Offsite Electives

• Conduct patient examinations: obtain histories, perform complete physical examinations, and present findings to the supervising veterinarian.
• Develop clinical reasoning: Create differential diagnoses and recommend diagnostic and treatment plans for common small animal conditions.
• Gain surgical experience: Participate in preoperative assessments, surgical preparation, procedures when appropriate, and postoperative care.
• Interpret diagnostics: Review bloodwork, urinalysis, cytology, radiographs, and other available diagnostic findings.
• Practice client communication: Explain preventive care, discuss diagnostic recommendations, and participate in discharge instructions.
• Improve medical record documentation: Prepare SOAP notes and treatment plans for veterinary review.
• Understand private-practice operations: Observe patient flow, teamwork, clinical efficiency, and continuity of care.

Waterhouse is a busy 5 doctor small animal practice that can provide significant hands on clinical experience. Our location allows us to serve clients from both rural communities and city, giving students exposure to a varied caseload that includes routine wellness visits, complex internal medicine cases and surgery. 

Throughout the externship the student will work one-on-one with different veterinarians gaining exposure to how each clinican approaches cases and makes decisions. Under their supervision the student will have the opportunity to work up cases, perform and interpret diagnostic tests, discuss treatment plans and scrub in on surgeries. 

This elective is a good fit for students who want to build confidence in clinical decision making and gain practical experience with the range of cases they will encountr in small animal general practice 

Our practice offers experience in all large animal species, both food animal and equine. We are a 5 doctor practice in Western MA. Our clientele is 40% food animal (primarily dairy with some beef and small ruminant) and 60% equine (a mix of back yard to performance horses). We host a lot of students, both pre-vet and veterinary and our vets enjoy teaching and working with students. Students who extern with us will be able to gain hands-on experience in food animal medicine, including rectal palpation/ultrasound, emergencies, surgeries and herd-health consultations. In equine medicine, we can offer experience in wellness, dentistry, reproduction (seasonally), sports medicine/lameness and emergencies. 

The Animal Clinic is a busy small animal hospital on Galveston Island. We truly see all creatures big and small, including small farm animals and exotics as well as local wild life. We work closely with the Galveston Island Humane Society and perform all of their surgeries. The animal clinic performs all soft tissue surgeries as well as some orthopedics on a variety of species. We work closely with animal control and do all of their necropies as well as cruelty evaluations. We are the second oldest privately owned practice in Texas. Our externs will be fully immersed into our day to day life. They will have the opportunity to see routine visits as well as emergencies and work up internal medicine cases as well as complex orthopedic cases. They have the opportunity to participate in surgery and even perform simple procedures on shelter animals under direct supervision. The case load we see, will give them a broad experience and great start to real life veterinary medicine. 

Our small-animal general practice offers students a dynamic, fast-paced clinical experience alongside two experienced DVM's from OSU who emphasize critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and practical problem-solving. Students will gain exposure to a diverse caseload encompassing emergency and urgent care, routine wellness examinations, preventive medicine, diagnostic evaluations, and the medical management of both straightforward and complex conditions.

Our facility is equipped with modern diagnostic equipment, providing students with opportunities for hands-on experience and exposure to contemporary diagnostic and treatment modalities.

A significant component of our practice is dedicated to shelter and rescue medicine. We work closely with local animal rescue organizations and manage a broad spectrum of cases, ranging from routine spay and neuter procedures to more complex surgical interventions, including limb amputations, enucleations, and others.

One of the most valuable aspects of our clinical environment is the socioeconomic diversity of our clientele. Students will encounter cases in which clients elect comprehensive diagnostic workups and advanced treatment options, as well as situations requiring thoughtful medical decision-making within significant financial constraints. We emphasize the importance of developing individualized, evidence-based treatment plans that balance medical necessity, patient welfare, prognosis, and client resources.

This experience is designed to strengthen students' clinical judgment, adaptability, diagnostic reasoning, surgical exposure, and client communication skills while demonstrating the realities of practicing high-quality veterinary medicine across a wide range of medical, surgical, and financial circumstances.

Students shadow our DVMs during oral surgery procedrues and consultations.

Our nine-doctor small animal practice has been a fixture in this community for nearly 50 years and is very collaborative. This elective will offer veterinary students a comprehensive exposure to primary care preventative care medicine, workups for acute and chronic illness, dentistry, and soft tissue surgery as well as acupuncture and TCVM. 

The veterinary extern will take an active role in case management with the attending veterinarian, further improving their physical exam skills and formulating diagnostic and treatment plans as well as scrubbing in beside the attending veterinarian for procedures. The goal of the externship is to allow the extern to become confident in their skills prior to going out into practice. 

 

Join us for a fun filled externship with our knowledgeable veterinarians in small animal medicine, surgery, and exotics. They will have experience in spay/neuter surgeries with rescue patients and exams/client communication opportunities. Will be able to engage with our veterinarians, interpret diagnostics, and go over advanced surgical procedures/scrub in and manage cases.

At Apple Tree Animal Clinic, we believe some of the most valuable lessons in veterinary medicine happen outside the classroom, and we love having the opportunity to help students grow into confident, compassionate veterinarians!

We are a privately owned small animal practice in Ranson, West Virginia, offering a welcoming, hands-on externship experience with individualized mentorship directly from our owner and veterinarian, Dr. Nicole Piper. Our goal is for students to become part of our team, not simply stand in the corner and observe!

Students are encouraged to actively participate in appointments, perform physical examinations, develop differential diagnoses and treatment plans, interpret diagnostic results, and assist with surgery, dentistry, and anesthesia as their experience and comfort level allow. We want students to ask questions, think critically, challenge themselves, and feel comfortable learning along the way. We are happy to tailor the experience to each student's interests, skill level, and personal goals.

One of the unique opportunities we offer is an inside look at business ownership and practice management. As an independently owned practice, we believe it is important for future veterinarians to understand not only how to practice good medicine, but also what it takes to build, manage, and sustain a successful veterinary hospital. Students interested in the business side of veterinary medicine are welcome to explore topics such as financial management, pricing and estimates, inventory, staffing, leadership, client relationships, employee management, and the everyday decisions involved in running a practice. We are happy to have open, honest conversations about the challenges, rewards, and realities of practice ownership. Whether students dream of owning their own hospital someday or simply want to better understand how veterinary practices operate, we believe this perspective is incredibly valuable.

Depending on scheduling and availability, students may also have opportunities to participate in livestock medicine, including cattle and goat herd health and reproductive work.

Above all, we strive to create a supportive, approachable learning environment where students feel comfortable asking questions, making decisions under supervision, and building confidence in their abilities. We want our externs to experience the rewarding, challenging, and sometimes unpredictable realities of veterinary medicine while feeling like a valued member of our team.

Our hope is that every student leaves Apple Tree Animal Clinic with stronger clinical skills, a better understanding of the business of veterinary medicine, greater confidence in their abilities, and an even stronger passion for the profession!

A 4+ doctor private practice small animal GP in the outskirts of downtown Los Angeles. The practice has a strong commitment to providing a spectrum of care approach to how they practice medicine in order to meet the needs of the community that they serve. A typical day includes soft tissue surgeries, dentals, radiographs, sick appointments, and general wellness appointments.