Offsite Electives

Mixed animal Practice in Central Valley of California

50% Dairy Herd Health and Reproduction Practice, Consultation services, Milk Quality Lab

50% Small Animal General practice - Medicine, Surgery, Dentistry, Shelter Medicine

Equine sports medicine practice covering hunter/jumper, eventing, dressage, working cow horse and rodeo disciplines in the San Francisco Bay Area and greater Los Angeles regions.

Students will be immersed in the daily functioning of a specialised veterinary ophthalmology practice, gaining exposure to advanced diagnostic procedures, surgical case workflows, clinical decision-making, and multidisciplinary coordination across patient care. The experience provides insight into medical protocols, clinical documentation, client communication, and ophthalmic case management in a high-volume environment. Learning is observational and educational in nature, with opportunities to engage in daily case rounds, once-a-week literature review, clinical discussions, case reviews, and academic learning sessions with the medical team.

Working one on one with a board certified surgeon in an outpatient surgery center. Duties will include partaking in surgical consults as well as scrubbing in for surgery. 

This elective experience offers DVM students an intensive, hands-on learning opportunity in the high-stakes environment of a 24/7 emergency and specialty veterinary hospital. Under the guidance of experienced emergency clinicians and board-certified specialists, students will actively participate in a wide range of clinical activities, gaining valuable experience in both emergency care and advanced specialty medicine.

Key Learning Objectives and Activities:

• Emergency Triage & Stabilization:
  Gain experience in assessing critically ill or injured patients, participating in triage and stabilization procedures, and learning how to prioritize care in a high-pressure environment.
• Advanced Diagnostic Techniques:
  Participate in diagnostic workups, including radiology, ultrasound, and laboratory diagnostics to help guide rapid decision-making in emergency situations.
• Specialty Services Exposure:
  Work alongside specialists in fields such as internal medicine and surgery. Observe and assist in advanced procedures, such as endoscopy, surgery, and specialized imaging, providing a broad view of veterinary specialty care.
• Clinical Decision-Making:
  Develop and refine clinical reasoning skills by participating in daily rounds and case discussions with attending veterinarians, specialists, and technicians. Learn how to approach complex cases that require both immediate intervention and long-term planning.
• Client Communication & Compassionate Care:
  Enhance communication skills by interacting with pet owners, explaining complex diagnoses, treatment plans, and financial considerations, particularly in emergency and high-stress situations.
• Multi-Disciplinary Collaboration:
  Participate in case management with a multidisciplinary team, including emergency clinicians, specialists, veterinary technicians, and support staff, learning how to collaborate effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced setting.

High Performance Equine is an ambulatory equine sports medicine practice based in northern Virginia, with winter time coverage in the Wellington, FL marketplace. We see appointments Monday through Friday on an elective basis. The caseload is focused on English sport horses, especially show jumper and dressage sport horses. Students will accompany our veterinarians on farm calls, participate in case discussions, and observe lameness examinations and associated treatments. We offer a range of veterinary services including performance examinations, purchase examinations and consultations, and diagnostic imaging. Our treatment plans utilize innovative techniques, such as ultrasound guided injections and regenerative medicine.

Throughout the externship, students will work alongside experienced DVMs to develop essential skills and knowledge in various aspects of the veterinary practice. Under the guidance of DVMs, students will actively engage in client interactions, participate in the comprehensive evaluation of patient cases (including history-taking, physical examinations, diagnostic testing, and treatment planning), learn to formulate differential diagnoses and develop appropriate management strategies, and will observe and practice efficient time management skills essential for maintaining workflow in a fast-paced clinical environment. This includes prioritizing tasks, optimizing patient care, and balancing multiple responsibilities effectively. Students will also have the opportunity to assist DVMs in surgical procedures, gaining hands-on experience in surgical preparation, anesthesia monitoring, sterile technique, and surgical assistance.

Stonewall Veterinary Hospital is a small animal hospital with a patient profile of canine and felines. The clinic is located in rural West Virginia in a small town. We offer routine wellness exams, geriatric wellness exams. We offer routine surgeries including ovariohysterectomy and castration for feline and canine patients. We also offer soft tissue surgery including wound repair and mass removals. We are equipped with a vessel sealer for surgical procedures. We also offer routine dental procedures. We have Companion Animal Laser for post-surgery, arthritis, wounds, etc. We also have digital radiographs and ultrasound available. Stonewall Veterinary Hospital has Idexx laboratory equipment for in house analysis. The student will gain experience by participating and observing from the things listed above.

Student will spend 40 hours per week observing and shadowing board-certified radiologists and radiology residents. 

MedVet Phoenix is a 21,000sqft ER/Specialty Hospital in Scottsdale, AZ serving the greater Phoenix community.  Recently opened in September 2025, we currently have full-time Emergency and Critical Care (2 board-certified Criticalists and 5 ER doctors), 2 surgeons (one board-certified, one board-eligible), a board-certified medical oncologist and a board-certified cardiologist.  We have support from local board-certified radiologists and a board-certified internist for imaging and consultations.  Electives can be geared towards a specific specialty or more of a rotating experience, although our close departmental collaborations offer the ability to follow a case through workup, diagnostics, and treatment.  Our elective ECC experience ideally rotates students through day/mid/overnight rotations.  Housing/stipend is not currently offered.