Dr. Eric Baitchman, DVM, DACZM, was drawn to a career in veterinary medicine at an early age. “Growing up, I was really lucky to know veterinarians,” he recalls. “My father worked at the University of Rochester, and he worked alongside Dr. Jeff Wyatt, the main veterinarian for the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, New York. I remember working with Jeff at the zoo one summer when I was 15 years old and deciding I wanted to be a vet. I explored other fields in veterinary medicine over the next several years, but that initial love of zoo medicine and, particularly, a conservation ethic that my father instilled in me, which Dr. Wyatt reinforced, have always stayed with me.” 

It’s no surprise, then, that Dr. Baitchman was heavily involved in wildlife and zoological medicine as a veterinary student at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “During my first week as a veterinary student, I went to Dr. George Kollias’ office to tell him this was what I wanted to do, and that I’d be eager for any opportunities he could provide. I worked in his lab on different projects and spent a lot of time at the wildlife clinic. I was able to go with Dr. Kollias and Dr. Noha Abou-Madi to the zoo. I had a lot of great opportunities through Cornell to explore zoo and wildlife medicine.” 

Additional highlights included hosting the Special Species Symposium as a third-year DVM student and participating in research on the North American river otter. However, Dr. Baitchman noted that many of his most valuable opportunities were found outside of zoo-specific coursework. “I always felt that being a veterinary student interested in zoo medicine was really lucky because everything applies to you. I think that’s one of the things that some zoo and wildlife interested students miss at first. There’s no secret about wildlife medicine that’s unique. It’s all about learning to apply knowledge of dogs, cats, horses, and cows to exotic species.” 

"As a veterinarian, you are looked to as a leader, and with that comes the extraordinary opportunity to drive progress and help enact meaningful change."

After obtaining his DVM in 2000, Dr. Baitchman pursued a small animal rotating internship in Rochester and later went on to complete a zoological medicine residency with the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo. After finishing his residency, Dr. Baitchman accepted a position as an associate veterinarian at Zoo New England. In the years since, he has risen through the ranks, serving as Director of Veterinary Services for many years before assuming his current position of Vice President of Animal Health and Conservation in 2017.

In his present role, Dr. Baitchman has been able to capitalize on that love of conservation that fueled him even as a teen. Under his tenure, Zoo New England launched a new department: Field Conservation. In addition to growing this department, Dr. Baitchman has been tasked with developing a conservation strategy for Zoo New England. This has included One Health initiatives abroad, including in Madagascar, where researchers are aiming to understand what potential pathogens are present in wildlife and what spillover risks they may pose for people. 

Dr. Baitchman has also spearheaded a partnership with the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard that has allowed for collaborative research exploring medical genomics of zoological species, leading to the establishment of the Center for Zoonomics based at Zoo New England. As an adjunct at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Baitchman developed a One Health course for fourth-year medical students. “We instill into the medical students an understanding of the protective effect of biodiversity on human health and of the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and their shared ecosystem. It’s been an incredible program for the students that complete it.”

These days, Dr. Baitchman spends less time partaking in clinical work than he once did. However, he is grateful for the opportunities that have come with this leadership role. “I really enjoy being in the position that I’m in now because there’s a lot of passion behind what I’m doing. I get to build these programs - getting to guide and shape what work the zoo pursues is incredibly rewarding, and I can have a broader amount of influence. Projects focused on One Health and genomics research are very progressive; they’re fun to think about and help bring to fruition. As a veterinarian, you are looked to as a leader, and with that comes the extraordinary opportunity to drive progress and help enact meaningful change.”

Written by Colleen Sorge ’20, DVM ’24

All photos provided by Dr. Eric Baitchman.