Interns and Volunteers’ Memories
Every year during the blazing hot summer, the Wildlife Medical Clinic welcomes its busiest season with a team of students eager to learn and ready to experience one-of-a-kind clinical experiences. This year it was four vet students from both first- and second-year classes joining the team and working alongside the house officers, student managers, and rotating clinical-year students. Their primary responsibility this summer was to support and facilitate treatments, triage patients, and discuss medical treatment plans with the students and faculty members. The clinic provides a unique opportunity to allow the student to sharpen their clinical skills and develop a deeper understanding of wildlife medicine and management. Summer interns are part of the foundation that ensures the clinic’s function. As we are gearing up to enter the fall semester at the end of August, let us celebrate all the hard work put into all the patients and the clinic by our outstanding summer interns. Below are some moments and memories shared by our 2023 summer intern team.
“One moment that really sticks out to me is when the team was able to release a red-tailed hawk that had been at the clinic for over a month. This bird had a wing fracture, which was surgically corrected, allowing for appropriate flight and the ability to be released back into the wild. That patient was transferred to a rehabilitation facility for further exercise and care, but it was extremely rewarding to see an animal make it through treatment successfully!”
– Jacob Dalen, Class of 2026
“We have had a lot of fawns (baby white-tailed deer) come through this summer, and this is a species that imprints easily on humans, so rehabilitation can be challenging. We don’t want them to get used to people, but they also need to be fed up to 5 times per day, so we had to follow strict protocols when taking care of them. I think my favorite moment this summer was loading five of the fawns into a van to go off to the licensed wildlife rehabilitator because it meant that we did our job well and gave them a chance at returning to the wild. But overall, I treasure just getting to work with the faculty, student managers, and other summer interns – we’ve spent countless hours together, but they make the long days go by fast!”
– Sarah Hollander, Class of 2026
“Working with all my amazing colleagues, learning from our supportive and knowledgeable faculties, and going through all the ups and downs together as a team.”
– YiYing Tung, Class of 2026
“The moment that I would walk into the clinic, I knew that I would leave the day with unforgettable, valuable memories. It has truly been a summer filled with hard work, laughter, and personal growth. I am so grateful to have had the honor of working with our incredible managers, ambitious house officers, driven clinical interns, and supportive faculty. I will always cherish the experiences and opportunities from this summer as it will play an important role in shaping my future as a veterinary professional.”
– Hassan Hanna, Class of 2025
Besides our summer interns, a group of students also played a critical role in the WMC over the summer. They are the members of our orphan feeding team, composed of 10-15 undergraduate and graduate students. Summer is peak baby season; The Wildlife Medical Clinic admits many orphaned patients. All of them need constant nutritional support, and without the orphan feeding team, we would not have been able to keep up with the needs of these patients. These students are crucial in the success of these orphan patients being transferred to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for continued care. We want to share our great appreciation to all team members; the clinic is grateful to have such a fantastic team supporting the clinic’s operation and taking care of our orphan patients. Here are some memories shared by our feeding teams.
“This summer, in the Wildlife Medical Clinic, has been full of unique experiences that have greatly improved my knowledge of wildlife medical management. My favorite moments include feeding many orphaned raccoons, releasing an eastern cottontail, and helping triage raptor patients. Most of all, I have greatly appreciated the chance to learn from the best managers, interns, and doctors who always make sure to include undergraduate students and give us opportunities to grow as volunteers.”
– Alexa Cassidy, Senior in Animal Science
“My favorite patients, even though they are super messy, were the raccoons. They are so adorable! I also loved working with the interns because I was able to ask questions about vet school and the application process. It was really encouraging to hear how everyone had different experiences while applying. The interns, especially Hassan, were so funny. I had a great time and many laughs while volunteering at WMC!”
– Abby Moriarty, Senior in Animal Science
“This summer increased my confidence in the clinic and expanded my knowledge of providing care to wildlife! It also provided the opportunity to work with such a great group of students and staff!”
– Maddie McGaughey, Senior in Animal Science
An amazing summer full of memories has come to an end and what a great summer we had! Let us carry all the knowledge we learned and continue our journey ahead.
Information collected and written by YiYing Tung, class of 2026
