Offsite Electives
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- Communication and Interpersonal Skills ~ Observe interactions among veterinarinas, clients and staff members, including grief counseling ad conflict resolution. Observe division of labor between veterinarinas, technicians, office staff, etc.
- Practice Management and Business ~ Observe appointment scheduling procedures, fee structure, retail sales, operating costs, daily receipts, ownership structure, work schedule and billing/collection procedures. Become familiar with medical recordkeeping, business management software, drug inventory and labeling, controlled drug handling and sanitation and waste disposal.
- Veterinary Medical Skills Pertinent to General Veterinary Practice ~ Observe wellness appointment, pre-surgical appointment, emergency, etc. Observe physical examination, restraint and safe handling, routine preventive medicine, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, routine laboratory tests, nursing care, routine surgical procedures, anesthesia and sedation protocols, induction, monitoring and recovery, digital radiology, necropsy, emergency appointments and intensive care.
****Our practice allows students to actively participate and gain hands-on experience.
Clinical rotation of Equine Medicine
K.E.Y. Animal Hospital is a comminity based full service animal hospital. We are a very busy small animal hospital (some large and exotic) single doctor practice. KEY is a well established state of the art animal hospital with over 26 years of experience. We have a 7000 sq. ft. facility with 4 exam rooms, two table surgery suite, comfort/consult suite, x-ray suite, boarding facility and grooming facility.
The northern panhandle of West Virginia is a great place to live and work and offers access to plenty of outdoor activities. We offer great hiking, fishing, boating, horse back riding, golf, skiing, snow boarding, and other outdoor activities.We are located just minutes from Oglebay Park. The Ohio Valley also offers historical sites and nightlife. Pittsbugh, PA and Columbus, OH are within easy driving distance.
Clear Springs Foods makes its home on the scenic Snake River Canyon of southern Idaho's Magic Valley. Here, our rainbow trout are farm-raised in concrete raceways fed by an abundance of crystal clear spring water. Ideal growing conditions, combined with a commitment to quality and innovation, have made Clear Springs the world's largest producer of rainbow trout, processing over 20 million pounds a year. Clear Springs Foods is vertically-integrated with a feed mill, brood stations, grow-out farms, processing plants, and trucking fleet distributing high-quality fresh and frozen products to markets across the United States twice a week.
Veterinary externs at Clear Springs will spend time on the production facilities learning health management and production practices. They will be involved with fish heath exams and treatments on the farm in addition to spending time at the Diagnostic Laboratory participating in fish necropsies as well as performing bacteriology, virology, and molecular biology assays. Externs may also be involved with research projects that could include disease investigation, vaccine development and delivery, nutrition, brood fish selection, and others.
A video about Clear Springs Foods can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/BtkAgoLwNME
Just Cats Veterinary Services has an ABVP approved residency program for feline practice and is equipped to handle externships. Exposure to feline internal medicine and some surgery with focus on cats with multiple coexisting disease processes, critical care, imaging. We also perform at least 10 dental procedures per week, with exposure to digital radiography, extraction techniques, some endodontics.
Tristate Bird Rescue (TSBR) is accepting applications from 4th year veterinary students attending veterinary school in the United States for a 3-6 week externship. TSBR has two main programs: 1. a wild avian rehabilitation clinic that admits approximately 3,000 cases per year as well as 2. an oiled wildlife response team. TSBR employs 1 full time veterinarian. Externs will work closely with the veterinarian to perform the care, treatments, procedures, and husbandry of approximately 5 assigned cases. In addition, the extern will be involved in admission of new patients; diagnostics such as radiography, fecal examination and basic bloodwork; surgeries; recheck examinations; avian ophthalmology; and medical record keeping. Applicants must be in their 4th year of veterinary school (or the equivalent) in the United States. Applicants must have completed at least 1 clinical rotation within their school’s hospital prior to the TSBR externship. Interested applicants should email Dr. Cristin Kelley at ckelley@tristatebird.org.
