The Animal Emergency & Referral Center of MN is located in the east metro of the Twin Cities. We are a small animal clinic that started as an emergency clinic 30 years ago, and has morphed into an emergency and referral center, offering complete patient care with multiple specialties. We are a team of highly skilled veterinarians,
specialists, and technicians, who work together to provide quality patient care. We place an emphasis on learning and have a strong program for veterinary student externs and vet tech interns. We have had vet student externs from throughout the country. We limit the extern rotation to 2 students per 2 week rotation, on alternating
schedules, to maximize individual learning. Each extern will get one on one time with various criticalists and multiple ER veterinarians. This allows exposure to a variety of practice methods.  Other specialties are available as well.

Externs are expected to be able to interact with clients, take histories, perform physical exams, perform minor procedures, scrub in on surgeries, and take part in rounds.   We have an extremely positive work environment and are very welcoming to students. Our primary hospital is in Oakdale, MN, which is open 24/7, with a satellite clinic in St. Paul, also open 24/7. Students spend a majority of the time at our Oakdale clinic, but also will spend at least 2 shifts at our St. Paul clinic. Students can customize their schedule. Each shift is up to 8 hours long, with a mix of days, evenings, weekends and holidays, for a total of about 40 hours per week.

We have a 24 hour veterinary hospital.  During the day we operate as a traditional hospital seeing routine and non-routine cases(vaccines, dermatitis etc...).  We see quite a few emergency walk ins during the day also.  In the evening(after 7pm) we transition to an emergency hospital and everything is walk in only.  We have an in house lab with 2 Med Techs running it, digtal x-ray and ultrasound, digital dental x-ray with multiple high speed units, endoscopy and a traveling surgeon who handle our more involved surgeries.  A typical externship involves some time on day shift, some time spent on weekend shift and some time spent on overnight/emergency shifts.  We try to expose the students to all aspects of our practice.

Pet Poison Helpline (PPH) is a 24-hour animal poison control service available throughout North America for pet owners and veterinary professionals who require assistance with treating a potentially poisoned pet.

We have an organized externship which allows veterinary students (4th year students in their clinical year) to spend 2 weeks learning about different aspects of running an animal poison control service. Specific learning objectives include management of toxicology calls, communication skills, decontamination, antidote therapy, and medical treatment of the poisoned patient.

San Luis Rey Equine Hospital offers 2-4 week externship rotations. On site housing is provided when available. Externs participate in twice daily rounds, assist in case work-up, journal club, and observe surgeries and lameness evaluations, and imaging procedures. They are present for the work-up of all emergency cases and gain a vast array of experience in medicine, surgery, sports medicine, lameness and anesthesia. Opportunity for exposure to rehabilitation facility associated with practice.