Essential Job Duties

In partnership with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Museum, NC State College of Veterinary Medicine is currently recruiting to fill a Museum Veterinary Medicine Internship position:

As per AVMA guidelines, this internship shall be a 1-year clinical training program that emphasizes mentorship, direct supervision, and didactic experiences including rounds, seminars, and formal presentations. It provides practical experience in applying knowledge gained during the professional curriculum and an opportunity to obtain additional training in the clinical sciences. This internship has been designed to prepare a veterinarian for high-quality service and advanced specialty training associated with overseeing a specialized program in veterinary sciences work at a public museum.

Program Overview

The Museum Veterinary Medicine Intern will have a primary work assignment and workstation with the Veterinary Sciences Section (VetS) at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS).

The Museum's VetS section's primary purpose is to advance the Museum's mission through education, research, collaboration, conservation, and animal health management. VetS provides leadership and guidance to staff, colleagues, and the public on topics associated with veterinary science, medicine, husbandry, animal welfare, and public health. VetS also provides leadership and support for the husbandry, medical care and health management of the Museum's live animals maintained for exhibits, education, research, and conservation.

Primary faculty mentors include: Daniel S. Dombrowski, MS, DVM (NCMNS) and Gregory A. Lewbart, DACZM, DECZM (ZHM).

Additional faculty mentors include: Tara Harrison, DACZM, DACVPM, DECZM (ZHM), Olivia Petritz, DACZM, and Sarah Ozawa, DVM, DACZM.

The Coordinator of VetS will provide technical and logistical support to the Intern at the NCMNS. Training and mentoring will take place primarily at the NCMNS but may also include offsite training during visits to other partner institutions. The NCMNS intern will be included in Zoological Medicine Teaching Rounds.

Duties and Responsibilities

This internship will prepare the successful veterinarian for a zoological residency, specialized internship, or a position working in the field of Museum Veterinary Medicine and/or wildlife rehabilitation. The intern will act as a clinician-in-training within the NCMNS. The selected candidate will:

With appropriate level of faculty guidance and mentorship, provide and support high quality effective, efficient, and fiscally responsible patient care, medical management including wellness/welfare exams, collecting samples and interpreting diagnostics, treatment/ treatment planning, surgical procedures, post-operative care, and medical records for a variety of Museum live animal species ranging from invertebrates to mammals.
Provide high quality teaching and mentoring for veterinary students and undergraduate volunteers.
Present cases to and interact with the public during regularly scheduled clinical case times and during the Window on Animal Health program.
Develop and deliver presentations on subjects ranging from clinical case reports, veterinary sciences subject matter reviews, and zoonoses to a varied audience of Museum staff, students, and guests in the Museum's Daily Planet Theater.
Participate in a leadership role for the Museum's Living Collections Nutrition Program and Museum's Animal Welfare Programs.
Contribute to ongoing Museum Veterinary Sciences research projects. Intern will be encouraged to complete or participate as a coauthor on a publication for submission to an appropriate scientific journal based on Museum work. Can be a project completed during the internship- or based on previous unpublished projects or data. This project and/ or publication will require time committed outside of the assigned Museum work schedule.

Expectations of Position

The intern will be performing exams, performing medical procedures, and teaching students, all while actively engaging with and presenting to Museum guests at the Window on Animal Health.
Duties anticipated to include approximately: 60% clinical cases, 25% wellness, welfare, and nutrition program work, 5% research, 5% clinical rounds, and 5% other (ex: teaching, off-site work). These percentages are subject to change by the Museum Head Veterinarian as needed.
Museum veterinary procedures with invertebrates, fish, herps, birds, and small mammals will include PEs, anesthesia, surgery, injections, handling/ restraint techniques, venipuncture, microscopy, chemistry, radiographing, scoping, ultrasound, and necropsies.
The intern will be expected to be proficient in time management and in performing medical examinations, welfare evaluations, collecting/ evaluating diagnostic samples, and completing records for museum exotic animal species. Cases will be assigned at the discretion of the Head Veterinarian with all record entries, medical management plans, and invasive procedures reviewed for approval and under their guidance.
The intern must follow established biosecurity and cross-contamination protocols as appropriate.
Intern will develop working knowledge of zoonotic diseases and public health related aspects of veterinary medicine relative to the Museum collection and be responsible for zoonosis training of students and staff.
The Intern will be regularly reviewing and referencing scientific literature for clinical applications.
The intern will be performing annual nutritional reviews, wellness exams, and welfare evaluations for Museum animals.
The Intern will be expected to participate in some Museum programs and Special Event Days. These may be on weekends or after hours outside of regular schedule.

Funding for this role is pending; interviews will commence upon secured funding.