Virginia Veterinary Centers, VA

Description of Elective Experience

The DVM Externship Elective Experience at Virginia Veterinary Centers (VVC) is designed to provide veterinary students with immersive, hands-on exposure to high-level specialty and emergency medicine in a collaborative, teaching-focused referral hospital environment.

Externs will rotate through a wide range of specialty and support services, allowing them to tailor their experience to their clinical interests while gaining a comprehensive understanding of referral-level medicine, advanced diagnostics, and interdisciplinary case management.

Clinical Services & Specialties

DVM externs may observe and participate (as appropriate to skill level and licensing regulations) in the following services:

  • Emergency & Critical Care (ER/ICU)
  • Internal Medicine
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Surgery (Soft Tissue and Specialty Procedures)
  • Oncology (Medical Oncology and Radiation Oncology, when available)
  • Anesthesia & Analgesia
  • Dentistry & Oral Surgery
  • Ophthalmology
  • Dermatology

Externs will work closely with board-certified specialists and specialty-trained technicians, gaining exposure to real-time case discussions, rounds, diagnostics, treatment planning, and client communication.

 

Institutional and Educational Resources - staffing, equipment, etc.

Advanced Diagnostic Imaging

VVC offers comprehensive advanced imaging capabilities, providing externs the opportunity to observe and learn how imaging integrates into complex case management:

  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
  • Computed Tomography (CT)
  • Digital Radiography
  • Fluoroscopy (service-dependent)
  • Abdominal and Thoracic Ultrasound
  • Image-Guided Procedures and Interventional Diagnostics (case-dependent)

Externs may observe imaging interpretation, anesthetic planning for imaging cases, and multidisciplinary collaboration between clinicians, radiologists, and anesthesia teams.

Educational Experience

The externship emphasizes education, mentorship, and exposure to best practices in specialty medicine. Externs may participate in:

  • Case rounds and specialty discussions
  • Diagnostic and treatment planning
  • Client communication and discharge planning
  • Multispecialty collaboration
  • Hospital workflow and referral medicine operations

The experience is structured to support students preparing for internship, residency, or advanced general practice, while fostering clinical curiosity, professionalism, and confidence in a fast-paced referral setting.

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

Specialties work M-F 8a-6p

ER is 24/7/365

Students will be scheduled alongside ER DVMs for full 12 hour shifts and specialty dvms for their 10 hour shifts

Supervisor
Dr. Andrew Mercurio, Dr. Jocelyn Torrence, Dr. Stephanie Dong, Dr. Michael Schettler, Dr. Juliet Ross
Address

4300 GREYBULL DR
Henrico, VA 23233-7550
United States

Animal Type
Practice or Institution Type
Is student housing available?
No
Hours of supervision by a licensed veterinarian per week
36-40
Global engagement opportunity
No
Related evaluations