Trying to figure out how to get some hands on experience with saltwater aquarium fish in Chicago

[Jenifer.Lea.Nix]

I'm a certified aquatic veterinarian and recently graduated with a Masters in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences from the University of Florida. I practice at an exotic pet practice where I see maybe 5 fish per year and they are mostly koi and goldfish. I want to get actual hands-on experience working with more fish and my end goal is to be selected for a job in an aquarium or at least land a fellowship or internship program in the near future. I am just wondering- is there any way to get experience in the Chicagoland area or Wisconsin even? I have been trying to get into Shedd for the last 2 years but they never have any opportunities for me. I am willing to move out of Chicago and into a more fish-friendly place if this is what it takes but I am looking into my options first. I am also interested in research with fish but unsure of what is out there. Thanks.

 

[nezw0001]

Would you be available to send fish to for necropsy and diagnosis, for a fee, obviously? I'm a poultry veterinarian and struggle to find anyone interested in providing this service.

 

[Jenifer.Lea.Nix]

I already do that at my current practice. The problem is I only see 5 fish per year and my cases are very unrewarding- nearly all of them come in as emergencies and are almost dead. I have trouble getting clients to pursue basic diagnostics in many instances and even when they do, the fish is usually too far gone for me to be able to do anything to help. I think some of it boils down to people not knowing some vets treat fish. Then there’s the “value of the animal,” ordeal- “I won this fish at the fair- why should I have to pay $500 for medical care.” Pet fish medicine is disappointing, which is why I want to work in an aquarium. The trouble is, the competition to get into these training programs is fierce. I just completed a masters degree in fish health and welfare and that was not enough to land me a chance- they want people who can prove that they are dedicated and have experience. It’s tough to get that in a place like Chicago where there is one aquarium and probably 6M residents, many of whom also want to volunteer or work in an aquarium. It’s also tough to get clients into my practice with their fish. We really should be doing house calls for these folks- it’s difficult and sometimes dangerous to transport a fish in a plastic cooler. It doesn’t seem like my boss is amenable to that and I can’t really start that up on my own due to non-compete clause in my contract. I think the best solution is to move to a more fish friendly place, like Florida or California. However, I am just hoping to exhaust my options here first before I make an expensive move like that which could potentially put me behind another year with internship and fellowship applications (these typically start in Sept/Oct).

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

I used to work for the Shedd back in the 1980's, We didn't even have our own vet back then, we piggy-backed off of Lincoln Park Zoo. The Shedd has grown so large since then, there is a huge veterinary department now.

They are looking for an associate vet right now:

Jobs - Zoo Jobs Near Me | AZA

Find a rewarding career at one of our AZA accredited facilities. Browse job postings from zoos & aquariums.

www.aza.org

The commercial sector might be an option. There used to be a large Chicago marine fish importer, O'Hare Tropicals, who had deep pockets, they brought in a vet from Belgium to work with them. Unfortunately, there aren't any similarly-sized companies in the area now. Most/all of the private practice fish vets I know of (very few) work with koi.

Jay

 

[lincolnnash]

I'm a certified aquatic veterinarian and recently graduated with a Masters in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences from the University of Florida. I practice at an exotic pet practice where I see maybe 5 fish per year and they are mostly koi and goldfish. I want to get actual hands-on experience working with more fish and my end goal is to be selected for a job in an aquarium or at least land a fellowship or internship program in the near future. I am just wondering- is there any way to get experience in the Chicagoland area or Wisconsin even? I have been trying to get into Shedd for the last 2 years but they never have any opportunities for me. I am willing to move out of Chicago and into a more fish-friendly place if this is what it takes but I am looking into my options first. I am also interested in research with fish but unsure of what is out there. Thanks.

I am also looking for work but outside of schools and colleges I am not accepted, besides this I must say that much more profitable would be to try to start his own business, I soon want to buy more fish tanks and offer people full installation of it, I think this will succeed because my friend also not long ago started this and he is doing well.