Neurology Residency

Program Description:

The neurology residency program at University of Florida is based on the guidelines established by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Specialty of Neurology. At the completion of the program, the resident will be eligible to submit credentials for examination and certification in neurology by ACVIM. This 3 year residency program insures a minimum of 75 weeks of supervision working with an ACVIM Neurology Diplomate evaluating patients and instructing veterinary students; time is also spent rotating through other services including clinical pathology, radiology, internal medicine and surgery. The other 25% of the resident’s time will be spent in clinical investigation, vacation and continuing education. The primary goal of the program is to develop expertise in medical and surgical neurology of small animals but proficiency in medical neurology of large animals and exotics is also expected. Attendance at a resident research seminar and completion of a resident research project is expected, and presentation of an abstract or poster at an internationally recognized meeting and submission of a manuscript to a refereed journal are highly recommended.  At the completion of the program the veterinarian will be prepared for a career in a university or specialty practice. Clinical faculty on the Neurology Service directly responsible for the program are currently Sheila Carrera-Justiz, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology) and Gabriel Garcia, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology).

Resident Selection Procedure

Residents are recruited from internship programs or private practices. A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree or equivalent is a prerequisite. Small Animal Medicine faculty and residents evaluate the application pool and final selection of the resident is done via the Veterinary Intern/Resident Matching Program (VIRMP).

Selection will be based on:

  • VIRMP Application
  • Veterinary School Official Transcript from University Registrar
  • Personal Statement
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • 3 – 4 Standardized Letters of Reference