General Job Description for Externship in Exotic Animal Medicine
Externs are typically 3rd or 4th year veterinary students that have a strong interest in the care of nontraditional pets. Externs are expected to spend a 6 week rotation at the hospital but exceptions may be made for shorter or longer stays. Externs are ancillary positions to the hospital’s veterinarians, technicians, and customer service staff. The externs will assist the doctor and technicians with a patient during the taking of a medical history, examination, diagnosis, and treatment phases. The externs will help maintain the veterinary facilities, equipment, veterinary records, and supplies. They also assist in the care of boarding animals. The externs are expected to participate fully in all aspects of patient care under the supervision of the hospital staff. The hospital is open 6 days a week with some evening hours. Externs are expected to work 40+ hrs/week.
Case studies are provided to help the student think out common scenarios seen in practice. Some students may be able to assist in surgery but it is all depenent on the cases. Supervised exams will be done on shelter animals. Sometimes there is off site exams.
Qualifications / Requirements
- Currently enrolled in veterinary school as a junior or senior with prior experience in a clinical setting
- AVMA PLIT Insurance for externs (or its equivalent for international students)
- Preference given to students with demonstrable experience in the fields of exotic animal husbandry, medical care, or natural history
- Work requires lifting and carrying animals and equipment up to forty (40) pounds (will be assisted by other staff members in lifting items over 40 pounds). Walks or stands for extended periods of time; frequently works in a bent position. No impairment of sight, smell, hearing, touch, balance and agility of movement which might interfere with ability to work. No allergies to plants or animals which might interfere with ability to work. No immunocompetence issues which might interfere with ability to work.
- Working Conditions: May be exposed to: unpleasant odors; loud harsh noises; zoonotic and other contagious diseases; animal feces; animal urine and other bodily fluids; animal dander; potentially dangerous and unpredictable animal species; dust; potentially dangerous chemicals (including but not limited to acid fast stain, Gram stain, cytology stains, polyvinyl alcohol, ammonia, chlorine bleach, quaternary ammonium compounds, Cidex and related gluteraldehyde products, and 10% buffered formalin); potentially dangerous drugs (including, but not limited to, opioids, chloramphenicol, and occasional waste gas such as isoflurane); radiology equipment (produces x-ray radiation); potentially dangerous machinery; etc. Frequent use of protective clothing (i.e. goggles, masks, gloves, gowns) is required.
Credits & Wages
Externs will receive credit only if their school has approved the program. The extern is responsible for coordinating any paperwork that must be completed for the school’s requirements. At this time no wages are paid to externs and no housing is provided. There are a variety of extended stay hotels in the area.
During this two-week elective experience, the student will be exposed to multiple different exotic animal species and the role of the veterinary department in a zoological institution. Mesker Park Zoo is a small AZA-accredited zoo in southwest Indiana with a collection of approximately 750 animals, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and terrestrial invertebrates. It is a 45-acre facility located in the hills of Evansville, IN, which is within 2-3 hours of St. Louis, Indianapolis, Nashville, and Louisville.
Students will have hands on experience working with mostly backyard poultry flocks and some commercial egg production flocks. Students will learn about and perform diagnostic testing, necropsy, fecals, disease diagnosis, and treatment (including minor surgery). Time not spent on farms will be spent going over diseases (clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment and prevention) and coming up with differential diagnosis for each. Student may also spend time with the diagnostic laboratory if desired/upon availability.
This practice is 100% Standardbred racetrack. On your elective you will become familar with lameness exams, including the physical exams, diagnostic blocking, therapeutic joint injections, and diagnostic imaging. Our practice utilizes digital xray, ultrasound, upper airway endoscopy and 3M endoscopy. Surgery is limited to lacerations and a lot of castrations! The student will get to see how a veterinarian works on a daily basis at a racetrack with the horses and understand the effectiveness of communication. It is a very professional experience and we try to have the latest equipment on hand to make the job fun.