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Virginia Equine Imaging

Fellowships

Horse Getting Examined

The Virginia Equine Imaging (VEI) Fellowship is a 12-month immersive training program designed for recent veterinary graduates who have completed at least one year of equine internship and/or equine private practice.

Our mission is to provide a highly motivated early-career veterinarian with extensive exposure to performance horse medicine, advanced diagnostic imaging, and the management of the equine athlete.

Fellows should be prepared to commit to a fast-paced, high-level clinical environment and will develop proficiency across a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic skills.

Clinical & Diagnostic Training

Fellows will gain hands-on experience and are expected to achieve competency in:

  • Comprehensive lameness and poor-performance evaluations

  • Diagnostic analgesia

  • Treatment modalities including extracorporeal shockwave therapy, orthobiologics, and ultrasound-guided therapies

Fellows will become proficient in both high-quality image acquisition and accurate interpretation using:

  • Digital radiology

  • Advanced musculoskeletal ultrasound

  • Nuclear scintigraphy

  • Fan-beam computed tomography

  • Low-field magnetic resonance imaging

Our facility includes an Asto Equina fan-beam CT, capable of imaging from the carpus/tarsus to the digit, the head, and the cervical spine (C1–C7). We also perform nuclear scintigraphy studies, provide digital radiographs via portable units and an overhead 1000mA gantry, and conduct diagnostic ultrasounds. Low-field MRI is performed on a shared Hallmarq system with the local veterinary teaching hospital; the fellow is responsible for patient preparation and sedation for these off-site procedures.

Clinical Mentorship & Responsibilities

The fellow works primarily with Dr. Kent Allen, with additional collaboration alongside Dr. Susan Johns and Dr. Jack Caldwell. Responsibilities include:

  • Participation in daily clinical appointments

  • Client and referring veterinarian communication

  • Supervising and supporting visiting students

  • Fellows may be required to complete a paper, talk, or presentation during the program

Caseload & Practice Environment

VEI’s caseload includes horses from a broad range of disciplines – 3-day-eventing, hunters/jumpers, dressage, foxhunting, western pleasure, driving, racing, and others. While most cases involve lameness or poor performance, fellows will also assist with pre-purchase examinations.

The majority of appointments occur in-clinic, though some out-clinic visits to local performance horse farms occur. VEI does not provide after-hours emergency services.

All fellows are closely supervised and receive periodic evaluations throughout the program.

Compensation & Benefits

Fellows receive:

  • Competitive Salary

  • Professional liability insurance

  • Medical insurance through Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield

  • Clothing allowance

  • Two weeks of paid vacation

  • Paid entry to an ISELP meeting

Fellows must provide their own housing and obtain a valid Virginia veterinary license.

Application Process

The application deadline is January 1, although VEI reserves the right to close the application process early.

Applicants must submit:

  • Curriculum vitae (CV)

  • Three professional letters of reference