Offsite Electives

The student will be working in the treatment room the entirety of the externship working alongside the veterinarians and technicians assisting with and performing:

- Admission and physical examination of new patients, including diagnosis and starting appropriate treatment

- Recheck exams of current patients, including modifying treatment plan as necessary and performing pre-release evaluations

- Fracture diagnosis and immobilization

- Wound management

- Drug and fluid administration, including calculating dose, route and frequency

- Radiographic interpretation

- Anesthesia induction and monitoring

- Orthopedic and soft tissue surgery

- Hematology analysis

- Parasite identification

- Physical therapy

- Necropsy

The Tufts Comparative Medicine Services (Tufts CMS) at the Tufts University Health Sciences Campus and the Tufts Medical Center, located in downtown Boston and the Tufts University Undergraduate Campus in Medford, MA, has clinical externship opportunities for 3rd and 4th year students throughout the year. The expectations of the extern will include assisting the veterinary technicians, facility manager and supervisors, and veterinarians in the various daily activities within Tufts CMS. The extern(s) will rotate through various sections of the Tufts CMS including the Veterinary Services, Technical Services, Animal Husbandry Service, Comparative Pathology laboratory, and the Surgical and Interventional Research Laboratory (SIRL). In addition, the extern may have the ability to rotate through the Molecular Cardiology Research Institute (rodent thoracic surgery) and faculty members’ laboratories, as time permits. The extern is expected to participate in the daily activities of the department and share some of the knowledge that you have gained during your veterinary school career. In addition, the extern will be required to present a seminar at the end of the externship on a topic of their choice, approved by a staff veterinarian. The externship is an excellent opportunity for 3rd and 4th year veterinary students who have an interest in or desire to gain additional experience in laboratory animal medicine and/or biomedical research. These positions are unpaid.

Opportunities to see general practice, emergency, referral and specialized imaging in a highly efficient practice setting.  Our practice is AAHA certified and practices Fear Free techniques giving the extern the opportunity to see a wide variety of valuable practice experiences.  At its foundation, we practice exceptional medicine in a highly efficient and well managed practice which caters to individuals of diverse financial resources.  We provide a high level of  registered technicians-to-doctor ratio allowing the doctors to work very efficiently and demonstrate how to utilize management software to organize paperless records and provide exceptional communication between staff and clients.  Our practice serves as a local referral practice for many of the smaller regional practices because of our extended hours and our ability to work up medical cases on site.  This allows us to see a higher than average number of  complicated surgical and medical cases.  We are also one of the few practices in Ohio to offer digital radiography, ultrasound, and CT imaging on site, allowing us to work up more complicated cases in house and reduce the opportunity for these cases to fall through the cracks and not receive the medical workup they deserve.

In accordance with the State Practice Act, students will be provided the opportunity to:

• Gain experience in general pet medicine in a bond-centered practice.

• Understand Banfield’s best practice standards, code of conduct and ethics.

• Understand the concepts of quality medicine and preventive care.

• Understand how both high quality and high case load can complement each other.

• Learn to perform a physical exam and to record a thorough medical history.

• Improve technical skills such as: drawing blood,  placing catheters,  giving injections, starting fluids,  assisting with anesthesia and surgeries under the mentor doctor’s       direct supervision.

• Collect and interpret laboratory specimens.

• Learn how to order the appropriate diagnostic tests.

• Learn to establish effective therapeutic plans.

• Learn how to properly restrain dogs, cats and exotic pets for different medical procedures.

• Learn how to efficiently and effectively use hospital equipment.

• Learn how to charge appropriately for services provided and why this is important.

• Learn and practice effective client and team communication skills.

• Learn to work effectively with hospital associates and others critical to your success.

  During an elective experience students will be closely invovled in all of the day to day activities associated with being veterinarian in a mixed animal practice. Students can expect hands on experience with the diagnosis, treatment and surgical procedures in both large and small animals. Students can choose to focus on either small animal or large animal medicine or if interested in mixed animal we can adjust your schedule so that you can see interesting cases/procedures.

• Routine daytime practice
• Emergency & critical care
• Advanced surgery: orthopedic, laparoscopic 

Students work with board certified specialists as well as interns and residents.  Duties vary by department, however in general students can expect to participate in and observe clinics, procedures, and rounds.  Students are expected to accompany a doctor at all times, observe and assist in all examinations, diagnostic procedures, treatments, surgery, etc.  It is our goal for students to have as much hands on learning as possible.  Students are also invited to attend all continuing education sessions held during their externship.

The Grand Island Animal Hospital is part of the Buffalo Veterinary Group, 6 private practices with two locations being open 24/7 for emergency and general care.  The Grand Island Animal Hospital is one of the general and urgent care facilities.  We expect senior students to participate in office calls, surgery, rounds, and patient care.  Each day, the senior student will be assigned to a doctor, and the student will be able to observe and participate.

Primarily small animal, with a few exotics, pocket pets, wild birds (we work with our local bird sanctuary)

Broad array of small and large animal medical and surgical experience including but not limited to: wellness visits for pets, dermatology, elective surgeries, orthopedic surgery at our Rockville location, critical medicine case management, dealing with common emergencies such as hit by cars and rat poison consumption, cattle herd visits, livestock obstetrics, equine visits (commonly colics and lacerations), chiropractic and acupuncture of both large and small animals, canine rehab, etc.