Dulles South Veterinary Center is a privately owned hybrid model clinic, housing both a general practice and urgent care/ER practice. We are fortunate to staff at least 7 DVMs, and numerous skilled technicians and assistants. The entire staff loves sharing knowledge and engaging veterinary students in our day to day activities. We offer flexible scheduling, depending on student needs, preferences, and interests.
Extern Objectives:
- To gain perspective on operations of a private, general practice and emergency facility
- To practice overall case management skills, including ordering and interpreting diagnostics, and formation of treatment plans
- To increase confidence with client communications, including financial discussions
- To gain experience with emergency procedures, dental procedures, and routine clinical skills
- To present a case summary, morbidity and mortality rounds, or staff education session
7+ DVMs, 5+ LVTs
Laparoscopy, endoscopy, soft tissue surgery suite, orthopedic surgery suite, 2 table dentistry suite, 2 ultrasound machines (one cageside, one for ultrasound room), isolation suite, digital radiography, dental radiography
Expectations
- Case Involvement
- The extern is expected, and encouraged, to be heavily involved with case management
- The extern will have all case management decisions reviewed/approved by the supervising veterinarian prior to implementation
- The extern will work closely with LVTs, DVMs, and Tier III Veterinary Assistants as directed by the supervising DVM to coordinate patient care
- Procedures
- The extern is permitted, and encouraged, to practice clinical skills which have been taught previously by his/her respective CVM.
- The extern is expected to be up-front regarding previous experience/comfort level with such skills in order to appropriately tailor the externship experience while maintaining patient and staff safety.
- The extern is not permitted to administer rabies vaccinations per Virginia State Law
- Controlled Substances
- The extern is not permitted to prescribe, prepare, or document controlled substance use in the controlled drug book.
- The extern is permitted to administer controlled substances (i.e. premedications/inductions for surgery) under direct supervision of an LVT or DVM.
- Records
- The extern is expected and encouraged to log examinations, assessments, etc. in patient records, and create discharge instructions for clients. All such records should be signed by the extern as a DVM candidate where appropriate, and must be reviewed/verified by the supervising DVM.
- Case Review/M&M Rounds
- The extern is expected to create a short (10-15 minute) informal presentation, a morbidity/mortality rounds on a case observed during the externship, or staff education tool to be presented to DVMs/LVTs during the final week of the externship.
- Reviews/Evaluations
- The supervising DVM will briefly meet with the extern for a verbal mid-block review to indicate strengths/weakness and review/update expectations. The extern will be notified at this point whether he/she is currently passing the block with substantiating reasons.
- The extern is responsible for providing his/her supervising veterinarian with appropriate materials for his/her CVM evaluation
- The extern will complete the DSVC externship review at the conclusion of the rotation
Student housing not available on site, but there are opportunities for subsidized or sponsored housing, depending on timing.