Offsite Electives

Students will learn how to perform an exam and localization of the problem. Depending on the specialty department students will be able to observe procedures like ultrasounds, echos, scopes, MRI, CT, chemo treatments, radiation therapy and surgeries. 

Students will have the opportunity to shadow specialists and observe appointments and procedures.  The individual elective experience will vary depending on the specialty. 

To participate in day to day activities of a small animal hospital

Direct observation of veterinarians (surgery-both orthopedic and soft tissue, dental procedures and extractions, routine appointments and physical exams, medical charting, etc). 

May be asked to help restrain animals, draw blood, place catheters, monitor anesthesia, recover animals from anesthesia, basic care of animals while in hospital (feed, water, walk, clean).

May be asked to assist on large animal calls.

Fox Valley Animal Referral Center (FVARC) is a 24 hour specialty and emergency hospital.  We have a number of different specialists such as Emergency/Critical Care, Internal Medicine, Surgery, and Radiology.  Externs can rotate through the specialties or focus on a specialty that they are more driven towards upon graduation.  We allow our externs to be a part of our highly skilled medical team in order to learn and grow within their skill set.

Externs will work alongside our DVM team in exam rooms, surgical suties and procedure rooms.  They may place IV catheters, draw blood and be involvoed in the nursing care of our patients.  Externs are welcome to join in our journal club meetings, intern rounds and any other educational meetings held at the hospital.

It is important that externs understand that the success of their externship lies within themself. Their ability to learn and gain experience during the extern experience is largely determined by their own initiative and drive to obtain knowledge. 

PETS Referral Center (www.petsreferralcenter.com) is a privately owned and operated 24-hour multi-specialty small animal veterinary hospital located in Berkeley, Ca.  We see approximately 10,000 cases annually between our specialists and our team of experienced emergency doctors. 

Our hospital has a culture of collaboration and camaraderie with doctors and staff who enjoy both teaching and learning.  Our highly skilled team of veterinary paraprofessionals is augmented with enthusiastic pre-vet students from UC Berkeley.  In true Berkeley fashion, our clientele is made up of an eclectic variety of people from all walks of life that share a common desire to have the best medical care for their pets.

Externs are expected to ask questions, shadow doctors in exam rooms, participate in rounds, interpret laboratory and radiograph findings, keep a personal case log, do independent study, and participate in the decision-making process of case management.

We want to ensure the time you spend with us is a great learning experience!  We are equipped with color-flow ultrasound, digital radiography, video endoscopy and a full in-house lab including blood gas, coagulation, lactate analysis, and more.

We offer a limited number of small animal externship positions ranging in time from 2-4 weeks and generally limit our availability to one student at any given time.  We accept students from all classes but priority is given to veterinary students who will have completed their third year of instruction prior to starting the externship.   Scheduling is flexible throughout the year, including summers.  Students entering their senior year also have the option to have their rotation with our Internal Medicine / Oncology Services.  

Mutual Externship Objectives:

i.          Student to benefit from frequent case-based learning opportunities with a matched emergency or specialty clinician. 

ii.         Student to have the ability to interface with whichever service is the busiest when student is on site

iii.        Student to demonstrate excellent patient care and client service wherever applicable

iv.        Student to participate in conceptual and hands-on patient assessments, diagnostics and therapeutics

v.         Student to attend and participate in clinical patient rounds and any additional scheduled  CE in the form of Morbidity & Mortality Rounds, monthly Grand Rounds,               Literature Review, etc.

vi.        Student should be willing to assist in patient care duties when asked to do so

Although primarily observational, you will have many opportunities for direct patient contact and participation in assessments and therapeutics.

As a private practice, externship is an alternative to Senior Year Rotations in clinics, we recognize our responsibility to provide a valuable learning experience and we take this responsibility seriously – we expect the same from participating students.  Our program is meant to be an exciting and practical learning opportunity in a busy private practice providing emergency and specialty care in one of the most beautiful areas in California.  Please email your CV and a brief introductory letter including your goals as your application to our program.   Housing and transportation is the responsibility of the student.   Please include preferred and alternate dates for your externship.

Gahanna Animal Hospital is an 8 doctor practice with doctors with special interest in areas such as acupuncture , orthopedic surgery , behavior ,reproduction, and internal medicine. I will try to show senior students what can be done in private practice and what needs referral.  I also discuss practice evaluation, handing difficult clients, doctor pay strategies and working with breeders and welping.

I own a six doctor hospital that has been serving the community for over twenty years.  We service small animals, exotics and wildlife.

100 % Equine Racetrack Practice at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Ky.

Experience all facets of racetrack practice.

In the two-week long externship, you will receive one-on-one supervision and training in spay and neuter.  You may also have the opportunity to perform other soft tissue surgeries, such as mass removals, depending on the cases present in the shelter.  Surgeries are performed daily, mornings and early afternoons.  After surgeries are finished for the day, you will be expected to shadow one of the veterinarians as they see appointments or on shelter rounds.  Seeing these animals will provide you with the opportunity to perform physical exams, in-house diagnostics such as ear and skin cytology, FNA cytology, ophthalmologic exams, etc.   Even if you are not intending on entering the field of shelter medicine, you will be able to see and learn a lot about common conditions in pets that you will also encounter in private practice.