Offsite Electives

Step into the extraordinary world of wildlife veterinary care with a hands-on program dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of over 120 cheetahs saved from the illegal wildlife trade. 

This immersive experience offers real-world opportunities to work closely with cheetahs and other species like caracals, gaining essential skills in husbandry, nutrition, and medical care. 

Participants may engage in veterinary procedures such as medical checks, blood draws, body condition scoring, frontline treatments, vaccinations, diagnostics, and more, as part of routine and preventative care. 

In-clinic responsibilities may include sample handling, data entry into cloud-based systems, and supporting veterinary operations. 

Daily husbandry duties involve meal preparation, feeding, fecal collection, enclosure cleaning, and occasionally caring for cubs, all crucial for maintaining animal health and wellbeing. 

Participants should be comfortable with carcass handling and meat preparation in the butchery. 

As part of the daily care team, you’ll also support cheetah-specific training, including voluntary procedures, enrichment, and cub socialization. 

Beyond animal care, enjoy a vibrant cultural day connecting with local communities and deepening your understanding of conservation’s broader impact.

Live the ultimate wildlife and veterinary experience in Malawi! 

Join a passionate team at Malawi’s leading wildlife rescue sanctuary and clinic, working alongside a qualified wildlife vet and gaining hands-on experience with some of Africa’s most iconic species. 

From annual health checks and rescue intakes to suture work, sample analysis, and patient monitoring, you'll be immersed in real-world veterinary care. 

Expand your skills further by assisting in domestic animal outreach through the LSCPA—treating livestock, taking part in spay and neuter programs, and supporting rural communities. 

Deepen your knowledge through expert-led lectures on wildlife health, including parasitology, primate medicine, emergency care, pharmacology, and remote capture techniques. 

Between fieldwork, unwind at the sanctuary with full-board accommodation, surrounded by the sights and sounds of the animals you’re helping. 

Cap off your adventure with a thrilling 2-day/1-night safari through the spectacular Liwonde National Park. 

This is more than just volunteering—it’s conservation, education, and adventure rolled into one unforgettable journey.

Embark on an unforgettable journey where adventure, learning, and conservation converge in a life-changing experience. 

Led by a highly experienced wildlife and domestic veterinarian with over 25 years in the field and game capture team, this immersive program offers you the rare opportunity to step into the world of professional wildlife management.

Learn expert darting techniques, handle specialized dart guns, and contribute directly to frontline conservation efforts, including rhino dehorning, DNA sampling, notching, and both individual and mass game captures. 

Each day brings new excitement—from thrilling game drives and guided bush walks to expert-led lectures on veterinary medicine, ethical game capture, helicopter safety, and the adrenaline-filled challenge of aerial darting.

 Beyond the hands-on work, unwind in comfortable safari-style tented accommodations with full-board meals, all set against a breathtaking landscape where wildlife roams freely. 

More than just observation, this is a chance to live the experience, gain invaluable skills, and make a real impact on the future of Africa’s wildlife.​

Embark on an unforgettable adventure in wildlife conservation, where you'll dive into hands-on experiences with expert veterinarians. 

For 10 days you will become a wildlife vet - shadowing a qualified wildlife vet with over 20 years experience. You'll assist with thrilling tasks like rhino dehorning and predator collaring, removing snares, treating wounds. translocating animals, and more - all while gaining firsthand insight into wildlife management. 

Guided bush walks will teach you how to identify animal tracks and signs, while you'll also have the unique opportunity to learn reptile medicine, diagnosing and treating reptiles, as well participating in calls out when occurring and snake handling.

As part of the program, you'll support a local domestic animal outreach clinic, providing vital care and gaining valuable experience in field operations. 

Throughout your journey, you’ll participate in a necropsy when available, deepening your understanding of wildlife health and disease management, and continue contributing to fieldwork and ongoing animal care. 

Your adventure will take you to the iconic destination of Kruger National Park, where you'll experience South Africa’s stunning wildlife and landscapes up close. 

At the Endangered Species Centre, you’ll learn about critical conservation and rehabilitation efforts aimed at protecting endangered species. 

