Director, Shelter Medicine Clinical Training

Location: New York

Summary:

Working in this position means you’ll be part of an established team of experts, valuably contributing to the ASPCA’s mission by training veterinarians in the field of shelter medicine. The Director, Shelter Medicine Clinical Training, works within the Shelter Medicine Services (SMS) team which provides shelter medicine expertise within the ASPCA and externally to partners and stakeholders. SMS collaborates across the ASPCA and with shelters, academic programs, and related professional organizations.

SMS supports the integration of shelter medicine principles, develops extensive resources on shelter medicine and community animal health, engages in training and supervision of shelter medicine residents and other trainees, and serves in strategic roles in veterinary and animal welfare organizations. The Director plays a critical role serving as direct manager and clinical supervisor for NYC-based shelter medicine residents. Who we are SMS strives to improve the health and welfare of animals in shelters and communities by strategically applying expertise both internally at the ASPCA and externally with partners.

SMS is the home department of the Julie Morris Shelter Medicine Residency, which is based in New York City. The SMS team is primarily comprised of veterinarians board-certified in the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners’ (ABVP) Shelter Medicine Practice and residents working towards board certification. Most team members are remote with significant travel. Members of SMS each have assigned projects and areas of emphasis but collectively subscribe to a workplace culture of life-long learning, relentless collaboration, and a willingness to dive into work that needs to be done.

You will join this team of experts to make a real impact on animals and the next generation of veterinary and animal welfare professionals.

What you’ll doSMS works to improve the health and welfare of animals in shelters and communities through consultation and guidance to enhance shelter operations and access to veterinary care programs. The Director, Shelter Medicine Clinical Training (Director) reports to the Senior Director of Shelter Medicine Training, and plays a critical role serving as direct manager and clinical supervisor for shelter medicine residents.

The Director provides both clinical service and teaching while overseeing clinical work with residents across several NYC-based ASPCA programs and the Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC). The Director also engages in consultative work with shelters and other community animal health providers and supports the residents’ consultative work. Along with the rest of the SMS team, the Director develops shelter medicine resources and provides training on shelter medicine topics.  

To succeed in this role, the Director must have significant expertise in shelter medicine, including excellent clinical skills, to provide high-quality animal care to animals in need as well as mentoring, training, and support for the residents. Ideally, the Director is board-certified in Shelter Medicine Practice or actively progressing towards achieving board-certification (within 2 years). They must have outstanding interpersonal, communication, collaboration, and teaching skills.

Success also hinges on their ability to identify and leverage past experience in a wide range of situations to provide a high-quality and collaborative, nuanced approach to implementation of individual and population level animal health and well-being principles. Deep relationship building across teams is essential for establishing clinical working relationships and understanding of the work.

The Director reports to the Senior Director of Shelter Medicine Training, and will supervise the…