The Weill Cornell Anesthesiology Residency Program launched an exciting new elective rotation this week. A week-long rotation in Veterinary Anesthesia is now an option for Weill Cornell Residents. The first resident to embark in the program is Dr. Stephanie Vecino, a PGY-4 (CA-3) of the Class of 2015.
The elective rotation in Veterinary Anesthesia lasts for a week and is constructed around improving many aspects of the residents’ skillsets. Working alongside veterinarians and veterinary anesthesiologists allows anesthesiology residents the opportunity to expand their technical skills, further develop their teaching and communication abilities, and test their knowledge of the basics of physiology and pharmacology. Seeing procedures and practices that they know well, but in a whole new context (that of veterinary anesthesia) helps deepen and sharpen the residents’ understanding of their work.
By all accounts, Dr. Vecino’s experiences during her rotation are living up to the program’s promises. Already on her first day, she has been exposed to a variety of procedures – and patients!
While on Veterinary Anesthesia rotation, Dr. Stephanie Vecino helped a miniature Yorkshire terrier (left) receive spinal surgery and helped a cat receive anesthesia.
The Veterinary Anesthesia Rotation builds on a number of growing collaborations between Weill Cornell and the College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca. Dr. Paul Heerdt recently collaborated with a team in Ithaca studying the effectiveness of certain anesthesia in cats. In Fall 2014, Dr. Tasha Bartel, a Veterninary Anesthesiology Resident at Cornell, visited Weill Cornell and gave a well-attended and well-received talk on Veterinary Anesthesia here in the Anesthesiology Department. This visit demonstrated resident interest in the topic and helped catalyze the start of this new elective residency rotation. With success right out of the box, the Residency Program looks forward to continuing and growing this rotation.
LINKS
Dr. Eric Brumberger's blog post on Dr. Stephanie Vecino's experiences
Residency Rotations
Dr. Heerdt’s article in American Journal of Veterinary Research
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine