Offsite Electives

The primary purpose of our Veterinary Student Externship is to provide a hands-on learning experience for 3rd and 4th year students who are enrolled in Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. The program is flexible and can be scheduled in 1- to 4-week blocks, depending on the extern’s availability. We feel that the students who possess an open mind and a willingness to learn will benefit the most from our externship.

The student will gain experience in a typical small animal veterinary practice.  

Under the direct supervision of a rotating team of experienced doctors students will be exposed to various methods of practice and teaching styles, helping to achieve maximum growth and potential. Typical days include assisting in case work ups, developing diagnostic plans, providing general wellness care, refining technical skills, writing medical records, expanding client communication skills, scrubbing into surgery and potentially even helping with rehab or reproductive procedures depending on the hospital.

Reviewing application for the WAVMA CertAqV. Identify gaps in applicants experience and address those gaps. The identified gaps can be rectified through hands on oppurtunities, journal clubs, webinars, and giving presentations. 

To engage in a clinical setting and treat dermatology patients.  Students will be involved in history taking, diagnostics, medical management and treatment of a wide variety of dermatological conditions 

An externship at VCA is an opportunity to practice and gain constructive feedback working along with our medical teams in case management and procedural skills. It involves immersion in daily operational tasks such as medical rounds, client communications, diagnostic acumen, and patient planning. It introduces Woofware and WoofU, our custom medical record management system and educational support platforms. Externship length is typically 2-4 weeks based upon school programs, negotiable.

An externship at VCA is an opportunity to practice and gain constructive feedback working along with our medical teams in case management and procedural skills. It involves immersion in daily operational tasks such as medical rounds, client communications, diagnostic acumen, and patient planning. It introduces Woofware and WoofU, our custom medical record management system and educational support platforms. Externship length is typically 2-4 weeks based upon school programs but is customizable.

Mokena Animal Clinic is a busy small animal general practice. Most of our patients are dogs and cats. However, we do see some exotic pets. The student will be able to observe the day to day activites within the practice including well visits, sick visits, and general surgery. The student will also be able to learn client communication skills. 

The elective experience would comprise of everyday small animal veterinary duties from taking appointments, diagnosing/treating patients, and performing surgical procedures.

Charles River Laboratories is a contract research organization with opportunities for veterinary students to learn laboratory animal medicine with both rodents and larger animals. The student will have a variety of experiences during their time with CRL. They will have some hands on technical training with our training department, shadow clinical veterinarians and learn of their role in preclinical safety evaluations and discuss case management, they will have the opportunity to spend some time with our necropsy, pathology, and clinical pathology departments to learn about the importance of these areas within safety assessment, have a project to work on and present at the completion of the experience, spend time with our behavior staff, and spend some time within our surgery department.