The Wilds is bringing advanced zoo medicine education to those dedicating their career path to animals.
Large herds of hoofstock species live in spacious pastures at The Wilds, including non-domestic Equidae, Camelidae, Cervidae, Bovidae, and Caprinae.
This self-paced course is intended for veterinary students, vet techs, and veterinarians who have an interest in advancing their clinical and practical knowledge of zoo medicine in a rare setting! A current DVM or RVT license (or recent transcript for vet and vet tech students) will be required to successfully register for this course.
| Registration Opens | DEC 8, 2025 |
| Registration Closes | MAY 7 |
| Class Begins | MAY 11 |
| Class Concludes | AUG 10 |
Dan Beetem is the Director of Animal Management for The Wilds. Dan is a graduate of Michigan State University and went on to study reproductive physiology at Louisiana State University. His extensive background in conservation includes over 35 years’ experience managing wild species in human care. Dan serves on the Association of Zoos and Aquarium's (AZA) Animal Population Management Committee, several AZA ungulate Taxon Advisory Group steering committees and the Source Population Alliance Executive Committee. He has assisted with international conservation projects including Conservation Center for Species Survival (C2S2) work to support the endangered saiga antelope in Russia and the Sahara Conservation Fund’s efforts to reintroduce the scimitar-horned oryx to Chad. He has worked at a variety of institutions across the country and is familiar with the operation of traditional urban zoos and larger scale breeding centers and safari parks.
Dr. Jaden Dales obtained her zoology degree from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada and then attended the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) with the dream of becoming specialized in zoo and wildlife medicine. An advocate for conservation, she volunteered for organizations such as the Cheetah Conservation Fund and the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative during her time at OVC. Upon graduating with her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2019, Jaden gained experience working with zoo animals through establishing her own mobile exotic practice and servicing a Canadian private safari park, containing over 100 species, as her main client. In 2025 she moved to Ohio and embraced the opportunity to join the Wilds team as the Associate Veterinarian. She plans to continue using her passion caring for the unique Wilds collection, is looking forward to spearheading research projects, and remaining her involvement with local and global conservation efforts while she continues her journey in zoo and wildlife medicine specialization. When not at work, Jaden enjoys reading - especially Stephen King and spending time with her cats, Pizza and Queso.
Adam Davis earned his Associates degree in Wildlife Management from Hocking College with a focus in farrier training. His extensive background in Animal Management spans over 20 years’ experience managing wild species in human care, from snakes to cranes to Urial. Adam joined the team at The Wilds 20 years ago as an Animal Management Specialist and works with all species on site. Adam manages our giraffe herd as well as animals housed in our Medical Barn when undergoing treatment. He is our resident farrier for all non-domestic hoofstock, and an expert in Tamer restraint of animals. He has traveled to a variety of institutions to consult and assist with animal restraint and animal transfers. Adam has an interest in drone technology and is responsible for introducing drones into management of our large herds on large pastures as well as creating awesome videos for our organization.
Priscilla Joyner completed an internship in zoological medicine followed by a residency in wildlife and conservation medicine with the American College of Zoological Medicine (ACZM) and has worked with non-domestic species for over 20 years, including captive species at zoological institutions and free-ranging wildlife in the US, UK, Africa and Asia. Priscilla became an ACZM diplomate in 2016. In 2018, she joined The Wilds team as Director of Conservation Medicine where she currently cares for an animal collection of large herds in large pastures, teaches students and residents as part of an ACZM approved residency, and engages in collaborative research with local partners. Leadership roles outside of The Wilds include Ungulate Resource Group Veterinary Medicine co-advisor, an adjunct Professor at The Ohio State University and Muskingum University, and sits on the advisory committee for the Vet Assisting and Animal Care Program at Mid-East Career and Technology Center. When not working, Priscilla enjoys hiking, kayaking, and scuba diving.
Dr. Laura Kellow earned her veterinary degree from Iowa State University, completed a small animal rotating internship at VCA Alameda East in Colorado, and a Master of Veterinary Science in Wildlife Conservation through Murdoch University in Australia. She then completed a wildlife specialty veterinary internship at the Clinic for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) in Florida and stayed on as their associate veterinarian prior to starting her zoo medicine residency. She is now the third-year resident in the Zoo and Wildlife Conservation Medicine & Ecosystem Health program in conjunction with Ohio State University and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and is currently based full-time at the Wilds. Laura loves hiking, reading fantasy and sci-fi, and spending time with her family and cats. Laura is also originally from Australia if you happen to catch a slight accent.
Jan Ramer earned her B.S. in Biology from Purdue University and used that education in a 12-year career as an animal keeper at the Indianapolis and Brookfield Zoos. She made a mid-life career change, receiving her DVM from the University of Wisconsin in 1995. Jan was a veterinarian at the Indianapolis Zoo for over a decade then found her passion in conservation medicine as Regional Manager for the Gorilla Doctors, where she led a team of African veterinarians in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo for 3 ½ years. Jan returned to the United States to join The Wilds in January 2015 as the Director of Conservation Medicine. In June 2017, Jan accepted the position of Vice President. In 2021, Jan became the Senior Vice President of Animal Care and Conservation at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and feels it an honor to serve the hard working and dedicated Wilds and Columbus Zoo teams. Jan is a diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine. She is a member of the board of directors of Conservation Centers for Species Survival (C2S2), serves on the Advisory Council for Gorilla Doctors, and is a veterinary advisor for the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center. She is a past president of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians. Jan loves spending time with friends and family, especially her 3 grandsons.
Dr. Samantha Rummel graduated from the University of Tennessee with her DVM degree in 2022. She then went on to complete a small animal rotating internship at BluePearl in Franklin, TN, followed by an anesthesia and analgesia internship at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine and then a zoological medicine fellowship at the Binder Park Zoo. She is the first year Zoo and Wildlife Conservation Medicine and Ecosystem Health resident at the Ohio State University, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, and The Wilds. She is currently primarily based at OSU working on her master’s degree where her thesis is focused on antimicrobial resistance in white tailed deer. Her passion and research interests are centered around exotic hoofstock and megavertebrate medicine and anesthesia. Samantha loves hiking, sports (especially softball and pickleball), hitting the gym, taking her dog on adventures, and trying new restaurants with her husband.
Vickie Shaw has always been interested in animals and so investigated a career in zoos and animal management after completing high school. She obtained multiple degree in Captive animal management and started working at Zoo New England in 1998. She then worked at Disney Animal Kingdom for 14 years and joined The Wilds in 2016. She is the current studbook keeper for Gemsbok populations in North America.
Krystin Smith has practiced as a Registered Veterinary Technician for the last 15 years. She initially worked in small animal medicine with a focus in surgical anesthesia and has gained experience at several zoos before joining The Wilds in 2017.
Bios for Bailie Miller and Dr. Ana Towe will be added at a later date.
As this is a paid course, students are asked not to record, photocopy, or share content with friends, colleagues or anyone else not officially enrolled in the course. When data is shared, it could end up in the hands of unskilled individuals and could result in harm to animals. Furthermore, sharing of data leads to financial loss for our non-profit conservation center. If any data sharing is discovered, students will be reported to the Dean of their college.
Total Course Cost: $425/participant
Payment is due at time of registration.
