Offsite Electives

Externs will spend time with large staff of veterinarians during the work week. Experience will be catered towards extern's interests. Small animal hospital with 24 hour emergency service and general practice. Board-certified dentist on staff. Oncologist and dermatologist have 1-2 days per week at this particular hospital. Routine surgeries are performed every weekday. Participation in surgery or other procedures will be at the discretion of the doctors on staff that day and are assessed based on extern's interest level, engagement, and veterinary school experience. 

Candidate will be under direct supervision and mentorship of five veterinarians.  Assisting in all aspects a practicing veterinarian performs.  Hands-on experience with canines, felines and multiple species of exotic patients.

Students are encouraged to be interactive - history taking, physical exams, case rounds, and review of diagnostics with assigned clinicians. 

Mixed animal practice

Equine- hospitalization, ER, vaccinations, castration, enculeation, dental, radiographs, ultrasound, bloodwork 

Small Animal- hospitalization, spay/neuter vaccinations, castration, enculeation, dental, internal medication, ultrasound, radiographs

Advanced level experience with equine lameness relative to managing mechanics.

The Forever Vets externship program is designed to assist veterinary students in the exciting, albeit challenging, transition from university medicine to general practice. Externs will gain hands-on experience in small animal and exotic internal medicine, soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, dentistry, diagnostic imaging, pathology, emergency response, leadership, client communication and more as they partner with a multitude of experienced mentors who specialize in differing areas of medicine. They will have the opportunity to identify and improve upon their personal strengths, weaknesses and interests as they practice in our nine general practice clinics and our new urgent care hospital. Students will not only build a strong foundation in clinical skills with an involved approach to training, but they will also have the unique opportunity to collaborate with and to direct varying teams of support staff. Forever Vets hospitals are open seven days a week with extended hours, providing externs with any number of hours required by their university's curriculum. Our structure incorporates case study reviews, personalized follow-ups, and continuing education opportunities with both our medical director and owning veterinarian. Forever Vets' mission to create a positive impact in the community extends beyond Jacksonville's borders; we strive to advance the field of medicine and grow the next wave of veterinary pioneers.

The student will attend a 2-week streak of theoretical and practical classes on Diagnostic Pathology, including Clinical Pathology, Microbiology, Parasitology, and Virology allotted in the morning period. In the afternoons, the student will be on the necropsy floor, performing postmortem examination of assorted animal species, as well as preparing technical written reports about the necropsy findings. In cases of zero necropsy cases for the day, the student will be shadowing the resident on biopsy duty, accompanying surgical specimen trimming and reading at the multi-headed scope and Pathology rounds.

During a COPLOW externship, students can expect to participate in daily read-outs of current cases received from submitting veterinarians, learn about diagnosing ocular pathology lesions histologically, assist with grossing (trimming in the eyes and other tissues received), attend any rounds available, and learn about comparative ocular anatomy from the lab’s founder and professor emeritus, Dr. Richard Dubielzig.

Poultry Medicine with the largest integrator in the USA.  The extern will learn side by side with staff veterinarians all aspects of modern broiler production starting with primary breeders through broilers and processing.  Staff veterinarians have over 100 years of combined experience in poultry medicine.

Clemson University Livestock Poultry Health (LPH) is located in Columbia (center of South Carolina). There are 3 sections: Animal Health Programs, Clemson Veterinary Diagnostic Center (CVDC), and SC Meat and Poultry Inspection Department (SCMPID). This rotation involves interaction with Animal Health Programs veterinarians, SC State Veterinarian, CVDC pathologists, and SCMPID veterinarians.  The student will travel to livestock/poultry producers, livestock auction markets, and LPH activities to ensure compliance with all South Carolina and Federal regulations. Rotation often includes the Clemson Veterinary Diagnostic Center with livestock necropsies and subsequent testing.