Philadelphia Animal Specialty and Emergency, PA

Description of Elective Experience

Student responsibilities vary depending on the service, student skill set, and overseeing clinician's comfort level, but may include:

  • Patient triage for emergencies and/or SOAPing of in-hospital patients
  • Weighing patients
  • Taking TPRs (vitals)
  • Collecting a concise but thorough history and being able to present it to the DVM and answer any additional questions
  • Drawing blood from peripheral veins with supervision (technician or doctor)
  • Perform in-house cytology (fecal, skin scrapes, blood smears, ear samples,  or aspirates)
  • Interpreting lab work results and coming up with a differential diagnosis with the DVM assigned to the case
  • Assist in positioning for radiographs (not gowning/obtaining radiographs due to radiation safety rules)
  • Interpreting radiographs with the assigned DVM
  • Scrubbing in and assisting with surgical cases and surgeries (based on the competency of the student and the comfort level of the surgeon)
Institutional and Educational Resources - staffing, equipment, etc.

We have a 24/7 ER, two criticalists, two surgeons, two neurologists, a radiologist, an ophthalmologist, two internists, an anesthesiologist, and a medical oncologist. Support staff consists of veterinary assistants and technicians, including CVTs and VTSs. 

Modern equipment to support a specialty hospital, including in-house diagnostic equipment (bloodwork, cytology), CT scan, MRI, radiography, endoscopic equipment, arthroscopic equipment, oxygen cages, hi-flow oxygen etc

We regularly have technician and veterinarian CE events, which may or may not fall during the student's time at the hospital.

Didactic rounds with overseeing clinician should time/caseload allow. 

Student Responsibilities - what is expected of students in terms of hours, days of the week, shadowing or actual support?

Days/Hours are Monday-Friday, approximately 7:30am to 6pm, but may vary slightly depending on the service with which the student is externing. See above for student responsibilities.

Supervisor
Nina Samuel, VMD DACVS-SA (Externship Coordinator), Erik Zager DVM DACVECC (Oversees ECC rotations)
Contact email
Address

2100 Washington Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19146
United States

Animal Type
Practice or Institution Type
Is student housing available?
No
Hours of supervision by a licensed veterinarian per week
40
Global engagement opportunity
No
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