Large Animal Surgery Residency Program
Department of Surgical Sciences
Section of Large Animal Surgery
School of Veterinary Medicine
University
of Wisconsin – Madison
GOALS OF THE LARGE ANIMAL SURGICAL RESIDENCY
Our program provides large animal surgery residents with surgical training, knowledge and experience in the discipline of large animal surgery through exposure to clinical surgery, surgical research and teaching. This training leads to clinical proficiency in surgery and will prepare residents for academic teaching, clinical referral practice or a career in comparative surgical research. The approved residency program is designed to fulfill the guidelines for residency training as established by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS)
ADMISSION QUALIFICATIONS
To be eligible for the residency program the candidate must be an American citizen or have suitable visa status, must have a DVM degree or equivalent degree, and must be eligible for Wisconsin License to practice. It is possible to obtain a license without taking the National board exam. Candidates must have completed one year of internship or have equivalent practice experience. A candidate who has received previous resident training may also apply and be appointed as a second or third-year resident depending upon the available positions and qualifications of the applicant.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
The following material is required for application:
1. A personal statement describing background reasons for applying for the residency and/or residency/Master of Science program and career goals.
2. Current curriculum vitae
3. At least three letters of recommendation from former instructors, researchers or practitioners. This letter should address the aptitude and performance in intellectual and creative pursuits pertinent to clinical veterinary medicine, clinical skills of the candidate, and ability to apply knowledge in a clinical situation, scientific research capabilities and the ability to communicate and work with others.
4. Official transcripts and grade point average from all post secondary institutions attended and class rank from veterinary school.
5. Applicant must be part of the American Association of Veterinary Colleges (AAVC) resident matching Program (Resident matching Program, 1024 Dublin Road, Columbus, OH, 43125)
LARGE ANIMAL SURGERY PROGRAM FORMAT
The 36 months of the program is subdivided approximately as follows:
- Clinical Activity (Clinics): As outlined below
- 24 months for residency training
- (ACVS = Surgical rotation with ACVS Diplomate supervisions)
- Scholarly Activity (Off): As outline below
- 12 months for specific project or graduate research training including the writing of manuscripts or thesis.
- Support Discipline Training (ACVS = Special Rotations)
- Vacation is taken during these times
- Rotations outside the UW-VMTH are scheduled during this time
|
Month |
Year
I |
Year
II |
Year
III |
|
July |
Clinics |
Off/Clinics* |
Clinics |
|
August |
Clinics |
Clinics/Off* |
Off |
|
September |
Off - Radiology/Anesthesia |
Clinics |
Clinics |
|
October |
Clinics |
Off |
Clinics |
|
November |
Clinics |
Off |
Clinics |
|
December |
Clinics |
Clinics |
Off |
|
January |
Clinics |
Off |
Clinics |
|
February |
Off - Pathology |
Clinics |
Clinics |
|
March |
Clinics |
Clinics |
Off |
|
April |
Off - LA Medicine |
Clinics |
Clinics |
|
May |
Clinics |
Off |
Clinics |
|
June |
Clinics |
Clinics |
Off |
|
TOTAL |
9
Clinics / 3
Off |
7
Clinics 5
Off |
8
Clinics / 4
Off |
* Depends on seniority of the residents
 |
Two-year-old Brown Swiss bull recovering after internal fixation of a capital physeal fracture |
RESIDENT ADVISOR
The resident will be assigned a temporary clinical advisor (typically the Section Head) for the first 3 months of the program. The resident will then select a permanent clinical advisor by the end of the first 6 months of the program.
General
Clinic responsibilities and requirements
Residents spend approximately 24 of the 36 months in the residency program in clinical training. Normal clinical hours are from 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday. Weekends and evenings are considered to be emergency services, however, drop-offs and case discharges can be arranged during these times. During weekend duty, the surgery residents on-call are to be in the clinic by 8:00 AM to care for cases and consult with others services on the weekend.
EMERGENCY
RESPONSIBILITIES AND REQUIREMENTS
The resident will share primary emergency coverage with one other surgery and two medicine residents for the entire three-year program. The two surgery residents share back-up responsibilities for surgical cases when medicine residents are on primary call.
CLINICAL CASELOAD AND RESOURCES
The large animal surgery residency provides surgical service to our large animal clientele, which presently is approximately 70% equine and 30% bovine, with a very small percentage of camelids and small ruminants. The equine caseload primarily consists of riding-type performance horses (western, dressage, hunters) and companion/trail horses. We have a growing stud farm clientele as well. The bovine caseload is overwhelmingly Dairy (both cows and a large number of bulls), and we mostly treat the difficult cases such as fractures, traumatic reticulopericarditis and complicated gastrointestinal disease.
