr. Erger earned her DVM degree from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed a rotating internship at the Michigan State University Veterinary Medical Center, and has stayed at MSU, now as an internal medicine resident.
What's the biggest lesson you took from your rotating internship?
The biggest lesson I learned from my rotating internship is that not every problem can be solved in one day. Oftentimes we are under a lot of pressure to solve every problem immediately, but the patient may be better served by taking things one step at a time.
Why did you decide to pursue an internal medicine residency?
I decided to pursue an internal medicine residency because I like solving complex problems. Patients that come through the internal medicine service often have multiple confounding problems or chronic conditions, and it is the job of the internist to juggle all of these problems at once. Being in a large specialty hospital also gives me the opportunity to work with advanced diagnostics and procedures that general practitioners would not have access to.
What career goal do you hope your residency and internship will position you for?
I hope to pursue a career in academia after my residency, which will give me the opportunity to teach students, see patients, and do research.
Kelsie Kittrell, DVM. Dr. Kittrell earned her DVM degree from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. She completed a rotating internship at the MSU Veterinary Medical Center, and is now undergoing an internship in Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) Medicine at MSU.
What's the biggest lesson you took from your rotating internship?
I think one of the biggest takeaways for me was how to know when to trust myself and when to phone a friend (mentor/faculty, senior resident, etc). It's so important to trust your instincts—even when they're telling you to ask for help!!
Why did you decide to pursue an emergency and critical care specialty internship?
I chose to pursue an ECC internship because I am still deciding on whether I want to pursue a residency in emergency and critical care. An ECC internship allows me to have many responsibilities of a first-year resident to test the waters while being mentored by our brilliant DACVECCs, but it's a 1-year commitment rather than 3 years.
What career goal do you hope your specialty internship and rotating internship will position you for?
My goal is to practice high quality medicine no matter where this journey takes me. I want the best for my future patients and this ECC internship position is another step towards being the best that I can be!