By Blake Jackson
Most veterinary internship programs focus on a single area of animal care, but the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine has introduced a unique opportunity that combines training in companion animal, equine and food animal medicine.
This summer, Sam Hoover became the first veterinarian to complete Mizzou’s mixed animal rotating internship, a one-year program designed to provide broad clinical experience across different species and practice settings.
The initiative aims to prepare veterinarians for careers that require adaptability, especially in rural communities where professionals often care for both household pets and agricultural animals.
“I don’t know of any other opportunity that allows you to gain this much experience across species and practice settings in that timeframe,” Hoover said.
The internship is funded through a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) grant and is led by University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine faculty members Alisa Hutchison, Pamela Adkins and Kile Townsend.
“In many rural Missouri areas and other rural areas nationwide, there are mixed animal veterinary ‘deserts’ where pets and production animals cannot easily get access to care,” Hutchison, an assistant teaching professor in community practice, said.
“At Mizzou, we’re trying to try to bridge that gap by offering an opportunity for an additional year of focused practice and mentorship.”
Throughout the program, Hoover participated in rotations covering small animal medicine and surgery, equine care, large animal ambulatory services and community veterinary clinics. Her training included treating patients at the Veterinary Health Center, visiting farms, and working directly with veterinarians in rural communities.
“At a university hospital, access to advanced diagnostics and treatment is often readily available,” Hoover said.
“But in practice, veterinary medicine requires balancing those options with real-world factors, including an owner’s goals, financial considerations, local resources and the needs of the patient.”
The experience helped Hoover develop a broader understanding of the responsibilities involved in mixed animal practice. She learned that veterinary care extends beyond treating animals and plays an important role in supporting families, producers and local economies.
“It’s given me exposure to all the areas I wanted to grow in,” Hoover said. “Whether I was helping a producer whose livelihood depended on the health of their herd, managing a complex referral case, or providing routine preventive care, I was constantly reminded that veterinary medicine is also about supporting families, businesses and communities.”
Photo Credit: university-of-missouri
Categories: Missouri, Education, Livestock