Established in 1897, Iowa State is home to the first public veterinary school in the nation. With over 7,500 graduates since its founding, the college of veterinary medicine houses one of the most extensive veterinary research facilities in the nation. As of 2023, the program ranks eleventh globally, and fifth in the nation, according to the college of veterinary medicine website.
With over 600 undergraduates and more than 100 graduate students, the College of Veterinary Medicine sends a number of educated individuals into the workforce each year. Following graduation, veterinary students are faced with deciding where to take the next step in their career.
The BluePearl EmERge Program is designed to give veterinary school graduates the necessary training to become successful emergency veterinarians, as stated on the BluePearl website. The program offers a viable alternative to internships for recent veterinary school graduates. Over the years, the program has become a pipeline for many Iowa State graduates. Last year alone, 11% of the EmERge class consisted of cyclone graduates
The program itself begins with a four-week boot camp in Tampa, Florida, followed by 16 weeks of accelerated boot camp and initial training. EmERge veterinarians then undergo 20 weeks of hands-on, immersive training guided by an experienced clinician mentor. The program concludes with 16 weeks of experiential training, with continued mentoring.
EmERge is a full-time, paid position, inclusive of benefits which combines lectures, labs, mentoring and practical hands-on experience over a one-year period. The program covers several topics, including clinical leadership, sepsis, cardiac and pulmonary emergencies, immune-mediated diseases, surgical emergencies and more, according to Alex Snow, External Communications Director at BluePearl.
Brennan Goodman is one of the Iowa State graduates who has elected to take the EmERge path in recent years. Goodman graduated from Iowa State with a Bachelor of Science in 2018 before returning to earn his doctorate in veterinary medicine in 2023.
Upon graduation, Goodman took a veterinary medicine internship through the University of Tennessee.
“The internship was a tough year for sure…working 16 hour days and it was like, ‘Oh boy, what am I doing here?’ Sure it was a great experience and I learned a lot down in Tennessee, but definitely the work-life balance wasn’t quite there,” Goodman said.
During his time in Tennessee, Goodman’s attention was caught by the social media posts of Miriam Knouse, a fellow Iowa State veterinary medicine graduate.
“When she was in Florida during the EmERge program, I could see on Facebook all the canoe trips that she was going on, plus she’s in the classroom,” Goodman said. “She’s doing the whole program and it looked like a really good time.”
Goodman was also encouraged by another fellow cyclone graduate, Abby Gilman, who he had reached out to and was encouraged to join the program.
“I was between a couple of different opportunities and I thought BluePearl had the best mentorship as a new grad and wasn’t interested in doing surgeries and EmERge definitely fit that bill so I ended up doing emergency vet through Blue Pearl,” Goodman said.
After being accepted to the program, Goodman said she enjoyed the relaxed structure and hands-on nature of EmERge.
“I was really impressed with the quality of education that we’re getting down there compared to university internships,” Goodman said.
“I strongly believe in that program because of the mentorship… it’s real life right there on the floor,” EmERge program manager Lisa Powell said. “They’re seeing cases but never on their own.”
Further information on the EmERge program can be found on the BluePearl careers website.
