I'm a 1st year veterinary student at Tufts (as well as the owner of two
great ferrets), and have been lurking for a few months now on the FML.
I've been reading the thread about ferret-knowledgeable vets and thought
perhaps I could provide a unique perspective of current veterinary school
practice in regards to ferrets, at least here at Tufts.  Tufts vet school,
in general, is very open to teaching about both exotics and wildlife.  As
other posters have mentioned, this focus on exotics and wildlife is perhaps
somewhat indicative of being in the Northeast, where there can be less of a
focus on livestock, with agriculture not as prevalent as in other areas of
the country.  I have already been taught some facts regarding ferrets in my
classes, and certainly will learn more when my comparitive anatomy course
starts this spring.  Nonetheless, I think in order to become a truly
knowledgeable ferret veterinarian, even at a great school like Tufts, will
require spending extra time reading and gaining experience outside of the
veterinary school curriculum.  I feel I learn a great deal even from
reading the FML, and particularly Dr. William's informative posts.
 
It seems that vet schools are put in somewhat of a bind, in that with the
increased interest in exotic veterinary medicine, they simply don't have
enough time to teach every species in the detail it deserves.  Nonetheless,
it might comfort FML readers to know that I have many fellow classmates
that are very interested in exotic medicine, including several that are
fellow ferret owners, and that I think more and more ferret-knowledgeable
veterinarians will be practicing in the future.
 
Sincerly,
Erin Hokanson
[Posted in FML issue 3302]