House Officers and the Wildlife Medical Clinic
This year we have some new faces around the clinic as we welcome our new house officers! The house officers are a very important aspect of the Wildlife Medical Clinic because they are essential in helping with procedures, mentoring, and guiding our veterinary student volunteers as they provide medical care to our patients. We asked them each a few questions and are excited to share their answers with you!
Meet Dr. Stephanie Elliott!
Dr. Elliott is originally from Oroville in northern California, and she graduated from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 2023. Dr. Elliott is our newest Zoological Medicine Specialty Interns.
Question & Answer with Dr. Elliott
Why did you choose to come to UIUC Vet Med?
I am excited about this program because it is unique in that it combines rotations through wildlife medicine, zoo companion medicine, and traditional zoo medicine, all of which I enjoy and want to learn more about.
What are your career interests and aspirations?
I am pursuing traditional zoological medicine and am interested in everything! I haven’t narrowed it down quite yet, although I do enjoy neurology and ophthalmology.
What is your favorite wildlife species to work with?
My favorite species are box turtles!
What are you most looking forward to at the Wildlife Medical Clinic?
I am looking forward to learning more about quality wildlife medicine for all species, especially surgical techniques, and working with students throughout the year. She hopes to take the skills she learns with her to help any future animals/wildlife she works with!
Meet Dr. Maya Iyer!
Dr. Iyer is originally from Houston, Texas and is also a graduate of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, class of 2022. Dr. Iyer is our first year IZAAR (Illinois Zoological & Aquatic Animal Residency) resident. She will spend her entire first year of her residency rotating through all the services in UIUC’s Zoological Medicine department, including the Wildlife Medical Clinic!
Question & Answer with Dr. Iyer
Why did you chose to come to UIUC Vet Med?
UIUC has a really strong program for zoo and aquatic animal medicine that gives residents a wide breadth of training, from wildlife to companion zoo species in an academic setting, to a traditional zoo and aquarium. I’m looking forward to getting experience in all these areas through my residency training.
What are your career interests and aspirations?
My goal is to become a board-certified specialist in zoological medicine, and I hope to work as a clinical veterinarian at a traditional zoo/aquarium after my residency. I would also love to use my clinical skills to help contribute to species conservation both locally and internationally someday!
What is your favorite wildlife species to work with?
I have a soft spot for chelonians (turtles and tortoises)!
What are you most looking forward to at the Wildlife Medical Clinic?
I’m most looking forward to being able to work alongside vet students at WMC – this is such a great learning opportunity for students, and I’m already so impressed with all the care and passion they put into their cases. I’m also new to Illinois so am looking forward to learning more about all the cool, local species that make Illinois their home!”
Meet Dr. Annie Le!
Dr. Le is originally from Leicester, Massachusetts and she attended veterinary school at the University of Missouri! She graduated with her DVM degree in 2023 and was also able to earn a master’s degree in public health. Dr. Le is our newest IZCAR (Illinois Zoo Companion Animal Resident).
Question & Answer with Dr. Le
Why did you choose to come to UIUC Vet Med?
I chose to attend UIUC as it is one of the few places that had a zoological companion animal focus program. I visited UIUC last year as part of my externship during my small animal rotating internship and enjoyed my time here. I also liked that there are so many ACZM diplomates that are part of the UIUC team that I can lean on for support.
What are your career interests and aspirations?
My ultimate career goal is to become ACZM boarded with a focus in Zoo Companion and be able to work in private practice or academia. There are not many schools with an exotics program, such as Missouri, so I would like to fill that gap and be able to share my knowledge and experience with inspiring ZCA vets. Eventually, I would love to go into consulting and be able to help private practitioners who are interested in seeing exotics in their practice feel more comfortable in doing so. I would love to eventually earn my wildlife rehabilitator license in whatever state I end up in, specifically for turtles and tortoises.
What is your favorite wildlife species?
Virginia opossums and turtles!
What are you looking forward to the most at the WMC?
I am looking forward to working with various wildlife species and thinking of different ways to manage them so that they are able to return back to their normal habitat in the wild. Oftentimes, their health issues arise from the impacts of human activities, so I feel like we should help them as much as we can. With wing trauma/fractures being prominent in birds that come to wildlife rehabbers, I would love to be able to gain experience in surgical repair. Same with shell repairs in turtles and tortoises.
Do you have anything else you would like to share with our readers?
I’ve been involved with wildlife rehabilitation since college with my first exposure being at Tufts Wildlife, which is where I fell in love with diamondback terrapins and other reptilian friends. During all four years of vet school, I was involved with the Missouri Raptor Rehab Project and have become comfortable working with birds of prey. Fun fact, I have a tattoo of a spotted turtle and an Eastern Screech Owl. The owl portrays the two education birds I worked with at both Tufts (Percy) and at Missouri (Agnes). I am also an avid cat lady with four cats (Greg, Walter, Eleanor, and Alfred) and love houseplants.
Written By: YiYing, class of 2026 and Rachel, Class of 2027.
