Our group of three clinics (Bluffton Animal Clinic, Decatur Veterinary Hospital, and Waynedale Animal Clinic) provides a strong hands-on experience for an externship. We do a variety of small and large animal medicine and surgery. Our group of 10 veterinarians all have varying strengths and provide strong mentorship through an extern's time working with us. We do a fair amount of on-farm work for large animal but also haul some of the work into the clinic as well. Students are able to work alongside veterinarians and gain valuable experience that will help them transition into professional life.
We have multiple registered veterinary technicians that help facilitate the flow of the work as well as assistants to provide extra hands when working with patients. We have two new VetScalpel units that are used daily for surgery. Other equipment includes dental radiography, digital radiography and ultrasound, and a full complement of diagnostic lab machines.
Students are expected to be actively engaged with working and spend between 30-40 hours per week. We are open from 8-5 Monday through Friday and 8-12 on Saturdays. We are on-call too and give externs the option to be called in after hours to gain that experience. We try to start externs out with shadowing and develop them into providing actual support as they move through the externship. We'd like to give them a realistic visual of practice after graduation. We also like to discuss employment with all of our externs and mentoring/observing them work in a clinical setting helps both sides evaluate each other.
Generally, one of our veterinarians house the extern and provide meals. There are various hotels in the surrounding area that are options as well.
1890 N Main St
Bluffton, IN 46714
United States