Offsite Electives

VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital (VCA HAH) provides externships to multiple students annually.  Ideally these are a maximum of two weeks.  The program is designed for the self-guided individual.  This is an opportunity for the extern to get out what they put in.  We are here to guide and facilitate in the externs education and we take it quite seriously.  The student is given freedom of the entire clinical and surgical facility and it us up to that individual to self design their day.  Our multiple veterinarians enjoy the assistance of the extern and in return are very willing to discuss their cases and treatment plans.  Students are given the authority to enter any exam room with the practitioner.  Most of our guests spend time in the mornings assisting the associate veterinarians in th exam room endeavors.  The more in-depth surgeries are performed at or shortly after the noon hour with the extern as a second set of hands.  The afternoon is again in the exam room.  Over-night and Sunday emergencies are common at VCA HAH and many students spend one or more shifts assisting during those hours.  General office hours are from 7:30AM until 7:00 PM with a staff doctor present throughout the night.  The digital radiology reports are an excellent additional method of training for both positioning technique and the following of radiologist interpretation in conjunction with the case chart.  We are very proud of our laboratory and the four technicians in there.  They are always willing to assist and train in slide preparation and cytology reading. 

Equine exclusive ambulatory practice in central Kentucky, emphasis on reproduction during breeding and foaling season, general herd health, lameness, some internal medicine. Externs are expected to attend all cases, assist with procedures, interact with farm personnel and staff, ask questions and contribute to discussions of the cases.

Thoroughbred predominant, also QH, ASB, TWH horses seen by practitioner.

Expect to see 60+ broodmares daily, with assorted foal medical problems, and some emergency duties

Students will have the same responsiblities as our senior students, including primary patient care, treatments, medical records and working with owners.

We are an AAHA accredited practice, and have been so for 27 years. This is a general small practice hospital, but are high volume for a rural area and rarely do any referrals out of hospital. We have a mixture of routine elective surgical procedures, and moderate internal medicine load. Available equipment includes in-house labs, ultrasound, digital radiography, including dental radiography, and radiosurgery. 

I would expect an upcoming veterinary candidate to be able to take exam histories, perform exams, etc  and have the ability to participate in routine surgery with supervision and anesthetic monitoring.

We work with many colleges to help prepare students with general practice experience.  Yearly we have 3-4 students here for credit hours and many more just looking to increase knowledge or learn alternative medicine.  

Students will be riding with a veterinarian on their daily rounds and emergency calls. 

Students will be exposed to routine/non-routine surgeries and procedures as well as routine and non-routine appointments

Extern will gain experience in all aspects of equine practice, including both inpatient and ambulatory cases. Bi-weekly rounds address a variety of topics in general practice.  Extern will spend time rotating among veterinary staff.  

Mixed animal practice.  Heavy emphasis on bovine reproduction, palpation, and herd health.  Student will have opportunity to help scrub-in on surgeries.

Students well be imersed in a Mixed Animal hospital atmosphere with a variety of cases occuring daily. Large animal includes equine, bovine, caprine, and ovine on the road. Small animal is busy with wellness and sick animal cat and dog appointments in house, routine surgeries, radiographs, ultrasounds, and more. We also have a third branch to our practice working closely with the local animal shelter where we perform spays, neuters, and exams every day for animals getting adopted through the county. Students will be able to shadow closely with the doctors through their daily routines, many opportunities to interact with clients, and even have some possibilities to scrub in for spays and neuters.