Hello,
I'm interested in avian medicine, and was wondering if anyone here knows of a good veterinary school (preferably online), or book(s) to recommend? Thanks.
avian medicine
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Winston
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Crystal
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What do you mean by an online veterinary school? All the vet schools in the U.S. have websites, however none offer any "online courses" or "online degrees" if that is what you are asking about. Veterinary medicine, like human medicine, is not really something that can be adequately learned just by browsing a website. That being stated, some vet school websites may or may not have avian-medicine-related notes posted for students to browse through.
As for avian veterinary medical texts, I highly recommend Avian Medicine: Principles & Application by Ritchie, Harrison, and Harrison (unabridged). That is probably the single best / most comprehensive book I have found covering avian medicine so far. Other great books to consider include Manual of Avian Medicine by Glenn Olsen and Susan Orosz, Sturkie's Avian Physiology, and Practical Avian Medicine by Heidi Hoefer.
As for avian veterinary medical texts, I highly recommend Avian Medicine: Principles & Application by Ritchie, Harrison, and Harrison (unabridged). That is probably the single best / most comprehensive book I have found covering avian medicine so far. Other great books to consider include Manual of Avian Medicine by Glenn Olsen and Susan Orosz, Sturkie's Avian Physiology, and Practical Avian Medicine by Heidi Hoefer.
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Winston
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avian medicine
Thanks, I'll look for the books you mentioned. I noticed you're a student of Veterinary Medicine. Is that mostly hands on? Or are text books enough? I'm going to join an online college, but not for avian medicine.
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Crystal
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Different vet schools do things a little differently. The vet med school that I attend provides mostly lectures for the first 2 years of the 4 year curriculum in order to provide a really solid foundation for the last 2 years of the curriculum. Several of the classes in the first years (such as the ones which are based on looking under a microscope to see what is going on in the blood or the tissue, for instance) also have weekly or bi-weekly labs which is a more "hands on" way to learn the material. A few of the classes are mostly laboratory-based and only provide a few lectures (such as anatomy where most days are spent dissecting and memorizing the major landmarks of the canine and equine bodies). A few classes and labs provide for hands on experience with live animals as well, such as surgery class where we eventually perform anesthesia and a spay or neuter on a live dog, or large animal medicine where we learn how to do a physical exam (including collecting urine and blood) from a live cow.
During most of the third and fourth years of the curriculum, the students are on rotations and act as clinicians in the school's small and large animal hospitals. We greet clients, assess patients (live animals), run tests on the patients, diagnose the patients (if possible), and treat them (if applicable). We essentially act just like a regular veterinarian would, with the exception that we are still very new at this and are under the constant supervision of experienced clinicians who will guide us and teach us to become more competent.
Reading alone is not sufficient to gain a full understanding or appreciation for avian veterinary medicine. There is so much involved in medicine that you could read every avian veterinary medical text in existence and still not be capable of being a veterinarian. The avian med texts I recommended, for instance, may provide examples of problems seen in radiographs (x-rays) of a bird, but this is not sufficient to teach you how to evaluate a radiograph for problems on your own--this is something the authors of the book assume all vets already know how to do, since they were taught it in vet school. There are radiology books available to teach subjects such as these, but nothing is as valuable as an experienced radiologist sitting in front of a viewbox with a series of real radiographs and helping point out everything that you are supposed to see in them. In other words, some things just have to be taught hands on or experienced for yourself in the presence of someone who can SHOW you what to do in order to get a grasp on the concept. (And of course your initial grasp will NOT be considered a mastery of the subject!! It takes YEARS of dedicating yourself to radiology to become good at it, etc.) This is just one small example of many to illustrate how reading books on a specific subject will not give you all the experience and practical knowledge you'll need to be capable of practicing medicine.
However, if you get your hands on an avian medical text I don't think you will be disappointed. They are packed to the brim with interesting information, and they are a great way to get acquainted with the subject and learn some helpful tidbits for taking better care of your birds.
-Crystal
During most of the third and fourth years of the curriculum, the students are on rotations and act as clinicians in the school's small and large animal hospitals. We greet clients, assess patients (live animals), run tests on the patients, diagnose the patients (if possible), and treat them (if applicable). We essentially act just like a regular veterinarian would, with the exception that we are still very new at this and are under the constant supervision of experienced clinicians who will guide us and teach us to become more competent.
Reading alone is not sufficient to gain a full understanding or appreciation for avian veterinary medicine. There is so much involved in medicine that you could read every avian veterinary medical text in existence and still not be capable of being a veterinarian. The avian med texts I recommended, for instance, may provide examples of problems seen in radiographs (x-rays) of a bird, but this is not sufficient to teach you how to evaluate a radiograph for problems on your own--this is something the authors of the book assume all vets already know how to do, since they were taught it in vet school. There are radiology books available to teach subjects such as these, but nothing is as valuable as an experienced radiologist sitting in front of a viewbox with a series of real radiographs and helping point out everything that you are supposed to see in them. In other words, some things just have to be taught hands on or experienced for yourself in the presence of someone who can SHOW you what to do in order to get a grasp on the concept. (And of course your initial grasp will NOT be considered a mastery of the subject!! It takes YEARS of dedicating yourself to radiology to become good at it, etc.) This is just one small example of many to illustrate how reading books on a specific subject will not give you all the experience and practical knowledge you'll need to be capable of practicing medicine.
However, if you get your hands on an avian medical text I don't think you will be disappointed. They are packed to the brim with interesting information, and they are a great way to get acquainted with the subject and learn some helpful tidbits for taking better care of your birds.
-Crystal
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Winston
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avian medicine
Thanks for your help. And best wishes with your new profession.
