The Brevard Zoo offers 4-6 week externships to clinical veterinary students. Located along the Space Coast in Melbourne, Florida, the zoo is an AZA-accredited facility with a diverse collection of close to one-thousand animals representing nearly 200 species. It is also home to the Sea Turtle Healing Center for rehabilitation of wild marine turtles. Brevard Zoo is well-known for its strong conservation ethic and unique attractions, such as kayaking through the Africa area, giraffe feeding, and rhinoceros and lemur encounters.
The educational goal of the veterinary externship is to provide the student with a broad base of experiences and knowledge pertaining to the field of zoological medicine. The extern will accompany the veterinarians and staff and observe or participate in daily activities, clinical procedures, and preventive medicine. The extern will also assist with daily care, feeding, cleaning and observation of hospitalized and/or quarantine animals. Up to five days of the externship may be spent shadowing keepers, one day for each zoo area: Florida, South America, Africa, Australasia, and Paws-On (domestic, educational, and aquatic animals). The extern will also attend full staff meetings, keeper meetings, and informal rounds. Externs will use any other non-clinical time to expand their knowledge of zoological medicine using resources made available to them.
The Brevard Zoo maintains a modern and fully-equipped veterinary hospital onsite. The facility has a wide range of diagnostic and treatment capabilities, allowing for effective and efficient veterinary care. Externs will work under the direct supervision of Dr. Trevor Zachariah, an ACZM Diplomate. Externs will also work alongside a full-time staff veterinarian, a full-time veterinary intern, two credentialed veterinary technicians, and sea turtle rehabilitation staff. Educational resources available to students include a comprehensive collection of printed text (including many zoo/wildlife medicine speciality texts and journals), as well as internet access.
It is the expectation that students will spend forty hours per week at the Brevard Zoo for the duration of their veterinary externship. The typical schedule is 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM, Sunday through Thursday, but is subject to change.
Housing opportunities may be available at a nominal rate, based on availability. Prospective externs are welcome to email the program contact for more details. Additionally, there is a hotel within walking distance that offers discounts for zoo-related activities. Externs are also free to arrange their own accommodations.