Direct observation of veterinarians (surgery-both orthopedic and soft tissue, dental procedures and extractions, routine appointments and physical exams, medical charting, etc). 

May be asked to help restrain animals, draw blood, place catheters, monitor anesthesia, recover animals from anesthesia, basic care of animals while in hospital (feed, water, walk, clean).

May be asked to assist on large animal calls.

PETS Referral Center (www.petsreferralcenter.com) is a privately owned and operated 24-hour multi-specialty small animal veterinary hospital located in Berkeley, Ca.  We see approximately 10,000 cases annually between our specialists and our team of experienced emergency doctors. 

Our hospital has a culture of collaboration and camaraderie with doctors and staff who enjoy both teaching and learning.  Our highly skilled team of veterinary paraprofessionals is augmented with enthusiastic pre-vet students from UC Berkeley.  In true Berkeley fashion, our clientele is made up of an eclectic variety of people from all walks of life that share a common desire to have the best medical care for their pets.

Externs are expected to ask questions, shadow doctors in exam rooms, participate in rounds, interpret laboratory and radiograph findings, keep a personal case log, do independent study, and participate in the decision-making process of case management.

We want to ensure the time you spend with us is a great learning experience!  We are equipped with color-flow ultrasound, digital radiography, video endoscopy and a full in-house lab including blood gas, coagulation, lactate analysis, and more.

We offer a limited number of small animal externship positions ranging in time from 2-4 weeks and generally limit our availability to one student at any given time.  We accept students from all classes but priority is given to veterinary students who will have completed their third year of instruction prior to starting the externship.   Scheduling is flexible throughout the year, including summers.  Students entering their senior year also have the option to have their rotation with our Internal Medicine / Oncology Services.  

Mutual Externship Objectives:

i.          Student to benefit from frequent case-based learning opportunities with a matched emergency or specialty clinician. 

ii.         Student to have the ability to interface with whichever service is the busiest when student is on site

iii.        Student to demonstrate excellent patient care and client service wherever applicable

iv.        Student to participate in conceptual and hands-on patient assessments, diagnostics and therapeutics

v.         Student to attend and participate in clinical patient rounds and any additional scheduled  CE in the form of Morbidity & Mortality Rounds, monthly Grand Rounds,               Literature Review, etc.

vi.        Student should be willing to assist in patient care duties when asked to do so

Although primarily observational, you will have many opportunities for direct patient contact and participation in assessments and therapeutics.

As a private practice, externship is an alternative to Senior Year Rotations in clinics, we recognize our responsibility to provide a valuable learning experience and we take this responsibility seriously – we expect the same from participating students.  Our program is meant to be an exciting and practical learning opportunity in a busy private practice providing emergency and specialty care in one of the most beautiful areas in California.  Please email your CV and a brief introductory letter including your goals as your application to our program.   Housing and transportation is the responsibility of the student.   Please include preferred and alternate dates for your externship.

I own a six doctor hospital that has been serving the community for over twenty years.  We service small animals, exotics and wildlife.

In the two-week long externship, you will receive one-on-one supervision and training in spay and neuter.  You may also have the opportunity to perform other soft tissue surgeries, such as mass removals, depending on the cases present in the shelter.  Surgeries are performed daily, mornings and early afternoons.  After surgeries are finished for the day, you will be expected to shadow one of the veterinarians as they see appointments or on shelter rounds.  Seeing these animals will provide you with the opportunity to perform physical exams, in-house diagnostics such as ear and skin cytology, FNA cytology, ophthalmologic exams, etc.   Even if you are not intending on entering the field of shelter medicine, you will be able to see and learn a lot about common conditions in pets that you will also encounter in private practice.