LSU Vet Med students and alumni excel in Veterinary Internship and Residency Matching Program

The Veterinary Internship and Residency Matching Program (VIRMP) recently announced the results of the 2023 match, and students and alumni from the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine (LSU Vet Med) have achieved outstanding success.

Out of the 2,030 applications in the match for internships and residencies in veterinary medicine, 973 applicants successfully matched to an internship, and 394 applicants matched to a residency, resulting in an overall match rate of 53.21 percent. Seventy-eight percent of the 32 applicants from LSU Vet Med who participated in the match successfully matched with internships or residencies, showcasing the exceptional talents and abilities of LSU Vet Med students and alumni. 

The VIRMP follows principles established by the Physicians National Intern and Resident Matching Program and is structured on an established and functioning system. The prospective intern or resident chooses the school of his or her choice and, because of the marked competition for positions, the student is advised to apply to more than one institution. The student fulfills the application criteria of each institution and submits his/her applications directly to the institutions. The institution, through its selection process, ranks the applicants according to its criteria.

Congratulations to the following students and alumni who were successful in obtaining an internship or residency through the VIRMP. They are listed alphabetically with their graduation year, hometown, and the location of the internship or residency: 

Morgaine Angst (LSU 2023), from Bothell, Wash., will begin a Small Animal Rotating Internship at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Katie Bakalis (LSU 2023), from Shreveport, La., will begin a Small Animal Integrative Medicine and Rehabilitation Internship at LSU Vet Med.

David Barry (LSU 2023), from Baton Rouge, La., will begin an Internship In Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Elizabeth Benton-Levith (LSU 2023), from New Orleans, La., will begin a Small Animal Rotating Internship at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Rebecca Broussard Banker (LSU 2023), from Baton Rouge, La., will begin an Internship In Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at Angell Animal Medical Center.

Alexandra Cesarek (LSU 2023), from Kingwood, Texas, will begin a Small Animal Rotating Internship at the  University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.

Alexandra Cheramie (LSU 2023), from Plaquemine, La., will begin an Exotics Internship at Neel Veterinary Hospital.

Young Cho (LSU 2023), from La Mirada, Calif., will begin a Small Animal Rotating Internship at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists.

Katie Como, DVM (LSU 2022), from Baton Rouge, La., will begin a Three-year Residency In Small Animal Internal Medicine at Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Edelicia Garcia (LSU 2023), from Edinburg, Texas, will begin a Food Animal Medicine And Surgery Internship at LSU Vet Med.

Olivia Geels, DVM (LSU 2022), from Bentonville, Ark., will begin a Comparative Oncology Purdue University Residency Sponsored By Medvet at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Sydney Hall (LSU 2023), from Baton Rouge, La., will begin a Small Animal Medicine and Surgery Internship at LSU Vet Med.

Kayla Leimer (LSU 2023), from Lexington, Ky., will begin a Small Animal Rotating Internship at Medvet New Orleans.

Zoey Lex (LSU 2023), from Shreveport, La., will begin a Small Animal Rotating Internship at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.

Kylie Landry (LSU 2023), from Baton Rouge, La., will begin a Small Animal Rotating Internship at LSU Vet Med.

Marley McInnis, DVM (LSU 2022), from Mandeville, La., will begin a Dermatology Residency at LSU Vet Med.

Rachel McNair, DVM (LSU 2015), from Bossier City, La., will begin a Small Animal Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine.

Ursula Ramalho, DVM (LSU 2022), from Demarest, N.J., will begin a Residency In Small Animal Internal Medicine at Angell Animal Medical Center.

Murphy Sachse, DVM (LSU 2022), from Baton Rouge, La., will begin a Small Animal Internal Medicine Residency at LSU Vet Med

Ansley Sackett, DVM (LSU 2022), from Greensboro, N.C., will begin an Emergency Medicine/Critical Care Residency at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

Darius Statham (LSU 2023), from Atlanta,Ga., will begin a Small Animal Rotating Internship at Bluepearl Specialty + Pet Hospital - Sandy Springs.

Morgan Steiner, DVM (LSU 2021), from Rogers, Ark., will begin a Residency In Large Animal Surgery at Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

 Jose Suarez Rodriguez (LSU 2023), from Hatillo, Puerto Rico, will begin a Small Animal Rotating Internship at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.

Laura Ansleigh Thibodeaux (LSU 2023), from Natchez, Miss., will begin Small Animal Rotating Internship at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.

Max Veenema (LSU 2023), from Grand Rapids, Mich., will begin a Small Animal Medicine and Surgery Rotating Internship at the Veterinary Specialty Center of Seattle: Thrive Pet Healthcare Partner.

John Wahlborg, DVM (LSU 2022), from Baton Rouge, La., will begin a Small Animal Surgery Internship at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Some students obtain internships and residencies outside of the VIRMP. Those students are as follows:

Kevin Cali (LSU 2023), from Randolph, N.J., will begin a small animal medicine and surgery rotating internship at Garden State Veterinary Specialists in New Jersey.

Reed Haley (Class of 2023), from Mobile, Ala., will begin a diagnostic medicine internship at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Patrick Hall (LSU 2023), from Metairie, La., will begin a lab animal medicine residency at LSU Vet Med.

Isabel Grazian (LSU 2023), from Barrington, Ill., will begin a shelter medicine internship at LSU Vet Med.

Saba Morsali (LSU 2023), from Mission Viejo, Calif., will begin an Equine Internship (medicine and surgery) at Peterson & Smith Equine Hospital in Ocala, Fla.

Heather Smith (Class of 2023), from Houston, Texas, will begin a Small Animal Rotating Internship at MedVet New Orleans.

Olivia Swiber (LSU 2023), from New Orleans, La., will begin an Equine Surgery Internship at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky.

About LSU Vet Med: Bettering lives through education, public service, and discovery

The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 33 veterinary schools in the U.S. and the only one in Louisiana. LSU Vet Med is dedicated to improving and protecting the lives of animals and people through superior education, transformational research, and compassionate care. We teach. We heal. We discover. We protect.