Tryon Equine Hospital is a private specialty referral center serving North Carolina, Georgia, and the South Carolina upstate with four board certified surgeons and a board-certified internist. We are proud to offer state of the art, 24-hour surgical and medical care, and advanced lameness diagnostics. Our ambulatory clinicians bring the same quality medicine to local farms and are available 24 hours a day for emergency care. Additionally, Tryon Equine Hospital provides medical coverage for many local equine exhibitions, including all events at the Tryon International Equestrian Center. The hospital is located in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Columbus, North Carolina, just 30 miles east of Asheville, North Carolina, and 20 miles north of Spartanburg, South Carolina.
As an extern, you can expect to spend time both in the clinic and on the road with ambulatory clinicians. Cases seen in the clinic range from general health checks to referral emergency surgery and medical cases. Our ambulatory clinicians spend time on local farms working with clients on everything from vaccines and herd health issues to advanced lameness diagnosis and emergency medical care. Each day, you will be assigned to shadow a clinician, either in house or on the road. How much you participate in each aspect of what the practice offers depends both on your interests and the practice needs. *If you are planning on applying for our Internship Program it is recommended that you participate in all of our departments and spend time with all of our clinicians.*
Tryon Equine Hospital is the only private specialty referral center serving North Carolina, Georgia and the South Carolina Upstate with four board certified surgeons and a board-certified internist. We are proud to offer you state of the art, 24-hour surgical and medical care, and advanced lameness diagnostics. Our ambulatory veterinarians bring the same quality medicine to your farm and are available 24 hours a day for emergency care. With both of these services available to our clients, you can be sure your horse will get the best care regardless of your specific needs. The hospital is located in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Columbus, North Carolina, just 30 miles east of Asheville, North Carolina, and 20 miles west of Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Externs are expected to be available at all times and participate in all after hour emergencies and treatments. The Intern veterinarians will be able to guide you in what treatments may be required overnight and will be in touch regarding incoming emergencies. There may be opportunity to participate on field emergencies as well. If there are multiple externs at one time, please coordinate with your extern-mates as to who will be “on call” for emergencies seen in the clinic and who will be “on call” for field emergencies. Please note this self designed schedule, along with your phone numbers, on the whiteboard at the front desk prior to 5pm each day.
Procedures Allowed: Externs are expected to actively participate during their stay, both relative to patient care and help in the hospital. We make every attempt to provide hands on experience, but please keep in mind that this may not always be possible due to the nature of the animals that we work with. Your ability to get hands on will be determined by each attending clinicians comfort with your skill set and knowledge base. Generally, the following guidelines should be followed:
• 1st year veterinary students: TPRs on adult patients
• 2nd and 3rd year veterinary students: Oral medications and TPRs on adult patients
• 4th year veterinary students: oral and adult horse IV medication (with catheter) and TPRs on adult patients
Generally, pre-veterinary student externs are limited to observational roles only.
Externs are not permitted to administer injectable medications (other than with a catheter) or eye medications, remove intravenous catheters, or perform treatments on neonates/foals.
Patient handling: We understand that everyone has a different amount of experience handling horses. You are encouraged to let staff know what you are and are not comfortable with. Please
do not excessively discipline the horses. If there is a particularly problematic horse, inform the doctor and they will make a decision if a sedative (or other means) may be needed to quiet the horse. If a horse is being difficult, make sure that the area is cleared of all unnecessary equipment and people (especially clients).
Accommodations: Pending availability, we will provide you with living quarters on site if you wish. Our Intern and Extern housing is located behind the clinic in a log cabin. It has bedrooms (you may be sharing with other externs), linens, a full kitchen, and a bathroom. Please make yourself comfortable, but also be aware that this is a shared space. As such, please ensure that you are being respectful of all others who may be in the house. At the end of your stay with us, please bring your sheets and towels to the laundry room in the clinic, discard any food you are not taking with you, and empty all trash. The extern housing should be left clean and ready for the next extern to move in prior to your departure