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Blogs from the Field

A healthy future for wildlife, people, and planet.

Examination of a juvenile loggerhead sea turtle

This past summer, I had the opportunity to travel to Jekyll Island, Georgia, where I served as a veterinary student extern at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC). As part of the Jekyll Island Authority, GSTC provides rehabilitation, education, and research programs focused on conserving local wildlife and their habitats....
A brow pelican that was found entangled in a fishing line. Photo: Emma McGuckin

I have always been passionate about wildlife conservation and have been pursuing that career path throughout my veterinary studies. I have used most of my school breaks to go abroad and gain clinical experiences working with a variety of endangered species (notably in South Africa, Costa Rica and my most recent trip to Namibia)....
Second-year veterinary resident, Dr. Catherine Bartholf, performing an ultrasound on a snow leopard.  Photo: Alexander Levitskiy

Many have watched episodes of the Animal Planet docuseries “The Zoo,” getting a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the phenomenal conservation, science, and education agenda that is carried out at the Bronx Zoo. As someone interested in zoological medicine, I had always dreamt of training with the Bronx Zoo Zoological Health Program.... 
Wild snake capture and field sampling. Photo: Hannah Danks

I had the opportunity to spend this past summer as a wildlife population health extern at the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS). SCWDS is a collaborative wildlife health partnership based at the University of Georgia (UGA)....
A whale calf’s entangled flipper and how tightly wrapped the line is.

For my last summer before clinical rotations, I wanted to gain experience with marine animals. I was accepted as an intern with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Marine Mammal Rescue & Research (MMRR) program in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a unique geographical area where tides and coastlines can suddenly trap a dolphin or whale in inches of water....
Georgia Aquarium Animal Health Team

I started veterinary school with the goal of working with stingrays, dolphins, and fish. Now, four years later, I can say I have worked at some of the top aquariums and other aquatic facilities in the country and connected with colleagues who are leading this field.