Veterinary Extracorporeal Therapies and Blood Purification Fellowship

The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Extracorporeal Therapies and Blood Purification Unit is seeking a veterinary criticalist who is a collaborative team player with excellent communication and interpersonal skills to join our team as a Fellow in Veterinary Extracorporeal Therapies.

This fellowship is a two-year program designed to provide fellows opportunities to cultivate the skills necessary to become leaders in the advanced practice of veterinary extracorporeal therapies while enjoying and contributing to our positive community culture. This will be achieved through active participation in the development and delivery of extracorporeal therapies in both small and large animal species, building educational training through simulation and hands on labs, and publication of clinical applications and research findings in major veterinary journals.

Veterinary extracorporeal therapies have burgeoned from the early years of renal replacement therapies to now include therapeutic plasma exchange and blood purification in a number of disease states.  This fellowship is designed for a veterinary criticalist with a strong interest in growing their own practice of extracorporeal therapies as well as advancing the field through student, house officer, and specialist education. At completion of the fellowship, the fellow will have the experience to establish or join an extracorporeal therapies unit and will achieve ACVNU Fellowship in ECTs status (ACVNU approval pending).

The Fellow will also serve as a key member of the Emergency and Critical Care faculty providing clinical oversight of house officers, nurses and students in the 24/7-busy emergency and critical care service. They will provide educational sessions in extracorporeal therapies for faculty, residents, interns, and students and both internal and external consultations. 

Position Description

Qualifications:

Board certified diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC) or the European College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ECVECC) and those who are ACVECC or ECVECC board-eligible by July of 2026 are encouraged to apply. No previous extracorporeal therapies experience is required, although this would be considered a positive attribute. At this time Cornell is unable to sponsor visa applications, so applicants must be US citizens, aliens with work authorization, or authorized noncitizen/foreign nationals.

Effort Distribution:

50% Extracorporeal Therapies (Clinical, Teaching and Research): The position is focused on the management of elective and emergency extracorporeal sessions under the mentorship and guidance of the unit director. Outside of the treatments, primary case responsibility will be maintained by the appropriate specialty service (usually Critical Care or Internal Medicine). On call availability is a significant component of the position given the unpredictable nature of emergency presentations. On call is shared with the unit director and ECC residents. Independence for on call will grow through the training period with the fellow empowered to manage emergency extracorporeal therapy sessions with less direct oversight in the latter half of this fellowship.

When clinical cases are not being managed, the fellow will focus efforts on growing extracorporeal skills in a simulation environment, developing training materials and simulations, and providing education to various audiences. Cornell is the home of the Tetlow and Roy Park Veterinary Innovation Lab, an immersive simulation center directed by 2 of the ECC faculty and a dedicated simulation fellow, offering excellent opportunities for collaborative development of extracorporeal simulations.

A robust research environment is available including an active equine/bovine/caprine/other species research team and opportunities for development of personal research interests. A publication is a requirement of the program and successful publication will be internally supported.

30% ECC Service Oversight (average 6-7 days/month): dedicated to clinical coverage as an attending criticalist in the Companion Animal Hospital of the Cornell University Hospital for Animals. This will include some weekend and holiday coverage, shared with the 7 ECC faculty in the section.

20% Independent Study/Electives: This time is allotted for attendance in the ACVNU Hemodialysis Academy and other similar activities. Elective time may be arranged with collaborative ECTs sites or in pursuit of related clinical interests if appropriate.

Support and Resources:

Mentorship:

·         Primary mentorship will be provided by the Director of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Extracorporeal Therapies and Blood Purification Unit, Jethro Forbes, DVM, DACVECC, ACVNU Legacy Candidate. Jethro has established multiple extracorporeal therapies units in both private practice and at Cornell, is recognized as an ACVNU Legacy Trainer in extracorporeal therapies, co-hosts the ACVNU Extracorporeal Hour, and delivers extracorporeal therapies content/training at international conferences including ACVNU-IRIS Renal Week. Mentorship is structured to provide direct oversight initially, transitioning toward greater autonomy by the second year.

Facilities:

·         The Extracorporeal Therapies and Blood Purification Unit has the ability to perform CRRT, PIRRT, IHD, mTPE, hemoperfusion and cytokine removal. Currently our platforms include Baxter (Vantive) PrisMax named “Priscella”, Fresenius BlueStar (“Sirius”) with AquaCaddy water purification system, Revive HP (“Sunny”) and Cytosorbent PuriFi (“SweetPea”). Future equipment expansion is planned for centrifugal cytapheresis/plasmapheresis and platforms for smaller patients. Adjunctive monitoring tools include both a stand-alone Fresenius Crit-Line monitor and one integrated into the BlueStar platform.

·         Our stand-alone treatment space is equipped with multiple web cams and a large video screen with touch screen capability to provide the opportunity for real time sharing of treatment sessions and teaching for in house learners.

Adjunctive Learning Opportunities:

·         The Fellow will be expected and supported to attend the 2026-2027 ACVNU Hemodialysis Academy (remote), ACVNU-IRIS Renal Week 2027 and have the opportunity to participate in ACVNU journal club, Nephropathology Rounds, and Extracorporeal Hour Webinars.

·         Collaboration with the Simulation Team and Educational Support Services will open the possibilities for production of extracorporeal therapies training materials for future learners.

Salary and Benefits:

·         $80,000 per year salary for 2 years

·         $2,000 per year to support 2026-2027 Hemodialysis Academy and 2027 Renal Week Attendance

·         A comprehensive benefits package (https://hr.cornell.edu/understand-your-benefits/health-care/contract-college-health-care)

Location:

Cornell University is in the city of Ithaca, NY. Located on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake in central New York, Ithaca is situated in the Finger Lakes region of the state and known for its eye-pleasing waterfalls and scenic parks. Top schools, historic charm, modern development, and an excellent cuisine scene also highlight the local quality of life.

Anticipated Start Date:

We offer a flexible start date, ideally fall of 2026. The applicant will be expected to start the ACVNU Hemodialysis Academy prior to initiation of the fellowship if the start date is after September 2026.

For More Information:

Send any questions about the position to Jethro Forbes, jmf439@cornell.edu.

To Apply:

Please submit the following using the Academic Jobs Online link:

·         A letter of intent describing your educational, teaching and clinical experience, why you are interested in pursuing this Extracorporeal Therapies Fellowship, your future career goals, and how this fellowship will help you achieve them.

·         Names and contact information for 3 professional references who can attest to the clinical proficiency and positive personality of the applicant.