Skip to main content

Purdue Veterinary Medicine Welcomes New Clinical Residents and Specialty Intern

12 people wearing business formal attire are gathered in two rows for a photograph
The new class of residents/specialty interns for 2026-27: Front Row (L-R) – Kathryn Vasquez, Sarang Im, Max Paulson, Samantha Collins, and Beth Zanley; Second Row (L-R) – Liam Kitson, Sam Gonzalez, Jessica Park (VCS Specialty Intern), Danielle McNabney, Myles McAtee, Laura Machados-Ribas (CPB Resident), and Vidur Gajanayaka (CPB Intern) (Purdue University photo/Ed Lausch)

A new class of clinical residents arrived this summer at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine to begin their specialty training. On July 16, 2026, the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences (VCS) held a welcome breakfast to introduce the new VCS residents to faculty and staff. Dr. Tim Lescun, VCS Department Head, began the event by sharing opening remarks before each of the new residents were introduced by their mentor. The breakfast provided the opportunity for the new residents and a new specialty intern in neurology to meet current VCS residents, as well as the faculty and staff they will be working closely with during their time at Purdue. 

The three year residency programs provide advanced training in a chosen specialty and preparation for obtaining board certification as specialists. Residencies also offer research and teaching opportunities. Specialty internships provide qualified veterinarians with an opportunity for greater immersion into an area of specialization, often after completion of a rotating internship. 

Congratulations to each of these veterinarians who’ve joined the VCS Department for their advanced clinical training:

the photo on the left features two men engaged in a conversation. The photo on the right is of a group of people in a casual dining setting. A woman is seen standing appearing to talk to someone out of view, across the room. People are smiling and engaging in conversation.
New VCS residents received a warm welcome from department faculty, staff and current residents. (Purdue University photo/Andres Herrera)

Dr. Dylan Burton – Diagnostic Imaging (earned a DVM degree from Colorado State University in 2025 and did a Small Animal Rotating Internship at Purdue University from 2025-2026)

Dr. Samantha Collins – Small Animal Internal Medicine (earned a DVM degree from the University of Georgia in 2025 and did a Small Animal Rotating Internship at Purdue University from 2025-2026)

Dr. Samuel Gonzalez – Large Animal Surgery (earned a DVM degree from Colorado State University in 2024 and did a Large Animal Rotating/Medicine/ECC Internship at the University of Pennsylvania from 2025-2026)

Dr. Sarang Im – Neurology (earned a DVM degree from Konkuk University in 2017 and did a Neurology/Neurosurgery Internship at Louisiana State University from 2024-2025)

Dr. Liam Kitson – Small Animal Surgery (earned a DVM/MSc degree from Ross University in 2025 and did a Rotating Internship at Guardian Veterinary Specialists from 2025-2026)

Dr. Kaitlyn Lomsnes – Large Animal Internal Medicine (earned a DVM degree from the University of Calgary in 2025 and did a Large Animal Rotating Internship at the Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center from 2025-2026)

Dr. Myles McAtee – Oncology (earned a DVM degree from Auburn University in 2025 and did a Small Animal Rotating Internship at CVETS from 2025-2026)

Dr. Danielle McNabney – Small Animal Surgery (earned a DVM degree from the University of Georgia in 2024 and did a Small Animal Surgery Internship at the University of Wisconsin from 2025-2026)

Dr. Max Paulson – Oncology (earned a DVM degree from the University of Illinois in 2024 and did an Oncology Clinical Trials Internship at the Flint Animal Cancer Center from 2025-2026)

Dr. Krutika Swadi – Emergency Critical Care (earned a BVSc & AH degree from Bombay Veterinary College in 2018 and did an Emergency Critical Care Internship at Oregon State University from 2025-2026)

Dr. Kathryn Vasquez – Ophthalmology (earned a DVM degree from the Sydney School of Veterinary Science in 2025 and did a Small Animal Rotating Internship at Purdue University from 2025-2026)

Dr. Beth Zanley – Small Animal Internal Medicine (earned a DVM degree from St. George’s University in 2025 and did a Small Animal Rotating Internship at Purdue University from 2025-2026)

Dr. Jessica Park – Neurology Specialty Intern (earned a DVM degree from Purdue University in 2023 and did a Small Animal Rotating Internship at VCS SouthPaws Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Center from 2025-2026)

In addition to the VCS Department residents, a new class of clinical pathology and anatomic pathology residents joined the College of Veterinary Medicine this summer and will be featured in a separate story in an upcoming issue of the Vet Gazette.

Writer(s): Tressa Bowman | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Recent Stories

“Paws Up” for Jennifer Danaher – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

This week we express our gratitude to Jennifer Danaher, who is department secretary for Veterinary Clinical Sciences.

‘Purdue Pursuits’: A PVM angle on Purdue’s teaching and learning reading groups

Crafting meaningful and engaging course experiences has been at the top of Dielson Vieira’s mind ever since he joined the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s faculty in 2024. As a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Vieira is already adept at applying innovative teaching practices to classroom environments, but that doesn’t stop him from seeking out new ideas, approaches and perspectives — insights he gains through outlets like Purdue’s teaching and learning reading groups.

Top tier biology journal publishes PVM study that unlocks secrets of a drug-resistant fungal pathogen, which causes serious infections in humans

Though the name “Candida auris” is far from a household term, public health experts know it well because the multi-drug-resistant fungal pathogen, which causes serious human infections, has been classified as an urgent threat by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Antibiotic Threats Report (2019). Dr. Shankar Thangamani, Associate Professor of Microbiology and University Faculty Scholar in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology, is researching C. auris, aided by a 2.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). New research findings, just published in Nature Microbiology, show how C. auris adapts and evades the immune system.

In Print: ‘Translational Research Methods for Tauopathies’

A just-published 300-page volume edited by Jessica Fortin, Purdue assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Basic Medical Sciences, provides a significant new resource for researchers studying a group of neurodegenerative diseases known as tauopathies. “Translational Research Methods for Tauopathies” provides detailed protocols intentionally selected to serve as a basis for research laboratories seeking to further treatments for such debilitating neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer’s and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

It’s Almost Here!

Though the annual Purdue Veterinary Conference is almost upon us, there’s still time to register and take advantage of this time-honored College of Veterinary Medicine fall tradition that combines excellent continuing education with fun opportunities for reconnecting with colleagues and classmates, networking, and learning about the latest veterinary trends and products. The 2026 Purdue Veterinary Conference takes place September 23–26 on the Purdue University campus. The annual event has something for everyone, from veterinarians to veterinary technicians, faculty, staff and students.