The surgery section has the use of two
operating theatres and a standing surgery staffed with dedicated technicians.
We have the services of three board certified anesthesiologists and a large
staff of anesthesia technicians. We are well equipped, and can perform all
major fracture repairs, arthroscopy and laparoscopy.
| Mark D. Markel, DVM, PhD, Diplomate, ACVS. Mark is a well-established member of the veterinary surgery and orthopedic research communities. His expertise is in orthopedic testing and thermal modulation of musculoskeletal tissues. Presently, Mark is serving in the administration, but is still very active in research, serving as the director of the Comparative Orthopedic research lab, and in resident rounds and board preparation. Mark is an Associate Dean and Department chair, and a regent in the ACVS. |  |
 |
Elizabeth M. Santschi, DVM, Diplomate, ACVS. Liz has focused on clinical practice, clinical research and post-DVM continuing education. She has spoken at numerous national and international meetings, and has published on colic, problems unique to stud farms, and orthopedic sepsis. Liz is the section chief of Large Animal Surgery, and serves of the board of directors of the AAEP. Nice hat, eh?
|
| Ryland B. Edwards, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVS. Ryland is completing his PhD in the Comparative Orthopedic research lab after completing studies on the use of BMP, joint radiofrequency applications and cartilage metabolism. He is interested in respiratory disease and lameness. Ry has been very active in supporting the ACVS, and presently serves on the examination committee. |  |
 |
Michael Livesey, BVM&S, MS, Diplomate ACVS. Mike has recently joined the group from a private practice in England. He was a faculty member at the University of Guelph for many years, and is interested in all aspects of Large Animal surgery and teaching. He has an active interests in equine dentisitry and abdominal surgery. |
Residents participate in the teaching of the professional students.
· Residents provide orientation to the VM IV students on the first Monday of the rotation.
· Residents lead radiology rounds with the VM IV students.
· Residents are assigned one lecture to be given in the third year large animal surgery lecture course.
· Residents are expected to participate in laboratories in the following courses: Food Animal Surgery Elective, Equine Lameness and Surgery Elective, Techniques in Large Animal Surgery Elective.
| EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES |
| Courses - Required |
| AHABS 952-930, Seminar in Orthopedics is offered in the fall semester every other year. This course meets Thursday mornings before Orthopedic Rounds, and discusses timely journal articles, reviews manuscripts and grants, and discusses basic topics related to orthopedic research and clinical practice. Participants also present a seminar during the semester on an orthopedic related topic. |
| Surgical Sciences 938-875, Biomechanics for Clinicians is offered once every three years. This is a two-credit course that teaches the principles of biomechanics and its application to the study of bone, cartilage, tendon, ligament, and muscle. |
| Surgical Sciences 938-631, Large Animal Surgery Lecture is offered in the spring semester for VMIII Students.
The first year resident is required to attend lecture in this course
during the first year of residency. |
| Rounds – Required |
| Barn Rounds - On Tuesday mornings the surgery residents participate in combined large animal surgery/medicine rounds. These rounds run from August through June, and include large animal medicine, surgery, and theriogenology faculty. Residents are responsible for presenting a case-related seminar during each year. |
| Orthopedic Rounds - On Thursday mornings (8-9 AM), residents participate in clinical orthopedic rounds, which are attended by large and small animal residents and faculty. These rounds run year round with seminars presented September through June. Case-based presentation and teaching is performed through the use of radiographs of clinical cases. Residents are questioned in a format that will prepare them for the oral portion of the ACVS examination in addition to helping them think through the evaluation, treatment and post-operative management of cases. In addition to radiographic discussion of cases in these rounds, residents (small and large) with mentoring from an assigned faculty member present a 20-minute seminar every two weeks on an orthopedic related topic. |
| General Surgery Rounds - On Friday mornings (8-9 am), residents participate in soft tissue surgery rounds, attended by large and small animal, soft tissue faculty and surgery residents. These rounds run September through June. Grand Rounds interrupt the General rounds the first Friday each month. Residents present four, one-hour seminars each year on a soft tissue topic. The remainder of the Friday morning rounds are filled with one-hour faculty seminars (3/year), morbidity and mortality rounds (7/year, currently small animal only), and general surgery journal club (8/year, currently small animal only). |
RESIDENT ROUNDS SUMMARY
|
Type of Rounds |
Routine Schedule of Rounds |
Rotations Residents Expected to Attend |
|
VM IV Student Stall Rounds |
1h/day: 7 days/week calendar year |
Clinic Duty |
|
VM IV Student Radiology Rounds |
1h /week; Wednesdays calendar year |
Clinic Duty |
|
Faculty/Resident Large Animal Surgery and Medicine Rounds |
1h/week; Tuesdays Sept - June |
All In-House Rotations |
|
Faculty/Resident Orthopedic Rounds |
1h/week; Thursdays calendar year |
All In-House Rotations |
|
Faculty/Resident General Surgery Rounds |
1h/every other week; Fridays academic year |
All In-House Rotations |
|
Large Animal Surgery Journal Club |
1h/month; Fridays academic year |
All In-House Rotations |
|
Grand Rounds |
1h/month; 1st Friday of month academic year |
All In-House Rotations |
OUTSIDE
ROTATIONS
Rotations
outside of the UW-VMTH are encouraged and can be undertaken for up to two weeks
in the second and third year of the resident’s training program.
