The Northeast Indiana Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Hospital (NIVES) is offering a mentored, small animal surgical internship from June 24, 2019 through June 30, 2020.  NIVES is a busy 24-hour multi-specialty and emergency referral hospital located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Our referral base covers a large region of northeastern Indiana, northwestern Ohio and southern Michigan.

Our NIVES professional staff includes board certified specialists in Surgery (2), Cardiology (1), Internal Medicine (1), and Feline practice (1), and two doctors certified in Canine Rehabilitation. In addition to our specialty services, we have 6 experienced doctors whose practice is limited to emergency & critical care. Moreover, we partner with a local boarded veterinary radiologist for consultation.  Our qualified technical staff is committed to excellence. We are a progressive, team-oriented, family friendly practice that emphasizes high quality medicine and compassionate patient care.  Our highly equipped hospital (CT scan, digital radiology, echocardiogram, ultrasound, endoscopy, and laparoscopy) is the largest AAHA hospital in Northern Indiana and the only Level II Certified Critical Care facility in the state. 

Our surgical team is committed to providing patients with state-of-the-art orthopedic, soft tissue, oncologic, neurologic and thoracic surgery.  We also offer minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery.  Our surgical internship program provides excellent exposure and hands on experience under the guidance and instruction of 2 ACVS Diplomats. With our modern operating rooms, advanced equipment, specialized training and dedicated technical & nursing staff; we are devoted to providing the highest quality, progressive care to all of our patients.  

A critical goal of our internship program is preparation for a surgical residency.  Each day we expect our interns to participate as the primary assistant in multiple surgical cases, as well as be able to perform emergency surgery with back up support.  Our interns will get the chance to work with a large and diverse caseload.  Approximately 50% of our surgical cases are orthopedic, 40% soft tissue and the remaining 10% are comprised of neurologic procedures.

In order to prepare our surgical interns for both academic and private practice residencies, an emphasis will be placed on pre-operative and post-operative case management.  Interns will be given primary case responsibilities and depending on their development of technique & case preparedness, the opportunity to perform elective and emergency surgical procedures.  All interns participate in didactic medical rounds and case presentations. Upon completion of this surgical internship, graduates will have significantly improved their surgical knowledge and practical skills. 

Our compensation package includes a salary of $35,000/year, incentive pay for emergency surgeries, comprehensive health insurance, pet discounts, uniforms and AVMA/regional association dues.  Furthermore we provide 5 days for continuing education outside of the hospital and 5 days of paid vacation during the year. All interns are provided with a dedicated workspace equipped with computer and digital veterinary resources.  Onsite housing is available for interested candidates.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated candidate, seeking mentorship in a collaborative, team focused hospital.  Ideal applicants must be detail oriented with strong multi-tasking skills, enjoy working in a fast paced environment, an interest in managing complex surgical cases and the drive to provide “world famous” patient care.  Cover letters, resumes and references can be submitted via email to:

Dr. Bradley R. Coolman, DVM, MS, DACVS at: cooldvm@gmail.com.