Mission has been training future veterinarians in the practice of spectrum of care medicine as an external primary care rotation for senior students from the University of Minnesota since 2020. We know that by naming, identifying and teaching the spectrum of care approach to veterinary medicine, we can influence the next generation of veterinarians to practice in a community-centric way that increases the accessibility of veterinary medicine on a broad scale. To that end, Mission is offering a 2 week senior veterinary student externship to veterinary students from any institution starting in May 2023.
The enhanced program will include:
- Didactic instruction, including discussions and literature review, on increasing access to veterinary care, with an emphasis on social justice as the foundational framework, along with communication skills, clinical skills and case management in a resource limited environment
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Hands-on learning opportunities:
- primary case management, overseen by a veterinarian dedicated to instruction, for urgent care cases and preventative medicine (specific opportunities are dependent on our daily schedule, but we estimate students will oversee approximately 12-18 urgent care cases and 18-24 wellness cases during the rotation)
- high-volume/high-quality spay/neuter technique (primary surgeon for minimum of 2-4 spay/neuter surgeries)
- clinical skills with an emphasis on those important to the practice of spectrum of care medicine such as evidence-based outpatient treatment protocols and emergency procedures (possible examples include: outpatient parvovirus protocol, urethral obstruction management, feeding tube placement)
- Experiential learning in a multi-service practice based on current case availability elective general surgery, emergency surgery, dentistry and DAVCS/specialty surgery where specific student involvement fluctuates based on case availability
Mission’s Veterinary Student Training Program will supplement the veterinary education received at a tertiary academic institution with valuable, practical knowledge in a private practice setting that is uniquely qualified to provide training in a spectrum of care to future veterinarians.
Recognizing the barriers to veterinary care and understanding the positive impact of the human-pet bond on a pet owners’ overall health and well-being, Mission Animal Hospital was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2015 to meet the growing need in our community for accessible veterinary care. As the first-ever, and still only, full-service nonprofit veterinary hospital in the Midwest, Mission Animal Hospital provides multi-service vet care 7 days a week to reduce barriers to veterinary care. Our busy multi-service clinic includes: scheduled appointment service for both well and sick pets; daily walk-in Urgent Care service with capacity for same-day emergency surgery; high-volume preventative wellness care visits; dentistry; elective general and specialty surgeries with two Boarded Surgeons on staff, as well as a high-volume, high-quality spay/neuter program. We provide a two-tiered pricing structure, with 82% of our clients qualifying for our “Mission Program” receiving donor-subsidized rates. We also offer our clients veterinary care grant resources and no-interest payment plans independent of credit check. Our guiding mission is to provide compassionate, high-quality veterinary care that keeps pets and owners together.
- Two-week externship program, 40hr/week, unpaid, open to senior veterinary students attending an AVMA-accredited university for rotation credit with lectures, discussions, journal rounds, skills training and hands-on case-based learning in a busy, multi-service, high-quality non-profit clinic
- 4-6 students per 2 week session (with ability to do 3 or 4 week session if requested)
- No programming cost to students
- Structured classroom instruction and group discussions focused on spectrum of care medicine and the veterinarian’s role in equitable access to care
- Daily time on the clinic floor with varied levels of student participation from observing Mission’s DVM team skilled in practical application of spectrum of care medicine up to primary case management in both an urgent care setting and in wellness clinic overseen by a licensed veterinarian
- Opportunity for additional clinical skills development in elective surgery, emergency surgery, specialty surgery (DACVS), dentistry, ultrasound, and high-quality/high-volume spay-neuter technique