It’s that time of year again! Our new intern class arrives next week. For the past nine years WestVet’s postgraduate training, the only rotating internship offered in Idaho, has enabled veterinary students to continue their education.

It seems that the time with our current interns, has zoomed by; these talented young doctors will soon be moving on in their careers in veterinary medicine.  

Pictured left to right, our class of 2016 includes Dr. Christine DePompeo, WestVet Surgical Intern, up next for her is a surgical residency at Washington State; Dr. Brea Sandness, who is pursuing a surgical intership in Reno, NV; Dr. Annamaria Tadlock, will be working in Emergency and Critical Care in Salt Lake City; Dr. Hailey Turner, will take part in a neurology internship in Houston, TX; Dr. Samantha Loeber, will start a radiology residency at the University of Wisconsin, Madison; and Dr. Meaghan Pryde, who will be working in Emergency and Critical Care n Tacoma, WA.

A specialty hospital one-year internship has been equated to working three years in a family veterinary practice as residents are exposed to a wide variety of cases and mentored by specialists. During their year-long stint at WestVet, residents rotate through surgery, internal medicine, cardiology, radiology, dermatology, pathology and ophthalmology departments.

WestVet offers  a one-year rotating internship and a one-year specialty internship in surgery; Washington State University and Oregon State University offer similar programs.

In addition, the WestVet surgical center now partners with Washington State University to offer five surgical residencies; a three-year commitment. These doctors serve at WestVet for 10-12 weeks per year. Once their clinical work is completed, they will publish a research article in a peer-reviewed journal and successfully complete National Board examinations to earn the specialty surgical credentials.

Dr. Curtis Brandt, WestVet Emergency and Critical Care Veterinarian and local Photographer, shared these photos of the team as a commemorative gift to honor their time in Boise. We wish them the best as they head off to new challenges. Good luck!

The 2017 class arrives Monday, having recently graduated from Veterinary School We are excited to welcome these new doctors and to watch their growth throughout the coming year.  

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