Offsite Electives

Our elective experience gives students a hands-on look at a busy, family-run small animal practice right here in Boca Raton. You'll get to see everything from routine wellness exams to complex surgeries not normally done by regular DVMs, we do a wide range of soft-tissue and orthopedic surgery. We pride ourselves on providing highly personalized veterinary services to our community.Melissa will get a unique perspective on both specialized surgical care and the day-to-day operations of running a family veterinary business.

As a small animal general practice, we are able to provide veterinary students with the an externship opportunity to gain hands-on clinical experience in a state-of-the-art hospital. During the externship, students are integrated into the daily operations of the practice and work closely with veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and support staff to observe and participate in patient care.

Students are exposed primarily to the medical management of canines and felines only. The externship allows students to apply knowledge gained during their veterinary training while developing practical clinical skills in a real-world practice environment.

Typical experiences during the externship may include assisting with physical examinations, observing and participating in diagnostic procedures, interpreting laboratory results, assisting in surgical and dental procedures, and contributing to the development of diagnostic and treatment plans under veterinary supervision. Students may also observe client communication, participate in case discussions, and learn about the workflow and decision-making processes involved in general practice.

In addition to clinical exposure, the externship offers insight into the day-to-day operations of a small animal veterinary practice, including teamwork among veterinary staff, medical record keeping, client education, and practice management. The goal of the experience is to enhance the student’s clinical confidence, strengthen practical skills, and provide a deeper understanding of the role of the veterinarian in delivering compassionate, high-quality care to companion animals and their owners.

This externship provides veterinary students with hands-on exposure to the daily operations of a small animal general practice. Externs will observe and participate in patient examinations, diagnostic procedures, treatment planning, and client communication under the supervision of licensed veterinarians. The experience includes exposure to preventive care, internal medicine cases, surgery, dentistry, and basic diagnostics such as laboratory testing and imaging. Students will have the opportunity to assist the medical team, practice clinical reasoning, and gain insight into the workflow of a community small animal hospital. Our goal is to provide a supportive learning environment that encourages questions, discussion of cases, and development of practical veterinary skills.

We are a 2 doctor small animal practice seeing dogs and cats only. We see routine adult wellness visits, geriatric visits, puppy visits, and  non-urgent sick/problem visits that include urinary concerns, dermatology, masses/lumps and bumps, mobility, and minor injuries. We perform dental cleanings, often with extractions, spays/neuters, mass removals. Rarely cystotomy, enucleation, toe amputations, tail amputations ("Happy Tail")

Opportunity in assisting cardiologist and staff members in whole process of cardiology workup for new patients and developing plan for treatment and follow up visits.

Student will observe surgery, small animal appointments and farm calls.  Small animal appointments will include, wellness, sick, new puppy/kitten, acupuncture, cold therapy laser and chiropractics.  Farm calls will include, equine acupuncture and chiropractics, farm animal wellness and sick visits, and small animal home visits.  All observations will be based on what is scheduled the week the student is here.  

This solo house-call practice is limited to acupuncture, chiropractic, photobiomodulation, nutritional, exercise, and herbal therapies.  Patients are primarily dogs with a few cats for good measure. Among dogs, mobility issues are by far the most common primary complaint, almost always in conjunction with a metabolic disease; geriatrics are the most popular demographic.  The student will ride along with the owner/veterinarian and should be prepared to see complicated, multi-dimensional cases, review the appropriateness of how they are being managed by the referring practitioner, and explore the pros and cons of adding complementary therapies.  The student will observe different modes of treatment (acupuncture, PBM, chiropractic) and experience the benefits and satisfaction of having 0:45-1:30 appointments to dive deep into nuances of individual cases.  The student will also experience the pros and cons of house-call style practice.  Between calls, we will have ample opportunity to discuss evidence-based complementary therapies, challenges and benefits of running a solo house-call practice, managing the expectations of pet owners, different business models for incorporating complementary therapies, and more.  

Student is expected to participate in normal day to day activities and responsibilities are based on students experience level.  

The Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation is an independent government agency charged with the regulation of horse racing and wagering in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. KHRGC regulatory veterinarians operate at every racetrack in Kentucky regulating thoroughbred, standardbred, and quarter horse racing. The regulatory veterinarian plays a crucial role in ensuring the welfare of equine and human athletes as well as protecting and maintaining the integrity of the sport.

KHRGC racing veterinarians are involved in both race day and non-race day regulatory duties. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

·      Pre-race soundness exams on all thoroughbred and quarter horses entered to race that day

·      On-track presence during the races to monitor soundness and triage emergencies

·      Test barn monitoring of horses and oversight of sample collection

·      Vet’s list works/training observations and Out of Competition testing

·      Race-day furosemide administration as indicated

·      Maintain accurate digital records relating to exams, diagnostics and regulatory activities

·      Collaborate and communicate with trainers and private veterinarians to assess the soundness of each equine athlete

·      Communicate with stewards and other racing officials as needed to ensure the integrity and welfare of horse racing

Riverchase Animal Hospital is a small animal veterinary practice dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality medical care for dogs and cats. We believe pets are not just animals, but cherished members of the family, and our team works to support the human–animal bond through excellent medicine, client education, and personalized care.

Our hospital provides comprehensive veterinary services including preventive care, wellness exams, dentistry, surgery, diagnostic testing, and treatment of medical conditions. The hospital is equipped with modern diagnostic and medical equipment to support thorough patient evaluation and treatment planning.

We serve a diverse companion animal client base and see a wide range of cases, from routine wellness visits to complex medical workups. Our focus is small animal general practice, treating both canine and feline patients throughout all life stages—from puppies and kittens to senior pets requiring chronic disease management.

The goal of the externship experience is to expose veterinary students to the day-to-day practice of high-quality small animal general practice. Externs will observe and participate in the diagnostic and decision-making process used by veterinarians as they evaluate cases, develop treatment plans, and communicate with clients. Emphasis is placed on understanding the reasoning behind medical recommendations, developing clinical thinking skills, and gaining exposure to the workflow of a busy general practice.

Externs will shadow veterinarians during appointments and surgeries while being introduced to all aspects of companion animal practice. This includes puppy and kitten visits, annual wellness exams for adult and senior patients, sick patient evaluations, dentistry, and soft tissue surgery. Daily discussions with the veterinarians will help students better understand case management, diagnostic reasoning, and treatment planning.