Offsite Electives

The Banfield Externship Program provides veterinary students in their clinical year the opportunity to practice medicine one-on-one alongside an experienced coach veterinarian as a “doctor-in-training” to develop medical and surgical skills. Each extern is assigned a DVM coach and is expected to complete an individual set of weekly goals based upon their interests and Banfield hospital procedures. Externs will be exposed to a wide range of experiences geared towards developing their clinical skills in a nurturing, supportive environment, ranging from technical applications to inter-personal relationship techniques.

This elective experience takes place in a dynamic veterinary hospital that bridges the gap between general practice (GP) and emergency medicine. Our hospital specializes in small animal care, primarily focusing on feline and canine patients. As a hybrid facility, we provide comprehensive wellness and preventive care while also managing urgent cases and emergencies.

Students participating in this elective will gain hands-on experience in a fast-paced clinical setting, where they will be exposed to a diverse caseload ranging from routine GP appointments to complex medical cases requiring urgent intervention. Our hospital is equipped to handle a variety of surgical procedures, including both soft tissue and orthopedic surgeries. This provides an excellent opportunity to observe and assist in surgical procedures, anesthesia monitoring, and perioperative care.

Participants will engage in client communication, diagnostic procedures, and treatment planning under the supervision of experienced veterinarians. The elective will also provide exposure to in-house laboratory diagnostics, radiology, and advanced patient care protocols. This experience is ideal for individuals looking to enhance their clinical skills, critical thinking, and adaptability in a setting that blends the structure of general practice with the unpredictability of emergency medicine.

South Valley Equine is a full service, equine referral hospital located in Saratoga Springs, UT. We offer the unique combination of an established, well-respected practice, coupled with an emphasis on innovative and advanced veterinary care. The combined experience of our nine full-time veterinarians and three affiliated veterinarians allows us to provide first rate care to all our equine patients, from backyard pets to world class performance horses. As the only full-service referral hospital in Utah, we see a large and varying caseload that can accommodate the specific interests of a prospective intern veterinarian.

South Valley Equine offers year-round externships for veterinary students, regardless of class year. Our externship is designed to expose students to all aspects of equine general and referral practice. Students will rotate between sports medicine, surgery, internal medicine, dentistry, and preventive medicine, with added rotations through our reproductive center and neonatal intensive care unit from February to June. The practice has a large and consistent volume of emergency cases, allowing students exposure to critical care and triage. South Valley Equine can meet the specific interests of students pursuing a future in either general or specialized equine veterinary practice.

We are a mixed animal veterinary hospital located in a rural area. We provide farm calls, in-office appointments, hospitalization, emergency services and surgical procedures for our patients. Students will have the opportunity to assist in a variety of treatments and types of care. We enjoy teaching and mentoring future vets and offer as much hands on as the student is comfortable doing. The student will see a vast variety of procedures on multiple different species. 

Majority mobile equine practice that sees mostly sport horse and general practice cases.  Clinic has a haul in facility with indoor arena for those clients that don't have one available.  

Externs will shadow and observe our ER doctors, help out doctors & staff, assist with medical records, communicate with clients, and may have the opportunity to scrub into surgery,

Externs may see bite wounds, choking or respiratory distress, toxin ingestion, shock, DKA, heat stroke, reproductive emergencies, seizures, pancreatitis, and hemoabdomen.

Meridian Equine is an integrative equine practice focusing on rehabilitation and sports medicine.  We extensive lameness diagnostics including lameness exams, digital radiology, and ultrasound.  Students will be exposed to a variety of disciplines including Hunter-Jumper, Dressage, Western Pleasure, Contesting, and Competitive Driving horses.  We offer in house and ambulatory services.  Meridian Equine has a 12 stall rehabilitation barn with a water treadmill, salt room, Vibeplate, Bemer, and shock wave, as well as other therapeutic modalities.  Dr. Peckham is certified in acupuncture, veterinary chiropractics, and equine rehabilitation and sport horse medicine.  

This is a high volume shelter that offers opportunities in shelter medicine, high volume spay/neuter, and low cost care.  

For fourth year veterinary students they will be required to present a case in depth from clinical presentation to diagnostics to treatment and outcome. They will dive in to the case and be able to explain all of the procedures and things they would do differently. They will present this to our team of doctors.

They also will perform surgeries as either a ram castration with them planning anesthesia or doing spays and neuters on the shelter animals for a day. 

They will otherwise be involved in clinical case discussion and dive into their area of clinical interest. They will be asked their opinion and focus on details especially tested about in national boards. 

Third and Fourth year vet students are eligible to apply for structured externships, gaining hands-on experience and in-depth instruction from our skilled medical team, typically while earning course credit through their veterinary school. Externs spend their days learning the ins and outs of our HQHV spay-neuter clinic procedures, partnering on treatment plans and critical care cases, and performing sterilization procedures. With an average of 55 surgical patients per day, externs may complete anywhere from 5-100 surgeries during their average 2-week rotation, depending on initial skill level.