Residency Program
Post-DVM education and training for teaching, research, and to prepare for board certification.
Our 3-year residency programs:
- Provide in-depth training under the supervision of board-certified faculty
- Satisfy requirements for board qualification and certification
- Allow time to attend classes and completion of research projects leading to a Master of Science degree.
Veterinarians completing the residency program at WSU are well-qualified to compete for jobs in academia, private practice, industry, or medical fields. Visit our Veterinary Teaching Hospital to learn more about our services and get to know our faculty.
Our residents have opportunities to:
- Participate in and to lead clinical rounds
- Present didactic lectures
- Assist in teaching laboratories for courses offered in the DVM training program and in continuing education courses
- Supervise 4th year veterinary students for admission, diagnosis, and treatment of patients presented to the assigned service
What equipment or technology will I have access to?
- Arthroscopy
- Basic clinical laboratory equipment
- Blood gas analysis
- Blood pressure monitoring
- Bone plating equipment
- CT Scan
- Diagnostic laboratory
- Digital radiography
- Echocardiography
- Electrocardiography
- Endoscopy
- Fluoroscopy
- Holter monitoring
- Laparoscopy
- Laser surgery
- Linear accelerator
- MRI
- Nuclear medicine
- Physical therapy equipment
- Thoracoscopy
- Ultrasound
Residency programs
Residencies are filled through the Veterinary Internship and Residency Matching Program sponsored by the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians (AAVC). We also offer other residencies advertised outside of this service.
Residents are chosen from the pool of applicants who have had at least 12 months post-veterinary school experience. While completion of an internship is not a requirement, it may be favorably viewed by the selection committee.
Washington State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Protected group members are encouraged to apply.
Cardiovascular medicine
The cardiovascular medicine residency offers a diverse caseload with a large number of congenital cases. Cardiac cases are seen through the cardiology service and in-house consultations. Other species are seen, such as wildlife, exotics, and large animals, particularly equine. The non-invasive cardiology service will emphasize diagnostic modalities, including physical exam, electrocardiography, echocardiography, radiography, and pacemaker programming.
The cardiology service is well equipped with an independent service area, echocardiography (2-D, Doppler, tissue velocity imaging), electrocardiography, electroconversion, in-house Holter monitoring, and several pacemaker programmers. The minimally invasive cardiovascular medicine laboratory is equipped with a dedicated digital fluoroscopy suite, C-arm fluoroscopy, power injector, and physiologic monitoring system. The laboratory has a relatively high caseload, averaging from 5-8 cases per month and performing procedures such as angiocardiography, peripheral angiography, balloon valvuloplasty, PDA occlusion, pacemaker implantations, and other research projects.
Equine surgery
The equine surgery residency program provides in-depth training in problem solving, diagnostic techniques, surgical instrumentation, and patient management as applied to equine patients. It also allows the resident to satisfy requirements for board qualification and certification as set forth by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS).
Neurology and neurosurgery
The neurology residency is a combined medical and surgical neurology program. Primary case responsibility will center around small animals; large animal neurological cases are evaluated primarily through consultation. Residents are scheduled to rotate through internal medicine, cardiology, surgery, clinical pathology, radiology, and neuropathology services. Satisfactory completion of the residency will qualify the individual to sit for board examination by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, subspecialty of neurology.
The WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital is currently equipped with advanced neurodiagnostic capability, including multi-slice spiral computed tomography (CT), 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and electrodiagnostic equipment (including EMG, NCV, BAER, ERG, and ambulatory EEG). Surgical facilities include an operating microscope with microsurgical capabilities, Nico myriad, and stereotactic brain biopsy system. Physical therapy exposure is also a large part of our residency program. Our facility features an extensive rehabilitation suite equipped with a hydrotherapy treadmill, electrical stimulation unit, and therapeutic ultrasound operating under the supervision of certified canine rehabilitation therapists and practitioners.
Small animal emergency and critical care
The small animal emergency and critical care residency provides in-depth training under the supervision of board-certified individuals in problem-solving, diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, and patient management as they relate to small animal patients with a variety of medical and surgical problems. It also allows the resident to meet the requirements for certification in the specialty of Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care within the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care.
Small animal medicine
The small animal medicine residency offers in-depth training in problem-solving, diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, and patient management as they relate to small animal patients with a variety of medical problems. It also allows the resident to meet the requirements for certification in the specialty of Small Animal Internal Medicine under the umbrella of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Small animal surgery
The small animal surgery residency provides in-depth training in problem solving, diagnostic techniques, surgical instrumentation, surgical procedures, and patient management as applied to small animal patients. It also satisfies requirements for board qualification and certification as set forth by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.
This position is shared between two facilities: Washington State University and WestVet Emergency and Referral Center. Residents will spend approximately 9 weeks per year at WestVet in Boise, and housing is provided. WSU facilities offer soft tissue, neurologic, and orthopedic surgery services, including minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopy, thoracoscopy, interventional procedures, and arthroscopy), advanced imaging (MRI, CT), laser surgery, linear accelerator-based radiation therapy, and advanced clinical and basic research laboratories.
