Offsite Electives

Participate in all aspect of zoological medicine and husbandry.
 Learn husbandry of hospitalized animals while at the veterinary hospital or in quarantine.
 Assist with the treatment and medical care of hospitalized animals.
 Participate in the diagnosis and treatment of ongoing clinical cases under the veterinarian’s supervision.
 Learn clinical pathology techniques from veterinary technicians and veterinarians
 Acquire knowledge and skills in post-mortem examination techniques and differential diagnosis lists for deceased animals.
 Learn surgical techniques aimed at non-domestic animals.
 Become familiar with preventative medicine programs in zoo settings and their implementation.
 Understand how quarantine programs are designed and executed in a zoo setting
 Gain experience in the interpretation of radiographs and other imaging techniques in a zoological collection.
 Expand his/her knowledge on chemical and physical immobilization techniques in zoo animals.
 Practice and improve medical record-writing skills.
 Review up to date literature related to ongoing clinical cases and discuss findings with veterinary staff.
 Enhance his/her knowledge in zoonotic diseases and biosecurity in zoo settings
 Optional: Prepare a case report from one of the active cases at the zoo.
 Optional: With guidance from the veterinarians, write a case report/what is your diagnosis or clinical challenge during the preceptorship with the aim of having it published in a peer-reviewed journal.
 Interact with Animal Collections staff to obtain experience in husbandry practices in the different species at the zoo.

Student will participate in wellness appointments, sick appointments and a variety of cases. Opportunities for observation and assistance in routine surgeries as well as mass removals, dental procedures, occasional enucleations, laceration repairs, hematoma repairs, etc. are available. We do not do orthopedic work.

The extern will be immersed in all aspects of equine theriogenology and breeding farm operations.   The extern will shadow the veterinarian and participate in veterinary procedures including foaling, foal checks, foal and mare treatment and medications, mare breeding and pregnancy checks, embryo transfer, lab diagnostics, stallion collection and semen processing.  The breeding farm component includes care, feeding, catching, leading, watering and stall cleaning for horses.  The extern will also be exposed to general farm maintenance including feed and shaving management along with basic machinery / equipment usage and operation. 

This specialized externship is designed to provide valuable hands-on experience in the care of specific animals and habitats at an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited, world-class facility.

Students will work with veterinary staff to gain clinical experience working within the diverse collection of species in The Florida Aquarium’s managed- care collection, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, teleosts, elasmobranchs and marine invertebrates – and an ever-growing sea turtle rescue/rehabilitation program. Depending on seasonality, significant emphasis may be placed on rescue and rehabilitation of stranded sea turtles.

Expectations and Responsibilities:

Under the direction of the veterinary staff, students will: 

• Participate in all aspects of zoological medicine, including medical and surgical treatment, preventative medicine, quarantine protocols, pathology and daily case rounds.
• Review medical records and anesthetic protocols, monitor anesthesia, complete physical examinations, collect and interpret diagnostics, and develop treatment plans for cases in which they participate.
• Assist the veterinarians and veterinary technicians with all medical procedures during their rotation.
• Complete a project in alignment with ongoing clinical research or explore a clinical topic during the course of the program. A 20–30-minute presentation will be given by the student at the conclusion of the program. 

Qualifications:

• Must be either a third- or fourth-year veterinary student
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information
• Ability to work well independently and with a team
• Ability to communicate openly and professionally
• Ability to lift objects of up to 40 pounds as well as bend, crouch, squat and carry equipment
• Must provide proof of medical insurance
• Must provide proof of rabies vaccine/titer, tetanus vaccine and a recent TB test prior to starting the program

Time Commitment:

• Externships are a minimum of four weeks and a maximum of eight weeks.  
• Work days are primarily Monday-Friday, with possibility of after-hours and weekend on-call shifts for potential emergencies or rescue and recovery of stranded sea turtles.

Will see multiple surgeries, dentals, diagnostics. Will work with doctors in room and lots of client interaction 

General Practice location offering a mix of first line comprehensive wellness care, internal medicine and daily soft tissue surgery and dentals with digital radiography and ultrasound. We also offer small animal rehab with a certified RVT rehab tech and on site underwater treadmill. Attached to our clinic includes resort facilities: boarding, day camp, grooming and training. 

An introduction to general practice medicine or continued experience learning how to use the skills learned in clinical in a real world setting. Our clinic focuses on quality medicine and quality of life care for the patient while thinking of the family as a whole. When practicing in general medicine, you will not always be able to run every diagnostic, refer patients to a specialist or operate with unlimited funds. We will help you gain confidence in what you have learned and how to rely on it in a general practice. You will gain experience with preventative medicine, internal medicine and surgery. 

Will be engaged in daily patient and hospital visits, surgeries, and emergency cases. Student will get to have one on one time with Dr. Wendy and Dr. Joe. Student will be able to engage in all things happening at the hospital

The student will be participating and shadowing with well and sick visits. Also, shadowing in surgery and performing dentals. The student will also observe Acupuncture/laser appointments and ultrasounds.

Extern will participate in a variety of roles related to that of a mentored newly practicing clinician in a general practice setting.