PULLMAN, Wash. Some 78 percent of all Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine graduates who apply for advanced training in an internship or residency program are accepted. That marks the highest percentage among all U.S. veterinary colleges.
The results for the 2011 distinction were tabulated by the Veterinary Internship and Residency Matching Program, a service of the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians.
Long-standing trend
“At Washington State University, we have long been justly proud both of the quality of our students in veterinary medicine and of the quality of the education they receive,” said WSU President Elson S. Floyd. “This ranking provides further evidence of the outstanding results being achieved in that college and is a great tribute to the work that is being done there every day by students, faculty and staff.”
In the 2010 WSU DVM class, 42 of 99 graduates applied for matching in a 2011 internship or residency program, and 31 were selected. Nine were not accepted and two applicants voluntarily withdrew their application. Following WSU in order of percent matched were the veterinary colleges at Tufts, North Carolina, and Illinois.
Selection for internships and residencies is done through a national matching system each year. The system functions the same as the Physicians National Intern and Resident Matching Program. A list of available internships and residencies is published annually. The application process requires transcripts, a curriculum vitae, recommendations, and personal statements for screening. The applicant
lists in order of preference which programs they will accept. Each place offering a match then ranks the applicants.
Interns are Doctors of Veterinary Medicine who seek advanced training within the first few years after graduation. Most internships are one year, nondegree programs that provide training for practice, clinical teaching, and specialty-board eligibility.
Residents are DVMs, who often after completing an internship, enter another advanced academic and clinical program that will prepare them to sit for the American Veterinary Medical Association’s recognized specialty board examinations in their chosen field.
Examples include residencies leading to becoming a board-certified specialist in surgery, pathology, internal medicine, and others. Residency programs often involve the trainee in original research that will also lead to an M.S. or Ph.D. degree.