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

Out of the 3,054 applications in the Veterinary Internship and Residency Matching Program (VIRMP), 1,264 applicants successfully matched to an internship, and 489 applicants matched to a residency, resulting in an overall match rate of 47.96 percent. Of the 44 applicants from LSU Vet Med who participated in the match, 33 successfully matched with internships or residencies, showcasing the exceptional talents and abilities of LSU Vet Med students and alumni. Typically, internships begin in June and residencies begin in July.

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: 

• Gabrielle Abbott, DVM (LSU 2024), from Decorah, Iowa, will begin an equine surgery residency at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine.
• Caleb Applebaum (LSU 2026), from Chicago, Ill., will begin a small animal rotating internship at Medvet Chicago.
• Katie Black (LSU 2026), from Bossier City, La., will begin a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Tennessee.
• Noah Black-Ocken, DVM (LSU 2024), from Little Rock, Ark., will begin a four-year residency in small animal surgery at Texas A&M University.
• Lauren Bowles (LSU 2026), from Searcy, Ark., will begin a small animal rotating internship at Kansas State University.
• Peyton Cagle (LSU 2026), from El Dorado, Ark., will begin a small animal rotating internship at LSU Vet Med.
• Marlies Carter (LSU 2026), from Madisonville, La., will begin a rotating internship at Bluepearl Pittsburgh-North Hills.
• Gregory Castro (LSU 2026), from Long Beach, Calif., will begin a laboratory animal residency at the University of California, Davis.
• Robert Celentano (LSU 2026), from Mandeville, La., will begin a small animal rotating internship at MedVet Dallas.
• Alanna Costas Oramas (LSU 2026), from San Juan, Puerto Rico, will begin a small animal rotating internship Bluepearl Specialty + Pet Hospital – Tampa.
• Priscilla Devora (LSU 2025), from Fort Smith, Ark., will begin an emergency and critical care residency at LSU Vet Med.
• Austin Dykas (LSU 2026), from Zephyrhills, Fla., will begin a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Angell Animal Medical Center.
• Angela Fang, DVM (LSU 2025), from Mandeville, La., will begin an oncology specialty internship at Angell Animal Medical Center.
• Alec Filson (LSU 2026), from Conway, Ark., will begin a small animal rotating internship with medicine emphasis at North Carolina State University.
• Breonna Freeman, DVM (LSU 2025), from Monroe, La., will begin a large animal medicine residency with a food animal emphasis at Auburn University.
• Kristi Haakma (LSU 2026), from San Diego, Calif., will begin a small animal rotating internship at LSU Vet Med.
• Blaire Holliday (LSU 2026), from Chicago, Ill., will begin a laboratory animal medicine training program at the University of Chicago.
• Aubrey Holt (LSU 2026), from Marietta, Ga., will begin a small animal rotating internship at Auburn University.
• Madison Hopper, DVM (LSU 2025), from Merryville, La., will begin a neurology/neuroscience residency at Auburn University.
• Jenna Hunter (LSU 2026), from Fort Smith, Ark., will begin a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Tennessee.
• Jessica Krebs, DVM (LSU 2025), from Madisonville, La., will begin a surgical internship at Veterinary Specialty Center.
• Alvaro Lopez, DVM (LSU 2025), from Havana, Cuba, will begin a small animal surgery internship at Capital Veterinary Specialists – Tallahassee.
• Halle Patrick (LSU 2026), from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., will begin a rotating internship in small animal clinical sciences with a focus on underserved communities at Texas A&M University.
• Kirsten Rico, DVM (LSU 2024), from Norwood, N.J., will begin a small animal surgery internship at LSU Vet Med.
• Daniela Saade (LSU 2026), from Dorado, Puerto Rico, will begin a small animal medicine and surgery rotating internship at the University of Florida.
• Phillip Saint-Martin, DVM (LSU 2025), from Baton Rouge, La., will begin a small animal surgical internship at Charlotte Animal Referral and Emergency.
• Faith Scott, DVM (LSU 2025), from Bossier City, La., will begin a dermatology residency at Cornell University.
• Emily Smith (LSU 2026), from Cabot, Ark., will begin a rotating internship in small animal clinical sciences at Texas A&M University.
• Darius Statham, DVM (LSU 2023), from Atlanta, Ga., will begin a small animal surgical internship at Medvet New Orleans.
• Katheryn Steffins (LSU 2026), from West Monroe, La., will begin a small animal rotating internship at VCA California Veterinary Specialists in Carlsbad, Calif.
• Nicole Torres, DVM (LSU 2025), from Orlando, Fla., will begin a small animal surgical internship at Charlotte Animal Referral and Emergency.
• Savannah Billings Weferling, DVM (LSU 2023), from Destrehan, La., will begin a small animal surgery internship at Medvet Chicago.
• Katherine Woolf (LSU 2026), from Asheville, N.C., will begin a small animal rotating internship at Medvet Chicago.

Some students obtain internships and residencies outside of the VIRMP. They are listed alphabetically with their graduation year, hometown, and the location of the internship or residency: 

• Emily Barnes (LSU 2026), from Youngsville, La., will begin an equine rotating internship at Acadiana Equine Hospital in Opelousas, La.
• Alexandra Daverede (LSU 2026), from Baton Rouge, La., will begin an anatomic pathology residency at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
• Peyton Hall (LSU 2026), from Arnaudville, La., will begin an equine rotating internship at Weatherford Equine.
• Kathryn LeBlanc (LSU 2026), from Rayne, La., will begin an equine internship at Brandon Equine Medical Center near Tampa, Fla.
• Sydney Talbot (LSU 2026), from River Ridge, La., will begin an equine rotating internship in Weatherford, Texas.

LSU Vet Med Interns and Residents

LSU Vet Med’s Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences offers internships and residencies in the following areas:

• Anesthesia and analgesia
• Cardiology
• Dermatology
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Emergency and Critical Care
• Equine Medicine
• Equine Practice
• Equine Surgery
• Small Animal Internal Medicine
• Medical Oncology
• Radiation Oncology
• Comparative Ophthalmology
• Clinical Pathology
• Small Animal Surgery
• Theriogenology (reproduction)
• Zoological Medicine

The Department of Pathobiological Sciences offers residencies in laboratory animal medicine and anatomic pathology. Internships last one year and start each June, and residencies are for three or four years (depending on the specialty) and begin each July. Learn more online at lsu.edu/vetmed/internships-residencies.

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.