Cultivating Leadership

A Beacon of Excellence.

Ocean State Veterinary Specialists is one of the premier veterinary facilities in the country. Because we have specialists in almost every discipline, state-of-the-art equipment, 24-hour care and a large caseload, OSVS is an ideal facility for training veterinarians who want to gain extra experience and skills following veterinary school graduation pursue specialization.

A Beacon of Excellence

The internship Program at OSVS

OSVS has a well-established internship program. Interns are graduates of veterinary school and are fully licensed veterinarians. Unlike in human medicine, internships are not required for veterinarians. Most veterinary graduates choose to go straight into practice, but some are interested in gaining more experience managing patients with serious acute and chronic illnesses. An internship allows them to work with these patients under the supervision of board-certified specialists and very experienced emergency doctors. Because of the excellent reputation of our internship program, OSVS receives applications from all across the country. Applicants enter into a competitive “match” system and are selected based on their academic achievements and clinical performance.

Surgeons in blue scrubs and masks conduct an operation under bright surgical lights. A nurse observes, taking notes on a tablet. The operating room is clean and well-equipped.
Two veterinary professionals conduct an ultrasound on a dog lying on a table. One points to the screen displaying the ultrasound image, while the other gently holds the dog. The room has medical equipment visible.
A surgeon wearing a mask and red cap performs a procedure in an operating room. The room is equipped with overhead surgical lights, medical instruments, and blue drapes cover the operating table.

A Beacon of Excellence

The Residency Programs at OSVS

In addition to our internship, OSVS is a training center for residents in both Emergency/Critical Care and Surgery. Our residents have already completed a high quality internship, and have been accepted into our highly competitive programs. The residencies consist of three years of high volume patient management, rigorous didactic training, teaching responsibilities, and publication of a research paper. At the end of the three years, the residents sit for a multi-day examination with a national specialty organization to achieve board-certification.

Veterinarians choosing to pursue specialty certification have not only completed four years of undergraduate college and four years of veterinary school, but an additional four years of advanced training during which they work many, many hours for compensation levels significantly below what they could earn if they went immediately into practice. Why do they do it? Because they have a true passion for veterinary medicine and what specialty medicine can offer to pets. You will recognize this from the moment you meet them.

Residents

MARISSA TURNER

DVM

Dr. Turner is originally from Rhode Island. She received her Associates and Bachelors in Animal Science at Becker College in Worcester, Massachusetts. She then traveled to St. George’s University in Grenada, West Indies where she completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2021.

Dr. Turner started her small animal emergency and critical care residency at Ocean State Veterinary Specialists in 2022. She is interested in management of emergency medicine and critical care cases with a specific interest in toxins and trauma cases.

Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her dog, Oscar (pictured) who was adopted from the island she went to vet school at. She enjoys hiking, playing volleyball and baking.

ANGELA SU

DVM

Dr. Su is originally from southern California, where she received her Bachelor of Science in biology from University of California Riverside. She completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2021. Dr. Su started her small animal rotating internship here at Ocean State Veterinary Specialist and stayed to continue her residency in small animal emergency and critical care.

In her free time, Dr. Su enjoys spending time with her three ferrets (Felix, Zoe and Figaro), playing video games, attending concerts and listening to audiobooks.

MARK VARDANEGA

BVSc

Dr. Vardanega is originally from Brisbane Australia where he completed his veterinary degree at the University of Queensland in 2017, graduating with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science with Honors. He subsequently completed a rotating internship and a small animal surgery internship at Pet Emergency and Queensland Veterinary Specialists before continuing his veterinary career as a small animal emergency veterinarian at the Animal Referral Hospital. In 2022 he moved across the Pacific Ocean to complete an advanced emergency and surgery internship here at Ocean State Veterinary Specialists.

Dr. Vardanega started his small animal surgical residency at Ocean State Veterinary Specialists in 2023. He enjoys all aspects of small animal surgery but particularly enjoys orthopedic and emergency surgery and traumatology.

When Dr. Vardanega isn’t working he enjoys unwinding by reading, cooking, playing video games, and sinking a few pints at the local pub.

Super Interns

AUSTIN YUNGMEYER

DVM

Dr. Yungmeyer is originally from northern California, growing up in the county of Santa Cruz. He received his Bachelor of Science in Animal Science at the University of California, Davis. He would then remain at UC Davis to continue his education where he completed his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2023. His career interests in the veterinary field include both small animal surgery (orthopedics and soft tissue), as well as emergency medicine.

In his free time outside of the hospital, his hobbies include playing volleyball (indoor, grass, and beach), painting (particularly watercolors), and spending quality time with his friends doing any sort of fun activity. His dream dog is one that resembles a wolf, but a fun-fact is that one of his favorite animals in the world is an axolotl!

Interns