Internship

The Practice:

Genesee Valley Equine Clinic is an intermediate-level diagnostic and treatment center serving the greater Rochester area of New York. It is a primarily ambulatory clinic with a well-designed clinic facility and an expanding in-patient caseload.
The clinic consists of:

• 8 stall barn with 4 paddocks
• all-weather outdoor arena
• examination room/treatment area with stocks
• padded surgery stall
• laboratory, pharmacy, and darkroom
• lounge with small kitchen
• extensive reference library

Equipment available includes:

• 4 ultrasound units (tendon and reproductive)
• 4 portable x-ray units
• gastroscope
• endoscope
• 6 power floats
• cryosurgery unit
• therapeutic laser
• tonometer
• rescue equipment (rated sling, equine lift, glide)
• regenerative therapies including IRAP and PRP

The Caseload:

Our cases represent all breeds and disciplines, and an interesting variety of clinical challenges are faced every year.

Services provided to our clients include:

• preventative medicine
• sport horse medicine
• reproduction
• ophthalmology
• emergency medicine
• dentistry
• prepurchase exams
• neonatology
• internal medicine
• minor elective surgery

In addition, GVEC provides on-site services for local events, including local USEA and USHJA events, and the Genesee Valley Hunt Races (steeplechase).

The Doctors:

GVEC currently employs 6 veterinarians. Many of our clinicians have developed areas of special interest.

Dr. Amy Leibeck has a special interest in reproduction and neonatology.

Dr. Joan Ayers has a broad range of interests including lameness diagnostics and ophthalmology.

Dr. Sarah Pell has a special interest in equine dentistry.

Dr. Gabrielle Faragasso has a special interest in gastroscopy and ophthalmology.

All of the veterinarians at GVEC employ each other’s skills and knowledge to collaborate on cases. In addition, GVEC enjoys all of the benefits of a major referral facility (Cornell University) within a 2 hour drive.

The Internship:

GVEC strives to provide a practical, well-rounded, educational experience during the internship year. During the initial 4 months, the intern is assigned to a staff veterinarian each day. The intern assists the staff veterinarian with her daily work, gaining knowledge, skills, and confidence along the way. During this time period, the intern is assigned with the on-call vet every other night and every other weekend. After the initial 4 months, the intern begins performing routine and emergency calls independently. However, a staff veterinarian is always assigned as back-up, and is always available for consultation or assistance with difficult cases. The work is intermixed with time riding with other veterinarians for continued training.

To complement his/her clinical experience, the intern gains additional skills in communication and client education in the form of short courses and the development of informational client brochures. In addition, the intern experience is further enhanced by opportunities to attend CE, spend time with a local farrier, and assist a colleague for a few days on the backside of a local thoroughbred racetrack.

While the internship year is intense by nature, we try and make it easier with scheduled time off and a lot of humor along the way!

Why GVEC?

The veterinarians and staff at GVEC are passionate about providing mentorship to young equine veterinarians. All of the staff veterinarians at GVEC are dedicated teachers who enjoy sharing their experience and special interests in equine medicine. The intern always has someone to call for advice, even if you are on the road. The caseload at GVEC is large enough to provide you with a wide range of experience, but small enough to actually allow you to learn from the cases. Unique to the internship at GVEC, ample time off is provided to the intern to allow you to digest and research cases that you have worked with.

How to Apply?

All of us at GVEC welcome your interest in our internship program.  We welcome and encourage prospective intern candidates to visit our clinic. Our contact person for scheduling visits is Laura Johnson (studentinfo@gvequine.com).

Ready to apply? Please complete our application here and submit it along with your CV/resume, and three letters of recommendation. You can email these to our office manager, Kristy Taccone, at ktaccone@gvequine.com or by fax to 585-889-4635.

Please feel to contact us with additional questions or for further information. We look forward to meeting you!