Emergency Medicine Mentorship Program

The UVS Emergency Medicine Mentorship Program (EMMP) is a 12-month experience designed for recent DVM graduates and practicing veterinarians looking to build a career in emergency medicine without pursuing a traditional rotating internship. Participants will receive comprehensive onboarding, hands-on emergency medicine experience, and exposure to specialty services including cardiology, critical care, dermatology, internal medicine, neurology, oncology, and surgery, while learning alongside experienced emergency clinicians and veterinary specialists.

Our rotations will cover the following:

• Introduction to our hospital policies and procedures.
• Experience with our electronic medical record systems (Instinct, Vetconnect, Asteris).
• Opportunity to develop and practice critical skills to aid emergency positions and future careers.
• Foster collegial relationships that are the “secret sauce” to our collaborative work environment and positive workplace culture.
• Participation in our “boot camp” lecture series designed to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in any emergency setting. These lectures will be NYS-approved and help fulfill CE requirements for maintaining medical licenses.

Participants will be paired with an experienced emergency or critical care mentor, maintaining a 1:3 mentor-to-mentee ratio. Following a four-week orientation, participants will work alongside their mentors in the emergency department for four 12-hour shifts per week, with a focus on work-life balance and consecutive days off. Shifts will begin with daytime and swing hours, with overnight shifts introduced during the second half of the program. Participants will gain hands-on experience in emergency medicine, surgery, endoscopy, FAST ultrasound, CPR, and other essential skills while progressively managing more complex cases with experienced clinicians always available for support.

A general outline of the program is as follows:

• Months 1-3: Orientation, shadowing with the specialty services, Boot Camp lectures series, co-managing inpatient and outpatient patients with a curated case load appropriate to your current skills, experience, and comfort levels.
• Months 4-6: Co-managing a higher caseload with more complex cases and less oversight.
• Months 6-12: Primary case responsibility but always with in-hospital mentor backup.
• Participants will have formal “check-ins” with the EMM program director every three (3) months to ensure they progress as anticipated. Participants are encouraged to initiate more frequent, informal check-ins with their mentor(s)and/or the program director at any point during the program.

At the conclusion of the UVS-EMM program, participants are free to decide what comes next. That is, we require no time commitment beyond the 12-month program. While participants will be given priority access to open positions within our emergency department, they are not required to “stay on” or “payback” any time. The UVS-EMM program does not have a restrictive covenant or a “non-compete” clause.

Our goals are simple: train the next generation of veterinary emergency clinicians and provide exceptional, comprehensive veterinary care for our patients in NY’s Capital Region and beyond. In the immortal words of our founder Dr. Joel Edwards: “Do good medicine, and the rest will follow.”

Compensation & Benefits: EMMP participants receive a $100,000 annual salary along with comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, professional liability insurance, PTO, and a 401(k) with employer match. UVS also covers professional association dues and licensing fees, including AVMA, VECCS, NYS licensure, DEA, and VIN membership, plus up to $140/month toward pet insurance for personal pets.

Timeline & Application: Applications for the 2027 UVS-EMMP program are accepted through March 15, 2027, with select candidates invited for an in-person interview and offers extended by mid-May. The program begins around July 1, 2027. Applicants must pass the NAVLE and obtain New York State veterinary licensure and DEA registration before starting. Applications should include a current CV/resume, letter of intent, two letters of recommendation, and three professional references, including at least one reference from a veterinary technician, assistant, or client service representative.