Offsite Electives

Externships in all of the specialties are available to veterinary students currently in their clinical year(s) of study, with the intent of providing an educational opportunity to students and forming new relationships within the veterinary community. Extern responsibilities vary from observation with teaching discussion, to patient handling and client interviews (similar to a university experience) dependent upon the service visited and individual ability.  Students can apply for variable duration externships (2-4 weeks is typical).

PDI 637

Poultry Medicine Clerkship Syllabus

Instructor: R. M. Fulton, D.V.M., Ph.D., dipl. A.C.P.V.

Course Objectives:         

1. Understand modern poultry production and management
2. Develop a working knowledge of how to diagnose, recommend treatment, and prevention of common poultry diseases.
3. Improve understanding of pathogenesis of viral, bacterial, parasitic and fungal diseases and how that deeper understanding enables a veterinarian to better prevent and treat diseases.
4. Develop a working knowledge of on-farm biosecurity, the use of disinfectants and how to develop pest (fly and rodent) control programs and their importance as it relates to food safety.
5. Develop an understanding of the veterinarian’s important role in “farm-to-fork” food safety programs.
6. Develop an awareness of diseases of other (non-poultry) avian species.

Course Content:

      This course will consist of didactic lectures (typically given in the morning), laboratory work (poultry necropsies and other diagnostic laboratory visits), and field trips (typically done in the afternoon).

Lectures:

Introduction to the poultry production and management

Biosecurity, commercial farms and small flocks

Viral diseases of poultry

Bacterial diseases of poultry

Parasitic diseases of poultry

Fungal and mycotoxin diseases of poultry

Metabolic diseases of poultry

Disinfectants

Diseases of gamebirds (pheasants, quail, partridges...)

Diseases of pet birds

Laboratories:

Avian necropsy technique

Necropsy of egg laying chicken mortality

Serology laboratory

Field Trips:

Egg laying chicken farm with in-line egg processing plant

Turkey hatchery

Turkey farm

Feed mill

Broiler chicken processing plant

Duck breeder, hatchery, grow out farm and processing plant

Small flock chicken hatchery

Full service diagnostic laboratory

General practice mixed animal clinic. Hands-on experience with medicine cases, surgeries, client communications and interactions, and business ownership.

Externs will get to observe exams and procedures performed on client owned large animals that will include: bovine and equine reproduction, lameness exams, diagnostic testing, and preventative medicine. Depending on the student’s interests and comfort level, he or she can practice his or her skills on our own private herd. Experiences may include: equine dental float, bovine reproductive exam, phlebotomy, and injections. Students will also be taught how to properly input and complete EIA and CVI forms both online and on paper. Additionally, students may chose to spend time in our small animal clinic participating in physical exams, vaccinations, and working in the in the lab. Students will also practice reviewing radiographic studies. 

To shadow and assist small animal practicioners and be allowed to participate in technical procedures and assist in dentals and surgeries within the limits of the Florida State Veterinary practice laws. The stated supervisor will discuss and plan the "experience" with extern prior to beginning and will designate specific veterinarians to assist in the experience.

The goal at Equine Services is to provide students with an opportunity to learn and gain knowledge in many aspects of equine medicine outside of the university setting.  We strive to be as hands on as possible for our veterinary externs depending on the students education level and knowledge level.  Externs are actively able to participate in treatments and examinations of our hospital patients (with supervision), are able to assist doctors with procedures on ambulatory calls and able to participate and observe diagnostic and surgical procedures in the clinc.  We are a busy hospital and ambulatory practice that services a wide range of clients and offers immense services.  Dr. Scott Bennett has an extensive lameness practice and externs are able to assist him in a wide variety of cases.  Equine Services also has an extensive reproductive practice and during busy season externs can observe mare and stallion services, including embryo transer.  

We are a small animal practice. We have overnight nursing to facilitate 24 hour treatments.  We are not an emergency hospital. We have on site lab services, perform various soft tissue and orthopedic procedures (no plating), and have telemedicine options for our digital radiograph and ultrasound procedures.

Routine wellness exams with vaccines

Sick exams involving in house diagnostics ( cbc, chem, FeLV, FIV, 4DX, digital  Radiographs, Urinalysis, In house Cytology)

Surgery ( routine spay, neuter, lump removals, cystotomy, gastrotomy, enterotomy, splenectomy, organ biopsy)

Ultrasound

Orthopedic surgery preformed by board certified surgeon

Dentistry ( with nerve blocks, dental x ray, gingival flaps)

During this externship, students will spend time with Dr. Walker and learn what being the director of milk quality at one of the top 15 food and beverage companies in the United States entails. This will include spending time at beverage and yogurt processing plants, watching the receiving of milk at the processing plant when it is tested for food safety and quality, visiting a milk quality testing laboratory, visiting at least one farm where a food safety and/or animal welfare audit is taking place, and generally developing a framework for how food animal veterinary practice relates to food quality throughout the supply chain.

As the Director of Milk Quality role is multifaceted, the experience can be tailored to the student’s interest. For example, this position involves discussing how animal welfare policy is developed at an organizational level, ensuring that Danone products are safe, good quality, and come from farms that align with the corporation’s standards, developing standards for quality and safety of food products, and managing the quality and food safety of milk and liquid dairy supply from farm to factory. Any one of those can be highlighted or focused upon during this externship.