Offsite Electives

Austin Equine’s externships are year-round for veterinary students regardless of class year. We encourage a minimum two-week commitment and we generally accommodate one student per externship, although two students are occasionally permitted. The externship program is very hands-on, and requires interactive participation. Externs are expected to assist with morning treatment, and observe and participate in all daily cases seen. Fourth year students on official externships are expected to help with after-hours emergency cases as needed. All students will be expected to take part in daily case rounds. The annual caseload is 6000–8000 cases and the average caseload per veterinarian is 100-150 per week. Austin Equine is an equine-only practice. Our veterinarian staff includes a board certified surgeon and doctors who focus on lameness, advanced dentistry, and theriogenology. Transportation is provided to and from the airport. Automobile use at the clinic can be provided for students who possess a current driver’s license. Modest, comfortable, on-site housing is provided. 

Pending student's capability and comfort, the extern student can work closely with clinicians to work through cases or take on individual cases with clinician guidance. Case load has a dynamic range due to the nature of emergency medicine. 

Animal Friends is a no-kill shelter located in Pittsburgh. Our organization takes in approximately 2500 animals (cats, dogs, rabbits) yearly. We provide spay and neuter surgeries, vaccines, and deworming of all our shelther residents. In addition, we perform many types of elective surgeries including mastectomies, enucleations, amputations, dentals (including dental radiographs) and a wide variety of other necessary procedures.

Animal Friends has a Low Cost Spay Neuter department that performs 10,000 spays and neuters of owned animals in the Pittsburgh area. They also provide vaccine clinics and wellness services for owned animals.

The veterinary student extern will be assisting and performing surgeries and dentals under the direct supervision of one of our shelter veterinarians. The extern will also get experience with herd-health management of common shelter diseases like CIRD, upper respiratory infections in cats, ringworm, and GIT parasites. The extern will learn how we utilize protocols to maintain the health of our foster animals (primarily kittens and puppies, as well as older animals with chronic medical or behavioral issues).

We are a mixed animal practice located in southwest Minnesota focused primarily on food animal. We provide traditional veterinary services along with consultation and production medicine for swine, dairy and feedlot producers. We have species specific veterinarians that practice in multiple states in the upper midwest.

We are an equine surgical referral hospital with one ACVS boarded large animal surgeon (Dr Tracey) and one GP that focuses on reproduction, dentistry and lameness (Dr Bottger).  We expect our externs to participate in day to day activities, treatments, and emergencies.   

Campus Veterinary Services provides both clinical and project support to the majority of research and teaching animals on campus which includes a large variety of species including the traditional rodent laboratory animal species but also includes fish, frogs, birds, sheep, cats, dogs and others. Students shadow our residents and staff clinicians during their externships and have assignments which include protocol review, journal seminar, resident seminar, wet lab participation, handout preparation and final presentation to staff on the last day of the rotation.

Externs will rotate with our general practice and emergency doctors during their externship.

• This is a food animal (predominately feedlot cattle) externship. Experiences will include, but not be limited to:
• Field Necropsies
•         Elective surgeies
•         Auction mart tour and cattle buying exercise
•         Cattle feeding exercise
•         Packing plant tour
•         Cow/Calf field exercise
•         Chronic pen management
•         Applied euthanasia techniques

·        Pen checking exercise

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Communication and Interpersonal Skills ~ Observe interactions among veterinarinas, clients and staff members, including grief counseling ad conflict resolution.  Observe division of labor between veterinarinas, technicians, office staff, etc.
• Practice Management and Business ~ Observe appointment scheduling procedures, fee structure, retail sales, operating costs, daily receipts, ownership structure, work schedule and billing/collection procedures. Become familiar with medical recordkeeping, business management software, drug inventory and labeling, controlled drug handling and sanitation and waste disposal.
• Veterinary Medical Skills Pertinent to General Veterinary Practice ~ Observe wellness appointment, pre-surgical appointment, emergency, etc.  Observe physical examination, restraint and safe handling, routine preventive medicine, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, routine laboratory tests, nursing care, routine surgical procedures, anesthesia and sedation protocols, induction, monitoring and recovery, digital radiology, necropsy, emergency appointments and intensive care.    

****Our practice allows students to actively participate and gain hands-on experience. 

Clinical rotation of Equine Medicine