Full Question:

Dr. Spelman,

I am a senior veterinary student at the University of Florida.  It is my goal to work at/with MGVP.  I am planning on doing a residency at one of the US primate centers, and I wanted to know if you could offer me any advice.  Also, where do you live when you are in Rwanda?  Does MGVP provide housing?

Thank you,  Aubrey Krichbaum (akric775@ufl.edu)

Answer:

Hello Aubrey,

It's exciting to hear of your interest in one day becoming a primate veterinarian.  I'd encourage you to do all you can to learn the best veterinary medicine skills first, or at least at the same time, as you specialize in primates.  For example, if you read my bio, you'll see that I went from veterinary school to an internship in small animal internal medicine and cardiology.  Though there is no one path to a career as a vet with non domestic animals, those of us who work in this field rely heavily on what is known for domestic and companion animals.  As a primate vet, you also need to know a bit about human medicine, too!  So take you time, get the best training opportunities you can in places where you feel inspired to learn and challenged, but also where you will be mentored.  And yes, MGVP provides housing!