Piper Equine Hospital

Your Senior Clinician

Your senior clinician is the specialist veterinarian who is overseeing your animal’s care while your animal is a patient at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center (VMC). It is the senior clinician’s responsibility to ensure that your animal receives coordinated compassionate care by all the doctors, technicians, and students who are taking care of your animal during its stay. Your senior clinician or a representative will also contact your referring veterinarian and keep him or her informed of your animal’s progress. All of the senior clinicians are board certified in their area of expertise.

The VMC medical care team

The following are medical professionals who are caring for your animal during its stay at the Veterinary Medical Center. The Veterinary Medical Center is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Residents

Residents are licensed D.V.M.s who are in a two- to three-year specialty training program following veterinary medical school. Some may have been in a private practice or had advanced training prior to their residency at the VMC. The resident on your medical care team works with the senior clinician, intern, technicians, and veterinary medical students to supervise and manage your animal’s care.

Interns

Interns are licensed D.V.M.s who are in a one-year advanced training program following veterinary medical school. Some interns have been in private practice prior to their internship at the VMC. An intern works with the senior clinician, resident, technicians, and veterinary medical students to manage your animal’s care.

Technicians

Veterinary technicians, certified through the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association, are involved in all aspects of your animal’s care, from assisting in complex medical, surgical, and diagnostic procedures to providing routine treatments and daily patient monitoring.

Veterinary Medical Students

Students are in their final year of veterinary medical school and work under the close supervision of the senior clinician and resident. Students have been assigned to assist in providing care and monitoring the condition of your animal. For this reason, students will be consulting with you and asking lots of questions. Your cooperation will help these students become excellent veterinarians.

Specialty Consultants

During your animal’s stay at the Veterinary Medical Center, your clinician may consult with other medical, surgical, or diagnostic specialists in areas such as ophthalmology, anesthesiology, and dentistry to ensure the best possible care for your animal. 

If you or a designated representative would like to contact one of the doctors tending to your horse or meet with other VMC staff, contact the Large Animal Hospital’s front office at 612-625- 6700 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.