The Banfield Externship Program provides veterinary students in their clinical year the opportunity to practice medicine one-on-one alongside an experienced coach veterinarian as a “doctor-in-training” to develop medical and surgical skills. Each extern is assigned a DVM coach and is expected to complete an individual set of weekly goals based upon their interests and Banfield hospital procedures. Externs will be exposed to a wide range of experiences geared towards developing their clinical skills in a nurturing, supportive environment, ranging from technical applications to inter-personal relationship techniques.

In accordance with the State Practice Act, Externship participants are provided with the opportunity to:

·         Gain experience in general Pet medicine in a bond-centered practice.

·         Understand Banfield’s best practice standards, code of conduct and ethics.

·         Understand the concepts of quality medicine and preventive care.

·         Understand how both high quality and high case load can complement each other.

·         Learn to perform a physical exam and to record a thorough medical history.

·         Improve technical skills such as:  drawing blood, placing catheters, giving injections, starting fluids, assisting with anesthesia and surgeries under the mentor doctor’s direct supervision.

·         Collect and interpret laboratory specimens.

·         Learn how to order the appropriate diagnostic tests.

·         Learn to establish effective therapeutic plans.

·         Learn how to properly restrain dogs, cats and exotic pets for different medical procedures.

·         Learn how to efficiently and effectively use hospital equipment.

·         Learn how to charge appropriately for services provided and why this is important.

·         Learn and practice effective client and team communication skills.

·         Learn to work effectively with hospital associates and others critical to their success.

The Center for Bird and Exotic Animal Medicine (CBEAM) is a very busy, exotics-exclusive emergency and routine care practice that is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Our externs spend 5 days a week with us, shadowing and participating in rooms, as well as assisting with routine and emergency cases (including performing treatments and helping in surgery).  We are happy to have students with a strong interest in exotics spend time at our hospital. 

Students will work with both Chief and Staff Veterinarians with daily surgical load (spay/neuter, any specialty procedures) and medical cases (wide range of conditions.  They will have hands on experience with all cases during the scheduled externship period.  They may have an opportunity to do field work with our Animal Control Officers and observe any Animal Cruelty Court Cases scheduled.    

 WCAC has an intake of 7,000-9,000 animals per year mainly consisting of dogs & cats.   We also see most pocket pets (rabbits, ferret, guinea pigs, etc) and the occasional small ruminant or poultry.   

Students will have the opportunity for mentorship in all areas of our practices. Our 4 week externship program includes rotations in customer care, patient exam room visits and internal medicine, radiology, laboratory procedure development, clinical pathology proficiency development, dentistry, soft-tissue and orthopedic surgeries (fracture repair, TTA and CBLO cruciate ligament repair, femoral head ostectomy, patella luxation stabilization), acupuncture, rehabilitation (therapeutic ultrasound, neuromuscular electro-stimulation, therapeutic laser) and physical therapy.  Students will receive hands-on training in all of these areas of services provided by our hospitals, participate in doctor case discussions as well as journal article review and presentations. The majority of the student's time will be spent at The Animal Doctor headquarters facility with opportunities to spend time at other TAD Hospitals facilities for well-rounded, multi-community veterinary practice. The students work-week will consist of 40 hours per week during normal hospital office hours and work days. Housing assistance will be provided.