Julie S.

Profile

Education

• Degree: DVM
  School: Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
  Class of 2004

Certification(s)

• DACZM

Location

• Glen Rose, TX

Bio in brief...

At present, I'm working as the Associate Veterinarian at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center (a semi-free range zoological park focused on the breeding of endangered hoofstock and carnivores) and the Chair of the Ungulate Resource Group.

I am a Virginia Tech grad, both undergrad and through VMCVM for vet school. I've worked in the zoo field for the past 15 years. I currently work at a semi-free range safari style park in Texas, but also do a fair amount of in situ wildlife work in other countries.

I graduated from the VMCVM in 2004. The veterinary education at VMCVM was excellent, however it was significantly lacking in anything zoo related. Rather than give up on the ideal career, I discovered AAZV and it quickly became a hub for me regarding all knowledge of zoo medicine and how to get into the field.

Following graduation, I completed a Small Animal Rotating Internship at a busy specialty practice outside D.C. A year working as the Clinical Laboratory Animal Veterinarian at Virginia Tech followed, which helped confirm a desire to move into zoo medicine directly.  My lucky break really came in 2006 when I was given the opportunity to complete the Zoological Medicine Internship at Kansas State University.