Blogs from the Field
A healthy future for wildlife, people, and planet.
September 01, 2026
This spring, I traveled to Laguna Beach, California, for a veterinary student externship at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center. Working alongside amazing veterinarians, animal care staff, researchers, and volunteers, I had an excellent opportunity to learn about marine mammal medicine...
June 10, 2026
I was still in pajamas when I ran down to the beach. Drone in one hand, a drybag slung over my shoulder, I picked my way over slick, uneven rocks from the cabin to the shoreline....
May 11, 2026
by
Victoria Priester, DVM '26
California is home to an extensive array of landscapes and wildlife: deserts with bighorn sheep and kit foxes, coastlines home to marine mammals and shorebirds, dense mountain forests hiding prowling mountain lions, and mountain meadows where wolf packs run....
May 01, 2026
As a Disease Investigations extern at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, I worked with a team of veterinary pathologists and research associates to learn firsthand how studying the cause of death in an individual animal can help improve the health and welfare of the remaining population....
January 13, 2026
On the first day of my externship with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, I shook hands with Dr. Julia Burco, a state wildlife veterinarian, and I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and fulfillment....
May 07, 2025
I entered veterinary school with a strong interest in pursuing a career in zoological medicine. Over the past few years, I’ve been committed to exploring various aspects of the field and making the most of the many opportunities Cornell has to offer....
August 23, 2024
I grab a pair of gloves from the hospital and walk out into the tank area. I am not sure why I put gloves on - 90% of the time they get soaked anyway. As I approach the tank, the other veterinary extern heads into the storage area to grab a net. Turns out there is no need....
January 19, 2024
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)....
November 08, 2023
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....
October 11, 2023
We strap on our snorkel gear and jump into the blue. It only takes a few butterfly kicks to reach a citadel bustling with life. Within seconds, we are greeted by branching, massive, and laminar structures formed by hundreds of genetically identical individuals....