The Veterinary Specialty Hospital (VSH) offers short term externships to students actively pursuing a veterinary degree so that students gain insight on the operations of a specialty hospital. Students may also pursue an externship to determine if a future internship at VSH would be a good fit.
VSH provides specialty services in internal medicine, surgery, emergency and critical care medicine, radiology, cardiology, medical oncology and radiation oncology. We also share a facility with Animal Eye Care and a full service Antech Diagnostic Laboratory with four on-site board certified clinical pathologists.
VSH is open 24/7 with our emergency service providing ongoing continuity of care for hospitalized patients while serving as an emergency and referral service for primary care veterinarians in the surrounding areas. With an active rotating internship program and a partnership with NCSU for surgical residencies program, VSH is committed to providing educational experiences to veterinary students so they gain exposure to private practice, specialty and emergency medicine. If selected to participate in an externship, students must show proof of health insurance and complete a release form prior to arrival.
The emergency staff at our Cary hospital consists of 5 senior emergency clinicians (4 full time / 1 part-time). We also have 1-2 interns on the service at any given time. Fourteen veterinarian technicians are solely dedicated to emergency and ICU care. Our service operates Monday-Friday from 5 pm until 8 am and we're open 24 hours on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays. Diagnostic capabilities include digital radiography, ultrasonography (performed by emergency clinician), in-house laboratory equipment (cell counter, blood chemistry unit, I-stat (blood gas and electrolytes), coagulation monitor, snap ELISA tests), and spiral Computed Tomography (CT).
The rotation is clinical in nature and will provide minimal didactic teaching. Students will shadow clinicians and technicians in order to provide the maximum benefit and exposure to emergency care. We hope to provide experience in communication skills, triage, physical examination, organizing patient problem lists, creation of differential diagnoses and formulation of treatment plans. Ideally the student will be present for the discussion of the pet's problems and treatment plan with the pet owner. Students can participate in discussions regarding different emergency and critical care cases or scenarios when time allows. Opportunities exist for the senior student to receive hands on exposure with medical procedures. Students who are here for an extended externship will be asked to write up their history and physical examination findings in the medical record of cases assigned to them. While this is a hands-on rotation and students should be prepared to assist on an as-needed basis, patient contact will be at the discretion of the supervising veterinarian.
For a full externship: We require 40 hours/week including weekend shifts.