You'll also have the chance to take part in game capture operations, learning key wildlife management techniques in the field. To top off your experience, you'll receive helicopter safety training and get the chance to dart animals from the air, offering a unique perspective on wildlife conservation.

We are a 2 doctor general small animal practice located in Los Angeles. We are primarily canine and feline, but do see some rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, mice and chickens. The student will be responsible for getting a physical examination on patients, working up possible differential diagnoses and discussing treatment plans. There will be opportunities for hands on experience in physical examinations, clinical skills, suturing

We are a 5 doctor ambulatory only practice that practices high quality field and surgical care. The student would rotate between doctors based on interests and level excitement in a particular doctors schedule. 

The student would ride daily with a doctor while assisting with the day’s schedule and certainly gain some experience in palpation of our broodmare population, assist with lameness and blocking horses while getting the chance to x-ray and/or ultrasound. We perform many field surgeries, and they would have the opportunity to gain experience there. 

The practice has around 400 foals annually and therefore the ability to gain knowledge in neonatal care and disease. 

Our small animal veterinary hospital clinical experience typically involves hands-on exposure to the medical care of companion animals such as dogs and  cats in a clinical setting. We provide advanced students there own appointment schedule with direct client/patient interactions, while a clinician is available for consulting and complete chart review.  All diagnostics, procedures, and treatments are discussed prior to performing and intervention of the clinician is immediately available should the need arise.  The student will also be able to perform surgery as the primary surgeon with the clinician as assistant surgeon. The surgeries would included spay/neuter, mass removals, various soft tissue surgeries and dental extractions. Our goal is to create an opportunity for the student to get comfortable being the primary decision maker for medical cases and in surgery, while allowing them the opportunity for help if needed. 

PAWS Chicago’s Medical Center provides an immersive elective experience designed for veterinary students interested in high-volume shelter medicine, surgery, and community-focused veterinary care. Students will work alongside experienced veterinarians and technicians in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment that supports both shelter and our low cost public clinic.

Externs will participate in:

• Daily medical rounds and patient care within Shelter Medicine and Foster programs
• Hands-on experience with preventive medicine, diagnostics, and case management
• Observation and participation (based on skill level) in high-volume spay/neuter and other surgical procedures
• Exposure to infectious disease management, behavioral considerations in shelter environments, and operational flow of a large nonprofit medical center

Students will gain insight into how shelter and clinical medicine intersect to support lifesaving outcomes on a large scale. The experience emphasizes medical quality, efficiency, and collaboration while helping future veterinarians develop practical skills in communication, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Supervision and mentorship are provided by our Shelter Medicine and Clinic teams, with opportunities to tailor the rotation toward areas of particular interest (e.g., surgery, internal medicine, population health).

Copley Fairlawn Veterinary Clinic, a full-service small animal general practice located in Northeast Ohio, offers a comprehensive elective experience for veterinary students seeking exposure to a broad range of clinical services in a high-quality, team-oriented setting. Students will have the opportunity to engage in all facets of general practice, including preventative care, internal medicine, dermatology, ophthalmology, behavior, and client communication.

The clinic also manages a variety of urgent and emergent cases, allowing students to develop their triage and critical thinking skills in real-time. Surgical experience includes both routine and advanced soft tissue procedures, with exposure to orthopedic surgery one day per week. Students will also participate in advanced dental procedures, including full-mouth extractions, and will gain hands-on experience with digital dental radiology.

Diagnostic capabilities at Copley Fairlawn include full IDEXX in-house laboratory services, digital full-body radiography, and advanced imaging such as abdominal ultrasounds and echocardiograms performed on-site by specialists from Imaging4Pets. Therapeutic modalities include laser therapy for pain management and healing support. At Copley Fairlawn Veterinary Clinic our doctors have a strong interest and passion in anesthesia and pain management. The students will be encouraged to help formulate a multi-modal anesthetic and pain protocol tailored to each of our surgical patients.

Throughout the rotation, students will work closely with experienced veterinarians and support staff, actively participating in patient care, diagnostics, surgical prep and monitoring, and client communication. This elective provides a well-rounded experience in a busy general practice, ideal for students interested in developing their clinical competency across a wide range of medical and surgical cases.

Perform case work up with DVMs. Perform minor surgeries and assist on more complex surgical cases.