Allegheny Veterinary Service/Allegheny Equine, WV

Allegheny Veterinary Service in Elkins, is a privately owned, premier facility complete with a pristine, well-equipped small animal and equine hospital located in the mountains of West Virginia. Our mission is to offer state-of-the-art point of care veterinary medicine, serving as an oasis of care in rural West Virginia. 

Facility is a 7000 sq ft small animal hospital, well-equipped equine haul-in facility, and busy large animal ambulatory service. Owner and senior veterinarian is internship trained, ABVP certified (Equine), and teaches in the equine/pre-vet program at West Virginia University.  We embrace teaching and mentorship as part of our culture. 

What to expect from us:

• One on one learning – We generally only take one student at a time to ensure that you get actual hands-on experience.  
• Variety of cases – Caseload and type will depend on the time of year. 
  • Small animal cases
    • Annual exams & preventative care
    • Advanced orthopedic procedures: Bone plating, CBLO and more.
    • Internal medicine, infectious disease, dermatology, ophthalmology and small amount of exotic patients.
    • Chemotherapy, hospice care.
  • Equine cases
    • Ambulatory and Haul-in
    • Preventative care and Referral level cases
    • Lameness, imaging and sport horse
    • Neonatal emergencies with Small amount of repro
    • Emergency: lacerations, colic workups, medical colic treatment
    • Ophthalmology: cyclosporine implants, uveitis management, enucleations
    • Surgery: Castration, cryptorchids, neurectomy, minor orthopedics
  • Food animal
    • Primarily 4H projects/goats/sheep/beef cattle
    • Pot-bellied pig surgery and care
    • Minor herd management (health plans, palpations, ultrasound for pregnancy)
• Excellent medicine – We are well equipped with the right equipment to provide the best care for our patients including: ligasure, surgical laser, endoscopy, in house labs, ultrasound and more. 
  • Extensive laboratory experience – Learn how to read fecals, urinalyses, skin cytologies, FNAs, uterine cytologies and more. Learn how to process and package samples for outside diagnostic labs.
  • Surgical experience – Depending on the level of experience and time of year, we work with our local humane society to get surgical experience for our students.  Senior externs can expect to have some excellent hands-on surgical time.
• Fun and Inspiring working with a GREAT staff in a fantastic atmosphere.
  • Tenured staff with one RVT and two other advanced assistants who are RVT board eligible.  All staff are willing to teach and enjoy having students. 
• Housing – Several options are available provided by us.

What we expect from you:

• Engagement – Research about ongoing cases. Look up drugs that you are unfamiliar with.  Formulate questions about medications and treatments.  We do not expect you to know everything! But, the more you engage with us, the more we will engage with you and the better your experience!
• Professionalism – Our clients LOVE our students.  Practicing your professionalism and communication (both verbal and nonverbal) will develop soft skills that are essential to success in  the veterinary profession. 
• Teamwork – Our team loves to teach.  Stay busy, chip in, ask where you can help, and you will reap benefits from the entire staff!

Lab Equipment: 

• IDEXX Sedivue & Catalys
• Heska Element I
• Abaxis Hematology and Chemistry
• Serum Amyloid A
• Lactate
• In-house Culture 
• In-house cytology
• In-house fecal (centrifugation and McMaster's)

Diagnostic Imaging

• Ultrasound - GE Logiq with 4 probes (microconvex, macroconvex, rectal, & tendon)
• Ibex portable for field repro
• Integra Handheld phone
• Digital xray
• Portable HD Digital Xray
• Video endoscopy

Surgery

• Voyant vessel sealing system
• Surgical laser

Therapy / Rehab

• Laser
• PRP/IRAP

Large reference library

Student involvement will depend on the time of year and type of case load, length of externship,  level of enthusiasm and experience.  Students that show interest in cases will be awarded lots of hands on experience.  

Student hours are  7 AM to 5 PM Monday - Friday.  Some days will be shorter and on rare occasions may be longer if there are complicated cases.  Students will be expected to assist or attend emergencies on the weekends.  

Day to day responsibilities: 

• Assist nursing staff with treatments
• Conduct phone calls, return calls and check up calls on patients
• Review prescription requests, fill prescriptions
• Participate in appointments (observation, actively restraining, conducting exams, client communication)
• Patient admission (history taking)
• Patient discharge (draft discharge instructions, discuss discharge/aftercare with owners)

Housing is at no charge. A private room is available on the second floor with two single beds.  Only one student at a time will be permitted in the housing unless special arrangements are made.  A kitchen and bathroom are also available adjacent to the bunk room.  Food costs to be provided by the student.  Pets are not permitted.  

1605 Parsons Rd
Elkins, WV 26241
United States