Learn wildlife medicine, rescue, rehab, and release…

from anywhere in the world 

“Wildlife Veterinary Medicine Panama” was designed by Dr. Chloe Buiting,

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a sloth vet? Or treat some of the world’s most endangered wildlife? The Virtual Wildlife Veterinary Medicine Panama Internship might be for you – now open for enrollment!

Highlights

In addition to your up-close observations and shadowing, you’ll get to:

• Learn from wildlife veterinarians who work on the frontline of wildlife conservation in Panama
• Virtually shadow a busy veterinary clinic that specializes in the treatment of wildlife and exotic pets
• Virtually shadow veterinarians at Panama’s busiest wildlife rescue facility, which specializes in sloth rehabilitation
• Join recorded medical rounds in the veterinary clinic to discuss current hospital in-patients and cases, and have the opportunity to ask questions
• Learn to perform a clinical exam on a sloth
• Learn to perform clinical examinations on reptiles, small mammals, and birds of prey based on demos with real patients
• Dedicated lectures in the handling and restraint of reptiles, small mammals, and birds of prey
• Learn about common diseases and injuries of Central American wildlife and their medical management
• Hear from veterinarians who have worked with victims of the illegal wildlife trade and learn, first-hand, about the effects this industry is having on critically endangered wildlife of Central and South America
• Learn about the rehabilitation process from rescue to release
• Complete a workshop in wildlife X-ray techniques
• Complete a workshop on wildlife necropsies
• Learn from wildlife veterinarians who work on the frontline of wildlife conservation in Panama
• Learn about some of the biggest threats to Panama’s wildlife – including deforestation, over-development, poaching, power lines through the rainforest and the illegal pet trade
• Perform a complete physical exam on a sloth
• Earn a Certificate from Loop Abroad in Basic Wildlife Rescue and Clinical Techniques: Exotic Animal Handling, Restraint, and Medicine

Overview

The Wildlife Veterinary Medicine Panama Virtual Internship will give you the opportunity to virtually learn from veterinarians in a veterinary clinic serving wildlife, exotics, and small animals, as well as those working in a busy wildlife rehabilitation facility, which has an emphasis on the rehabilitation and release of sloths.

Join your instructor, experienced wildlife veterinarian Dr. Julio Reyes, to learn about the medicine and treatment of Panamanian wildlife. Dr. Reyes is the Medical Director of Centro Veterinario Panamá in Panama City, which sees and treats a range of animals – from companion pets to exotic animals and wildlife. 

Dr Reyes is also the consulting veterinarian for APPC Panama, the Pan-American Conservation Association, which is Panama’s leading wildlife rescue organization. Since 2005, the APPC has rescued, rehabilitated, and released more than 5,000 wild animals – including kinkajous, jaguars, porcupines, margays, toucans, monkeys, anteaters, and sloths. With deforestation, over-development, poaching, and the illegal pet trade being some of the biggest threats to wildlife in Panama, the APPC is dedicated to saving the region’s most vulnerable species.

By joining us on this program, you’ll get the chance to learn about the treatment of Central America wildlife – including clinical examinations, handling, restraint, common diseases, and medical therapies. You will also learn about the rehabilitation process and have the opportunity to virtually shadow any surgeries, rescues, or releases!

Course dates and format

This course is fully asynchronous – you can begin at any time.

In order to earn your completion certificate for the course, you will need to complete a number of online quizzes and assessments to demonstrate your participation and understanding of the course topics.

This course involves 25 total hours of content, including lectures, workshops, labs, and pre-recorded vet shadowing sessions.

This course includes virtual veterinary rounds and a virtual visit to the sloth sanctuary in Panama!

Course Topics

• Foundations of wildlife medicine with both structured learning and using real-time patients in a busy rehabilitation center and veterinary clinic in Panama
• Anatomy and physiology Central American wildlife including sloths, anteaters, and toucans
• Ethical and cultural perspectives on medical and veterinary medicine
• The care of sloths, anteaters, toucans, cats, kinkajous, monkeys, and other Central American wildlife
• Handling and restraint of small mammals, reptiles, and birds (including birds of prey)
• Chemical restraint and anesthesia of wildlife
• Types of injuries sustained by wildlife and their treatment
• Advanced medical care of wildlife, including physiotherapy, laser therapy, and orthopedic surgeries
• Dedicated lectures on the use of X-rays in wildlife patients
• Learn to perform a complete physical exam on a sloth
• Workshop in wildlife necropsies
• Learn about the rescue, rehabilitation, and release process, including: what makes an animal fit for release back into the wild, and the behavior and welfare of wildlife in care

Who It’s For

This program is designed for university-aged students who are interested in working professionally with animals.

All undergraduate, pre-veterinary and veterinary students are welcome. Individuals of any nationality may apply.

All programming is in English – no Spanish skills are required (but if you have them, you’ll definitely use them!)

Instructor

Dr. Julio Reyes, DVM – Dr. Reyes is an experienced wildlife veterinarian who is the Medical Director of Centro Veterinario Panamá in Panama City, which sees and treats a range of animals – from companion pets to exotic animals and wildlife. Dr. Reyes is also the consulting veterinarian for APPC Panama, the Pan-American Conservation Association, which is Panama’s leading wildlife rescue organization.

Guest Lectures

In addition to a hearing from a range of local guest lecturers in Panama with extensive experience in wildlife rescue, treatment, rehabilitation, and release – particularly those working on the front-line of wildlife crime – you will also get to join Dr. Roberto Fecchio (DVM) for a lecture on the use of prosthetics in wildlife that have been injured in the illegal wildlife trade in Central and South America. Learn about the creation of prosthetic beaks for toucans and macaws!

Tuition

Part of your tuition will go towards supporting these organizations in their work. Your help is especially valuable in a time where decreased tourism has left many sanctuaries without their primary source of financial support.

Since many students have had difficulty finding shadowing or volunteer experiences due to COVID-19, we are heavily discounting tuition to help students meet their goals.

Tuition: $2,000 $695

There are no additional readings, technology subscriptions, or course materials you have to purchase to participate in this internship.