So you want to be a zoo vet?

By: Kendra Bauer

University of Wisconsin, Class of 2013

So you want to be a zoo vet? So do I. I have a long way yet to go, but I made one important step last October when I attended the American Association of Zoological Veterinarians Conference in South Padre Island, Texas. Prior to deciding to go, I had been told over and over by classmates, mentors, and zoo veterinarians that this conference is a must-see for every zoo vet hopeful. Now, it is my turn to pass on the knowledge. Here is a brief run-down of how the conference works:

The first two days (Saturday and Sunday) are wet labs. Lots of hands-on goodness. Don’t be frightened away by the prices. As a student, if you plan ahead and register early, you can volunteer to help with a wet lab. Volunteers often get to participate in much of the lab and of course, volunteering is free.

Sunday night is the icebreaker evening social. There are no team building exercises, just lots of good food and drinks and a huge group of zoo vets to mingle with.

Lectures begin on Monday and last through the end of the week. They are divided into sessions on varying topics, but if you want to be a zoo vet, all of the topics will interest you.  Breaks between sessions provide more potential for mingling or you can check out the awesome posters down the hall. Also, they take student volunteers for microphone runners during the question and answer session. What better way for your future mentors and colleagues to start remembering your face? Plus, you get rewarded with a free ticket to the business lunch that day. My advice: sit at a lunch table where no one knows your name.

Monday night is the student reception. This is the night you don’t want to miss. When I mentioned mingling in the previous paragraphs, what I really meant was networking. The zoo vet world is a small world, and they want to get to know you. At the student reception, different zoos offering externship or residency positions set up tables and all you have to do is go talk to them. Perhaps more times than anyone would like to admit, externship info that you can find online isn’t up to date.  This is your chance to get the real deal information straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.

Tuesday is zoo day. Who doesn’t love a laid back behind-the-scenes tour of the host zoo?

Other events of the week include the annual auction at the end of the zoo day and the banquet usually on Thursday evening. I can’t comment on these because I had to get back to school for a pathology exam. In order to go, I already had to take my bacteriology exam on the same day as my epidemiology exam. Was it worth it? Yes!

I hope to see you at next year’s conference in Kansas City, Missouri on October 23-28^th!

http://www.aazv.org/