This message will appear in the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association Epitome.
It may not be intuitive when you consider our geographic location, but the Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine plays a prominent role in the field of zoological medicine.
Last year nearly 500 people attended the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians annual conference in Kansas City, Missouri. About one-fourth of them had an Illinois tie as a current or former DVM graduate, trainee, or faculty member, according to Dr. Matt Allender, who holds appointments on our faculty and at Brookfield Zoo Chicago.
Additionally, current Illinois faculty, trainees, and students contributed dozens of presentations and posters at the meeting.
Going Wild
As founder and director of the Wildlife Epidemiology Laboratory, Dr. Allender himself plays a prominent role in creating opportunities for Illinois veterinary students to explore wildlife and conservation medicine. His lab offers summer training fellowships in which veterinary develop and lead a research project. Student volunteers can participate in an annual health assessment, conducted in May and July, where they track free-ranging box turtles in Illinois and gather data. Students who work in the lab during the school year take part in cutting-edge clinical research that identifies novel treatments for reptile diseases.
Another Illinois program that our alumni know well is the Wildlife Medical Clinic. This program, 47 years strong, empowers veterinary student volunteers to participate in every stage of patient care, from triage and diagnostics to anesthesia, surgery, and husbandry, under the supervision of faculty. In a supportive, hands-on environment, more than 130 students cultivate not only clinical and decision-making skills but also leadership and communication skills that will serve them throughout their careers. Currently led by Dr. Stephany Lewis, the clinic cares for around 2,300 ill, injured, and orphaned wild animals, representing over 120 species, every year.
Going with the Flow
Rotations within our teaching hospital’s zoological medicine service provide exposure to routine and advanced diagnosis and treatment of more than 1,200 client-owned exotic pets each year. This service boasts five credentialed faculty members—Drs. Michelle Borsdorf, Judilee Marrow, Mariana Sosa-Higareda, and Emily Vincent (part-time) along with Dr. Lewis—and four house officers. Veterinary students on the zoo ambulatory rotation assist faculty on weekly health visits to three regional accredited zoos. Fourth-year students can also take a for-credit rotation in the Wildlife Medical Clinic during summer months or apply for a rotation spot at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, working with our faculty member Dr. Jen Langan, or our Zoological Pathology Program in Chicago, led by Dr. Karen Terio.
Our curriculum also provides a path for students interested zoo/wildlife. The zoo/wildlife elective stream includes courses on advanced medical and surgical skills focused on pet birds, caged mammals, fish, reptiles, and wildlife as well as a course on conservation and ecosystem health.
Extracurricular activities in this field abound at Illinois, which makes sense given our many zoo- or wildlife-interested students. The NonTraditional Species Club (NTS) serves as the umbrella organization encompassing student chapters of national associations for avian, exotic mammal, reptile and amphibian, and zoo veterinarians. These and other clubs arrange wet labs and lectures to augment the standard curriculum.
Going Global
Last spring we introduced the One Health Intensive Experience in Kenya, a two-week professional development course available to fourth-year students just before graduation. Dr. Katie Delk, a Brookfield Zoo Chicago veterinarian with an adjunct faculty appointment in the college, facilitated course creation and helps teach along with Dr. Terio and Dr. Laura Frazier, who heads the community medicine program.
Illinois students learn beside senior veterinary students from the University of Nairobi, navigating the complexities of wildlife conservation medicine as it intersects with community medicine and domestic animals. Activities include engaging with the animals and staff at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy (home to the world’s last two known northern white rhinos), hosting a spay/neuter and rabies clinic for pet owners in the region, and vaccinating livestock.
We’re proud to provide unique and impactful opportunities in zoo and wildlife medicine for our students. Whether these graduates go on to see exotic pets within a dog-cat practice, preside over a major zoological institution, or work anywhere in between, Illinois provides a strong foundation for a veterinary career that integrates a One Health approach.
