Shaping the Next Generation of Wildlife Veterinarians
In the year 2000, wildlife veterinarians from the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center (including OWCN’s own Dr. Mike Ziccardi) and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) started a collaborative mentorship program aimed at providing wildlife conservation-focused senior veterinary students with hands-on training under the mentorship of wildlife professionals in California. Twenty-four years later, this program is still going strong with over 75 alumni from across the United States (and even abroad)! As a wildlife veterinarian for the Oiled Wildlife Care Network, one of the core programs within the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, I have the privilege of overseeing this incredible program, now termed the UC Davis/CDFW Senior Veterinary Student Externship in Wildlife Medicine.
Each year, three to four fourth-year veterinary students are selected for this 4-week externship from a highly competitive applicant pool. Externs receive a unique, real-world training experience by working directly with wildlife professionals from state and federal service, academia, non-profits, zoo and aquaria, and research institutions and centers. Individual extern experiences vary based on time of year, but often span field capture and wildlife sampling, oil spill response/training, wildlife research, and veterinary pathology. During this externship students may encounter anything from terrestrial to freshwater aquatic and/or marine wildlife species.
Last month we hosted two stellar externs, Jessica Lin from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and Ted Midthun from Colorado State University. Who better to describe the externship experience than two recent alumni?!
Jessica Lin, UC Davis c/o 2025
I had a fantastic four weeks on my CDFW and WHC joint externship. I have always had an interest in becoming a free-ranging wildlife veterinarian or pathologist and this externship connected me with so many wonderful people in the field that I wouldn't have otherwise met. I got to hear about the career paths of different wildlife veterinarians, and learn about the diversity of their job responsibilities. I also received useful insights on career planning and it has made me hopeful that I can pursue my passion. Lastly, it was four weeks of the coolest fieldwork and necropsies with a variety of wildlife species. I felt so lucky to have been part of it. Thank you for all the mentors I met on this trip for making my time with you just absolutely wonderful.
Ted Midthun, Colorado State c/o 2025
As a veterinary student interested in pursuing a career in wildlife medicine, I was thrilled to partake in the wildlife veterinary externship offered by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center. During my four-week externship I engaged in numerous aspects of wildlife health management, gained a greater understanding of the roles wildlife veterinarians play and the many pathways to working with wildlife, and fostered connections with many wildlife professionals. After participating in this externship, I have a greater expectation of what skills veterinarians can gain that will help position them well in the wildlife field. This externship has also excited me for the future and how I can become a proficient and effective wildlife veterinarian. During the second week of my externship, I was able to join and participate with the more than 40 organizations of to the Oiled Wildlife Care Network. This consortium of organizations responds to oil spills throughout the state of California and during the 2024 Oilapalooza conference in Bakersfield, CA I learned about the network’s legacy of responding to oil spills in a systematic and organized way to minimize wildlife and environmental harm following an oil spill. I also got to participate in an oil spill drill, following the wildlife veterinarians and seeing how to perform veterinary care in a facility responding to an oil spill.
This externship is more than just a training program—it is an investment in the future of wildlife health and conservation. Past and current veterinary externs have contributed substantially to veterinary clinical and scientific knowledge through completion of collaborative research initiated during their externship, often leading to peer-reviewed scientific publications. Some of our externship graduates have gone on to become veterinarians for state and federal agencies, conservation organizations and faculty at academic institutions.
By preparing students with the mentorship, knowledge, skills, and experiences they need, we are ensuring that the next generation of professionals is ready to meet the challenges of wildlife medicine. The success of this externship program relies on the incredible mentors from our many partners – California Department of Fish and Wildlife - Wildlife Health Lab, CDFW Office of Spill Prevention and Response, UC Davis One Health Institute, Oiled Wildlife Care Network (and member organizations The Marine Mammal Center, International Bird Rescue, Gold Country Wildlife Rescue, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and UC Santa Cruz), the California Raptor Center, and more! As wildlife professionals, we also continue to learn and grow by mentoring students. Dr. Melissa Miller with the CDFW Office of Spill Prevention and Response Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center describes the program by saying,
I often find that we get as much or more back from the vet externs as we give to them. They teach us new perspectives and ideas, make our jobs more fulfilling, and help us to complete top-quality science and veterinary care. Several prior externs have kept in touch over the years, and a few have come back to work with us again in a different capacity; as graduate students, clinicians, or lead scientists on important projects. It’s a joy to see the senior vet externs that we have mentored graduate and become peers, collaborators, and colleagues!