Offsite Electives

Atlas Veterinary Urgent Care is an independently owned small animal urgent care hospital designed to bridge the gap between general practice and 24-hour emergency medicine. The hospital provides same-day, appointment-based and urgent care services for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries, while stabilizing critical patients for transfer to a full-service emergency facility when necessary.

This fourth-year elective provides immersive exposure to urgent care medicine in a fast-paced outpatient setting. Students will participate in evaluation, diagnosis, treatment planning, and case management of common urgent presentations, including:

• Gastrointestinal disease (vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia)
• Lameness and minor orthopedic injury
• Dermatologic conditions
• Otitis and ocular disease
• Urinary tract disease
• Wounds and lacerations
• Toxin exposures
• Acute pain management
• Stabilization of critical patients prior to referral

The rotation emphasizes triage and prioritization, efficient outpatient case management, cost-conscious and transparent client communication, development of clinical reasoning skills, and confidence in managing urgent cases and emergency stabilization. 

We are a mixed animal practice with 5 veterinarians.  In a usual week, we have 1 doctor on farm calls, 1 in surgery, and 2 in small animal appointments each day, with 1 doctor off.  Students have the opportunity to shadow farm calls, surgery, small animal appointments each day, and can decide what they want to shadow each day.  Having different doctors allows opportunity to observe different techniques. We try to allow students to participate when feasible.  

The Veterinarian Extern will be supervised by the Attending Veterinarian / Director of Veterinary Services and will engage broadly with the veterinary, animal care, operations, and quality teams. In this role, you will shadow the Attending Veterinarian and the Clinical Veterinarian. A typical day will include morning rounds, observing medical decision making for treatments and relaying instructions to the animal care team, observing surgeries on swine, engaging in sample collections, and shadowing ultrasounds and necropsies. This position is based onsite in Northwest, Indiana. 

Students will work alongside with attending veterinarian on a wide variety of small animal medical and surgical urgent care and emergency/critical care cases. Student will gain familiarity with triage, physical assessment, client communication, formulating differential diagnoses, selection and interpretation of diagnostics, formulating therapeutic plan, performing diagnostic or therapeutic procedures, and monitoring of hospitalized patients. 

This internship is designed for veterinary students with an interest in laboratory animal medicine. Interns will work alongside five clinical veterinarians and three resident veterinarians. The internship provides exposure to a wide variety of species including nonhuman primates, sheep, swine, mice, rats, zebrafish and frogs. Interns will participate in clinical cases, assist in veterinary rounds, and attend the resident’s weekly didactic trainings. As scheduling permits, interns may also attend IACUC meetings and Journal Club, gain hands-on training in rodent procedures and anesthesia, and assist with nonhuman primate quarantine. Interns will also conduct a short enrichment research project on a topic provided by the Enrichment team, and present their results to veterinary staff at the conclusion of the internship.

General practice. 

A student at our dentistry surgical center will gain hands-on exposure to the daily operations of a high-volume veterinary dental and surgical facility. They will observe and assist (when able) with patient intake, anesthesia preparation and monitoring, dental radiographs, cleanings, extractions, instrument sterilization, and post-operative recovery. Students will learn proper safety and sanitation protocols, patient handling techniques, and the importance of accurate medical record keeping. They will also see how the clinical team communicates with clients, coordinates surgical schedules, and works collaboratively to provide efficient, compassionate care. Overall, the experience is designed to build practical skills, deepen understanding of veterinary dentistry and anesthesia, and provide real-world insight into a professional surgical environment.

Student will be able to develop skills in diagnostics and treatment of ocular conditions.

Develop understanding of veterinary ophthalmology.

Student will develop skills needed to use  opthalmic exam equipment such as slit lamp and direct otpahlmoscope by working along side DACVO and second year opthalmology resident ..

This elective experince will offer some insight into the realities of working in specialized field of veterinary opthalmology. 

Bean Blossom Animal Clinic is a full-service, walk-in veterinary practice in Brown County, Indiana, that has served the Nashville area since 1966, offering medical, surgical, and dental care for pets. They provide a range of services, including wellness exams, vaccinations, surgery, and diagnostics, and are known for being a community-focused clinic that welcomes walk-ins and is open on Saturdays. 

We are Veterinary Emergency Group, an organization founded on a single mission: helping people and their pets when they need it most. VEG's rapidly growing group of hospitals has revolutionized pet emergency and urgent care with a client-centered approach, rapid response times, and a highly focused-emergency-only staff. With multiple locations, we offer the flexibility, mentorship, and diverse learning experience you want. Our industry-leading compensation, unlimited CE, and growth opportunities are just part of what makes VEG the place for emergency doctors to work.

VEG's Externship Program allows students to gain hands-on experience in emergency medicine while working right alongside our skilled emergency doctors. Students will focus on learning how to effectively communicate with clients, diagnose a variety of emergency conditions, develop emergency treatment plans and collaborate with support staff in a fast-paced environment.