Aquatic opportunities in veterinary colleges are limited, and there is no board speciality in aquatic medicine. In Mississippi, catfish is a huge business, and veterinarians can play a role in these animals' health through research as well as diagnostic medicine. The aquatic medicine internship began in 1995 as a one-year, salaried position in what is now the Thad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Research Center at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville. Two positions are available each year, and offer advanced training in fish health for veterinarians. Interns primarily work in the fish diagnostic laboratory, which annually receives about 1,500 field diagnostic cases from fish farmers.
Interns become familiar with water quality, postmortem exams and microbiologic techniques.
They consult with clients, conduct pond visits and perform research. Interns work alongside three faculty members and several staff members at the research center in Stoneville, and with aquatic medicine faculty members at CVM in Starkville. Interns have come from across the country, but all have some background and interest in working with fish. After the internship is over, interns receive a certificate of completion, and typically go back into private practice, graduate school or government sector jobs. Dr. Todd Cecil, associate veterinarian at the Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital in San Diego, completed the aquatic medicine internship in June, 1997.