RESEARCH REQUIREMENT
 |
A
peer-reviewed publication in an ACVS approved journal (see ACVS Information
Brochure for a complete guide of approved journals) demonstrating knowledge
of scientific methods is required to meet ACVS requirements. |
 |
PUBLICATION REQUIREMENTS
The Department of
Surgical Sciences requires that the resident complete two (2) manuscripts
as first author. The manuscripts must
be in publishable form (acceptable for publication with moderate to minimal
revision) as determined by the members of the Large Animal Surgery Section.
Manuscripts can consist of investigative studies, retrospective studies or
case reports and should focus on the dissemination of knowledge.
MEETINGS
The resident is entitled to 5 working days per year to attend
professional meetings. The selection
of the meeting should be approved by the clinical advisor and scheduled with
the Section Head and Section. Attending the ASIF basic course during the first
year of the residency is strongly encouraged.
In addition, the residents should attend the ASIF Advanced course during
the second or third year of the residency.
PROGRESS REPORTS AND EVALUATIONS
The residency-training program is a three-year program with yearly renewal. Admission into the second and third years of the program is dependent on satisfactory evaluation of the resident's performances determined by the Department of Surgical Sciences. Formal, written evaluations of the resident occur at 6, 18, and 30 months of the residency program.ACVS
REQUIREMENTS
The
ACVS requirements are outlined in the ACVS Information Brochure or what is
commonly referred to as the “Blue” book.
Residents are responsible for maintaining
and meeting the following requirements:
·
Surgery
Case Log
·
Resident
Activity Log
· Resident Oral Seminar Log
· Documentation of 80 hour of training in each of;
-
Veterinary
Anesthesiology
-
Veterinary
Radiology
-
Veterinary
Internal Medicine
-
Veterinary
Pathology
GENERAL
INFORMATION
|
Faculty of Large Animal Surgery Section |
Office Phone Numbers |
Web Page URL |
|
Mark
D. Markel, DVM, PhD |
608/262-3573 |
|
|
Michael
Livesey BVM&S, MS |
608/265-3410 |
|
|
Elizabeth
Santschi, DVM |
608/263-3198 |
|
|
Ryland
B. Edwards III, DVM, MS |
608/262-6356 |
|
Other Resources
|
|
|
|
University
of Wisconsin School
of Veterinary Medicine |
608/263-9808 |
|
|
University
of Wisconsin Graduate
School |
608/262-5134 |
|
|
University
of Wisconsin |
608/262-1234 |
|
|
Comparative
Orthopedic Research Lab |
|
|
|
Madison
– Wisconsin |
|
|
|
American
College of Veterinary Surgeons |
301-718-6504 |
Active/Pending
research projects:
|
Orthopedic infection Bacterial adhesion to equine bone. Bauer S, Santschi EM. Funded through the Animal Health grants. Immuno-Genomics of porcine orthopedic infection. Santschi EM, Rink A, Lunn DP, Proctor RA. Proposal submitted to the NIH. |
 |
|
Mechanisms of Musculoskeletal Injury 2002-2004 Cannon bone adaptation and condylar fracture. Submitted, Grayson-Jockey Club Equine Foundation. Peter Muir, Ray Vanderby Jr., Roderic Lakes, Jay-Young Rho, Ralph M. Albrecht, John G. Skedros, Elizabeth M. Santschi, Mark D. Markel, Ryland B. Edwards, III.
2001-02 Biomechanical Characteristics of Equine Mandibular Fracture Repair, Funded, ACVS Surgeon-in-Training Grant, American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Bethesda, MD 2000-02 Effects of Thermal Chondroplasty with Radiofrequency Energy. Funded, National Football League Charities Medical Grant, New York, NY 2000-01 Thermal Chondroplasty in Horses. Funded, Houston Equine Research Organization 2002-07 Mechanical signal transduction mechanism of chondrocytes, National
Institute of Health, Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases,
in submission |
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